Lashing Out at the Taksiyapo Wall

BFF Trency and I set out on a roadtrip not too long ago (think last long weekend before the November 1 holidays). Seems like the two of us end up going together on trips since the others are just way too pre-occupied with their lives! Last time we went out on a major trip was in Cebu during the summer, which you can read about here, here, here, and here. Being the only two single girls left in the barkada, we stick together like peas and carrots to somehow cover up that fact hahaha!

We were on our way to San Juan, La Union for a surf trip, when we passed by this restaurant called Isdaan along Gerona, Tarlac. Guys! You'll never miss this restaurant along the main national highway. It's like a major stopover for families. Good thing we decided to stop over the restaurant on the way to La Union, because when we passed by Isdaan on our way back to Manila it was JAMPACKED!

We didn't eat here though, but we stopped here on the way to La Union to try out the famous Taksiyapo Wall. Mariko and I planned a trip to Isdaan to experience this, but never got the chance to, sayang! I really don't know why it's called that, but it has become popular here because you can throw stuff (choose from mugs, saucers, plates, bowls, vase to television sets!) at the Taksiyapo Wall. So if the Jews have their Wailing Wall, we Pinoys have the Taksiyapo Wall to lash out


Here's Trency with her very highly emotional throwing. She doesn't get angry a lot, so I understand her need for releasing the stress/tension. She got so carried away, she hit one of the light bulbs and the broken pieces ricocheted near the cashier. The poor ladies almost got hit! :p



I for one get angry all the time, hence the lack-luster throwing. Sorry! Although I must admit it was fun throwing things just for the heck of it. :)


So if you guys are on a road trip up north, make sure to stop by Isdaan in Gerona, Tarlac. Release your tension and try out the Taksiyapo Wall. Don't forget to shout Taksiyapo before throwing your item into the wall, they say it gives it an emotional twist.

But has anyone of you eaten here? Is the food any good? Worth going on a road trip for? Lemme know! :)

P.S. Also, don't forget to bring Off Lotion or any anti-mosquito lotions. The place is one huge fish pond, so it's also one huge place filled with stagnant water. Better safe than sorry right?! :)

One of the Best Gambas I've Ever Tasted

Is found at Regina's: The Restaurant in San Jose, Antique. Yes, it's that far!

So after a bumpy, dusty, jeepney tour of Antique, we got really hungry. One of my Aunt's Antiqueño friends recommended we eat at Regina's: The Restaurant. I'm not really sure if it's super popular in Antique, but it's different and unique to that place. There was Jollibee and Mang Inasal in the center of town but my Aunt wanted seafood.

At first we were the only customers in the restaurant, so we got to choose the longest table inside. We were a huge group of 12 which consisted more of the senior citizens (boring! hahaha!). Since my Aunt was paying, she was the one who took charge of our orders, and true to what she said, everything we ordered came from the sea!

Sinigang na Tanigue. Really good soup, not too sour, perfect with rice! They had generous vegetable servings too.

Shrimps! Super good! We really just hated peeling the shrimp's shell...but it was all worth it afterwards!

Mixed seafood in oyster sauce. This was okay, the oldies enjoyed this better than I did.

But the kicker in all the food my Aunt ordered was THE GAMBAS! Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a picture of it as they had already attacked the dish even before I could get a snapshot of it. But take my word for it...IT WAS THE BEST GAMBAS I'VE TASTED in a while! Super spicy! My Uncle and I enjoyed it. I had several servings of this dish. And even after we've left the restaurant, I was still reliving the taste of it in my mind. I wish you guys could have a taste of it. I wouldn't mind going all the way to Antique for it.

If you guys do get to Antique, do eat at Regina's: The Restaurant and order their Gambas. But try also their other stuff, I'm sure there are dishes in that place that's surely good! Here's their menu. :)

Discovering The Province of Antique

Don't you guys just love it when you get to hit two birds with one stone, especially when it comes to your travels? That's exactly what happened when I went to Iloilo over the weekend for my Uncle's (my Mom's older brother) 74th birthday bash. It was extra special to him because he also FINALLY and OFFICIALLY won the elections last May 2010. He ran as Barangay Captain, he was declared the winner, but the guy he ran against challenged it and they had to go to court. But about last month, my Uncle was officially declared the winner! :) Our first politician in the family after n years! :p

I flew in at about 10AM, went to their beach resort in the coastal town of San Joaquin to drop my stuff, then it was off to the province of Antique - which Iloilo shares a border with.

We didn't get to Antique the usual pomp and pageantry which an airconditioned car could give you, instead we rode a JEEPNEY going there. And my Aunt who's usually so scared of us getting hungry bought snacks of puto (a snack made which we could munch on during the 2 hour ride.



When we finally got to Antique, our first stopover was their main parish, I think it was St. Joseph's Parish. This Church actually reminded me of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Guagua, Pampanga. And they also had a beautiful Adoration Chapel outside of the main Church.



We were in the town of San Jose by the way, the capital of the province. According to Kuya Dodong, a newphew of my Aunt, they've been wanting to make San Jose a city but couldn't get to it not because of the town's net income but because of the shortage in population. I think it's better that way, cheaper tax collection, cheaper housing, cheaper everything. Here are some snapshots I took while we were going around town in our rented jeepney!




