Isola di Francesco

I bet you've heard of Bohol and the natural attractions it offers.

I believe you've had an idea of Panglao as well and its, oh my, prestine and breathtaking beaches.

But does Isola di Francesco ring a bell to you? If not, let me give you an overview of this extraordinary islet that would leave you looking forward to that next holiday. Haha

15 mins off the Panglao port was once referred to as virgin island but now named Isola di Francesco. You might wonder what's with the name. You would know later on.

A sign board at the port's waiting area would tell you what number to contact just to get there. We called the number and after 5 minutes, we were on our way to their shuttle service.

It is strictly necessary to wear life vests. They would not start the boat if you're not following. As in.

15 minutes of travel would give you this view. I actually had no idea at first which island we're heading but eventually did when I saw the signages.

Oh my. Once you step off the boat, unless it's low tide, you would actually realize you've set foot on a sandbar! And not just A sandbar. It's the longest you will ever see!

You could really burn yourself just to get that perfect view and your perfect shot. Who would wanna miss, right? Haha

Once you've had enough and learned to move on, you would be heading to the island per se. And as you come nearer, you'd gonna wonder what's thaaat?.

Yes. That is a statue. Of who?

of Padre Pio.

We later on learned that this island was bought and developed by Mr. Rodriguez who also manages a congregation in Manila. Touring the island would help you relax, meditate and stay close to God.

Angels are everywhere!

Have I told you they offer food as well? 

And would it even amaze you these have no prices? They only accept donations, my dear.Yes man. Yes.

The shuttle service (round trip)? It's also free and only accepts any amount from the heart.

In short, the whole island is maintained through gratuities. Isn't it surprising?

Can I just add. They have one of the coolest comfort rooms!

A piece of paradise. You can truly relax and let time be your enemy. 

Where on earth right? Haha. Well, at this part of the world, heaven has descended. So better experience it yourself. :)

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..