Travel notes, food finds, and everyday stories.
The first meal in a new place sets a small tone for the whole trip. Ours was in Sa Pa, with cool mountain air and a light rain falling outside, which is exactly the weather a bowl of hot pho was made for. We ended up at Nhà Hàng Thìn Oanh, mostly because it...
After our Sunday gym session, one of my buddies started talking about bulalo. Not in a casual, maybe-later kind of way, but in the specific, single-minded way you crave something after you’ve just burned through a workout and your body is asking for exactly one thing. There were three of us, including a friend...
There’s a particular kind of hunger that hits after a Sunday long run, the kind where your legs are heavy but your stomach is louder than your legs. That’s usually when we find ourselves pulling up to Pancit Cabagan Batil Patong along San Vicente Road in Urdaneta City, still in our running clothes, still...
When I was a kid, one of the best parts of going to Dagupan was knowing we’d stop by Pedritos. I’d get excited the moment I knew we were headed that way, because it meant I was getting a pineapple twist. Soft, chewy bread wrapped around a pineapple jam filling that was sweet with...
Getting a group of elementary classmates together for dinner sounds simple until you actually try to plan it. Everyone’s scattered across the city now, some with kids, some with odd work schedules, and the group chat had been going in circles for weeks with no one committing to a place. It took one friend...
You ever walk into a place expecting something simple… then get completely caught off guard? That’s exactly what happens at Stella Ristorante in Tarlac City. From the outside, it’s easy to underestimate. Quiet. Almost ordinary. No flashy signs screaming for attention. But step inside, and suddenly, you’re not in a subdivision anymore. You’re somewhere...
After finishing the TCS Clark Animo International Marathon, our group of runners did what many athletes do after crossing the finish line. We went looking for food. Running long distances has a way of sharpening your appetite. After hours on the road, with legs heavy and energy nearly spent, the body begins asking for...
Today is the final day of Koko Buri in Clark, and honestly, it feels heavier than expected. A few days ago, they announced their planned closure. The post hit hard. No detailed explanation, no dramatic farewell. Just a goodbye. I do not know the exact reason they are closing, but one thing feels certain....
Where do you go after your legs are cooked, your shirt is soaked, and your brain is still buzzing from a long run? For us, the answer keeps landing in the same place. Cafe Mesa at the Clark Parade Grounds. After a race, you want three things. Food that feels like a reward. A...
We welcomed the new year the way our bodies protested and our minds secretly loved with a long run under the Clark sun. It has quietly become our ritual. Every first day of the year, we lace up, drive to Clark in Angeles, Pampanga, and run farther than feels reasonable. This was our second...