Roland’s Steakhouse: They know their steak

On another quest for the best steak in town, we headed off to Roland’s Steakhouse in Lagao. First of all, I have to say that, so far, they have the best steak! They sure know how to cook steak.

Some of you might know that my husband and I have a “search” for the best steak in Gensan so we try to dine in places where they serve steak. To make it fair to all the restaurants we go to, we try to order our steak in the same meat cut and the same doneness (or rareness).

It’s a shame that, in almost six years of living in Gensan, this would be the first time I would eat at Roland’s. (Did I get the name right, by the way?) I would say because, one, they don’t promote, although, they supported the Tuna Festival Culinary Expo last year, two, the place is not where I usually am, three, the place is not attractive at all. I honestly think the faced and the dining room need to be redone already.

Now, the steak.

We ordered T-Bone medium rare and Filet Mignon. The bacon was so “sinfully” cooked and yummy. It was basically melting-in-your-mouth-tender. The taste was okay but I was thinking of how it would taste like if it had less of the marinade. The vegetable sidings were perfectly cooked. Although, the tomato and the curly stalk were a bit baduy for me. However, all in all, everything was good.

The service was good also. But as I said, the dining room just needs a facelift. I would have loved to change the placemats and the lighting and do some repainting.

Would I go back to Roland’s? I think I would to try the burger as well.

Catch you in our next foodtrip!

Takdol Festival was a success!

In behalf of the Sarangani Highlands team, I would like to thank all our guests and partners for the first Takdol Festival. It was a success! Our sincere thanks to San Miguel Beer, Coca-cola, Governor Miguel Dominguez, Michelle Solon, Mabuhay Magazine and ABS-CBN. Below are some pictures of the event. More photos at http://saranganihighlands.multiply.com. Thank you to my husband, Milper for this great pictures. The next Takdol Festival is on July 10, 2009. Featured cuisine: Mexican! Yum! See you on July 10!

4th Mindanao Franchise Expo

Sent from Mr. Kotik of the Mindnao Franchise Expo. I’ll surely be going to this event. Hope to see you there.

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The General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), SMED Council, Inc., the City Government of General Santos, and RK Franchise Consultancy together with the Filipino International Franchise Association (FIFA), will hold the 4th Mindanao Franchise Expo on June 26-28, 2009 at the Gaisano Mall of GenSan Atrium, General Santos City.
The three-day 4th Mindanao Franchise Expo is one way of bringing franchise opportunities closer to the Mindanao regions where the franchise market is growing stronger. This event is definitely a showcase of successful franchisers from Manila, Cebu, Davao and General Santos City to prospective franchisees and new and promising concepts in food, retail or services to consider franchising. Franchising has evolved also in Mindanao to be the most successful way to expand a business or to go into a business by yourself. The fastest way for business owners to grow a business is to franchise it out instead of opening own branches. On the other hand, the safest way to invest money is to get a reputable franchise as franchises offer the advantages of being proven profitable, provide training, opening assistance and operations manual.
Among the exhibitors will be the following Companies showcasing their franchise and business opportunities: Phoenix Fuels Life, Julie’s Bakeshop, RK Franchise Consultancy, Kuya Chito Takuyaki, Nadie’s Chicken House, Southern Synergy, Penong’s Barbecue Seafood & Grill, Mamma Maria Pizza, Solerex Water Technologies, Asian Tropics, Fresh Salon, Smart Choice Laundry, Hollywood Nails, Aficionado Germany Perfumes, Swiss Fregrances, Premium Graphics, Inkman Ventures, Global Business World, Greenrose Laundry, Dimsum Diner, Dermaline Facial & Skin Care, Beestop Foodhauz, Star Communication, Rocky Mountain Café, Botoy’s Lechon Manok, Best Buy Warehouse, Livingwater Systems, Business Mirror and FranchiseToday.
The expo timed during the GenSan Business Month or Yaman GenSan. It will open to the public during mall hours and is designed to allow prospective franchisees to get a close-up look at a range of different franchises, meet with the company representatives, attend franchise seminars and become familiar with the growing world of franchising.
A Franchise Seminar by senior franchise consultant Rudolf Kotik, who has 30 years of experience in the Franchise Business in 3 Continents, is scheduled at June 27, 2009. For reservation please call (083) 552-5105 or 552-8385.
For details or interested exhibitors please visit the website www.mindanaofranchise.com or contact the organizers CEO Events & Expo Organizers in Manila at (02) 995 0734 and in Cebu at (032) 273.3827 or in General Santos City the Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Miss Pilar Afuang at (083) 552-5105 or email info@ceoexpos.com

