It was again a chance for me to return to Butuan and meet my good old friend Arnel.   This is another change that he gave me to taste authentic Chinese cuisine. I was surprised that it was really a good place even the ambiance is like inside a restaurant in Macau.

The Grand Palace RestaurantWe went there pastlunch time and we were just a couple of customers. Even though we are few, the service and attentiveness of the waiters and waitresses were there. They are always ready to attend to our request and needs. Inside Grand Palace Restaurant. The place looks authentic. Just like the Chinese restaurants in Macau

As part of my Chinese restaurant routine, I first ask for the house tea, next is chopsticks and lastly, a hot towel.  Next of course is to wait for your order and prepare your camera for the entourage of food.

4 Season Soup

The 4 Seson was so good but I have a little comment about the saltiness.  I guess, they might have made an extra salt springkled at our soup but overall, it still tasted good.   I like the shitake mushrooms and the texture of the soup. It was hot and very smooth.

Shrimp and Pork Shomai

As a Filipino who like Chinese food so much, Shomai will always be an order.  Their shomai was good. we ordered for another dumplings.  It was fish and vegetable dumplings. It was a small noodles and with shrimp.  It was a good as their shomai.

Fish and Vegetable Dumplings

Both were good with their soup and with their Yang Chow fried rice.

Yang Chow Fried Rice

We ordered for two more dishes.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Camaron Rebosado

Overall, the dining experience was great. This authentic Chinese restaurant will bring you to another place just like dining at Macau or Hongkong.  The sound were also Chinese songs and the people roaming around although Filipinos just like but in total Chinese outfit.   The dumplings were superb. I like the fish and vegtable dumplings very much.  The sweet and sour pork as recommended by Arnel is a total knock out.  The Camaron rebosado that was suggested by the waiter was truly a food from heaven. It was fantastically delicious.

There are still other good food that I am reserving for my next visit at Grand Palace.  You can find Grand Palace Restaurant at:

@ THE AMADEO LIM BUILDING
Imadejas/Montalban Sts.
Butuan City

This restaurant will really be in my itenerary when I go back to the Kingdom of Butuan.

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Some of the places that I have been are not that fancy and nice to look at if you are to compare it with the mall and first class restaurants, However, it is a place to eat the freshest catch of the day no one can get from a first class restaurant.  It is even frequented by known people from Butuan.

I was brought by my friend Mike at Buenavista Public Market during lunch time. Buenavista is at Agustan del Norte, Caraga region, Mindanao. He knew that I am constantly searching for good food and extraordinary culinary experience.  It will take you around 20 minutes drive from Butuan city to get to Buenavista.

Buenavista Public Market

Just like the dampa in Roxas boulevard, it is a market where you will buy first and you will have it cooked. What made this special, some of the caught fish are still alive. You can have it and go straight to their Kilawan section of should I say restaurant to have it prepared your way.

Alcover Kilawan

For us we had it sutukil. Sutukil is a short cut word for Sugba (Grilled), Tinola (Soup), and Kilaw( local sashimi with vinegar, chilis, cucumber and spices).

First they prepared the tinolang malasugi or Blue marlin soup. It was an old fashion style of cooking using wood and on an improvised stove.

Cooking Soup using wood

 Then came the kilawin. Just a bit of information, kilawin is best if the fish was caught an hour ago or best if minutes only. They don’t do “kilaw” if the fish was killed more than an hour.

Kinilaw na Malasugi

Just to make it more delectable, we combined the pork liempo  or bacon slab with the kinilaw. It is call “sinuglaw”. Short cut for Sugba at Kinilaw. It was a truly delectable dish specially when the kinilaw is fresh.

Sinuglaw

After which, the soup was served. It was tinolang Malasugi or Blue Marlin clear soup. Since it was fresh, you can still taste the sweetness of the fish and the soup. It was indeed perfect combination with the sinuglaw.

Tinolang Malasugi

To make it more authentic, we ordered for puso or hanging rice as they call it in the Visayas and Mindanao region.

Puso or Hanging Rice

It was a lunch that I cannot forget. The freshest catch of the day, served on your table is truly a remarkable culinary experience. What made this more special is because you are sharing this with your close friends just like Mike where time has tested our friendship.  Thanks to Mike and the gang. Till next time when I go back to your place in Butuan City, we will again share what Buenavista has to offer.

The Feast with Mike

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Calda Pizza

I am a pizza lover and my love for this is my drive to scout for the flavor, style and affordability where ever I go.  In one of my search, I came across this giant pizza that gave me the change to taste Italian style at an affordable price. It is Calda Pizza. I was brought by my friend Michael Forsuelo to this wonderful place at it was indeed a satisfying experience. We ordered Calda Special. It was delicious and yet very affordable.

Preparing the Pizza

You can even see it being prepared while you wait.  The generous topping and super thin crust really made this pizza special. It was a delightful pizza experience in every bite.  You can even ask then to have two flavors in on pizza.  

Calda 36 inches Pizza

We came across a family that ordered for the largest pizza that is 36”. They let me take a picture of their feast because they saw me amazed when the largest pizza was served.

The concept was very simple, order a pizza, pay for it, they will prepare it with you seeing it, and serve it to you straight from the oven.

When I went to my home, I was glad that they also have a branch in Antipolo city.  We tried the 20” pepperoni and it was again finish in one sitting. Calda Pizza is one pizza store that satisfy your crave for a great pizza without spending that much.

