1st Colonial Grill: A Review

     1st Colonial Grill is one of the restaurants I frequent to since they opened at their old address in Old Albay, Legazpi City. This original location I'm referring to is one of the oldest buildings in Albay where La Mia Tazza and 21st Ammendment are currently residing.  After the move to their Daraga address, 1st Colonial Grill have since opened several branches within the province.  Now, 1st Colonial Grill has a restaurant in Pacific Mall Legazpi, in Ayala Malls Legazpi, and just recently, in SM Legazpi. As far as I know, they also have a branch in Sorsogon City and Naga City.

     1st Colonial Grill is known for their authentic Bicolano cuisines such as laing, pinangat, Bicol Express, tinutungang manok, and their famous sili ice cream. I'm from Bicol and although I enjoy those dishes, what I've come to love about this restaurant are the proven Filipino favorites that they serve.  And that's what we usually order when dining at 1st Colonial Grill.  The photos in this post was when my brother and I had a late lunch at their Ayala Mall branch. Take a look.

Tyler's Gourmet Kitchen: A Review

     People love to eat and food is an important part of human interaction. We eat when we celebrate something, when we want to relax, when we want to cheer ourselves up, when we're happy, and sometimes, we eat when we meet friends we haven't seen in a while.

Ruth, The Pinoy Wanderer, and Ate Bolen @ Tyler's Gourmet Kitchen.

     And so that's what happened when my good friend Ruth was in the country for a short vacation from Singapore. After a relaxing foot spa and massage at Natural Therapy HUB & Cafe, Ruth and I went to Tyler's Gourmet Kitchen in Daraga, Albay for an early dinner.  We were joined later by another good friend, Ate Bolen.

Awesome Zip Line Adventure at Embarcadero de Legazpi

     Hey guys! Sorry been sooo busy lately. Anyway, my friend Kevin was in Legazpi City last weekend and I toured him around a bit. Kevin is the one who introduced me to Jessa Herbal Beauty Soap, the “miracle” soap that we’re bringing to the people of Legazpi, and with God’s grace, to the entire Bicol Region. (I will tell you more about Jessa on a separate post). Anyhow, with the little time that we had, I tried to give Kevin a taste of Bicol. We walked the sunny streets of Legazpi and Daraga (while giving Jessa samples), ate some Bicol food (mostly we ate because Jessa promotion took most of our time, LOL), and yep, before his flight home, we tried the Zip Line at Embarcadero de Legazpi which, by the way, did not disappoint.

The majestic Mayon Volcano as seen from Embarcadero de Legazpi. Took this photo while we were on our up to the tower of Embarcadero, the starting point of their zip line adventure.

     The 350-meter zip line starts from the 30-meter tall lighthouse of Embarcadero de Legazpi descending all the way to the breakwater across the Legazpi port basin. The entire ride will give you at least 55 seconds of awesome Mayon Volcano view and a unique perspective of the City of Legazpi. The water below the zip line will look a bit intimidating but I assure you that once you’re down the cable, all you will have is appreciation of the breath-taking beauty around you. All for just P150.00.

     Here's one of the photos I took before my turn to zip-line...

Caffe San Marco's Lunch Buffet: A Review

     It was a lazy day when my brother and I visited this restaurant in Legazpi City for our next buffet adventure. We were both feeling sleepy that time and we thought that perhaps some good food will perk up our moods. And we were right!

     Hey guys, welcome back to The Pinoy Wanderer! Here’s another restaurant in Legazpi City that absolutely deserves a spot in my list of awesome “Buffet Destinations in Albay.” 

     I’ve visited this restaurant in the past and have tried their breakfast buffet which, at that time, was an incentive for staying in their hotel. This time, with my brother, I’ll be trying out their lunch buffet to give you guys a peek on what to expect in case you go visit them. Without further ado, I introduce you folks to -- Caffe San Marco.

     Caffe San Marco is a restaurant inside Hotel Venezia in F. Aquende Drive, Legaazpi City. They have breakfast and lunch buffets all days of the week, from Mondays to Sundays. Schedule of their daily lunch buffet is from 11:30AM to 2:00PM for only P250.00 pesos per head. Below is Hotel Venezia’s location on Google Map for your reference.

     We arrived at the hotel around 11:30AM and because we’re already starving, went directly to the restaurant. Here’s what was served on the buffet table that Friday lunch:

Cosina de’ Marina's Lunch Buffet: A Review

     Hey guys, welcome back to The Pinoy Wanderer. I’m here to review another restaurant in Legazpi City that offers a fulfilling buffet experience. This next destination is a cool addition to a list I’m creating which will feature top “Buffet Destinations in Albay.” Let me introduce you folks to -- (drum roll please) -- “Cosina de’ Marina.”

     Cosina de’ Marina is located in Brgy. Cruzada, Legazpi City and owned by the incumbent Punong Barangay of Cruzada, Mr. Edsil N. Llaguno. The restaurant took the name “Marina” from the owner’s mother-in-law and is also a playful derivative of the bicol phrase “mari na” which means to invite others to join and partake. Of course “Cosina” means kitchen, so yeah, come and join the feast in Marina’s kitchen. Anyway, the restaurant started its operation just last March 2014 and offers lunch and dinner buffets all days of the week for only P180.00 per head. Lunch buffet is from 10am to 2pm while dinner buffet starts at 5pm to 10pm, Mondays to Sundays. Below is its location on Google Map so you won’t get lost.

     Unlike what happened on my previous review, this time, my brother and I arrived at the restaurant on time. How unbelievable for me, haha! And so we had a feast on all of their home-made cuisines. Check out the photos below to have an idea what to expect in case you try Cosina de’ Marina’s buffet: