After touring some of the coastal areas of the Province of Batangas, and before driving back to Metro Manila, we decided to grab something to eat. And – thinking that Batangas has ranches – we decided to try any of their steakhouses. Google gave three highly-rated recommendations; we tried the one closest to where we were then, which was Lugod’s Steak & Grill.

So how did we find the place?

@outragemag #LGBT #loveislove search for good, unpretentious #steak #steakhouse in #Batangas ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, for non-locals, this is not an easy-to-find resto. Mainly because it is inside some village; meaning, you have to go through a guard house where you’d be interrogated on where you’re going and why. At least they didn’t ask for us to leave an ID.

Ikalawa, the actual resto is – in a word – unpretentious. This is open-air dining with wooden folding tables, monobloc chairs, bato-bato sa lupa, and electric fans everywhere. Note that because the grillery is right there, too, you’re bound to smell of smoke after you eat here.

Ikatlo, the workers there were nice naman. They knew what’s on the menu, served our orders correctly (and fast, too), and were easy to call when we had requests (e.g. refill water).

Ika-apat, how was the food?

• The Surf & Turf (₱759) was slightly makapal, so you do get more meat… somehow. But even for the asking price, you only get five tiny shrimps and three thin slices of grilled corn as side dish.
• The Australian Porterhouse (₱379) was thin, and – since it was also chewy – was not exactly a pleasant meal. Sadly, after the meat was placed on a sizzling plate, then dumped with gravy, it was served with nothing else – e.g. no veggies, no mashed potatoes, et cetera.
• Major issue with both steaks: They were salty. Really salty. And that’s coming from someone who likes salty food (LOL).
• Extras ordered were Overload Fries (₱199), which was so-so; and two eggs (overcooked na sunny side up).

Is this a must-visit? Perhaps for some – e.g. when we went there, more and more couples arrived to eat, and so it may be a popular date place for the locals. But – again – Google recommended other supposedly well-reviewed steakhouses in Batangas City, not just this, and those others may be worth considering na muna.

Join us as we continue looking for more lafang venues.

Lugod’s Steak & Grill is located at 6400 LT Neptune St., Golden Country Homes Subd., Alangilan, Batangas City. For more information, contact +63 919 549 5356.

So a friend wanted to libre another friend, though the emphasis was to find “something good that won’t empty the bank account”. This was how we came across Blake’s Wings & Steaks, which had a pretty-looking branch along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, which, admittedly, was a lure for us.

Blake’s, however, isn’t exactly new. The very first branch opened five years ago in Marikina, and it now has eight branches, some are even in malls. And yeah… it is known for offering more affordable steaks (among its numerous offerings, of course), which makes it an okay option for the budget conscious particularly sa presyong Bagong Pilipinas at the time of Bongbong Marcos.

So how did we find this place?

@outragemag Eyeing an affordable #steakhouse dating venue? We #LGBT checked Blake’s in #QuezonCity ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is actually easy to find as it’s basically a stone’s throw away from Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame, Eastwood Malls, Araneta, and so on. Yun nga lang, it is best accessed by those with vehicles; or at least by those who can afford to pay Grab or motor taxi.

Ikalawa, the actual place is… pleasant. Mukha siyang non-mall-based Outback resto, Longhorn Steakhouse, American Steakhouse, and so on with a standalone Western-looking building.
Ambiance-wise, maaliwalas siya since high ceilinged ang place, and the tables were arranged in a way that allows customers to move around pa rin… if that’s what they need to do, of course.
Katabi ng steakhouse ang pizza parlor, so they share the parking… and you can order from the pizza parlor’s menu even if you’re eating at the steakhouse.

Ikatlo, keri naman ang personnel. One of the things we noticed was the number of staff; it almost seemed like there were too many of them. But at least they paid attention to the customers’ needs without being intrusive.

Ika-apat, how was the food?

