Razon's of Guagua ( UP Technohub )

Summer is here, and once again the scorching heat of the sun especially here in the Philippines, makes us crave for ways to cool down. Halo halo is one of the best ways to beat the summer heat. Razon's of Guagua's halo halo is one, if not the best in town.

Their halo halo is made much more like a smoothie. The solid ingredients seems to be blended together with the ice, while some of it are still in chunks to add texture. It is topped with leche flan also known as crème caramel or caramel custard. They usually serve it after your meal, just ask them to. One tall glass of halo halo costs 105 pesos. A bit pricey but it's definitely worth it.

Razon's is also famous for their sizzling dishes. We tried their Sizzling Bulalo. It tastes like the usual bulalo, sans the soup which can be a big deal to some, because the bulalo soup is where all the flavor is. Don't be hesitant to try this bulalo with a twist. The bulalo flavor is still there. The meat is soft and flavorful. The bone marrow is also present. The only thing missing here are the vegetables which can be found on the usual bulalo. The soup is replaced by gravy. A single serving costs 295 pesos and can be good for two persons. It is not served with rice so you'll just have to buy one separately. This dish is more like a sizzling beef steak with bone marrow on the side than a sizzling bulalo, but it is good and definitely a must try.

They don't have much choices in their beverage menu so we decided to just have a can of soda.

Razon's of Guagua offers scrumptious and good quality food at a reasonable price. The place is nice and relaxing. They have enough tables and chairs inside and outside the restaurant to accommodate lots of customers especially in a busy place like UP Ayala Land Technohub. The service is fast and the place is well maintained.

RATINGS: 

Food: 5/5

Cleanliness: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Price: 4/5

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Type: casual dining restaurant

Cuisine: Filipino

Delivery: 

Operating Hours: Sun - Mon 10:00am - 10:00pm

Contact Number: (02) 441 1893

Branches: 

- sm manila

- banawe

- sm mall of asia

- alabang town center

- parañaque

- up ayala land technohub

- greenhills shopping center

- jupiter st.

- trinoma mall

- sta. rosa

- mckinley hill

- market market

- san miguel by the bay

- robinsons place manila

- sm megamall

- gateway mall

- timog

- sm city north edsa

- sm city fairview

- sta lucia east grand mall

- fisher mall

- marikina

- robinsons galleria

- greenbelt 1

- sm makati

- araneta

- pasig

- tagaytay

- eastwood city walk 2

- sm center las piñas

- sm city novaliches

- sm bicutan

- silver city mall

- robinsons magnolia

- j centre mall

- tiendesitas

- cash and carry mall

- sm sucat-lopez

Rafael's Garlic Chicken and Eatery ( Batac, Ilocos Norte )

If you are looking for lutong bahay style of dishes and in a tight budget, Rafael's Garlic Chicken and Eatery is one of the best places to go. It is one of those kubo or nipa hut style restaurants around the vicinity of Batac, Ilocos Norte. 

There are a few tables that can accommodate groups of people, situated away from the crowded area where most people eat. The place is made mostly out of bamboos and parts from old houses that they put together to set up this place. Old things from the farm can also be seen hanging on the walls which serves a dual purpose of being like a piece of a puzzle that completes the wall and a decoration as well.

Pakbet is one of the famous Ilocano dishes. It tastes good as expected, the meat and vegetables are cooked well. The vegetables are still a bit crunchy which is good. It complements fried or grilled meat and fish dishes very well.

We tried their Spicy Squid. It is not over cooked and not too spicy which is a good thing as I am not a fan of very spicy dishes. The squid is also fresh and it comes in big servings.

The Ginisang Upo is just one of their vegetable dishes that is a great complement for grilled or fried fish and meat dishes. The upo is cooked  and seasoned just right.

Their Inihaw na Baboy or grilled pork is a must try. It is seasoned well and cooked to perfection. Still tender and juicy. A single serving can be good for sharing. 

 The kare kare is a bit different. It is not the usual kare kare with thick sauce made out of ground peanuts. Although it has the ingredients of a regular kare kare, it seems that it was cooked like the pakbet. It has a runny sauce and bagoong. The meat is tender and the vegetables tastes fresh.

This eatery has lots of customers and tends to be over crowded with students and employees during lunch time. They offer a wide variety of great tasting dishes to choose from. It is a pay as you order style of service. Uniformed waiters can be seen roaming around the eatery, ready to assist customers. It is not air conditioned but there are ceiling fans installed everywhere. The materials used in building the restaurant such as the pawid and bamboos really helps in preventing the temperature inside from rising to an uncomfortable level. Aside from the budget friendly prices of their food, there are still some recommended dishes that we haven't tried yet so we will surely be back here on out next visit to the city of Batac, Ilocos Norte.

RATINGS:

Food: 4/5
Cleanliness: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 4/5


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Type: casual dining restaurant
Cuisine: Filipino
Delivery:
Operating Hours:
Contact Number:
Branches: Batac, Ilocos Norte

Labig Lutong Bahay ( Batac, Ilocos Norte )

Labig Lutong Bahay is located at 5 Callaguip Batac, Ilocos Norte. Another one of those restaurants that were highly recommended by the locals. Labig is the leaf of a palm tree called palma brava.

A long nipa hut houses the dining area of this restaurant. Wooden tables and chairs inside and outside the hut are available for customers. There are plants and trees surrounding the area so it feels relaxing and comfortable even during the summer season.

They sell different flavors of milk shakes here. We had the vanilla, chocolate and ube flavors. The ube flavor is a must try. The milk shakes are topped with whipped cream and chocolate bits and with chocolate wafer stick or

 stic-o. It costs 55 pesos a glass.

A bowl of Chicken Mami costs 45 pesos. It is served with hard boiled egg and shreds of chicken. The soup is good and comes in ample servings.

.

They serve different types of "silog" here. We tried the Tosilog (tocino-sinangag-itlog). The meat is cooked and flavored just right. Nothing fancy but the meat and egg can be good for two cups of fried rice. Not bad for a 45 pesos meal.

The Pork Chop with Rice is also good for a budget meal. It comes in big servings however, just expect more breading than meat. The good thing is, it tastes good and it is served with a lot of rice so it's really not bad for 60 pesos.

Apart from the fresh and relaxing ambiance and the low priced good food, the free wifi is what makes people come back here to eat. The latter part was according to the locals. They also offer good service and have friendly staff. They close at exactly 7:30 pm so be sure to come in a bit early if you plan to have dinner here.

RATINGS:

Food: 4/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Price: 5/5

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Type: casual dining restaurant
Cuisine: Filipino
Delivery:
Operating Hours: 6:30 am - 7:30 pm
Contact Number:
Branches: Batac, Ilocos Norte

Sikat-Tuna Inihaw Restaurant and Hotel ( Batac, Ilocos Norte )

Sikat-tuna Inihaw Restaurant and Hotel is one of the recommended restaurants by the locals in Batac, Ilocos Norte. They offer good food at a reasonable price. It is located at 7 Marcos Ave. Batac, Ilocos Norte.

A couple of tables and chairs are situated near the entrance which seems to be the waiting area for customers. There is a bar located near the entrance where you can have a quick snack or a few drinks.

They also have chairs and tables inside for groups of people. There are tree houses where custoners can eat. Lots of trees and plants surround the premises which gives the place a more native and fresh environment. It also helps a lot in keeping the temperature down and creates a relaxing ambiance.

Customers can have fun with the karaoke / videoke, just ask the crew about it. A stage is set on the garden, which can be used on parties and other special occassions.

They have fresh buko juice. You can have them cut it open for you, so you can eat the meat. There's nothing like a fresh buko juice.



Their seasonal fruit shakes are a must try. We had the mango and avocado shakes, both were really refreshing and made from fresh fruits. There's not too much sugar or milk so you can still taste the natural fruit flavor.

The Sizzling Squid is good and cooked just right. A single serving can be good for two persons if you are not a hearty eater. It is also said that the seafoods they serve here comes directly from General Santos City as the owner is from there.

The Roast Chicken is also good. The meat is tender and juicy. It is also well marinated and cooked just right. It costs 89 pesos which is good for one person.

