As far as I can remember, the place opened when I was still in college and the gang would hang out there between classes because it was just a three-block walk away from the school (Xavier University). We hung out there so much the guard would always have a parking spot for us and the waiters practically memorized our favorite orders. I guess I’m trying to say that if you love fusion food and dining, you’d practically live in Sentro 1850.

The day after Tihn’s wedding, the family and I went to Sentro for dinner. Mom admitted to holding several meetings there because the wait staff was couteous and their food is excellent. I said I want to go back and relive childhood days. Hahah.

I wasn’t surprised that the menu had changed but my favorite items were still available like the Chicken Inasal (man, that was orgasmic!) and their Philadelphia Cheese sandwich. Eric Yap, the chef, doesn’t scrimp on his love for spices (he goes to the market himself to personally shop for ingredients there in his cute bike!) so every bite is as succulent as the next meal. Or sometimes he had something concocted and would give us samplers. In between bites, of course, we’d tell him we love his cooking! *waves to Eric*

I wasn’t surprised either when I saw that the prices increased. Chicken Inasal a few years back was only P75! I SWEAR. And the sandwiches were at P65 and back then that was already a lot, you know. Eric also added more pasta dishes so that was something more to love.

Sentro 1850′s Korean Beef Stew

Sentro 1850 Pesto Pasta

Sentro 1850 Roast Beef

My sister, Vanesssa. Behind her is the pastry and dessert cooler. New interiors, too

That’s Dad and Vanessa fooling around. Ditsi didn’t get to go with us that night. The boyfie mostly took the photos.

SENTRO 1850 is located at Don A. Velez St., Cagayan de Oro – where the old Juan Sia is. Call 731850 for reservations. Bon Appetit! Toodles!

SHIGA (please read the rest of the text below) is made out of chili garlic sauce. It is naturally for chili lovers out there. I tried a pinch – get this – a pinch and my entire esophagus burned for an entire week. Exag, I know. But you get me.

Email me at marketing@instylecebu.com if you have any questions. This retails at P150 but perhaps I could be wrong.

Perhaps I will write the quintessential new year’s resolutions list but for now, let me show photos of our latest holiday trip in where else but Cagayan de Oro! Hahaha. I need to be somewhere else besides Cagayan de Oro this year. Tsk tsk. Now that could be one new year thing.  

When we were in Cagayan de Oro last February, we had our usual stopover at Candy’s. Love this Tartufo. The outside is made of frozen chocolate and the inside is made of ice cream cake. Sinful.

With special thanks to hosts Leanne Florendo and Aimil Sarmiento plus generous invites from Jaja Rama and April Rama, my summer didn’t just end up at beach resorts but at Formo, too!

The last Caribbean Party I’ve been to that was held at a bar was at The Site in Cagayan de Oro where they, too, placed white sand all over the venue. Tiki torches and small palm trees added much to the beachy-feel of the place making you feel like you are just partying at the beach minus um, the ocean! Last May 22, the Havaianas Urban Beach Party was just like it and more! The sand sculpture was my favorite.

There was Capoeira and fire dancing, of course. The place was draped in layers of white and Detalia Aurora was ambience found in chic furniture! Formo was really transformed that night.

Your very own summer soiree couldn’t pass up the chance to be with the cesses and of course, enjoy the overflowing Mojitos, Tribo Manila, and our Havaianas flip-floats!

April Rama of Formo and Clint Potestas from Sunstar Cebu. I got to talk to Clint for a while. Turns out that lifestyle writer of Sunstar Cebu doesn’t drink too! Haha. Cheers, Clint! Again, fun is an understatement that night. Thanks Big Seed Media, Formo, Leanne and Aimil for the best Havaianas party this Summer.

See full review here of the Havaianas Urban Beach Party. ?

BIOLOGY
1. Are you right-handed or left-handed? RIGHT
2. Have you ever had anything removed from your body? MY CLOTHES
3. Have you ever had any surgery? NONE
4. How much do you weigh? NOT SURE 40 SOMETHING KILOS
5. How tall are you? TALLER THAN A HOBBIT BUT SHORTER THAN MY BOYFRIEND

BULLCRAPOLOGY
1. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? NO. WHERE’S THE FUN IN THAT.
2. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? SOME PORN STAR BUNNY NAME LIKE NICOLE. HAHA I KID.
3. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? NO.
4. How often do you fart in a day? I DON’T COUNT?
5. When was the last time you ate something raw? YESTERDAY, SOME OF MOM’s KINILAW.
6. How many pairs of flip flops do you own? THREE
7. Last time you had a run-in with the cops? DIVISORIA MCDO CAR TOWED BECAUSE OF NIGHTCAFE
8. Last person you talked to? MY BOSS
9. Last person you hugged? MY DAD AW SOB.
10. Last person you said “f*** you to? THAT’s A BAD WORD.

