Hotel Lorenzo's Cafe

The other day’s city-wide black out combined with the hot and humid temps took me to the café part of Hotel Lorenzo in Avenida Veteranos. I was desperate for a cool ambient indoor space while walking around town hence, the impulse to come here. Hotel Lorenzo’s set up is pleasant enough and has the "big city" hotel feel up with its luminescent tiles, chandeliers and tall glass doors. One gets the feeling of Joe Firday’s “Just the facts Ma’am” attitude here, though yes, it has a homey touch to it too.

The café serves daily breakfast buffet to the tune of P280 I believe, but I was too late for that. When I came over, breakfast was being served alà carte and I ordered a light one with the Caribbean French Toast and un petit taz cafe creme. On the whole I believe the eatery exists to cater to the guests of the hotel, wi-fi connectivity is well accessed, and the staff was amiable enough. What can I say, the place was comfortable, straight to the point and clean.

Location: Avenida Veteranos
Prices: Varies, is wide range as menu extends from variable cuisines, all sorts of beverages and so on.
About: P85 - the mid 300’s

Perhaps I’ll come for the buffet breakfast next time, yeh? 

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The Restaurant at Hotel XYZ

As an establishment, XYZ and it's restaurant is posh in our island city. Very genial modern interior, with contemporary fixtures, lighting, design details and so on. As far as the restaurant, by now I have well established that almost all eateries have menus across the board though this is understandable for the place because the patrons are also far-reaching.

XYZ resto's dishes are from Filipino, Dim sum, Thai, American and even pastas are served up here. This restaurant both caters to the hotel guests and any sojourner who wants to sample their cuisine(s); I will say that based on the dim sum I ordered, food quality and preparation are tops. The dining atmosphere is luxurious as I mentioned and the staff is courteous and professional when facing a client.

Location: Zamora St.
Prices: from P85 - the mid hundreds

This hotel and restaurant does augment Tacloban particularly in the areas of tourism, business, hotel and cuisine.

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The Zapper:

Before continuing on with the outdoor adventures, cruising and resto food tasting, a word from our sponsor. Well, not really.

No, that’s not me with a fencing sport mask. It’s an insect zapper shaped like a tennis racket and it’s a very handy deadly weapon against island nemeses such as the mosquito, fly, fruit flies, bugs attracted to light and even yourself if you like to get an electric sort of high. The racket makes a stunning sound when the target finally gets electrocuted, burns and dies. I understand it sounds vengeful but if you live here in the Philippines, you will appreciate the death of these vectors and knowing you had a hand in their demise, albeit only one bug at a time. The item can be purchased in department and general merchandise stores such as Gaisano, Save more, Robinson's Place at the home section items and the hubs got ours at "578" Store for a nominal amount.
Bzzzt..
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That Spicy Addition to Tacloban City Named: White Spice

By far, my most favorite interior in all the independent business eateries here in TC is that of White Spice’s. It has this streamlined, clean, minimalist look about it that’s very well made. Stepping into it makes one think of the contemporary diminutive cafés in the word's metropolises that one will endear to because of it’s coziness and intimate atmosphere.

It helps that the food served here in White Spice are delicious. The menu is also a choice few but I believe is what they do best. So far, I have sampled the Fish and Chips and their version of the Baby Back ribs and I have no complaints. The staff is polite and professional, and I even got to chat with one of its partners. He informed me and my companion that proprietorship is shared by four young gents in their 20’s and they came up with this idea of White Spice. He further revealed that they will be opening a… wait for it… a grilled seafood place somewhere in the Marasbaras area. Coming soon!

I cannot recommend this place enough to people because in the relaxation-while-dining scale, White Spice was up there, no screams, no cacophony, and that was on a Saturday night . Dining here was enjoyable, focused and easy. There is no Wi-Fi connectivity though, because they encourage everyone to just converse amongst each other and perhaps read, that and eat more!

Location: MH del Pilar (below Opa Korean Restaurant)
Prices: P90’s - P270’s. 

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Âyo Cafe: Something Pleasant Away from the City

Away from the bustle of Tacloban City proper and along Apitong Road sits this attractive café named “Âyo.” Nestled in a strip mall structure area, it’s a good place of reprieve when one is traversing the diversion road on the Maharlika Hwy. The resto has a mixed fare of Filipino and international cuisine, pasta and sandwiches, drinks are served primarily in pitchers and the clientele consists of people who only know where it is. To be candid, it’s making me wonder whether the proprietors (which are also the owners of Sunzibar and Canto Fresco) consciously opened this eatery here especially for customers who do not want to be bothered by the agitation in the city. Be that as it may, it is enjoyable as a place to eat.

Âyo does have tasty preparations but the Chef’s specials on the board is pricey as they come understandably because the ingredients are a rarity in Tacloban and Leyte. Example: Lamb Chops w/ Couscous Salad for P800, special cuts of beef and other entrées prepared with international flair for just as much.  Happily, these are not all that they serve. On the menu are more reasonably priced items which share an affinity for the items served in Sunzibar. Parking is not hard to come by because as I mentioned, Âyo is not at the hubbub of TC.

Location: Apitong Road, towards the right if you are heading north of Maharlika Mwy
Prices: from the P150’s to the higher triple digits

PS: Âyo was named after the Cebuano/Visayan word for “good.” if you don’t believe me, check out the decal of the word's definition on the upper right of the wall of the place (pictured on the collage). A clever touch yes?

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Libro Atbp. Bookstore and Coffee: Original in So Many Ways

Finally, I finally got to feature "Libro" in Living Leyte! I am particularly exited to do this because one of Libro's original owners is a good friend of mine. However, it's not just for that reason I wanted to write and expand about this place, I did so also because for all intents and purposes, Libro was the first of it's kind in Tacloban City. It is a bookstore cum coffee shop and it exists to enrich one's mind... and belly. Ah, the levels of nourishment in one place. Because of this, I would venture to say that Libro is the original joint that spearheaded such quaintness to our little island city.

Today, Libro has added an array of delectable desserts, gourmet coffee, sandwiches and iced coffee and tea to it's showcase via Angie, Libro's very capable dessert chef and current owner. Browse and read through the eclectic selection of books available here from the classics to current fiction while enjoying all the delicious fare and you will understand what I am trying to convey.

A survivor of Typhoon Yolanda, one will find that Libro has become a staple in Tacloban City, it has proved the test of time and through all this, it has retained it's classic and charming milieu.

Location: Cor. Gomez St. and Sto. Niño St.
Prices: from P60's - P100's

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Juiceat: Truly Healthy

Juiceeat is the only one true healthy joint in Tacloban. With all the places we have to eat at that's savory, sweet and tasty, we do need a neutralizer for all the calories and fat we ingest. This is where Juiceat comes to play. 

Juiceat has multiple combinations of fresh fruit and vegetable juices geared towards cleansing, detoxifying and energy and immune system boosting that can only be good for our physical well being. Personally, I choose the concoctions myself for my blends and Juiceat is happy to oblige.  For a stamina upgrade, it's carrots, oranges and apples; for cleansing, it's cucumber, citrus and apple for me. It is quite healthy and is just what we need and you know what they say about health - it is wealth!

Location: MH del Pilar St. Tacloban City, close to Alberto's

Prices: P90 for medium sized juices and P120 for the larger ones.

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