Persona Mesa

This is a sooo-late post and I'm kinda guilty for that.

When my bro had his birthday last July, we were looking for a new place to try and celebrate his day. We are just on the JA Clarin St area and immediately noticed a newly-opened restaurant named Persona Mesa. Of course, who would wanna miss.

                                         

Persona Mesa was on soft-opening. I think it was their first week. There were a few groups enjoying dinner inside the restaurant. We preferred dining outside and made our orders.

While waiting, I took some pics of the new resto in town.

Here are what we ordered and how I would rate them.

1. Sisig Triangles - Instant favorite here. One of the best starters I've ever tried. The condiments went so good with it.

2. Batchoy Soup - I ordered only one for both of us but I think the serving size is for one person only. Not really bad because we just want something hot to start our meals.

3. Persona Spareribs - My bro enjoyed eating this. The meat was so tender, and it tasted really good.

4. Drinks

Lemongrass and Ginger (left), uhm, it was good at first. It has this cooling effect on your throat because of the ginger I guess but overtime, I started to dislike it. Sorry.

Pineapple and Cucumber (right) was the best combination. This is a must-try here. I so love how they blended so well.

For more info on their offerings, here's their menu:

 

Acacia de Bubu

My brother and I planned to eat bbq. As I always prefer to try something new, I searched for a place in Tagbilaran where BBQ is the main reason people visit.

And super thanks to my research skills , I found out about Acacia de Bubu. We went there immediately and found ourselves in an open restaurant in the corner of Burgos and Butalid Streets, in front of a huge Acacia tree, hence the name. It was so full of people and vehicles that we even parked quite far.

Seeing a diner with many people is nothing but a sign that there really is something in this place that people keep flocking in.

I was sooo hungry already. So, I observed how everything works.

First, there's this table where you can choose your order. Just pick anything you like.

BBQ!

Your choice

And after selecting the skewer of your choice, you head to the counter, order rice and drinks and let them do the math and cooking for you.

the busy crew

Your next challenge now is to look for a vacant table. Mind you, this is no joke. We stood for 10 minutes before seeing this group leaving their table. 

Now that you are happily seated, you can do the following:

 Wait and validate the cashier's computation through their menu..

menu!

.. or order a Bazu milk tea whose stand is located inside the restaurant. 

After a few more minutes, your most-awaited order is served. 

My verdict? BBQs are pretty much the same. It's the sauce that counts. And I guess this, plus the accommodating staff make Acacia de Bu-Bu what it is today.  

Margrette - a new find

I met a friend whom I haven't really seen (if I remember it right) for 2 years. As we planned to catch-up on the 26th of December, we really regretted to have agreed to meet in a mall. There were too many people and all of the restaurants seem to never run out of customers too! So, we decided to dine outside the mall instead.

When asked of any suggestions, I immediately thought of this place I have been passing by in J.A. Clarin St., named Margrette.

It's actually one of Ramirez cake chains here in Tagbilaran. As we planned to have lunch, we were a bit skeptical of their menu as we really thought it's more of a dessert place. But we took the chance anyway!

And so we ordered..

I had Dill Fish with lemon butter sauce..

And my friend had Grilled Pork Chop..

Since this is more of a dessert place, we ordered a cupcake from their display. Haha

We waited for a while for our orders. So, I roamed around and took some of their products instead.

 Their food was actually not bad for its very affordable price. It tastes good and I particularly loved the presentation. I am not into sweets that much so I may not have a right to review their cupcakes. Ironic, isn't it?

Our only concern was that there were no other customers aside from those who stop by to pre-order cakes. 

I hope this restaurant will also be known and get the attention it deserves. You may want to check out their very affordable menu first..

 

 

 

Gerarda's - Tagbilaran's hidden gem

When I browsed through trip advisor on its top restaurants located in Tagbilaran City, I felt really ashamed to not having any idea on the restaurant holding the No. 1 spot, Gerarda's. The reviews were really impressive that I immediately texted my mom if she knows this diner. But just like me, she had not heard about this. So, I told her we'd go here this weekend which we did - we had dinner awhile ago! So, what's my verdict?

First was the location - It was in Torralba Street. Though just in the city and very accessible, it was located in a rather dim and quiet place - which I really like as it's a hole-in-a-wall kind.

facade

Second, it was previously an ancestral house. Had there been no bright lights and a lot of cars, you might not be able to notice that it's there. The house may have been restored as it seems really new though the pictures hanging in the wall tell otherwise. It really has a homey atmosphere.

while waiting

our first time!

Third was the food. We ordered three dishes only - Sinigang na Isda, Chiken halang-halang and Adobong Pusit. We were 4 and we just really loved it. The taste's really native though we expected more coconut milk on the halang-halang. But overall, the food was superb!

Sinigang

Adobong Pusit

Chicken Halang-Halang

Fourth, the price. I tell you, even my mom was amazed. They offer great food at really affordable prices.

Fifth was the service. The waiters were very attentive. We ordered another platter of rice and in less than 20 seconds, it's on our table already.

The above review just proves how deserving Gerarda's to be in tripadvisor's no. 1 spot as they serve more than just great food.

For your reference, here's a glimpse of their menu!

 

I highly recommend this place!