Ray: Ok so we just went through the mandatory visit to the Red Light District in Amsterdam. Compared to the stories of what you might expect given that almost every man and woman in Amsterdam seems to look like modelesque in material, what we just saw were more “veterans” of the trade. Maybe it was the time of the day and that some of the windows where girls stand to…

Lynne: The Dubai airport’s huge! I thought Manila Terminal 1 wasn’t as horrendous as people made it out to be. Maybe cramped, but after this, and recalling Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand, it is a tad too small. Walking around the Dubai airport can get tiring and we had to fight the temptation of going for the familiar McDonald’s. (Sorry, McDonald’s. I love you but we didn’t travel this far…

After some reflection over a previous post, it does come out a little too “Negative” for what is normally placed in this blog. And so, with a change of heart, the whole thing will be changed to highlight the food that makes our lives all the better, even for that one second when it meets our taste buds. This actually might be a regular thing here, probably updated on a…

For those who normally read En Route, one of the cuisines rarely featured by this time of posting would be of the Korean kind. The closest thing ever to it would be a report on the invasion of Bon Chon of Manila and an effort to replicate it with a recipe for Korean fried chicken. And so one night, with a friend who craves for Korean food after her numerous…

When vacations just aren’t possible but you need a break, staycations are the next best thing.

Fans of the original cliffside site of Breakfast at Antonio’s are rejoicing with its reopening. After all, it just died down without much reason, with some people who are not in the know thinking that it never got the same appeal as the Antonio’s Restaurant tucked away in the villages of Tagaytay.   But how can it not be appealing when it is situated by the cool Tagyatay cliffside with…

This was given as a gift by a friend who shares the same enthusiasm of the dreams of this blog reaching the shores of France. . Laduree is actually a French brand of luxury pastries, but they are known also for making some of the best macarons in the world. There are outlets already in London, New York, Hong Kong, and other global melting pots. It will not be surprising…

And the inflow of foreign restaurant branches continue to pour into the Philippine food scene. For the last part of 2012 to early parts of 2013, Philippines based The Bistro Group of TGI Fridays fame has been busy bringing in and creating new restaurant concepts for the sit down, non pretentious casual diner. Modern Shanghai is already up, and very soon, the kid cult favorite Chuck E. Cheese will be…

  It will be quite a pity that the only decent picture of 28 Hong Kong Bar in this post will be its frontage, as they do not allow photography inside. Yet this mystery is the very reason you will want to make reservations to get to experience one of the best bars in Singapore. Heck, maybe one of the best bars in the world for 2012 if it were…

This post is long overdue (like about a year or two), but it just cannot be stressed enough even with all the raves and blogs already giving this place high regard: Poco Deli in Kapitolyo Pasig is all that a comfy neighborhood deli should be. Delicatessen is a term meaning “delicacies” or “fine foods”, with German origins. It normally sells food made from those who run the deli themselves, like…

This was actually a question asked out of humor way before, but somehow seems to have been brewed up again in the brain when someone commented that Filipinos might turn obese in this conversation about the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) opening in the Philippines. Don’t get it wrong. IHOP opening in Manila is probably the best thing since buttermilk was invented. And this is not a jab on any…

When people first hear the term “hotel restaurant”, there are a few words that pop out: Exquisite Extensive Extravagant Exclusive Expensive After all, the very hotels that come into mind would be those like The Peninsula, Sofitel, Banyan Tree, or Shangri-La. So the restaurants that are associated with it such as Escolta, Spiral, Senju, Red, or even the Champagne Room of Manila Hotel carry with it heft price tags for its…

The Philippine food scene may be entering a new era with the industry now looking at the food truck craze that will be starting very soon. Some may think it is an old concept. Mobile food shacks already prowl the streets on three wheels courtesy of modified motorcycles, or the famous “Jolli-jeeps” ironically situated in permanent locations along the Metro Manila business districts.   Jolli Jeep Image source: http://brailledskin.blogspot.com/2011/02/jolly-jeep.html Jolli Tricycle…

UPDATE: New items that you can try in Dillingers 1903 (Including a big-ass Tomahawk Steak)   Dillingers in Greenbelt Makati has actually gained some popularity from the foodie and yuppie scene in Manila for quite some time already, with everyone raving about its sophisticated ambiance and authentic buffalo wings. But other than that, no one else has made a compelling reason to merit a visit. Then recently, one tip about how…

This is a tribute to a Vietnamese restaurant whose value was overlooked until it has closed, and has morphed into something new somewhere else. Dear Aquaknox: Your grand looking restaurant with high ceilings to match your tasty Vietnamese cuisine will be missed from the streets of Pasay Road in Makati, where you have been replaced by a sushi bar / steak house combo whose goods are yet to be tried…

This year of 2012 seems to be especially focused on the re-discovering of the identity, culture and pride of the Filipino. What with the appreciation of craftsmanship like that of Wilson’s Shoes in Cubao, and then the creation of Katipunan Craft’s Indio Pale Ale for the growing market of the discerning craft beer industry, and for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, an epic production of the film El Presidente,…

This post is actually a result of a conversation about craving shawarma in the En Route Facebook page. There were three contributions, but one was at the far end of Quezon City (where apparently there is a SECOND Mindanao Avenue in that place). The other one was a very famous name from before but just forgotten and buried under the ever-piling junk in cyberspace. It was Jacob’s Shawarma in the…

Hong Kong street food can assure you of a meal or snack for at least 12HK$. Here’s a slight attempt to sample what the streets of Hong Kong have to offer the weary traveler.

Disclaimer: This is not to be taken as the most accurate method of determining your, or someone else’s personality, and is presented for entertainment purposes only. But it may help in some situations. Can’t remember the source of this since this has been in the computer for quite some time, but the pics show that it may have come from http://www.collegehumor.com Memorize these personalities, and be informed. Related Posts: Drinks…

When an intense craving for the Japanese kind begins to envelop your whole brain, and for all valid reasons you are situated in the Philippines and not in Japan, the best bet to get quality Japanese grub would automatically lead you to Little Tokyo in Makati. Then when you get there, you still have to decide which restaurant you think is best in cooking a particular dimension of the Japanese…

Bluewater Sumilon provides you 24 hectares worth of proof of how beautiful the Philippines is. It’s seriously one of the most breathtaking places En Route has been to.

Image from En Route’s article Restaurant 101 in Enderun Colleges. This is the restaurant in the Philippines created  through the coordination with a Michelin Star Chef, Alain Ducasse Just chanced upon this on the internet when searching about chefs that have claimed Michelin Stars. Interestingly, this is a Youtube video that is close to an hour long. Like everything else in Youtube, you may never know how long this will…