Buko and Leche Flan at Lake Pandin

Lunch at Lake Pandin

I grew up in a small town of Laguna situated along the way where the seven lakes are located. I spent my high school years and our PE sessions overlooking Sampaloc lake. It has been years since I returned to San Pablo City known for its famous lakes. As a child I spent many years and have good memories in Sampaloc lake and Bunot lake with Lola and Tita Ching Inay. But I have never been to all the lakes of San Pablo. Laguna is part of the viaje del sol (way of the sun) where one can explore. Would you believe that even though I've scaled Mt. Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal many times around these parts, this is the first, yes the first time that I've visited Lake Pandin. Yehey! visited it with my daughter and thanks to the invitation of very good friends who decided to celebrate one of our friends' birthday around a the beautiful setting of the lake. A memorable lunch indeed. We swam in the dark cold water of the lake which is refreshing after the short hike from the jump off to the lakeside. Mouthwatering fresh pako (fern) salad with tomatoes and salted eggs, grilled fish and rice wrapped in banana leaves. Eaten the traditional way, by hand.

Post Race Meal

Best Date

Pasalubong from Brooklyn. Best date ever..still moist inside when you bite into the semi dried fruit. Only available during Ramadan said Caring =)

Fire Bird

My friend said...Ah ok is it time to cook dinner...wait...gets something out of her pocket...tada! Fire Bird =)

Carrot cake

a reminder.

Chocolate covered dried mangoes

Okoy

Baby shrimps and chips rolled into one crispy snack...dipped in vinegar. Yum!

Mangyan wild honey and suman

Suman has ube halaya and leche flan in the middle. =)

Ampalaya

Cacao Pod / Malagos Chocolate

Kalabasa Flan

Gelato Cake

by Cara Mia

Coron Fish Market

Henny Penny Green Tea Cake

Amats' Birthday Cake.

Coron's Tuna Sisig

A good grill place in Coron town is Santino's grill. Generous serving of tuna sisig and tuna salpicao.

Sophia's Garden Resort Chocolate Cake

On a rainy afternoon, just about to go for a swim, we decided to wait out the rain and have some comfort food. We had hot chocolate drink paired with very moist carrot cake together with this slice of chocolate cake.

Panghimagas Avocado-Banana

Scoops of avocado and sliced bananas folded in with condensed milk. Thank you Ruth for the avocado. Thank you Tita Ruby for the inspiration to make this wonderful treat.

Croissant-Donut

I think it tasted like crispy bicho-bicho honestly. But I love bicho-bicho. One of my friends said it taste like otap. Another friend when she gave her mom said at first bite "Wow sarap! taste like otap". This is the most expensive donut I bought to date. Just for the novelty of the experience I guess.

Tinapa

Tulingan

A childhood favorite. My Lola Abeng used to cook this fish very slowly almost the whole day using an old earthen blackened clay pot and firewood is preferred to have that smokey flavor. These were on offer by my suki at the weekend market. We then fry it to crispy goodness to be paired with the (fern) pako salad.

Ensaladang Pako

Fresh fern salad with salted eggs and tomatoes, with calamansi and olive oil dressing.