Chocolates from Bicol

Traveling through NAIA Terminal 2, I was browsing the shelves of the duty free store there and found these chocolates from the Bicol Region. Bicol, of course, is located in the eastern part of the country and mostly is on the island of Luzon. The provinces comprising the region are Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate.

An assortment of dark chocolates from Mayon Gold

They also have the larger boxes featuring the pili nut, which is probably among the products Bicol is known for. The pili is supposed to be endemic to the region and is not usually found elsewhere in the country.

Variants with turmeric and ginger, and chili. Bicol is also well known for food using chili and coconut milk (gata). They also have the 100% dark chocolate but I thought these were more suitable for cooking or perhaps crushed and toppings for dessert like ice cream.

Pilinut cruch and 90% dark chocolates

I will write a review of the chocolates I bought after we've eaten them. I did not buy the turmeric and chili variants as well as the dark chocolates with more than 80% cacao (too strong or bitter from my experience). But the quality of their 60% and 76% cacao chocolates should suffice in comparing them with the Auro and Malagos chocolates that I think stand out among Philippine chocolates.

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Back in Bangkok

We’re back in one of our happy places to be in again. Bangkok’s been one of our favorite destinations since the 2000’s. There was a time when we were here twice a year. Those trips were mostly business, actually academic-related as from 2001 to 2008 we had collaborative research network among ASEAN Universities hosted by Chulalongkorn University. I’ve returned several times after but the last time I was in Bangkok was in 2018 for a seminar on road safety. This is the first time we are in Bangkok with our daughter (her second ASEAN country) so we’re only very happy to share with her the experiences in Thailand.

 

Clearing immigration

Where to next and how to get there? Well, its to the hotel, of course, and we booked an airport taxi to simplify things. Taking the train would have been an small adventure but we had some hefty luggage with us so the taxi works right.

Marveling at the spacious terminal of Suvarnabhumi Airport

I will be posting about our travel to Thailand this coming April. I just have to organize the photos for this purpose.

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First impressions of Kuala Lumpur

I am currently in Malaysia and just making this quick post of first impressions based on one of its gateways - Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Here are photos when we arrived in KLIA last weekend.

A view of KLIA Terminal 2 as our plane approached to land

Two towers - air traffic control towers, that is. The closer one is Terminal 2's while the one at the distance is Terminal 1.

A view of Terminal 2 as our plane taxied to the terminal

Terminal 2 is designated for low cost carriers, and is the hub of AirAsia. This terminal replaced the low cost carrier terminal at KLIA, similar to what also happened in Changi.

Our plane berthed at the satellite building. This meant we had to walk to the bridge to cross to the main Terminal 2 building. The two buildings are not served by a transit system like KLIA Terminal 1 (or HKIA or Changi, for example).

The view of our plane as we crossed on the bridge to the main terminal building.

AirAsia planes lined up along one of wings of the satellite building. Each wing is essentially a long pier.

I was impressed by how large and spacious Terminal 2 is. It is designed, after all, to serve the millions of travelers going through this gateway in what is Southeast Asia's most visited country for tourists. I just thought though that the moving walkways seemed to be an afterthought and that it was a long walk (healthy though) for many people between the main and satellite buildings. Terminal 2 though is located far from Terminal 1 so transport is required in case you need to transfer from one terminal to the other. It is not as seamless as Changi, for example. Still KLIA is much better than many capital city airports that I've been to though there is room for improvements.

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Donuts at the airport

"I like donuts" is somewhat an understatement for me. My favorite are the old-fashioned donuts and usually get them from Wild Flour. I have fond memories of the old fashioned donuts we bought at Greenhills near or at Unimart and the freshly made ones in a bakery near my university in Yokohama that me and my friends frequented in the afternoons when we take a break from our studies.

Old fashioned, freshly made donuts at the Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 1

They also have a branch at Terminal 2 where I first discovered them. I got a box of donuts to take home and enjoy.

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Nippon Ramen at the Mactan Cebu Airport Terminal 2

We arrived early for our flight back to Manila and had time for a meal, lunch to be exact. We decided to go for some ramen at the Nippon Ramen branch inside Terminal 2. We ordered a couple of char siu ramen, which we just shared with our daughter. It was not a heavy meal as we also didn't want to have full stomachs while in transit.

Nippon Ramen frontage/counter where customers may order their food and drinks

Char siu ramen

The wife's char siu ramen

I've eaten at their branch just outside Terminal 1's arrival area and we (my friends and I) thought it was good enough though not really having the authentic taste you probably expect and find in the Ramen Nagis, Mendokoros or Kurodas or other ramen restaurants that are now scattered around major cities. While some people might be tempted to say their prices were exorbitant (presyong airport), I thought Nippon Ramen's was reasonable for the quantity and quality.

