Orange, shell-shaped, with a smell that lingers in the air and stays at the tip of the nose is the infamous empanada of Cagayan.

      You can usually find it sold by street vendors. It’s made of one whole egg, shredded cabbage, and toge without the roots encased in a wrapper made of rice flour mixed with water and orange food color and is deep-fried in oil.

      The color is what attracts passersby. In a very affordable price of Php20.00, you can already have one. And if you want something more unique, you can try the ‘Special Empanada’, which has an additional longaniza, or in other places, they also offer tocino for only Php25.00.

      However, in my opinion, I didn’t like the toge without the roots that much. At first, it is okay but as I consume more, I start to unlike it and put it aside. The Sukang Ilocos, which is its usual partner, or sometimes Catsup makes the empanada more delicious. But I like the vinegar more.

      The empanada can be bigger than an adult hand or smaller. When compare to other vendors, there’s this one that has the wrapper tastier and with the evidence of salt in the ingredients and another quite watery in the inside and a lame taste of the wrapper, obviously without the taste of salt.

      So if you like the best empanada in Cagayan, best find the one that has the long line of people and make sure it’s what will make your first taste of Cagayan Empanada, worth the travel.

Yours truly,

Apple Cider

      Unlimited. Unlimited. Unlimited. WHO WOULDN'T WANT UNLIMITED?
      Here's unlimited plain lugaw for only Php7.00 located at Altura Ext., Sta. Mesa Manila, just a couple of footsteps away from Teresa street and PUP, Manila . Can you believe it? There's also unlimited ground pepper and fish sauce. And if you want it not plain, you can just add Php8.00 for one boiled egg.
      Unfortunately, due to too many students eating, fish sauce sometimes run out. And they only give one Calamansi for the rest of your meal. So it's kind of disappointing when you're trying to give your lugaw a nice taste and there's no seasoning to give it the taste. Inadequate, insufficient, call it whatever you want.
      However, you'll still enjoy eating because sometimes you'll just ignore the taste, knowing you just paid a small amount of money. And most of all, you will feel extremely full because of the unlimited rice in your stomach.
      So if you want a unique experience, paying small, go to this little unli lugaw place and have fun eating!

Yours truly,
Apple Cider

      Need affordable food? Here's Pao Tsin! You can choose from their best dumplings, dim sum, and wantons for only Php55.00. Actually, before, their meals are only priced at Php49.00 that you'll feel very lucky as you get the peso change.
      Still, the food is cheap for a nourishing meal. You can have your dumplings fried or steamed, depending on your preference. Try it now!

Yours truly,
Apple Cider

      Want big burgers? There's this small restaurant in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan that you would not realize is actually there. The place is small and located somewhat awkwardly in a place where it's the only restaurant. And you would even wonder why there's people going there.
      First impression, it is a bar. Why? Because there's more boys eating than girls. Next, it is pricey. Why again? Because the inside is cozy and has good lighting, just like restaurants in the city.
      But once inside, everything changes. The menu offers different kinds of burgers and pasta in a very affordable price.

      The burger is BURGER! It's big. Sulit. And it doesn't just looks big and delicious from the outside but it actually tastes good. A very satisfying food for a hungry tummy. And if you're not really hungry, you can even share it with someone, maybe a loved one.

       There's also pasta. A tasty Carbonara for your taste bud, creamy, and cheesy. Just the right taste.
       And what's best is it's a 24/7 restaurant so anytime of the day or even if it's midnight, you can always eat without worrying where to.

Yours truly,
Apple Cider

      There's always a deal at shakey's. A platter of spaghetti or carbonara, a basket of sliced bread, potatoes, chicken, a large pizza, and a pitcher of lemon iced tea. Mmm.. Delicioso!

      If you're alone, you can always have the combo meals. But if you're in a group, you can try the shakey's deals.

      For 3-4 persons, you can choose between a platter of spaghetti/carbonara or a basket of potato chips and 3pcs chicken. And you'll have a basket of onion bread, a pitcher of lemon iced tea, and a seriously fresh-from-the-oven large manager's choice pizza.

      For 5-6 persons, you can have a platter of spaghetti/carbonarra, a basket of onion bread, 6pcs chicken and a basket of potato chips, a pitcher of lemon iced tea, and the seriously hot manager's choice pizza.

      But, of course, if you want more, you can always go for deal 3.

       For dessert, try the marble cake with 3 scoops of ice cream on top, too sweet but it will make fresh of your palette. A glass of cold water will surely be a great help after :)

       Oh, and the awesome waiters, you don't wanna miss them!

       On my first time at shakey's in festival mall, alabang, muntinlupa , sonny was our waiter. He looks good and he's very nice, asking us if we're enjoying our food, and giving us our needs without delay. He's like the waiter you'll surely love to serve your meal.
 
       So foodies, you don't wanna skip shakey's. It's a lot of fun, knowing you're spending your money in a good place rather than feeling somewhat broke and guilty.