I experience it at Calda Pizza Capitol Drive, Butuan City and Calda Pizza, Licos Park, Circumferential road, Antipolo City. Don’t miss this opportunity to taste a great thin crust pizza by Calda Pizza. It’s worth the taste and price.

Calda Pizza at Butuan City

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Chicken’s internal organs are delicious. Aside from the tasty intestine (zigzag), the liver and gizzard are fantastically flavorsome.  In a resto in Butuan, they made this wonderful combination into an appetizer served spicy and on a sizzling plate. It was a creation that never popped into my mind. Nevertheless, it was so delicious. We were having chicken inasal when we decided to place additional order. This caught my attention. Surprising, It did reached my expectation. As a matter of fact, it when beyond what I am expecting.  A couple of beers, relaxing music and Spicy Chicken Liver and Gizzard solved my night escapades in Butuan, solved!  

Where to Find 

You can have this Spicy Chicken Liver and Gizzard at Weegool’s at Purok 2 Doongan Road, Butuan City, It is in front of the city hall.  They also have a branch along Montilla boulevard. This is one restaurant that serves good food and a garden ambiance. It is something that I will be again looking forward every time I go to Butuan City.  

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Hamburger is not new to us. In fact, this has been a part of our culture.  There are those who serve oversized, full of everything that the buns can hold on to, and full of advertisement and nice looking stuff to allure you while you are very hungry.  Nowadays, there are the entrepreneur-ing burger stands that sells buy one, take one. Burgers everywhere!!! Even inside the market, burger is available together with the native delicacies.  But you know, nothing can beat a homemade Burger and made without the extenders.  That is the burger of Uncle Sams.  Uncle Sams Burger has been in Butuan City more than a decade and Uncle Sam has been true to its customers by giving the purest beef and freshest garnish that you can have. The taste is simple delicious.  The size is generously gratifying.  This is one hamburger experience that I can say, a real burger time.

 Where to Find

Uncle Sam’s Burger is located in front of the city hall of Butuan City,Agusan Del Norte. 

It’s a place where there is a hamburger stand, an indoor and an outdoor restaurant.  Their food is also great.  If you happened to be in Butuan city, never miss the opportunity to taste the hamburger at Uncle Sam’s Burger.   Its quite a fast food experience homemade style.

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When I was left at Bicol during the late 1990s and my fellow engineers went to Butuan City, they were talking about a chicken barbeque that was very delicious.  They were referring to the chicken inasal of Weegool’s.  This is one chicken inasal that is very delicious.  It is marinated so well that it is like a tocino already.  For the way they grilled, they have maintained the consistency to every part. For the best part of chicken inasal, the skin is crispy and tasty.   

They have also prepared the chicken meal in such a way that they provided each native plate with the set for condiments, 1 ½ cup of rice and a banana cup cake as a dessert.  It was quite a meal to eat it in a garden setting. 

Where to Find 

Weegool’s Chicken Inasal can be found at Purok 2 Doongan Road, Butuan City, It is in front of the city hall.  They also have a branch along Montilla boulevard. There are plenty of chicken insal in the Visayas and Mindanao but this one is what I can say, one of the best that I tasted.  I’m looking forward to have it again when I go back to the Ancient City of Butuan.

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If you have no fear for food made of internal organs, this one is for you, Spicy Tripe. In the local market, it is known as “twalya” or “bimpo”.  Tripe is the part of the beef stomach that is use for Callos.  For this food experience, it was served on a sizzling plate, garnished with onions, pepper and red hot chilis.  It was an appetizer that was remarkably and deliciously hot.  It blended well with the onions and the sauce.  This smooth, sweet and super spicy dish caught my discriminating taste buds because I was accustomed to have beef tripe in Callos. This is something new for me even though I am familiar with it.   

Where to Find 

The Spicy Tripe of Julian’s Garage can be found at Nangka st., in the heart of Butuan City, Agusan Del Norte.  Julian’s Garage is a place to hang around specially after office for a few bottles of beer and nice music.  It reminds me of a bar that I use to go to in-front of our school along Taft Avenue. But it was a long time ago. I was 2^nd year college when that was demolished. Hehe. Julian’s Garage is a garage no more, because it was converted into a restobar.   Try to drop by to their place and have a taste of their spicy tripe (they call it haling halang there) and enjoy what the place has to offer. Good food, good beer and good looking people around. That makes the place special.J

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In Butuan City, there is this restaurant that is known for their burgers and a very deep fried crispy tadiyang ng baka ( deep fried beef ribs).  At first, I was a little bit hesitant to taste it because I was thinking that is might be as hard a rubber.  To my surprise, they have prepared it so tender and soft that you can compare it to the texture of baby back ribs. They have tenderized it so well that is was so easy to bite and the taste was perfectly delicious. The crispiness of the outer part and the tenderness of the inside part has made this a unique dish that is perfect as a main course and as an appetizer as well.  

Where to Find 

Uncle Sam’s Burger is located in front of the city hall of Butuan City,Agusan Del Norte.  They have a very nice location that has a garden setting. At night, they have acoustic entertainment. They also serve a variety of cuisines to choose from. I have also tasted their Bulalo soup. It was also good and the serving was very large. When you go Butuan, always put Uncle Sam’s Burger in your itinerary and the Crispy Tadiyang ng Baka as itinerary to your food trip adventure.

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