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Nippon Ramen, Mactan Cebu International Airport

My first meal in Cebu in my most recent trip was at a Japanese restaurant located at Mactan Airport. My colleagues decided to pick me up when I arrived around lunchtime in Cebu and informed me they scouted the terminal for a place to eat lunch at. All of us liked to eat Japanese food so it was easy for them to decide on the Nippon Ramen branch just outside the arrival area of the terminal. We've seen this before but had not had the chance to try out eating there.

Menu

Counter and kitchen

Their version of chicken katsu curry bento

Grilled pork bento

Soft drinks selection at the counter

The quality and quantity of their food is okay. I personally thought there was nothing special and leaning towards the ordinary. I wasn't expecting much (like this was a Yabu or Ramen Nagi) but I can say that at least a couple of places we got to at UP Village were better (e.g., House of Gyoza and Crazy Katsu come to mind). It was definitely more like a fastfood experience for us. Price-wise, we thought that the price was also okay considering it was located at an airport terminal and in the Philippines, food and drinks prices tend to be more expensive for concessionaires at airports. Will we eat here again? Maybe and likely as we were not able to try their ramen (maybe its good) but in my case, I usually go for my personal favorite La Bella at MCIA.

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Eating at the Mactan Cebu International Airport

While NAIA Terminal 3 has several floors of shops and restaurants, it can get very crowded at the terminal. MCIA has renovated its domestic terminal to include a much improved food court inside (after checking in and passing security) the terminal and restaurants and shops outside. Its food avenue for passengers show us what a modern airport should have.

Food court at MCIA domestic wing

There's food for people of various preferences. You can have pizza, pasta, Filipino dishes, ramen, and of course, lechon

I prefer to have some ramen if I have the time for a leisurely meal. Otherwise, I get my food from La Bella, which has pizza, pasta and paninis. They usually have freshly baked breads and pastries and I usually buy brownies from them. I take these home as my daughter and I love these fudgy treats.

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Meals at Changi Airport

The trip to Sri Lanka had a layover in Singapore. I actually had two other choices - Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur - but opted to go to Singapore instead, which I thought offered the better services than the other two airports. I have been to Suvarnabhumi many times and though I haven't been to K.L. (we took the bus to Melaka many years ago from Singapore), it had been sometime since my last trip to Singapore and many things have happened at Changi including the addition of a Terminal 4 where the budget terminal used to be. I am also aware that there are new attractions like the Jewel and am very familiar with the shopping options there. I thought it would be helpful to familiarize myself with Changi as I will be back here with the wife in late November.

This sign attracted our interest. Its definitely Chinese food but we are still wondering if the 'Encik' was the same as our "Intsik" term for the Chinese.

I opted for the spicy noodles with fried dumplings and some milk tea.

There are many relatively inexpensive eats at Changi airport

A friend opted for the noodles with chicken fillet slices as toppings and strawberry

More on food and other attractions at Changi soon!
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Morning meal at Changi Terminal 4

I was looking for a quick morning meal when we arrived at Changi's Terminal 4. Fortunately for us, we had a more than 4 hours layover and could have a second breakfast (we had our first on the plane between Manila and Singapore) and lunch before our afternoon connection to Colombo. And so before taking a bus to Terminal 3 for us to check-in to our Sri Lankan Airlines flight, we decided to take our time and have nice warm meals at T4.

I was delighted to see this sign at a restaurant in Changi Terminal 4

My favorite ripe mango with sticky rice with the coconut milk on the side

While this appears to be a snack to many, it is to me a full, light, vegetarian meal. The mango variety in Singapore (and in Thailand where I've also enjoyed this at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport) is different from the ones we have in the Philippines. Of course, I prefer the Philippine mango varieties but there's something about the combination and the freshness of the coconut milk that makes one crave for more of this.

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First impressions of Sri Lanka at the airport

They say a country's gateway provides travelers or visitors a first impression of the country. The following few photos and my observations pretty much describes my first impressions.

Upon clearing immigration, travelers are greeted by duty free stores lining up along the corridor to the baggage claim area

These were mostly shops selling liquor/alcoholic drinks and appliances.

The previous observations on duty free shops showed me what were popular items for returning Sri Lankans who likely wanted to get something upon their arrival to bring to their families. Those included household appliances like TVs, stereos, refrigerators and washing machines, and souvenir items like whiskey and brandy that would be something to share with families and friends (for celebrating their return). This seems to me as a scene from the Philippines at Manila's international airport in the 1980s and 1990s when overseas foreign workers (OFWs) returned from abroad to take their vacations from their work there. Cigarettes, liquor and appliances were also popular at the airport where the prices of these items were significantly lower due to their being duty or tax free. Perhaps the only other item as popular for returning Filipinos at the airport were chocolates balikbayans (returning Filipinos) bought for their children.

That said, allow me to add another impression made upon deplaning at the Bandaranaike International Airport. Instead of heading towards the terminal, we deplaned on the tarmac and was taken to the terminal by bus/transporter. This was much like the local airlines at NAIA Terminal 3 where domestic flights were commonly served by transporters connecting aircraft with the terminal. As one colleague traveling with me observed - parang sa atin lang (it's just like in our country) - upon seeing a bus waiting to take us to the terminal as we deplaned.

