MANILA, Philippines – Before you get caught in the pre-Christmas rush, take a few days off to recharge and put you in the holiday mood.
Here are some suggestions for yummy getaways in Northern Luzon, Boracay and Tagaytay.
These are not endorsed by ABS-CBNnews.com.
Vigan/Ilocos Food Safari
Tour Flair will hold a Vigan/Ilocos Food Safari on October 20-22. Guests will fly to Laoag and stay at the beautifully restored 19th-century Filipino-Spanish village of Sitio Remedios Heritage Village located by the South China Sea in Currimao. From there, the itinerary includes taking in the sites, culture, and cuisine of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
Tour Flair's exotic Food Safaris always feature inspirational and traditional local regional cuisine prepared in person by celebrity chef Sau del Rosario, Tour Flair's signature chef.
"For the Vigan safari, Chef Sau will cook with local Ilocano chefs and serve dinner at Sitio Remedios, where our guests will be billeted in individual cottages. It will be a fabulous six- course sit-down dinner with wine. Each course will be individually plated and beautifully presented—truly top-of-the-line, world-class cuisine," Teresa "Dinty" Barredo-Keating, Tour Flair's co-managing director, said.
While actual items in the menu sometimes change depending on the freshest ingredients available during the tour, del Rosario said guests can look forward to dishes such as Pinakbet Pizzeta (bite-sized pizzas topped with shriveled sautéed Ilocano vegetables), Baby Arugula Salad with Bagnet (crisped pork belly) and Grilled Squid with Ar-arusip (popularly known as "sea grapes") with bagoong (fermented shrimp fry) and Ilocos vinaigrette.
Guests will be feted with Lamb Pinapaitan Broth and, for the main course, Deconstructed Prawn Okoy (fritters) with Poque poque (scrambled grilled eggplant) and Vigan Longganisa (native sausage) Rice.
"Of course, no Filipino meal is complete without desserts," the chef said. "Some featured treats include: Tsokolate Eh (hot thick chocolate) with Tupig (charbroiled glutinous rice and coconut pastries) and Mini Bibingka (rice cakes)."
Throughout the three days, guests will see the famous St. Augustine Church and Bell Tower in Paoay, Museo Ilocos Norte in Batac, and Sta. Monica Church in Sarrat. "Every day, guests will enjoy assorted native delicacies during merienda," Keating added.
A tour of the heritage city of Vigan includes visits to Syquia Museum, St. Paul's Cathedral, Plaza Salcedo, and the Palacio del Arzobispo (an 18th-century archbishop’s residence). "The day includes a pagbumayan (pot-making) demonstration, a superb lunch at an ancestral mansion, and a five-course Spanish-colonial dinner with local wine at the Arce Mansion, where guests will wear period costumes while being entertained by a guitarist and singer."
Of course, the trip will not be complete without a visit to Pagudpud beach. "We'll have lunch at a resort by Maira-ira Beach, also known as the Blue Lagoon, and we'll wrap up with a visit to Malacanang ti Amianan—the Malacañang of the north, and the windmills of Bangui," she said.
In 2013, Tour Flair will hold Food Safaris to Tagaytay, Davao, Bacolod, and Quezon (for the Pahiyas Festival), as well as Manila-based Food Safaris to Binondo (Manila's Chinatown) and to a Spanish-ancestral mansion near Malacañang. Tour Flair has regular tours to Baguio and Banaue Rice Terraces; Amanpulo; Batanes; El Nido, Palawan; Boracay; and Bataan.
Tour Flair is managed by sisters Teresa "Dinty" Barredo-Keating and Mindy Barredo Perez-Rubio (sisters of Repertory Philippines' artistic director Carmen "Baby" Barredo) with their long-time childhood friend Lory Vi Valdes.
Booking deadline for Tour Flair's Vigan/Ilocos Food Safari is on September 30. For more information, visit tourflair.com.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
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