Good day! It's Sunday again! Today, we were off again to our favorite Sunday breakfast nook...... Angeles City's The Brickhouse Cafe!
I have to come up with another post about The Brickhouse since there are many new things about the place. First, they added waffles in their buffet set. These waffles are also filled with peanut butter! I am not a big fan of peanut butter, but for the others, it was a very good addition to their "menu". Another new thing I discovered was their Longganisa. Aside from the mass produced sweet longganisa that they offer, they added my mother's favorite Native Longganisa mentioned in my past post on The Brickhouse Cafe.
Another new and exciting addition that I tried today, is their Lemon Cucumber juice drink. It replaced their Iced Tea drink. But it was great to see that my favorite Tanglad Juice is still available for us to enjoy!
Other additions are Tortang Itlog or Pinoy Omelette and a new style of their Turon or Fried Banana. Their Buffet price per head also increased by 20.00 pesos...but given that their services has improved coupled with new and improved offerings, plus the increase in the prices of basic goods in the Philippine market..the price is justified...Sulit na sulit pa din!...no shortchanging....definitely a "value for money" experience!
The Brickhouse Cafe in Angeles City now offers Breakfast Buffet every Friday, Saturday & Sunday of the week! So we'll take it easy on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays! No worries...just easy....Easy Like Sunday Morning!
Oh yes!! This is it! I've been waiting for this trip since my father allowed me to join our "surname"s Association in Central Luzon. Not ony that...daddyow even paid for my airfare and travelguide fees! Our trip was in Zhousan, China...most specificall in the Putuoroka Mountains. There, we as Chinese-Filipinos, was eager to see and visit the "mecca" of Buddhists, the home of Bodhisattva Guanyin, the famouse Goddess of Mercy in Buddhist religion.
The Gold Statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin
I fist encountered Guanyin or Guanyihmah in our house. My mother and father-side Lola are followers of Buddhism, thus, we had Bodhisattva Guanyin, DeeKhong & KwanKhong's altars in the house. Aside from the new year celebrations, mommyow had us pray, burn incense, paper money, and kowtow to their altars on special Chinese Dates of which I have yet to do some research. However, I knew more about Guanyihmah when my doctor-Brother introduced me to the famous children's novel, Journey to the West by Wu'Cheng'En. This was the story of SunWuKhong, the monkey who had tremendous magical powers that shook and made a rukus in both heaven and earth. This is also the inspiration of Dragonball's Gokhu character. In Journey to the West, Guanyihmah is a famous character. She was the "general" guide and protector of SanZhang the priest, WuKhong and the rest of the gang in their....uhhmm..well...journey....to....the west. The Bodhisattva helped the group so many times in the story. But the most notable one is when she tamed SunWuKhong to be of great help to SanZhang. She created a magic headband that when Wukhong wore it, it gave Sanzhang an ability to cause pain on monkey's head by just reciting a prayer or chant provided by Guanyin.
Selfie before the flight to Shanghai
Our flight was at 3:40am...when we arrived at the Clark International Airport, we were surprised by the fact that our flight was the so called "inaugural flight" of China Eastern Airlines. We were treated with free buffet styled morning merienda with different baked goodies plus a very delicious pasta treat. The event also offered a free photoBooth for our enjoyment.
The travel from air took us around three (3) to reach Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China. From there, the group ate breakfast in a noodle resto. However, as I had a very little Yuan or Renminbi, I skipped that group "event", and settled for my FudgeeBarr snacks on the ride to Zhoushan later. I am very grateful to my "auntie" ChingChing because she lent me the only Yuan pocket money that I have for the whole trip. I told her that I'll pay her when we get back in the Philippines.
For six (6) long hours, we travelled from Pudong to Zhoushan via a coach. It was a ride that accomodated us , all 22-persons. In the Philippines, we simply call this coach.....a Bus. haha! I was so into saving myself from spending, that i brougt with me snacks such as Fudgee Barr, HumpyDumpy and Nachos which saved me from starving in that 6-hour bus ride.
We had lunch in a stopover restaurant. It was not a good one since the seniors in our groups were very dissatisfied with the taste and servings of the food. But given that we were quite starving from the first roughly 2-hour ride, we ate them all down to our stomachs anyway! Another ride commenced after lunch. It took us roughly 4-hours to reach our Hotel in Zhoushan. We had a blast on the buffet dinner offered by our hotel. Filipino plus Chinese is equal to a craving for seafood dishes by which the buffet successfully won the hearts of the many! I am not into seafood on my part...i feasted instead on baked goodies, desserts and coffee!
