Diversion 21

It's always a problem where to take my grandmother out for dinner because in about eight months, we have already dined in most of the usual go-to places in Iloilo City... that I honestly no longer know which restaurant to pinpoint.

My lola really enjoys eating out and as much as I want to take my diet seriously, I can't. I don't want to disappoint my lola since the times we go out to eat are probably just her little chances of seeing the world outside her home--besides from her Sunday and first Friday masses, charity work, and church meetings.

Since the very first time we ate at Diversion 21, we already grew this certain applause for it. On my side, I love how the place is so cozy; from its colors, interiors, ambiance, and staff. Everything just feels so welcoming and it's not crowded at all so we have the restaurant all to ourselves.

The first thing we ordered was the U.S. Beef Salpicao (Php 365). I swear to all Gods that it is one of the best things I have tried on their menu. I really recommend this dish, especially to beef lovers like myself. Next, we had their Chicken and Pork Adobo with liver sauce (Php 210). Well, as you can read on this dish's description on the menu, "Need we say more?"

Lastly, fish will always be on our table so we ordered their Grilled Tangigue Steak (Php 315). I liked my part of the fish with no lemony sauce because I found it too tangy. But the vegetables on the side made me forget about it and just reminded me that I do like eating vegetables sometimes.

Cucumber Cooler (Php 130) and Cherry Iced Tea (Php 70)

I'm not a fan of Cucumbers and Cherries. They're actually one of the many things that my tastebuds cannot stand, but after sipping from the drink, it's weird how I even managed to finish it. This just meant that they make bad drinks (this just goes for myself) taste so good!

Try these dishes or other food they have. There are a lot so pay them a visit in Benigno Aquino Avenue, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Pizzaro (Atria)

Since high school, when we want pizza, we call Pizzaro. It is where we usually order our pizza because they make their pizzas seriously huge. It can feed about 30 hungry souls and not to mention, it is very affordable.

Just recently, they opened another branch in Atria and I was able to dine there yesterday. I only had one company so what we ordered were just good for two (even though I barely finished mine).

Look at that cheese!

We got Kevin's Favorite (Php 360) which was 6 slices with sausages and mushroom. It was really a delight eating it because it was not too meaty. Then we also had their pasta. I forgot its actual name but its sauce was cream-based with ham and mushrooms (Php 145). It was a bit bland but it was not that bad.

The place actually wowed me. It was much bigger than their branch near San Agustin. It was well-lighted but the middle part of the room felt weird. I didn't like sitting in one of those tables that had really high chairs. It was too difficult to sit down then later stand up. Plus, that part of the room made me feel like my privacy was invaded. The tables were literally stuck to one after the other. I had to sit there for a while because the place was really crowded. That's a good thing though! People love their pizzas in Pizzaro.

Pizzaro is located in The Shops at Atria, just beside Zatazza Cafe.

Pub Express

Inside Pub Express: eat + drink

Last Wednesday, I had the chance to visit Pub express. It looked so tiny from the outside but when I went in, I was surprised to see how spacious it actually is. I personally admire how they built its exteriors because it reminded me of the numerous little cafes crowding in New York City; small but comfy. But this isn't a cafe. You see, it is a pub where you can get ice-cold beer and pulutan. But they do have meals.

I went there to try what others have been claiming as the "best ribs in town." And really, the price was not even enough to cover how insanely delicious it was! For just P129, you get a generous serving of their winner Baby Back Ribs and a cup of java rice. Besdies that, we also ordered Kare-Kare Wings (around P108 or so) which also came with a cup of java rice. It's basically just chicken wings drenched in Kare-Kare sauce but that's what I loved about it. Kare-Kare happens to be one of my favorites!

With their soda, however, I felt that it was a tad bit too pricey for its size. That small cup is for P25. I think it would have left me a better impression if it came in its original bottle. That way, I'd feel that I actually have enough for one meal.

Anyway, at the moment, only selected dishes on their menu are available. They're still on a soft opening so help them out by dining at Pub Express!

Pub Express is located right outside Villa Soriano Subdivision in Molo, across the lumber.

Change starts here

I have decided to finally make use of this forgotten blog (which has posts I frankly do not remember about). That change will be from not-so-appetizing posts to tasty ones! Yes, I will turn this page into a blog about food hypes around Iloilo City!

I literally eat out  every weekend when I come back to the city from school so I figured, why not make a blog about it instead of just photo-dumping everything on Instagram. I'd like to start anew though, and blog about the restaurants/cafes I've tried not more than a week ago. It's better to make everything feel so recent. See you in my coming posts!