Sarangani Highlands Holds Takdol Festival

Sarangani Highlands invites you to yet again another first in Gensan or maybe even in Mindanao.

The Takdol (or full moon in Bisaya) Festival is a food and entertainment festival happening every full moon at Sarangani Highlands Garden and Restaurant in General Santos City. Every full moon date, a local or international cuisine will be featured together with live entertainment and dancing after the dinner. All efforts have been given to researching and putting together an authentic menu and entertainment that matches the featured cuisine.

The cuisines and dates are as follows:
June 7, 2009, SUnday
“LUMAD”
July 8 2009, Wednesday
“LATIN/MEXICAN”
Aug. 6 2009, Thursday
“LUZON”
Sept. 4 2009, Friday
“ASIAN”
Oct. 4 2009, Sunday
“VISAYAS”
Nov. 2 2009, Monday
“MIDEASTERN”

For the First Festival, Lumad, on June 7, 2009, the food is a crossover of authentic cuisines from the B’laan, Muslim, Indonesian and Sangir.

Dance to authentic Sangir dancers and singers, witness Lerong Dancers and marvel at the beautiful sounds of the Bamboo Orchestra of pagang and the Kulintang.

Dinner is at P 450 per person. Buy or reserve for your tickets now!

Sarangani Highlands Garden and Restaurant

Purok Wal, Tambler, General Santos City
Tel. 083 3040752
Cel. 0922 8590043

Email address: saranganihighlands@gmail.com

http://saranganihighlands.multiply.com

Have you been to O-ohlang?

When I heard the name, I knew it was another of Bebot Haw’s play of words. (remember his the lechon ni mang thomas and dili ka guapo?)

Why O-ohlang? Well, because the specialty of the house is Olang or ulang or fresh-water prawns. Although they have other seafoods and meat dishes on the menu, the star of the show is the ulang.

Personally, I like the way the prawns were cooked. Some of you might wish them cooked with lesser time because you want them really tender. We sampled three dishes of ulang: rebosado, nilasing and curry. All were good but I like the rebosado best.

Our waiter was attentive and courteous. Service was fast too. The dining area is cozy, unpretentious and not at all Japanese. LOL. (the waiters were greeting guests with Irashaimase). Sorry for the sarcasm but there was nothing japanese about the place. Maybe the menu with a few Japanese words here and there and the complimentary cold tea which was good, by the way.

All in all, we definitely enjoyed the dinner.

O-ohlang is located at NCCC Compound also. Just in front of Six Blings and Big Shot’s building.

Euro Kitchen: Steak anyone?

I know,  I know. It has been ages since my last post. But hey, I’m back!

My husband and I celebrated our 6th anniversary about two weeks ago. We decided to go to a restaurant we have not tried before so instantly, Euro Kitchen was our choice. We have heard so much about this restaurant plus I am in search of a place to have good steak.

Euro Kitchen is on Tiongson Arcade in Lagao. (Yup, that place with all the barbecue stands.) For a place that has their menu, it was surprising that they were located in that area. However, I honestly like the country ambience and the wrought iron chairs. What I would not want to see again at Euro-Kitchen? The grill in front, the smoke from the grill and the uneven wood fence.

We ordered Quesadillas, T-Bone Steak and two glasses of red wine.