The venue of the Spectacular Putuoroka Presentation
After dinner, we were off to a Putuoroka Presentation. I though it was just an orientation presentation of our adventure tomorrow, a tips and trick lecture on safety, rules and directives. But Lo and behold.....it was a stage show! It was an evening stage presentation that showcased creative and professional use of lights, sound, shadows and music! A very spectacular and superb highlight of our day! Did i mention that our benches was rotating? Yes it was....it is a feature of the show where the background is not just ordinary props or materials, but the actual terrain of the area is used in the entire "presentation". A very innovative and great use of talent and creativity! On the other hand, Thinking that it was just an orientation, I only wore a shirt and shorts for the event. Wow! It was striking cold but was manageable since I sweat a lot in the Philippines, thus a drop in temperature won't be much of an effect in my body. A great night experience in Zhoushan it was before we came back to the hotel and had a good night sleep.
The Garden with Pond
Lining Up for the Ferry Boat
Next day was....THE DAY! This was the day that we ought to do what we came for in Zhoushan Putuoroka Mountains. We had several interconnecting bus transport in the islands, aside from a ferry-ride from Zhoushan. We stopped over at several Buddhist Shrines althrough-out the islands. From Kowtows, burning incense to saying prayers for our loved ones, the group travelled to many different shrines. In one of the Shrines, I managed to find a Bonsai display. It was when I remembered my plan to bring my mother's image in Putuoroka, and take her to places that I'll be travelling to. My doctor-Brother started this idea, so I also followed suit. Our mama died a year ago, and it was her dream to travel in many different places. But after succumbing to Kidney disease, she wasn't able to continue her plans. Mama is very much like Guanyihma, she was always by our side, and she always make efforts to make us happy!
Mama visits Putuoroka Mountains
Buddhist Shrine happenings
In the afternoon, we also travelled to Luokashan, a kind of twin mountain of PutuoShan. Thus the name, "PutuoLuoka" or Putuoroka Mountans. Luokashan was home to secluded shrine just beside a ravine and the coastline. The shrine boasts of a viewing deck were we may see an old stone carving of Bodhisattva Guanyin. It was another set of kowtows, incense burning and prayers in a lot of shrines. But when we had to go home...a small group of ours took a different path down...all the while, thinking that we're close to the bus area. From that misadventure, our group descended and reached a lone vendor along the path. He was a good calligraphy master that was a proud fortune-teller. He sold souvenirs and trinkets, but his bestselling product is his calligraphy paintings. He tells you of our future/fortune impromptu while writing/painting calligraphy related to his visions. It was not just an awesome display of arts and magic, but very entrepreneurial even!
Jamos and Mamang pulis
Selfie by the Bay
Back in the ferry station, our group was again, sliced in two. Six of us was cut off from the a ferry boat given that the operators are careful not to overload every trip. This had our trip back to the hotel much later that expected. At the hotel, we had an "upgraded" dinner.....and given that we were in a Buddhist pilgrimage, our dinner were all veggies, no meat servings. hahahha! But again...i still had a lot of snacks, ready to satisfy my wants later in the evening.
People walking to reach Bodhisattva Monument
Day three was our last day in China. We had a "vegetarian" breakfast buffet! I was so amazed that donuts and cakes were served...haha! After breakfast, we immediately left for a last round of kowtows and prayers. We walked to the nearest shrine that we visited yesterday, and then rode the bus to a spot where a 30-minute hiking and walking brought us to the one and only gold statue or monument of Bodhisattva Guanyin in PutuoShan. There were actually two (2) routes to reach the monument. We had the backend route. haha! You may reach it via the frontend taking roadside tracks instead of the wider center track. Whichever route you go, the destination is definitely breathtaking...not just because of the breathtaking views of the trees, mountains and the golden statue....but because the hike will also take your breath away in exhaustion. When you plan to follow this adventure, don't forget to stop and drink from the water fountains provided by the park's management. it will surely help.
