Marina Oyster Seafood Grill - Good for Family Dining

Our family revived one of our past traditions: to dine outside the house once every month. For the month of April, we went to Marina Oyster Seafood Grill! 

The restaurant is located at National Highway, Pallocan West, adjacent to the Holy Trinity Church beside SM City Batangas. It's not really easy to see because from the road, but there's a sign at the entrance. 

It's our first time to dine there, so we took our time to order. 

Meanwhile, here's the complimentary shrimp cracklings

 After placing our orders, it's picture time! 

We didn't have to be shy to take pictures because we're the only ones eating there at that time. :)

 The dining area is spacious and regal-looking, so it would be perfect for business meetings, family gatherings and other formal events. 

Berb's Bar

After having dinner at F. Baylosis, we decided to see Club Yolanda since it's not too far from Baylosis and my friends and I haven't been there yet.
It was a mini resort feel in it. It's a perfect place for a party because it has:
1. pool
2. Berb's Bar (for your drinking needs)
3. Fred's Seafood Restaurant
4. function hall

The Bar

It also is overlooking Batangas City, which is a perfect ambiance for partying.

The view

Anyway, since we were already there, we decided to try their drinks (we could not afford to eat again). We ordered mango shake, buko pandan shake, avocado shake (shakes at Php 150) and kamikazee (Php 100).

Friends - while waiting

While waiting...

They served complimentary peanuts and water. 

Buko pandan and mango shakes were served after about 20 minutes; we were informed that the avocado shake was not available because it was still bitter (they made us taste it first) after serving the other two shakes. It would be better if they knew beforehand about the condition of their avocado so that while ordering, they could inform us immediately about it, so that no time will be wasted. I hope they would heed this advice next time. :) We ordered mango shake to replace the avocado. The other orders were served after 10-15 minutes.

Mango shake

Mango shake: up close

Buko pandan shake

Kamikazee

Their mango shake is the second best mango shake that I tasted ever (first is TOSH's). It has right amount of sourness, and its presentation - with extra thin mango strips on top - is noteworthy. The same goes to the buko pandan shake's presentation. It's also yummy. I'm not a fan of pandan-flavored food, but I enjoyed drinking the shake.
The kamikazee, on the other hand, was quite strong on its alcohol content, but I enjoyed it because I wanted alcohol then. It would be too much for a party drink. I tasted better kamikazees (Tomato Kick's), but this would do.

After enjoying our drinks, the view, and a little chat, we asked for our bill.

Lesson learned: 12% VAT exclusive bill will be a shock if you don't calculate it firsthand, so beware of these things. It was a good business strategy, to exclude the VAT on the menu, because it really looked cheap; but it doesn't feel right for a customer's perspective after receiving the bill. :)

Overall, I liked the Berb's Bar experience. It would be a good place for meetups or reunion for financially stable people.

Summary:
Service: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Taste: ★★★★☆
Ambiance: ★★★★★

F. Baylosis: Review

Here in Batangas City, when we talk about crispy pata, F. Baylosis (Facebook page) would surely come into the conversation.
Even though I heard them since high school, I've never eaten there because our family is not much of an explorer when it comes to dining (settling for restaurants nearer us or inside the malls).

But last week, when my friends and I met in SM Batangas and craved for crispy pata for dinner, we gave in because one, we never dined there before and two, it's not to far from us. We just walked to GC Berberabe, where the restaurant is located (map here).

It was a beautiful place, and it has a fine dining feel in it. It would be a perfect place for promenades and parties. And that's what was happening inside their main building when we arrived there so we were seated in Boracay Garden.

THE PLACE

Bora garden

The lady singer aka "Ang babaeng walang pahinga" (Sang the whole time we were there.)

It was designed to have the ambiance of a beach, complete with fine sand and comfy rattan chairs (which sinks when you sit on it), though a sight of a swimming pool would be better (they have none).
Though I appreciated the sand, it was so fine that it's uncomfortable to step on already. It would be better if they put on coarser ones. I also wonder on where they get it, because that fine a sand would be hard to reclaim (for example, Boracay sands are not permitted to be reclaimed, as per environmental laws).

Feel the sands

THE FOOD

Anyway, we ordered rice, crispy pata and pakbet (Menu price exclusive of 10% service charge).  (Photo while waiting, courtesy of @saniboink:  http://instagram.com/p/YXgBWjxuww/)
Maybe because of the walk which exhausted us a bit, we got really hungry, so we hadn't got energy to do anything else but to wait for the food. So every minute counted, and counted we did. The food was served 37-40 minuted after we ordered. Would that be considered slow service? For us hungry bunch, it did.

NOMNOM food!

But they made sure the food was worth the wait, because it really was delicious. The crispy pata was not only skin-crispy, the ligaments and fleshy parts were so soft that we only left bones. It deserves to be THAT well-known, even tough it is not that big. The pakbet was a good choice to partner off with the pata and rice. Even vegetable-non-lovers would try it, because it has strong pakbet flavor that lessens the veggie taste in a good way.