       It's your turn to do the shakey's dance. Because after eating, all you'd wanna do is lose all the carbs. So surely, you'd be dancing you're way out.. :p

Yours truly,
Apple Cider

 

       Chic Boy is one of the emerging restaurants today that can be considered as successful and becoming more successful every day.
      The Chic Boy restaurant located inside SM city Dasmariñas in Dasmariñas, Cavite is only proof of its wide expansion around the Philippines.
      As of November 2011, Chic Boy has grown into a total of fifty five (55) dine- in stores, fifty one (51) units of which are franchised and fifty (50) more franchises are under construction.
      No wonder it's growing very fast. Filipinos love unlimited offers and the patronage is full-blown.
      With its good variety of foods, choosing between chicken and pork, the restaurant is a good change for the Pinoy taste buds.
      Chic Boy offers rice all you can for only Php99.00 and you can have a bottomless iced tea for only Php25.00. And not just that because you can choose your ulam; Chicken Inasal (paa or petso), 2pcs Pork Barbecue, Inihaw na Liempo, or the yummy Cebu Lechon (manok or liempo). Chicken lover or Pork lover, no prob foodies!
      Oh, and if you're on a tight budget, you can have the Chiquito meals served with house soup for only Php49.00 and an extra cup of rice for an additional Php10.00. Sulit!
      The restaurant also offers breakfast meals, sizzling meals, soups, side orders, merienda, and desserts. It's your choice! By the way, the sinigang na baboy is superb. Maasim and swak sa panlasa. Just like the home-cooked meals. And there's also sinigang na bangus. So it's actually not just a chicken-baboy tandem. There's also fishes!
      The atmosphere also gives the diners the feel of nature with it's wooden chairs and tables. The orange color is also a good change for the never-ending red color of several food chains and restaus present here in the Philippines. It looks fun and exciting!
      The service crew is nice too. All smiles and ready to serve.
      It's your time to get fully-loaded foodies. Give your tummies a nice treat!

Yours truly,
Apple Cider

      












      Mang Inasal is one of the most famous and intriguing restaurants today that offers good ambiance, good service, and most especially, good food. It offers a unique chicken that has that distinct taste that you will surely love to eat anytime of the day.
      The Mang Inasal located inside SM Sta. Rosa in Sta Rosa, Laguna proves that their chicken is really worthwhile. It is in the right location where everyone will surely see it. Inside, the aroma of barbecued chicken fills the place. Even it is passed lunchtime, there's still a lot of customers enjoying their food. That somehow, it is too crowded, and you'll have to wait for an available table.
      Waiting is never a problem when it comes to good food. When the slightly long wait is finished, food will be served immediately. Barbecued chicken or what they call Chicken Inasal together with rice wrapped in banana leaves will make its way to your table and will give you a slightly mouth-watering moment. The presentation is nice and it looks very appetizing.
      Mang Inasal offers unlimited rice for the price of Php99.00 but they also have the regular meal for the price of Php49.00 so you'll have the choice if you'll drown yourself with rice or not. ☺
      The problem is, no matter how affordable their meals, their drinks are expensive. A 1.5 Liter of Coca-Cola is priced double so customers are forced to bring their own drinks from the outside. Or since water is free for everyone, customers will just drink water.
      When it comes to service, the service crew that gives the overflowing cups of rice is always patients with their customers. However, when it comes to the service crew that serves the free soup, they seem too slow to comply.
      Overall, I had a great time eating in Mang Inasal with the exception of the drinks and the service. So I'm giving you the choice foodies. It's your time to experience a different kind of experience. Have your tummies get full! And have fun with the unlimited rice. Again, your choice!


Yours truly,
Apple Cider

Wondering why we call ourselves the Visitor and Artist Unity?
Let me tell you how...

I have this stupid dream, or let's say, not really stupid but somehow strange.
It's about the three kinds of food.

VISITORS


ARTISTS


UNITY


Sounds weird right? I know. But let me explain.

"A professor of mine was having a graded recitation. She asked Strawberry first - another food blogger - about something that seems light and easy to answer. When it was my turn, by the way, my name is Apple, he asked me to explain the three kinds of food. Here how my answer goes as far as I could remember..."

Visitors - food usually found in food chains, food courts, restaurants, cafeteria, carenderia, or canteen. Anything found outside the house. A short visit to satisfy our tummy!

Artists - home-cooked meals. We tend to be creative while cooking.

Unity - food usually found in different occasions like in birthdays, fiestas, debut, weddings, and many more. when eating this food, there's a shared meaning toward the food. There's unity!


So we built this weird, strange, unusual, or whatever you call it blog site!
Whether you're a food lover or not, you're welcome.

REMEMBER: We're creating unity here among artists and visitors.

So let's eat, have fun and brace ourselves with new and exciting vitto! (French : Food)

Yours truly,
APPLE CIDER ☺