Caido del Cielo

Caido del Cielo is true to its name: fallen from the sky.  A piece of (food) heaven that I discovered with my German friends yesterday.

We were not that hungry (that was after I donated blood) but we wanted something to drink or nibble.  Then one of them said that we can check the street (which we don't usually take) to discover something. And there it was.  From afar, we can see the CAIDO DEL CIELO which we asked Gigi to translate for us.  Under the sign was the words: FISH, FRUITS & VEGETABLES.

I thought at first that it is a place where to to buy them raw.  But to our surprise, IT IS A RESTAURANT.

Enjoying our fruit/veggie shakes

Excitedly, we went in and went for the smoothies.  They have got vegetable and fruit smoothies for only Php50.00 each.  I decided on having the Sweet Veggie Smoothie and a plate of salad with the Asian Dressing (Php100.00).

The ambiance is definitely inviting.  It reminds me a lot of the restaurants in Europe - simple and cozy.

And because we are so satisfied, we decided on having brunch there today.

I ordered a breakfast set: chicken patty, sunny-side-up egg, rice, and a cup of brewed organic coffee (Php100.00) plus an Avocado Smoothie.  I likes the smoothie but I could not really recommend the chicken patty.

The zucchini soup one of us ordered was not a portion for one.  It is a big bowl of soup that 5 people can share.

The vegetarians will also love this place.  They have got an interesting plate of baked Vermicilli with vegetables and they also offer a Vegetable Burger (patties are made from the heart of palm).  Yummy!!!

I am looking forward for the next brunch in this new found piece of heaven in Bacolod.  Kaon ta!

View Caido del Cielo in a larger map

You Should Meet ALICE!

I have been looking for a place where I can eat salad in Bacolod... Yesterday, I found another one!  And a good one!  That offers a good price! Yeah!

You should meet ALICE and try her recipes.

Well, I for sure tried the salad.  They got Basil Vinaigrette Salad (Php138.00) and on their weekly specials the Chicken Taco Salad (Php148.0).  My friend got the first one and I ordered for the latter.

The Basil Vinaigrette Salad looked promising.  You can choose for either Chicken or Beef for toppings.  The Chicken Taco Salad looked interesting.  It's got lots of tomatoes as expected but I didn't expect for it to be frozen.  It still got some icy parts which was a bit weird at first but was fine when they all melted.  I maybe just could not associate my salad with ice.

The servings here are generous.  An order of salad is already a full meal.  It can definitely compete with the serving size of Bigby's.  Only that Bigby's offer lots of meat for not much difference on the price.

Where to find it?

It is along Araneta St.  It is directly across Metrodome and beside Bong-bongs Pasalubong Center before Gaisono City.

Where else to find salad in Bacolod?  Here!

Big Salad

Where to get a good bowl of salad in Bacolod?  This is one of the FAQs for Bacolod, from locals to tourists.

So today, I had a good salad for lunch - well, a third of the size that I prefer.  I got it at the Museum Cafe. Too bad that they don't offer a full plate/bowl of salad in their menu but only for the full meal as one of the side dishes.  Museum Cafe's rate is a bit high.  Prices ranges from around 100Php to 250Php.  And I really hope they have a full plate/bowl of salad on the menu.  Museum Cafe is by the Negros Museum which is near the Provincial Capitol.

Another place I usually go to for a good salad is Bigby's Cafe and Restaurant.  You can find it in SM (North Wing) or in Gaisano Mall.  A serving of salad at Bigby's is around 200Php and you can consider it a meal already.

There is another place where you can get good salad - Nature's Village Resort.  It is however outside of Bacolod but the food and the ambiance is worth the effort.  I just hope that their salad with crispy lobo-lobo is already on the menu.

If you are desperate enough, Shakey's serve like half a serving of salad for around 150Php.

I still have to try the salad bar of Kuppa.

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Newly found: Alice's recipes

Capizeños... since 1973

The famous La Corona Cafe has closed down last year.  It was around July when a friend and I passed by the once place of La Corona which is now turned into something like a computer shop.  It was a sad day.

I looked for an alternative place where to have my coffee in Burgos and stumbled at Capizeños.

Coffee here is good.  Ambiance is not like La Corona but it is still nice.  It has this feeling of being at home.