Oh, and right across the Church is the Evelio B. Javier Freedom Park, which is like their Luneta Park. Evelio B. Javier is the province's local hero, he was killed by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos just because he's a supporter of Corazon Aquino. It was in the park, 25 years ago, where Evelio Javier was gunned down.


And if in Antique, you really have to bear with how DUSTY it is! Just look at these photos, you could get asthma attacks from it. My hair was as hard as a broomstick after the tour of the town, that was the low-point of this trip though.


After lunch, which I will blog separately, it was time to go back to Iloilo. We took an alternate route along the coast, though it took longer than the first one. BUT it was more scenic. It was absolutely beautiful! So I'll just leave you guys with photos. :)





It was a short but sweet trip to Antique. I'm just a bit saddened that we didn't get to see that much and we only went to one town. I would really like to go back to see a lot more things, and by that I mean not seeing a Jollibee or Mang Inasal. I want the hardcore, laidback, sleepy provincial towns of Antique. For sure they have a lot of tourist spots there waiting to be discovered. :)

Balaw Balaw: Art and Food in One

It was last Saturday, a day after the whole of Manila was submerged in flood waters by Tropical Storm Falcon, Ninya and I met up in SM Taytay to have coffee. But I was not yet in the mood to go home just yet, so I told her we could go to the art capital of Rizal: ANGONO.

I've been in the town of Angono once before when I was still a writer for our travel magazine, Travel Plus. We had a CALABARZON road trip, and the province of Rizal was first on our list. We visited a lot of museums that time, but one that really stuck to me was BALAW BALAW RESTAURANT.

Balaw Balaw is found inside a middle-class subdivision, and serves both as a museum and restaurant. Ninya and I first went around the museum. It was a trip down memory lane for me as I walked down the familiar corridors of the museum. It's cool that you have a new perspective of things when you re-visit a specific place, you get to see things you didn't pay particular attention to before. Although I would have to say that they really need to spruce up the place. It's dark, dusty, and is in bad need of a makeover. Maybe the artist's family should consider this to entice more people to come.

The museum showcases works done by Pedrigon Navarro Vocalan (photo above). You'd see hundreds of his paintings and sculptures on display. I'm not artsy person, so I just look at the paintings and the sculptures with an amateur eye.




As for his sculptures here are some that really caught my eye. This is found at the dining area, and it's a lady washing her hair in the river.

This is a life-size image of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, complete with all of His 12 Disciples.

Amihan or the Northeast Monsoon

And if there's Amihan, there's Habagat or the Southwest Monsoon

And in the center of the second floor, is a collection of mini sculptures

One more thing that caught my attention is their antique collection of statues that clearly depict our deep Roman Catholic faith.


After all the walking around the museum, it can really work up an appetite. So on the first floor, is the dining area of Balaw Balaw Restaurant.


Balaw Balaw, for folks who may not know what it is, is actually an appetizer. As written in the front page of their menu: "A delectable appetizer or sauce the Tagalogs serve together with Sinigang. It is made of small shrimps mixed with gruel and "angkak" a herb that gives reddish coloring. This mixture is preserved and fermented in an earthen jar for three days. After 3 days, the BALAW BALAW is ready to eat or sauteed with young bamboo shoots."

Would really, love to give this a try. Although am not really a huge fan of fermented stuff ever since I had a really bad tummy ache after eating a couple of spoonfuls of Pampanga's BURO! :(

But what made Balaw Balaw famous are their EXOTIC FOODS. Some of their exotic dishes include, Uok (beetle larva), Nilasing na Palaka (frogs marinated in wine), Kamaro (crickets), Soup No. 5 (butt and balls of COW), Sizzling Butt and Balls, Sinabawang Balot (fertilized duck eggs cooked like bulalo), Sizzling Balot, and Bibingkang Abnoy (duck eggs cooked in banana leaves). CAN YOU GUYS HANDLE THIS?! HAHAHA! Although I remember the first time I was at Balaw Balaw some 2 years ago, I ate something with FLOWERS. I think it was their salad, but it had actual flowers in them.

No Ninya and I didn't eat any of these, although it would've been cool for me to eat another round of exotic dishes much like when the BFFs and I went to Everybody's Cafe in Pampanga. Ninya and I settled for a safe and much-loved Filipino dish: ADOBONG MANOK AND BABOY (Chicken and Pork Adobo).


It was really good! The sauce was perfect with the rice, and the chicken and pork meat were all tender. We inhaled it in minutes (plus we were really hungry, too)! We even ate the pork fat (yes, it was that good or we were just THAT hungry hehe). And the serving size is really good for 2.

So why not visit Balaw Balaw Restaurant when in Rizal? You guys could get some Filipino culture and art appreciation. The museums of some of Rizal's famous artists are all close together, so it's not really that hard to find. And then after your visual arts trip, you and your family or barkada SHOULD make that detour to Balaw Balaw Restaurant! :)

Balaw Balaw Specialty Restuarant and Art Cafe
#16 Don Justo St., Doña Justa Village
Angono, Rizal
Telefax: 651-0110