Golden Statue of Guanyin
Bodhisattva Guanyin Monument
Stalls along the streets
Descending from the monument, find time to eat some chinese street foods and/or buy some pasalubong or souvenirs that you may bring home. Several stores are lined-up along the streets leading you to the bus stations. I was so engrossed with selfie that day, being early down the trail from the monument. But to the dismay of my groupmates, I was the "last one" to complete the "heads" before we rode the bus and went back to the hotel for our departure. It was another 6-hour bus ride to Shanghai! We had lunch at a stopover. We were given an "allowance", 60 yuan to be exact, to go get ourselves some food for lunch. it was a "choose your own adventure" lunch for me! I got a fried egg with giniling, rice and a bowl of strange "bola-bolas". My mama cooks way better food than what I had. hiihihi! And you guessed it right, i still have some stash of snacks that i ate until we reached ShangHai. haha!
Selfie
Selfie fruit stall
When we arrived in Shanghai, we went straight to a hotel, not to check-in, but to have our buffet dinner! yehey! But before that, we strolled along the streets of Shanghai, looking for things to shop...but time flies so fast that upon arriving at the mall areas, we had to go back already! A friend stopped by to buy some fruits to take back home. While, I on ther hand, took another set of selfies for FREE!
Wagas daw po!
Last selfie
After a sumptous dinner, we took one last bus ride to Pudong International Airport. It was 11pm in the evening. On flight, i had a nice conversation with a friend. He is young enough to have so many dreams. I do hope he finds and chooses the right path for his future. But like many plans, it is not final. External forces and internal decisions gives us so many options in life. Sometimes, it is true that we should not act like mountains standing firm, staying in a position that is risk-free. Instead, we should act like rivers. Rivers that flow, and is not fixed. This way, we learn new things, we adapt new things, we appreciate new things and we become "new" everytime we acquire new knowledge and understanding. In Life, change is inevitable. We must carry on. This Adventure did not only have me enjoying nature, chinese arts and culture, but this Zhoushan experience gave me time to reflect on life, appreciate my blessings and understand people and their beliefs. If you had the chance to visit Putuoroka like i did...what was the best thing about your trip?
Here's a video presentation of my exploration, my adventure in Zhoushan China.
Maraming Salamat! Enjoy!
Update: Brickhouse Cafe now offers Breakfast Buffet on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays.
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Sunday is the day, that the Lord has made!....for family bonding that is. Last Sunday, it was a pleasure again, to be able to eat at my father's favorite Sunday breakfast nook. The place is The Brickhouse Cafe, located along Sto. Rosario street in Angeles City, Pampanga near the Simbahang Matua(old church) beside Mercury Drugstore.
The Cafe offers a Breakfast Buffet menu that caters to people who love Filipino dishes, particularly treats that are served in the early morning hours. Me and my late mother are fans of the Filipino culinary taste, thus when she was still with us, we usually had our Sunday mornings here at the resto with my father. She loved everything that the Brickhouse Cafe offers in their buffet...but she didn't eat much then since she was already suffering from kidney ailment plus an impaired sense of taste caused by aging.
Other treats are fried Talong(eggplant), Kamatis(tomato), Itlog na maalat(salted egg) and Longganisa, a Philippine "sausage" where ground meat and spices are thoroughly mixed, marinated, then inserted in pork intestine "skins" before cooking. However, this procedure is the authentic Philippine Longganisa. The Brickhouse's Longganisa is a mass produced one where use of intestine skin is discarded and the Longganisa is shaped into small sizes and then thrown straight in to the pan for cooking. The taste of this Longganisa is sweet, a common taste of Filipino dishes.
Next part of the table is the American inspired breakfast menu. You are given the option to pick Pandesal or the Philippine staple bread. This bread is usually round to oval shape. It is cooked under the oven usually with a crunchy outer covering and or the plain soft finish. Together with the Pandesal, you may opt to choose heart-shaped mini pancakes! Haha! And you may drip over your pancakes, maple syrup and/or condensed milk. Tiny rolled Turons are also offered, these are bananas rolled in rice crepes then fried with brown sugar overlays. Again, a sweet Filipino treat. Lastly, if you are a fan of rice congees or porridge, the Brickhouse Cafe also provides it's very own Arrozcaldo. This is my father's all-time favorite here at the Resto. The traditional way of eating Arrozcaldo is to season it with a small amount of calamansi juice, patis(fish sauce) and a dash of ground black pepper. Hmmmm....yummy!