You can get your coffee for only 10Php (Plain) and 11Php (with milk or what the locals will say "laban").  Little food stuff are also available like puto (rice cake), instant noodles, etc.

It is also in a good location if you want to do some shopping for vegetables and fruits as it is directly at the Burgos Market.

Here is the map for those who wants to check it out:

Looking for more information where to get good coffee in Bacolod, click here.

Bacolod - Beyond the Smiles... Desserts and Snacks and all that is SWEET

Where to get that sugar-fix in the land of sugar? Easy, here's my source of the good stuff:

• Calea is on top of my list. They've got the best cheesecake I've ever tasted. I will for sure bet my taste bud on this. My faves are: White-Chocolate Cheesecake, Oreo Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, and Fruity Cheesecake. There are also other cakes like Moist Chocolate Cake and pies like Pecan Pie. You can get a piece of these heavenly cakes at Lourdes-C Building, 14th Lacson St. (the building that is somehow connected to L' Fisher) and also at the East Block.
• Quan is one of the first native food shop I know of (in Bacolod). Name might sound Chinese but yes, they serve native Filipino snacks and dishes. They've got Cuchinta, Puto, Choco Crinkles (not native), Ube Pudding, and lots more. Dinuguan, Palabok, Pangat can also be ordered here. The biggest shop they got is along B.S. Aquino Drive (near La Salle). There is also one along La Salle Avenue and in Lopue's East Center.
• L'Treats is a stall in Lopue's East Center where I usually get my Chocolate Brownies. I am not sure if it is related to the "L'" Family (L' Fisher, L'Sea) but maybe. They do have one of the best brownies for a very good price. The stall is near the main entrance for the grocery.
• Roli's is my number one choice for Napoleones. If you have not tried it, you are missing something. There is Roli's in Lopue's East and maybe another along La Salle Avenue.
• Margie's Pasalubong Center offers different biscuits, cookies, pastries... yum! I always fall for their Mango Tart and Spritz Cookies. It is on the corners of Lopez-Jaena and Burgos Streets near the Bacolod Public Cemetery and West Negros University.
• And for all that native stuff craving, nothing really beats the original - you can find lots of these native food in the local markets. I go for Libertad Market... and you got to be there early in the morning to get them.

Bacolod - Beyond the Smiles... Coffee

Bacolod City has been my home for about half of my existence. So I should know many things about this city before I claim to be an expert of other places.

As many would agree, Bacolod City got less to offer for the eyes but lots for the tummy. Yeah, food is something that you shouldn't miss to experience here.

You can literally eat your way through Bacolod. Start with a freshly brewed Mabuhay blend of Kape Mabuhay in Libertad Market, get your snacks from the Piaya stalls found in Central Market, grab your lunch from Saning's where they serve one of the best Nilaga (stew) in town, another cup of coffee after lunch from La Corona (a post-war coffee shop near Burgos Market), and dinner maybe at Pala-Pala (the original one near the Provincial Capitol) or at the Manukan Country for that famous Chicken Inasal.

If you would trust me your taste buds, here are the places where I go for:

COFFEE

Kape Mabuhay

Hernaez St., Libertad Market

Coffee prices: 9Php - 11Php

You can buy your beans here. They have their own blend which is worth a try.

Take Bata, Mandalagan, Shopping-San Agustin Jeepneys

J&G

Same row as Kape Mabuhay

Coffee prices: 10Php - 12Php

La Corona

Hilado St., near Burgos Market

Coffee: 22Php

Jeepneys: Homesite, Villamonte, Shopping-San Agustin (if you are from Downtown area)

Fortune Towne, Sta. Fe, even Talisay passes by from the east or the north

La Corona closed down last year.  I've asked some people why and they said the owner couldn't cover the overhead cost anymore.  Sad! :-(

Cafe Excellente

Luzuriaga Street (Central Market)

Coffee: 10Php - 12Php

Coffee beans or powder can be bought here too.

Jeepneys: Shopping-La Salle, Fortune Towne, Mansilingan, Alijis

Start your coffee tour of Bacolod City. These are just 4 coffee places but would be enough for a day or two. And you can notice that these coffee shops are along the main markets of Bacolod City, you might want to do some shopping before or after your coffee. Some souvenirs can be bought in Central Market.