Basilio's... Gastronomic Feast, Unique Treats

So you think you've been to all the yummy restaurants in Koronadal city? Well I say good for you.. but have you ever chanced a trip to one of Koronadal's top emerging restaurants?  Basilio's - Based Basil Pasta and Resto is arguably one of the best restaurants I've ever had the pleasure of having lunch in one weekend in the city.

As you enter the restaurant, it exudes the warmth and coziness of a home as it is previously the home of owner/entrepreneurs Mr. El and Ms. Nenette Basilio. There are a number of nooks and crannies in the restaurant that you can engage your guests not only to enjoy a delicious meal but a perfect place to catch up,  swapping of stories among friends, conversations with family members or a staff meeting among colleagues.

Or.. if you want to impress a date and/or want to engage in a deep conversation about your futures (*wink *wink), why not bring him or her upstairs? They have Japanese style dining facilities at the 2nd floor of the restaurant where tables are surrounded by cushions laid out for a relaxing dining experience.  The only catch is, since the floors are squeaky clean and laid out with banig, shoes are not allowed upstairs. But not to worry,  the restaurant provides slippers for you and your guests once you get upstairs. :)

Basilio's culinary fare specializes in pasta. You have a number of pastas and sauces to choose from. And of course, almost all of them include their favorite herb - the Basil. For our 1st luncheon experience there, we tried their Carbonara Pasta (the pic on the right), a fettuccine pasta which has the right amount of creaminess and non of that evap milk taste common in other restaurants. It has the right amount of saltiness from the bacon and butter.

For myself, I ordered the Seafood Twist in white sauce (since I'm a sucker for creamy dishes..evident in my bulging waist line.. sigh! :)). It has a mix of squid, shrimp and fish -- i'm guessing Dory fish, in thick creamy white sauce with a hint of Basil. They also serve the Seafood Twist in red sauce if you want non of that fattening cream and butter concoction. 

My personal favorite however (and Mr. OSGs as well), is the Gambas Pasta. It is a tomato based fettuccine pasta with shrimps topped with chili flakes. I was surprised at the pinch of spiciness brought about by the chili flakes, which makes this the signature dish  of Basilio's . And a favorite among its loyal customers. And I just know I will be ordering this fare next time I visit!

What is impressive with Basilio's is not just the succulent taste of the gastronomic feasts that you will grow to love, but that the prices are really quite reasonable. Imagine a plate of their scrumptious pasta will only cost you around P95 per single serving.. now that won't break the bank  or burn a hole in your pockets! :)

And for those who are not pasta-lovers, they also have main dishes served with rice and vegetables on the side. Such as the Pork Belly w/ rice and sidings (pic on the left) and the Beef Tapa (pic on the right) served with white onions and shallots. 

For starter meals or side dishes, we love their Calamares (left). The Teriyaki Shrimp on the right is served with fried rice and egg  - another must try dish that is uniquely Basilio's. 

For those who want after dinner food with beer or gin tonic (which they also serve), you can try their original Tuna Kinilaw which is a combination of fresh Tuna, green mangoes, tomatoes, raddish on a bed of lettuce leaves and topped with salted eggs. This enticing dish will leave your taste buds screaming for more. I can totally vouch for the yummy-ness of this fare. Totally different and yet familiar in its simplicity.

To end the meal, we ordered their Fresh Fruit Platter. A mix of all the ripe fruits in season. If you are on a diet, then maybe you can just order this and pass away the time while your friends devour the other appetizing dishes at Basilio's. Only problem would be...is how you can prevent yourself from sticking to eating just the fruits in your platter.. hehe. :)

Basilio's - Based Basil Pasta and Resto is located at 72 MH Del Pilar St., Korondal city. From Gensan drive, turn left at the round bowl, and   once you reach Notre Dame of Marbel university, turn right and left again at MH Del Pilar St. For bookings or reservations, you can call them at +63 83 228 2878. Business hours is from 10AM til 10PM daily. 