The Fish and Shrimp is a combination of tempura and breaded fish fillet. It is served with rice and some sweet, sour and spicy sauce and a few slices of tomatoes on the side. The seafoods tastes fresh and it is not too oily even if it is deep fried. It is also crunchy but a bit bland. For 99 pesos, it's not bad at all. A single serving can be good for sharing.

They also have a clean and nicely decorated restroom.

Sikat-tuna should be on your list for food trips around Batac, Ilocos Norte. Aside from the fresh and relaxing ambiance, they also serve good food at a reasonable price. Service is good and fast. Waiters are friendly and approachable. They also offer hotel accommodations here for 1,500 pesos per day, you can avail of their air conditioned rooms with hot/cold shower. It is good for 2-3 persons.

RATINGS: 

Food: 4/5

Cleanliness: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Service: 4/5

Price: 5/5

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Type: casual dining restaurant

Cuisine: Filipino

Delivery: 

Operating Hours: 

Contact Number: 

Branches: Batac, Ilocos Norte

Saramsam Ylocano Restaurant ( Laoag, Ilocos Norte )

Saramsam, an Ilocano term for finger foods. It is located at Rizal st. cor. Hizon st. N. Corpuz bldg. Brgy 7A Laoag, Ilocos Norte, sharing the same entrance with Balay da Blas.

A relaxing ambiance will greet you as you enter the premises. There is small pool with fishes in it on the side of the lobby. The modern architectural design with a touch of native and antique style is great however, it can be a bit intimidating to some customers in a tight budget. It gives people the impression that Saramsam offers costly foods in their menu, which actually is the other way around. 

The dining area is divided into several rooms which gives diners a sense of privacy. Antiques can be found all over the place. 

 

They brew their own baraniw ( wild basil ) that they use for their teas.

 For just 45 pesos, you can have a refreshing tall glass of ice cold Baraniw iced tea. The mild taste and aroma of wild basil on this cold tea is very relaxing and refreshing.

The Salamagui Juice is a must try. It is made from real sampaloc fruits. A tall glass of this sweet and sour ice cold beverage only costs 50 pesos.

One of their best selling pasta, the Saramsam Pasta is like a combination of salad and pasta. It has shrimps, cilantro, red and green bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, onions, green and ripe mangoes, olive oil and parmesan cheese. The noodles are al dente and the salad like ingridients gives this dish a refreshing and unique flavor. It is also served with two slices of toasted bread that complements the dish. A single serving costs 160 pesos which can be good for two persons if you are not a hearty eater.

The Pasta Marinara Blanca is basically a spicy sea food pasta which consists of tuna, mussels and squid. It is a must try for people who love seafoods and spicy dishes. An ample serving costs 160 pesos. Not bad for a seafood pasta.

 Saramsam is one of the few restaurants that includes unusual flavors of pizza in their menu. The Dinardaraan Pizza is topped with cheese, tomato sauce and dinuguan. Dinardaraan is an Ilocano word meaning dinuguan. It has a distinct dinuguan flavor but it's a bit dry. I think it would be a lot better if they added a bit of the dinuguan sauce on top of the thin crust pizza and not let it dry too much. But it's not bad at all, in fact it is one of their best selling pizzas. The 8 inch pizza costs 185 pesos.

• They also have tables outside. You can opt to dine inside their air conditioned dining area or in the garden. The plants and trees helps alot in keeping the temperature down even in the afternoon. 

They also have a dining area upstairs. It is also decorated by antique items and a combination of modern and native design.

This place is also recommended by Trip Advisor.

Saramsam is one of the best places to dine in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. It offers great service and good food, friendly and accomodating staff and a relaxing ambiance. They also offer free wifi. Ample servings at a low price is another reason that customers will be returning to dine here again.

RATINGS:

Food: 4/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 5/5

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Type: casual dining restaurant
Cuisine: Filipino, American
Delivery:
Operating Hours: Sun - Sat 11:00 am - 2:00 am
Contact Number: +63 77 771 5825
Branches: Laoag, Ilocos Norte