It was a good meal, though it would be better if we ordered one viand more, because we were not totally  full; our hunger was just satisfied.

When the bill came, we paid P264/person. With this price, plus the experience, I can conclude that the place is best for fancy dining and dinner dates. The ambiance and heavenly good food would be perfect for a romantic evening with a special someone. It would be a good starter if the evening would end in a good coffeehouse.

It could be an eat out place if you have money for it. But if you want to pig out without shedding too much cash, this place is not for you (not for me, actually, the cheapskate that I am).
But I did not regret eating there, no. Good food come with a good price naman.

I would want to come back with my willing-to-pay-for-a-meal grand/parents.

Summary:
Service: ★★☆☆+0.5
Price: ★★★☆☆
Taste: ★★★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Enchanted Farm Cafe

UPDATE! 
Tingnan sa baba ng unang entry...
Wala pa ulit akong makainan sa Batangas. Ta muna sa Commonwealth.


Ikaw ga ay mahilig kumain? Gusto mong makatimos ng kakaibang pagkain? Ay siya'y punta na dine sa Enchanted Farm Cafe bago sumapit ang Feria Rd. sa Commonwealth. Taas iyon ng Human Nature. 

Hindi talaga ako mahilig sa burgers pero natakam ako sa burger nila kaya sinubukan ko. 
Enchanted burger ang tawag - 30% baboy at 70% gulay - na may kasamang kamote fries at side salad ang aking inorder sa halagang P130. 

Sa Human Nature store ko kinain para may libre na ring kape (haha mahirap maging pooritang adik sa kape). Ang una kong tinikman ay 'yung kamote fries. Ay anu gang pagkakasarap ng sawsawan noon. Buti't napigilan ko ang aking sariling ubusin agad 'yun at naisipan kong litratuhan ang aking pagkain.

Enchanted Burger at ang libreng unli kape sa Human Nature :3

Noon pa'y mahilig na ako sa kamote. Nabili nga ako sa Lawas at Plaza ng tigsasampu. Ayong mga 'yon, matatamis. 'Yung sa Mang Inasal sinubukan ko rin. Masarap din 'yun lalo na pag sawsaw sa ketchup nila, kaso sobrang bigat. Pero itong kamote fries ng Enchanted Farm, sa sawsawan talaga ibinuhos ang sarap. Para siyang mayo na may pampaalat na 'di ko mawari ang inilagay. Ayos din ang pagkakahati sa kamote dahil maninipis; hindi nakasasawa. [Kahit sa sunod kong kain duon ay 'yun na laang, solb na.]

Pagkatapos kong lantakan ang kamote ay 'yung burger na ang aking isinunod. Sa unang tikim ay nakakatuwa rin ang lasa. Hindi ko nalasahan ang gulay sa patty. Pero kalauna'y kaalat na. Pwedeng iulam sa kanin, o ipulutan. At dahil kay tira pang sawsawan 'yung kamote, pinunit ko ang tinapay sa burger ay isinawsaw sa mayo hanggang maubos. Kasarap. Isinabay ko na ang salad sa burger para pampabalanse ng alat. 
Ilang beses ko nang natikman ang salad nila, pero hanggang ngayo'y 'di ko pa rin matuklas kung ano 'yung oil na nilalagay nila. Matam-is-tam-is na parang may 'hint' na maasim. Pag kinakain ko ang side salad na iyon, feeling ko lagi'y ang sustansya ng kinakain ko. 

Sa kabuuan ay natuwa ako sa aking kinain. Ramdam ko'y sulit naman. 
Gusto ko namang subukan sa sunod 'yung all veggie burger nila. 
Sa uulitin, Enchanted Farm Cafe!

Dulcissima Bakeshop

There's a relatively new pastries shop in Batangas City opposite BDO in P. Burgos Street. 
It's Dulcissima Bakeshop! 

See the map clearly at http://wikimapia.org/#lat=13.756358&lon=121.0579877&z=19&l=0&m=b

It was my brother Sam's birthday (October 27) when I first bought something from them. I really thought that their packaging was beautiful enough to be a gift; it looks elegant and expensive.

It has a striped texture, and along with the choiced design (perfect fonts and bake-girl "mascot") and color, it really looks elegant.

Sam receiving the pastries. :) He loved the cream puffs~!

I bought cream puffs, cupcakes and cream puffs with choco on top (I really don't know what it's called). 

 ₱15

 ₱ 18

 ₱ 20

My brother REALLY loved the cream puffs that I have to buy again because five pieces were too insufficient. 

Sam enjoying the cream puffs.

As for me, it's my favorite among the three too because the not-too-sweet filling and the caramel compliment each other.

As of now, the store already has a table for people who would like to eat there, but the single table and their space strongly suggests that their products are for take-out.

Summary:
Service - ★★★★☆
Taste - ★★★★☆
Cleanliness - ★★★★★
Price - ★★★☆☆