Passengers deplaning from our Sri Lankan  Airlines plane

A view of passengers deplaning from the rear door of the plane to an awaiting bus

Another view from the bus of passengers and crew deplaning from the front door

More on Sri Lanka soon!
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NAIA terminal transfers guide

Here's something useful. I took the following photos from Philippine Airlines' inflight magazine. I hope these are helpful to travelers like me who like to have information on the airport terminals of cities I am visiting. Ninoy Aquino International Airport with its 4 terminal spread out and without a transport system directly connecting them with the airport complex can be daunting to travelers transferring between international and domestic flights particularly between Terminals 1 and 3.

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Grab at NAIA Terminal 2

This is somewhat a late post on transport from the airport but it is actually quite useful information for many who are arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Prior to the arrival of ridesharing/carsharing services, you only have airport taxis and conventional taxis as the most viable options for direct public transport from the airport. Now there are more attractive options for people who feel like they are being cheated by the former options. Grab, for example, now provides a more attractive option to people wanting to take a more exclusive transport mode to their destinations (e.g., home, office, etc.). Then there is also the airport bus (UBE) that now provides express bus services for travelers.

Grab booth at NAIA Terminal 2

One can book a ride with Grab staff or wait at this designated pick-up point after hailing a ride using the app on their phone.

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Shopping at the airport

Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport's (NAIA) has four passenger terminals. Of these, Terminal 3 is the largest and the building space has not been fully utilized. Due to the legal issues surrounding its construction, it took so much time for the terminal to be developed so it could be to its full potential. Last week, when I fetched my father who was flying in from Iloilo, I had more than enough time (his flight was delayed by more than 2 hours) to go around and see the new additions to the airport. These included new restaurants and shops at the south wing of the airport. Among the more conspicuous and the newest addition to the terminal's shopping options is Kiss & Fly.

Kiss & Fly is found at the departure level (3rd level) of the passenger Terminal 3.

The interior looks like a department store from the outside.

There's a Starbucks at one of the entrances. I think this is the second Starbucks at NAIA as there is already one at Terminal 1.

Racks of clothing items from top brands like Lacoste and Burberry are in the Kiss & Fly store. Tommy Hilfiger and Eden Park have their own stores inside.

You can now practically do your shopping at Terminal 3. There are many stores selling clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, electronics and toys. The only thing lacking perhaps is a supermarket but then there are at least 3 convenience stores inside that could provide what the other shops couldn't in terms of food and other items. Of course, there are duty free shops in the terminal, and if you are qualified, many shops offer duty free prices when you present your travel documents. So there is no excuse for not being able to get a souvenir for your loved ones or significant others, especially if you are arriving at Terminal 3.

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Japanese chocolates

En route to the US via Japan, we had a two-hour stopover at Narita International Airport. There were a few shops near our boarding gate and I browsed one of the shops for possible souvenirs on the way back to Manila. Of course, I had to look for items you could only get in Japan. These usually included various food items like cookies, pastries, teas and others you typically associate with Japan. The past few years, Japanese chocolates have become popular and I took some photos (for reference) of some of the most popular chocolates.

 

The tremendously popular Japanese KitKats include green tea, bitter chocolate and sakura

The popular Royce chocolates, which are the more refined chocolates at par with their European and American counterparts

Hokkaido's Shiroi Koibito

I will probably be shopping for a few boxes of these chocolates for our own consumption and as pasalubong for family and friends.

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Ramen at Narita Airport

In a recent trip to Tokyo, we were not able to go to a regular Japanese restaurant to enjoy a bowl of ramen. Most of our meals were with our Japanese hosts who took us to an Italian restaurant, a Western buffet, and a terrific French resto on top of a tall building in Toranomon. Of course, we are very thankful for the delightful lunches and dinners during our short visit for meetings in a project we are currently working on. I myself was able to get in touch with an old friend and we shared a couple of bottles of beer to wash in the yakiniku we had for dinner. My colleagues though were not so adventurous and were not able to sample good ramen or udon though they did indicate they wanted to try out authentic train station ramen.

We still were able to have ramen on our way back at Narita Airport. We went to the food court right after we had checked-in our luggage and found several choices for our lunch including what looked like a very popular ramen stall. I assumed its popularity based on the line of customers making their orders as well as the number of people already seated at tables nearby and having ramen for their meals. And so two of our group ended up trying the recommended sets while another opted for a katsudon set from a stall nearby.

Sign on the ramen shop at Narita Terminal 1 complete with information on their "must try" sets

Our other options were katsu or chinese food. One colleague chose a katsudon set.

Ramen and gyoza set with rice

The jury is still out there regarding the best ramen at the airport (just to qualify where we ate). For now, I think we had the most splendid ramen that time. It was a very satisfying lunch indeed!

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