FAVORITOLOGY
1. Favorite season? SUMMER
2. Favorite holiday? CHRISTMAS
3. Favorite day of the week? MONDAYS
4. Favorite month? OCTOBER! MY MONTH
5. Favorite brand of chocolate?

CURRENTOLOGY
1. Currently missing someone? BABYCOO
2. Current mood? EFFING SLEEPYYY
3. Currently listening to? THE OTHER’S TALK ABOUT THEIR VACAY IN SOME BEACH
4. Currently watching? THIS MONITOR
5. Currently worrying about? WHEN’S THE NEXT VACATION I’LL BE ON

12. Can you do push ups? NO
13. Can you do a chin up? HAHAH NO
14. Does the future make you more nervous or excited? EXCITED
15. Do you have any saved texts? SOME QUOTES
16. Ever been in a car wreck? NO
17. Do you have an accent? WHEN I TRY
18. What is the last song to make you cry? HAHA NONE
20. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? NEVER
21. Name 3 things you bought in the last week. PLANE TICKETS, PASALUBONG AND BABE’s CROCS SHADES
22. Have you ever been given roses? OH YES
23. Current worry? GETTING A NEW SCHED FOR LEAVES
24. Current hate right now? CEBU PACIFIC FOREVEVEREVEREEVER
25. Met someone who changed your life? YES
26. How did you ring in the New Year? KISSING!
27. What song represents you? SUPERHUMAN by CHRIS BROWN hahaha!
28. Name three people who might complete this? LADY, MICHELLE and FEDZ
29. What were you doing 12 AM last night? At COOKIE’s bday
30. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? SHOWER

Warren, me and Jay at Candy’s CDO. Feb 28 2009.

Last weekend, when my friends from work decided to conquer Cagayan de Oro, I told them to check out the white water rafting adventure because after the flood, they can “raft” their way to Limketkai, Opol beaches or Gaisano City. Of course it was a bad joke but they did arrive in Cagayan de Oro on the same day I did and yours truly felt it was my compunction to show them around.

Photo at Del Monte Clubhouse, Cawayanon Bukidnon. Cawayanon is a 35 minute drive from Puerto, Cagayan de Oro.

Their steaks are at P250-750. You can order their unlimited pineapple juice at P60.

Manfred Jugador’s log cabin

Anyway, I never did get to try the river rafting experience because I’m not really an outdoorsy type of person. My friends who came from Cebu talked about all kinds of activities in Cagayan de Oro that they wanted to try out and to my consternation, I didn’t hear a single “indoor” activity they mentioned. Rafting! Canopy walk! Zipline! Horse back riding and river trekking!

After their rafting and tour around Cagayan de Oro rivers, I took them to Makahambus Cave and their canopy walk and zipline activities. For P300, you can already cross the bridge at I forget how high it is and zipline your way back to the starting line. Not bad, it’s just that we could perhaps do a lot more at Mapawa Nature Park. (Sorry Igs, peace!)

Makahambus Cave. 10 minutes from Lumbia Airport.

The “light” after that 2 minutes tunnel.

The canopy walk at Makahambus Nature Park

So here I was going to places that I’ve already been to a million times and taking photos of them a million times and storing them in my hard drive a million times and realized that I will never stop being a tourist and a tour guide at the same time. There is something about places that changes their whole look when you are with a different crowd – not to mention a crowd who does not see something the same way you do. When Reiona gushed about breathtaking Bukidnon and how she wanted to raid Manfred’s ref and claim ownership of one of the rooms in his house/log cabin, I was overwhelmed at my complete nonchalance of the whole thing.

This is the indoor activity I like. At FU. Okay.

Street love this time. At Barbie Fortich’s lola’s streets.

Cookie’s Bday.

Cagayan de Oro will always be in Mindanao just like the river rafting experience will forever make millions in the city but that I guess that kind of thinking depletes the dinero of ever doing the storytelling first hand.

I took the liberty of taking my friends’ photos for them whether they are at the airport, in the plane, getting on the plane, buying pasalubong and even when they are standing beside the Welcome to Cawayanon sign – everything is documented and will forever remind me to yes, take the plunge and maybe, just maybe, get on that raft, brave the rapids and take a video of myself while I’m on a zip line. Fun, right?