Koronadal's 12th Hinugyaw Festival and Piyesta Korona 2012

It was a wonderful venture being part of  the six Soccsksargen Bloggers who were invited  by the LGU of the city of Koronadal. We get to experience first hand the celebration of the 12th Hinugyaw Festival and Piyesta Korona, which is also in conjunction with the city's 72nd Foundation Anniversary. 

Our day started early with a civic parade in  Koronadal's main thoroughfares. Afterwards, school kids from the elementary and high-school levels braved the rainy outbursts for the marching band/ drum and lyre competition in the South Cotabato Sports Complex. It was nice to watch these talented kids do their stuff marching and doing cart wheels while the rest did wonders with their huge base drums and cymbals. 

I am also proud to mention that the laurels of the drum and lyre open competition was brought home by the Eugenio Ranada Elementary School and the Christian School of Polomolok, both coming from my home base - Polomolok. *wink *wink 

The afternoon festivities for the Piyesta Korona started with a flourish as beautiful maidens (ahem and x-men too) strutted their beautiful rendition of Mardi Gras inspired costumes in the streets. It was a photographer's dream being able to take photos of the contestants up close. Registered photo hobbyists joining their photo contest (including us bloggers) were allowed access inside the cordoned area. So we can mingle and take photos according to our fancy. I only posted a few here, but you can view more of the photos in our facebook page. 

A little trivia for you: Piyesta Korona is the brainchild of current Mayor Peter B. Miguel to give emphasis on the "korona" or crown which might aptly describe the city of Koronadal. The event was composed of three different categories: Hinugyaw street dancing, Mardi Gras individual category and the Floats with their festival queens all focusing on the theme "crown".

Below is the winner of this year's Mardi Gras individual category. What I love about this contingent is the ingenious way they presented their idea in a very mardi-grah-ish way. The painted face and the huge crown all screamed mardi gras to me. :) I felt like being in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil just looking at him. 

Of course who would not notice the energy and hype of the nine participants in the street dancing competition..never mind that the street dancing lasted until late in the evening, but not once did I get droopy eyes all trough out just watching them perform. Some of the participants came from as far as Cotabato city and they all did a wonderful and entertaining presentation.

To cap the evening's celebration, the members of the LGU of the city of Koronadal released colorful lanterns while a grand fireworks display wowed the throng of people who attended the festival (including me :).

Kudos to the organizers of the 12th Hinugyaw Festival and Piyesta Korona. It was indeed a successful and fun event. 

Other Soccsksargen Bloggers who attended the 12th Hinugyaw Festival culmination day and the Piyesta Korona were: Avel Manansala of Gensantos.com, Doc Remo Aguilar of TacurongCity.net, Arzeriel Garcera of Pinasbackpackers.com, Aethan Yting of Aethanoscopy and Nanrdxz of South Cotabato News.

I would also like to thank our hosts headed by Hon. Mayor Peter B. Miguel- who incidentally is also the festival director;  Mr. Francis Sablon - asst. festival director, the members of the LGU of Koronadal City and the Sox blogger's official residence during the 12th Hinugyaw Festival - Cresta Del Rio Splash Resort.

Dolefil's "Light a Tree, Light a Life" truly worthwhile project!

Dole's VP and Managing Director Mr. Simon Denye 

My first time to experience Dolefil's Light a Tree, Light a Life project, I was so excited since I've been hearing about it for years and haven't really experienced the lighting of their trees, much less seen one live. I know you start to wonder, living in Polomolok, how come this is my first time? 

The Light a Tree project of Dolefil is an inter-division contest wherein employees decorate their Christmas trees (Norfolk Pine trees to be precise) inside the company premises - in the pedestrian walkway. So you see, its only for the eyes of the employees. I have to be really convincing so the guard will let me in and take a peek which during the past years, I never get to do. :)

But this project is not only limited to the enjoyment of Dolefil's employees so to speak. It is a very worthwhile endeavor wherein each division has an identified charity. Dolefil will then give a generous donation to the charity of the winning tree/division.  