In short, Love the Quesadillas, the steak could be better. The flavor was great, the presentation fab but I have to say that the tenderness was not quite there even if we ordered it medium rare. It was served with garden salad, garlic butter and in a big plate (platter?) that almost covered the entire table. About the steak, you have to note that a good t-bone cut would be very expensive and is not advisable for Gensan market.

I love that they have a decent selection of wine and some deli items. Their glass of wine was very affordable and the wine is not bad either.

The quesadillas was fabulous! It was served with mango, cucumber and tomato salad.

I told my husband that I awnt to go back to try their other dishes like cordon bleu and potato salad. It brought us to thinking about having a search for the best steak in Gensan. Why not!

So here’s looking forward to another visit to Euro Kitchen!

Citra Mina Summer Getaway to Boracay

Citra Mina is giving away a Boracay getaway for four persons plus pocket money! A P 500 single receipt purchase at any Citra Mina store entitles you to one raffle ticket.

Deadline of submission of tickets is on May 2, 2009 at store closing hour. The draw will be on May 8, 2009 at Citra Mina National Highway Outlet.

See more of the mechanics below.

South Point Divers in Maasim, Sarangani Province

Over the long Holy Week, my family and I visited a couple of resorts and this one would be the highlight: our visit to South Point Divers.

We started Black Saturday with breakfast at Dr. Abella’s beahfront property in Tinoto. Just before lunchtime to go to check out neighboring Lemlunay or South Poit Divers.

This would be my second time to be here. But this time, I saw the improvement of the resort. It was lively with guests and the dining area looks erally great. It’s not flashy or fancy but it’s still very elegant, cozy and welcoming.

We were greeted with a warm Maayong Udto and seated. The menu is simple but not entirely ordinary. It has a lot of good choices, a good mix of favorites and new treats. We had grilled pork belly, tuna steak or fillet sandwich and mahi-mahi in italian sauce. All of them were great-tasting. I only had two wishes about our lunch. One is that I hope they used tuna fillet instead of tuna cubes for the sandwich and, two, that they didn’t use plastic plates. (Though we served some of the dishes using Corel. Hmmm… extremes.)

This is the view from the dining area.

When we were there, there were a couple of foreigners. How I wish that we, who live in Socsksargen, would go visit our own tourist spots. I have not gone diving in ages but I thinik that I would go back to South Point just to be able to read in peace and stare at the bay.  Lovely.

Announcement for Sons and Daughters of General Santos

This announcment came from Ms. Rue Ramas by email.

_____________________________________________________

What:  General Assembly Meeting

When:  April 19, 2009, Sunday

Time:  9:00 a.m.

Agenda:  Election of Officers

Outgoing President’s Terminal Report

Where:  Office of Senior Citizens, Lagao

(Building beside the Lagao Barangay Hall, Tiongson St.)

Who may participate:  All descendants of those who lived in Gen. Santos City on or before year 1950.

Contact Persons:  Aida Cambarijan  0921-7873002

Rue Rivera Ramas 0920-9516479

Minda Mones 0919-2676677

Sydney Hotel’s Rooftop Grill

Since I resigned from Sydney Hotel in 2005, I think I have only had dinner at Rooftop Grill once. So it was good to come back to the restaurant after a long time.

It basically hasn’t changed. Still the same decors, tables, chairs, waiters. Good thing the food has also been the same: YUMMY!

Rooftop Grill is, for me, the best place to go to if you want to impress your guests with grilled seafoods or pork belly or sizzling fish fillets or tinola or sinigang na isda. I really, really like the way food is cooked here  I admit the food is pricey but hey!, it’s in a hotel. Also, the place and the service is worth it.

We, my husband kids and our moms, went to Rooftop Grill as sort of a welcome dinner for my mother-in-law who came to visit us. We ordered embao/imbao soup, sizzling diana, grilled pork belly (a favorite) and adobong pusit.

One thing though that I don’t like about the restaurant is the singer. Yup, never liked folk songs, sorry.

However, all in all, our dinner went really great. Rooftop Grill is a classic, I believe, so the next time you are taking out some guests for dinner, bring them to the Rooftop Grill.