The TARTUFO at Candys! Familiar? P250 per serving. Serves 4

What’s a weekend at CDO without a Candy’s nightcap?

From L-R: Yours truly, Babe, Michelle, Jay and Tihn

A pit stop at OIC

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

I did a 10 Things before and I guess they need 15 more. Plus, with people tagging me – peer pressure!

1. Dishwashing is suicide. Anything but the dishes.
2. My OC-ness is more suicidal.
3. I think I’m just good with the dressing and making up part, go to a place and hang with friends. Sometimes when I’m done with the dress rehearsal and makeup, I do not feel like going out anymore. I am just happily contented with the rehearsal. J
4. I stacked two volumes of my journal back home when I was in highschool and one fourth of those are all talk about how I hate my mom. I’ll be burning those soon.
5. I’m not a “morning person” but just a breakfast in bed person. When you’re so used to waking up at noon, you are best eating lunch with a headache on the side.
6. I collect watches, stationeries and all kinds of fancy paper, headbands, magazines, jewelry (custom made, fashion and genuine), and um, shoes.
7. I’m addicted to lotions, Magnolia Blossom, tissues, and alcohol.
8. I lost the final round of a major spelling bee with Mimi years ago when I spelled PASAD for façade. How embarrassing.
9. My karaoke songs are always No More Rhyme and Especially for You by Kylie Minogue and Jay Pascual would hog the mic to sing duet with me. I miss you, boy!
10. I sneezed all my 26 years in life. If I do not have a cold in a day, there’s something wrong with me.
11. Rewind two years ago when I had an article published at the local newspaper about Cebu’s Red Light district. You can blackmail me with that info to my parents who never had clue.
12. There’s a small red mole on my chest. Who ever has heard of red moles?
13. Planners, organizers and calendars are my life. I need something to write on whenever an idea strikes.
14. My phone is practically glued to my palm. Somebody has to keep me busy and preoccupied to keep my hands off it. Babe? Haha.
15. I cry at Tagalog movies, weddings, thinking of my mom, Walt Disney cartoons, seeing people crying, getting hurt. Ah. A Walking dam is me.
16. A meal is never complete with ice cream or chocolate cake or sugar frosting or mangoes or bananas or flan.
17. Only four people can get away with calling me “baktin”.
18. I will authorize him to upload a scandalous video if and only if I’m dead.
19. I get annoyed with “Can you make tawag that manong over there?” “Please make silip if he’s there already.”
20. If you messed up with your “their, there, its, it’s”, friendship is over hahaha joke.
21. I never leave home without my eyeliner, asthma coke powder, and jewelry on my wrist.
22. I will donate my boobs to breast cancer stricken women before I die.
23. For the first time, I’m declaring I’m in love and I am lost.
24. I hate it when people take food off my plate. It’s the mother of all rudeness.
25. I eat with my spoon on my left hand. I’m right handed.

Fedz, Mitz and Kate loves… thanks for the tag. Haha. Pressure!

10 REALLY RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

Dishwashing is suicide.

My OC-ness is suicidal. One askew bedsheet and I freak out.

I’m good when I’m dressed up and with close friends for a night out of dancing but I’m best when just lounging at overstuffed upholstery and coffee beans.

I stacked two volumes of my personal journal back home. One fourth of it is all talk on how I hate my mom. I’ll be burning those soon.

I’m not a “breakfast person” but just a breakfast in bed person. When you’re so used to waking up at noon, you are best eating lunch with a headache on the side.

9 WAYS TO WIN MY HEART

Initiate. Initiate. Initiate.

Make my girlfriends laugh.

8 THINGS I CARRY/WEAR EVERYDAY

7 THINGS THAT ANNOY ME

People who go, “I have something to tell you. But not until later.” WTF.

“Can you make tawag that manong over there?” “Please make silip if he’s there already.”

People who messed up with “their, there, its, it’s.”

6 PLACES I’VE VISITED OR INTEND TO

Hongkong

Macau

Greece

Los Angeles

Palawan

Acapulco

5 THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE

Donate my boobs to breast-cancer stricken women. Or any takers for that matter.

3 THINGS I DO EVERYDAY

Go online

Text my dad

Show love to babycoo

2 THINGS I’M TRYING NOT TO DO NOW

Get mad
Get even

1 PERSON I WANT TO SEE NOW

Lolo Dong.