So having said that, you could just imagine the effort put by each division in their trees... like this one for example. They even have a mini-conveyor run by a thin Santa. Maybe if Santa lost his reindeers and opted for this bicycle, he wouldn't be bothered with a big round belly! 

For this tree, they used recycled materials like scrap pouches (you know, the tetra pack ones they use for packaging  fruits and juices? yep.. thats the one below ) as their poinsettias. 

this one even used drums as base for their snow men..

Another division were very creative in using used straws for lanterns and tree ornament...

And who would even think that the IT division had thought of using old mouse as ladbugs on their way to their Christmas tree like below...

And I just have to show off this tree, my personal favorite.. 

this division had a small mini-Dole plantation around their tree...

So to recap, it was a very nice experience having seen these trees. A rather nice and exciting evening  for all the Sox Bloggers in attendance, thanks to our gracious host, Dole Phils., to Ms. Gwyn Ebol and of course to the Bariles who never fails to give us an exciting event to look forward to. :)

Have an exciting Christmas! May you find the proper venue in sharing your blessings to our less fortunate brothers and sisters in the example of this Light a Tree Project. Christmas after all, is a season not only for tinsels and lights and decorations.. but it is the season for giving! 

South Cotabato Tambayan is Our Choice for the Philippine Blog Awards Blogger's Choice

We vote for SOUTH COTABATO TAMBAYAN for this year's 2011 Philippine Blog Awards Bloggers'Choice.

Mr. OSG and the Pinay Travelogue both believe that SOUTH COTABATO TAMBAYAN deserves to win simply for his selfless dedication in promoting the province of South Cotabato to the world. He helps uplift the image of the province giving people a positive insight of life in South Cotabato other than what the mainstream media often tells the world - only negative news. For us, we admire his advocacy as he continues to make people like us who also hail from South Cotabato (Polomolok to be exact) proud to live in this province. Keep up the good work an hats off to you Nanardz!

Philippine Blog Awards for Mindanao Nominations

I have only been blogging for more than a year now. At first, I never even imagined that anyone would be interested in visiting let alone read any of my blogs. I remember being hooked in this hobby because of my love for writing. I am not a lady who can say is good with expressing how she feels verbally. I have always had a strong love affair with the written word. I really don't know why but I can express myself well by writing (well.. typing mostly since nowadays we don't use pen and paper :). Sometimes I get absorbed with the ideas in my head, its frustrating that my hands can't type as fast as the ideas come.

But blogging for me is an outlet (visit my other blog: mommyjournals for more of my raves and rants about anything under the sun). The Pinay Travelogue is also a showcase of a few of Mr. OSG's prized photographs. That is one of the main objectives of this blog. And also to document and to showcase pictures of places we've ever been to, most especially those places here in Mindanao that are screaming for people to blog about. But in the course of updating this blog, you will find most of the photographs here are mine since Mr. OSG is really busy with this own hobby that at times, it gets hard threatening him to take photos of places we visit. hehe. So excuse some of my pictures here. :)

But not once did I imagine that people- well strangers to me that is, will really start reading our blog. It makes me happy to note that people who come visit our blog are mostly people I don't know personally. Well, of course at first the only ones I expected to visit are my relatives, friends and people who are acquainted to us as a couple. 

So from the bottom of my heart, I wish to thank all of you my dear readers who came and who have read and stopped by to visit our blog. Because of you, we got nominated in the prestigious Philippine Blog Awards for Mindanao - Travel/Destination blog category. 

from Gensantos.com 

Yeah we haven't won yet, just included in the nominations but it is an honor to be ranked among Mindanao's creme de la creme of experienced travel bloggers. Thanks for believing in us, and for giving me inspiration and motivation that I have to come up with more blog posts amidst our hectic scheds. Thank you readers for coming to this journey with us.  

