Sidetrip Home for Fun and FOOD

There were no plans for this trip, but things fell together quite nicely and we made a quick getaway home. Two separate nights in Manila bookended a three night, four-day trip to the beautiful Bohol - which is now officially my favourite place in the Philippines. The first night we consolidated families and had dinner at the always delicious CAFE BOLA - the brainchild of cuisinartiste Gaita Fores, the little bistro specialises in Pinoy comfort food. And a comfort it was, indeed.

I gave up my usual Ceaser salad with bagoong balayan and went for two items on the specials board: Lechon Kawali and Kang Kong salad - a sparkling medley of crispy roasted pork bellies atop freshly steamed morning glory, onions and tomatoes, lightly tossed with garlic-laced vinegar. But I didn't stop there. I also ordered something the chef christened Fiesta rice - a cake of fried garlic rice topped with equal rows of chopped salted egg, smoked tinapa, tomatoes and chicharon. No surprise, every bite was heavenly.

The next morning, we hopped aboard Cebu Pacific, which was surprisingly painless and wonderfully on time and flew to Bohol. The first day was easy - just a day spent on the beach - with both meals had at various restaurants on the Alona cove strip. We spent the afternoon snacking on the sweetest lanzones imaginable - all the while digging our toes in the stand and viewing star fish. Dinner was at a turo turo - where friends V and C pointed at various things we wanted grilled - pork barbecue, roaste pork, and squid - which we also had cooked in inky adobo style. And the veggie dish was fresh seaweed!

Second day was touristic - the blood compact first, and then the marvelous chocolate hills of Bohol. I told K and C that the hills were actually alien pods that will hatch in the future and the Philippines will be the first alien colony. From the hills, we drove to the Loboc River and had lunch on the riverboat - and after that, the tarsiers, which we fed with beetles. The final stop was at the marvellous Bee Farm - but rather than take the bee tour, we contented ourselves with buying foodstuff from the bee shop. Honeyed peanut sticks, honeyed chocolate covered polvoron (it gives polvoron a delightfully irresistible edge) and my find of the day: Tableya dark chocolate honey spread - like nutella - but oh so much more. I bought not just one but two jars!

Dinner was a birthday party for little V at the Amorita resort where we stayed - and here, the food was amazing...I went totally pinoy with chicken-pork adobo - stealing a bit of K's sinigang na baka. The rest of the dinner party had the array of pasta dishes - alio olio, bolognaise pesto and fettucini carbonara - all more than competent. And for dessert - chocolate cake!

The following day, we rose at the crack of dawn to take a banca out to open sea to chase the dolphins. On realising that we weren't going to be in for breakfast, I ordered packed sandwiches to take on the boat with us - scrambled egg and bacon on toast with a dollop of mayonaise. The dolphins were truly amazing - and from there we went to the marine sanctuary at Balincasag island and had the best snorkellig experience. We were on the precipice of a coral reef, after all. So the sights were spectacular - the aggressive clown fish, the anemone, exquisite Angel fish, and below, schools and schools of some kind of flounder.

For lunch, we went to the Genesis Diving Centre Pizza House for delectable thin crust pizzas topped with salami, olives and onions - but not before M and I had massages on the beach, upon landing from the banca trip. As the children built their sand cities, we chatted and while snacking again on lanzones, finally ending up at sunset in the Amorita's infinity pool.

The grand finale meal was at the fabulous Ananyana resort - just 20 minutes away - and it was a fine dining extravaganza - M had pork ribs, T had a wonderful chicken dish, C had grilled swordfish - I stuck to pinoy and had the grilled bangus with mango salad - every morsel of which was sweet and tasty. Dessert? Chocnut ice cream!

On that last morning, after a buffet breakfast that included fried danggit, longanisa, rice, tomatoes, salted egg and champorado - plus hot tableya chocolate, we had a final bathe in the calm pool like waters of Alona beach - and then it was time to leave.

But the eating was not over. We met up with S quite fittingly at Shakey's - and had garlic and cheese thin crust pizza as well as manager's choice and chicken and mojos and sarsi. Then met with C and her brood and had a long catch up over dinner at the inimitable Via Mare! Binagoongan Baboy, lumpiang sariwa, sinigang and bibingka - plus guinumis for dessert!

Back in Singapore, I am now in the midst of detoxing for all the apparent and not so apparent reasons...but hey, every bite was worth it. I come from a wonderful country.