For my brother who lives in Manila, his favorite feature in the Brickhouse is the bottomless or unlimited Brewed coffee! Yes, together with the unli breakfast buffet, you also get a pass on unlimited freshly brewed coffee. If you're not a coffee addict, like me, you must try the resto's specialty cold drink, the Tanglad juice or juice made from lemongrass. It is by far, the best Tanglad juice I had in my life...that is FREE of course! Iced Tea is also a choice in their beverage line-up. But for the overly health-conscious customers, the Brickhouse Cafe also provides bottomless Fruit water. This is characterized by a generous amount of sliced fruits mixed in water then served via a classy glass jar that comes with a faucet! It's a complete Filipino breakfast IMHO(in my humble opinion).
Sadly, the resto only offers its Sunday Breakfast Buffet during Sundays from 6:00am until 10:30am in the morning. On that Sunday morning, it was my treat. I paid for the sumptuous breakfast meal of my father and that of our kasambahay. It is very unlikely for us to eat here when my mother passed away. My sister, the usual sidekick of my father on Sundays, is not a fan of Filipino food. Therefore, if you love Filipino dishes, and is highly interested in trying out Filipino breakfast Unli-style...please come, stop by at Angeles City and taste the specialty of The Brickhouse Cafe on a Sunday morning. You won't regret it for sure. This is Jamos the Explorer, "Mangan ta na!" (Let's eat!)
#Update: for a new write-up on The Brickhouse Cafe....please read this post.
#Video: for video watch this here.
I craved for a Bibimbap meal this morning. Since my dad won't be having his dinner with us, I decided to go and eat(again) at my favorite Korean buffet restaurant in Angeles city pampanga. The place is called Korean Restaurant Manchoo or we fondly call Manchoo Buffet Restaurant. It is located at the 2nd floor of the newly built Central Mall along the corner of Angeles-porac road and Friendship Hi-way. The said mall is still under construction as of today, the 25th of July year 2017. Looking from the road, you will find the place to be complete and "visitable". However, inside, it has yet to fill up a lot of stalls and biz slots. Thru the stairs leading to the 2nd Floor, you will find Manchoo to the left.
Manchoo offers the standard Unlimited Korean Samgyupsal menu, complete with fresh lettuce leaves, pork and beef meat slices both cooked and uncooked servings. If you intend to personally grill you Samgyupsal, you will be offered to sit on the tables outside. This makes sure that smoke from grilling will not stay within the air-conditioned areas which may cause suffocation, given that Manchoo doesn't have the ergonomic suction/exhaust pipes that other grill themed Korean restaurants in town. Aside from the unli Samgyupsal, there are buffet selections that you may also try. These offers may vary weekly, but you will surely encounter the all-time favorite fish fillet, Korean bulgogi, Spicy Tofu, Kakeakedon and Chicken cordon Bleu.
On the other side of the buffet table, you will find a set of Maki and Kimbob servings and a self-service Bibimbap menu, complete with sliced carrots, cucumbers, beans sprouts, pork ginilings and dried seaweed strips. I particularly loved the concept of their Bibimbap menu since I like beansprouts, carrots and dried seaweed. And when you combine these with rice and a special sesame oil based seasoning, a flavorful taste explodes in your mouth as you eat your first spoonful of bibimbap concoction. Drinks are also offered Unli-style. You may choose from four(4) cold drinks namely, Pineapple juice, Orange juice, Home blend Iced tea & Iced coffee. Iced coffee is my preferred drink in Manchoo. The desserts menu offers Fruit salad, Minatamis na Saba or Sweetened banana(saba variety), Marshmallows and biscuits with Hershey's chocolate syrup for an amazing dip.
As I've mentioned before, my hipag taught me on not starting a meal with cold drinks as it makes our tummy feel full and/or discourages our appetite. Thus, it is better to start with a hot soup to spark up our appetite before the long fight of eating unli-style. In my experience, I avoid eating a lot of sushi, maki, Kimbap since it is rather heavy for the tummy, or it is what Filipinos call "Mabigat sa Tiyan" (Heavy for the stomach. I go for the basic buffet sets first, then I follow it up with Makis and Kimbap. Then, from there I stop and go for bibimbaps, Samgyupsal and the basic buffet. I then finish my "Unli meal" with their salad and sweets. While doing the eating, I make sure that I am reading something be it a magazine or a book. From this, I don't just fill up my tummy with food, I also am able to gain additional knowledge for my brain while enjoying the food in restaurants.
Next time you visit our Bayan, Angeles City of Pampanga Philippines.....try Manchoo for a change...its a the right size buffet for a big-sized Macho me.
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