Sarangani Highlands Garden and Restaurant... A Cut Above the Rest

   

Tucked in a quiet hilltop overlooking the bountiful Sarangani Bay is a picturesque garden and restaurant which is slowly becoming one of the top tourist areas in General Santos City. 

Sarangani Highlands Garden and Restaurant sits atop a hill with an excellent view of the bay, downtown Gensan and a commanding view of Mt. Matutum and Mt. Parker especially when the skies are clear. 

Sarangani Highlands boasts of beautifully manicured gardens with bonsai trees dotting the property. Every corner here is a perfect spot for a picture. 

They have tent covered spaces perfect for wedding venues. They can even set up romantic dinners for two in any corner of the garden you wish in case you want to impress a date. For us though,  every time we have visitors/tourists, we never fail to take them here for lunch or dinner. The place is not only a feast for the eyes but serves one of the meanest gastronomic feasts in Gensan.

And if you think this is everything, take a peek at their restrooms below which is calling out for me to photograph. 

But Sarangani Highlands is not just about the beautiful garden and food, they now offer bed and breakfast accommodations for visitors in Gensan. You now have a choice from a number of their standard rooms or deluxe rooms. (or choose the room according to your favorite flower!) 

Their standard rooms are perfect for big families or groups since they offer 7 individual beds with 2 toilet and bath, fully airconditioned with TV sets. The deluxe rooms have its own mini bar, toilet and bath, hot and cold shower and TV. Rates for the standard rooms is at P1900 nett, Deluxe single P1500 and deluxe double P1800. They also offer free airport transer and free wifi access. 

For more information, you can get in touch with them through these numbers: 083-3040752; 0922-8590043 or visit them at Purok Wal, Tambler, General Santos City.

Ikea Fever Singapore!

My first time to  be at the Ikea store was a over a year ago, over at the Tampines branch. It was just a quick stop since we were so pressed for time, I didn't really have time to really look around. But during this visit, my cousin was kind enough to take me, my mom and my sister at Ikea Alexandra branch. As usual, a shopping trip gives me the exhilarating high. So I was pretty much excited the moment I stepped inside the Ikea showroom.

Ikea is a unique experience for me since it gives shoppers the opportunity to thoroughly go through each of their products in their showroom. They provide the shopper with copies of their latest catalogue which I must  stress are only allowed to be used inside the store (meaning, I might get reprimanded since I took mine home :).

Pencils, tape measures and shopping lists are also provided upon entering the Ikea store. Hmmm.. they sure know how a shopper's mind works. :) Then big yellow bags and trolleys are likewise provided once you are ready to splurge on the items you like to purchase.

Once inside the showroom, i had a minor migraine from turning my head from left to right at the number of products that I thought would look good inside my house. :) Galigas! I can spend an entire day here at their showroom! There are moments when I felt like I had the products from an entire bedroom showcase in my trolley. Only predicament that I had was how to take home my stash! --not to mention how to convince myself that I really needed them..hehe.

After hours of walking around and around the showroom, it was nice to be able to have lunch at the Ikea Restaurant. It was conveniently located inside the store, and they have such yummy fares like the pasta with tomato sauce and the chicken leg in teriyaki sauce. The dessert of Swedish apple cake was a fitting end to our gastronomic break before we continue with our shopping.

After touring the showrooms and getting the products we like and paying for them, I had to note that what's nice about the things they sell is that they come in flat packs, easy enough to take home even if your home is as far away as Timbuktu. :) Then you can just assemble the items in your homes and voila! --probably the reason I had to pay a few pesos for my excess baggage at the airport.

Ikea Singapore is located at 317 Alexandra Rd, Singapore. Store hours are from 10AM - 10PM daily.

Other photos featured here are from the Ikea website.