1. We started with the Kani Mango Salad (₱395), which – according to the resto’s menu – combines shredded crab sticks and fresh green vegetables with their “own organic sweet balsamic vinegar”. But, TBH, lower your expectations. Not tasting like Japanese kani salad, this one’s quite bland, though at least the veggies were fresh.
2. Yep, Blake’s has more expensive steaks – e.g. Angus Ribeye Prime Grade Steak for ₱2,995, or Australian Porterhouse Steak for ₱1,695. But for this visit, we tried their more practical “Winner Steaks It All!” offerings. Particularly, the ₱495 Flat Iron Steak, and the ₱465 Porterhouse Steak.
   Notably, both steaks were well-seasoned. But opt for the Flat Iron Steak na lang when you’re here since the slab of meat is heftier, meaning mas may makakain ka at may malalasahan; and it’s better cooked since hindi siya chewy like the Porterhouse Steak.
3. We ordered two pizzas from Big Mama (the pizza parlor right beside the steakhouse) – i.e. Pesto Garlic Shrimp (₱629) and Hawaiian (₱539). This is supposed to be “New York-style pizza”, although marketing-wise, that claim is always problematic. Which part of New York are they even talking about, considering that different nationalities form different boroughs prepare pizza differently. The pizzas we got may have been typically greasy, but taste-wise… we couldn’t even remember tasting pesto and shrimp, or the pineapple slices. Di naubos.
4. Blake’s has its own chili sauce that’s available for sale; grab if you can because this one’s quite good. Tamang anghang that doesn’t take over the taste buds, but adds umami to whatever you’re eating.

Buod: if you’re looking for not-expensive steaks that are actually well-seasoned, include Blake’s in your list of to-check venues. We are certain there are others pa. But at least we know okay food can be had naman pala without overspending.

And so join us as we look for more lafang venues.

Blake’s Wings & Steaks – Katipunan is located at A186 Katipunan Ave., Brgy. Blue Ridge A, Quezon City. They’re open from 10AM–10PM on Monday–Thursday; and from 10AM–11PM on Friday–Sunday. For more information, contact (02) 8635 2097 or (0917) 985 4078.

Not many people may know this, but the Province of Bulacan has 22 religious sites recognized by the local government unit (LGU). That’s 22… although there may be more because what are usually popularly advertised are venues only of Roman Catholicism.

All the same, this should highlight to all that, when you’re a tourist in the Province of Bulacan, you may want to focus your tours to churches, churches and more churches. Yeah, natural offerings like caves and falls are there; but infrastructure issues make them hard to access. Water parks are often overcrowded. And the malls… well, they’re just malls that make oligarchs richer. The churches, though, they abound.

This is how – after aimlessly wandering for hours – we discovered the Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon.

@outragemag

Religious sites as tourist destinations? In #Bulacan, we #LGBT checked the Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon

♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Now… this will sound like a religious history lesson, but here goes, anyway.

This place in Bocaue, Bulacan has various names – e.g. as the Parish of Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, and as the Diocesan Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, though people just call it as the “Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim”. This is a Roman Catholic church under the Diocese of Malolos.

Nasa name naman that the patron saint of the church was the first Korean Christian priest and then a martyr, Andrew Kim Tae-gon. Born in the 19^th century, Kim actually lived as a seminarian in Lolomboy in Bocaue. In Joseon, he was with a group of French missionaries who converted Korean people to Christianity. He was eventually arrested and then executed in 1846. Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1925, and Pope John Paul II canonized him in May 1984.

There are various buildings in the Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, which was completed in 2015. The main building has a chapel and a room containing info and artifacts related to the namesake patron saint. There’s another chapel beside the main building, and then a walkway leading to a mini-park, gazebo, and the convent of the Sisters of St. Andrew.

If you’re religious… or at least spiritual, this may be an okay alternative place for you to worship.

But this place may be said to also show the challenges of keeping the faithful… faithful. As the caretaker/parking aide/security guard/vendor for the day of our visit stated: “Walang pera.” And so the existing buildings aren’t well-kept, with signs of neglect actually apparent; and there are incomplete buildings here, as if waiting not to be finished, but be swallowed by nature.

Now… if you’re in Bulacan and are keen to see non-traditional Roman Catholic churches, then a visit to the Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon may be worth it. Not much to do here, truth be told, but… yeah, at least you can tick this off na sa list of Bulacan’s religious sites for you to visit.

As FYI: the main gate of the shrine is closed, and the street signs will guide you how to go to the venue through a narrow road. Magdasal ka na lang na wala kang kasalubong, or else… good luck.

The Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon is at 623 Mendoza St., Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan. It is open from 8AM to 5PM every Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance fee is ₱20 per person; and parking fee is ₱20 for car and ₱10 for motorcycle. For more information, contact (+639) 334133957 or (+639) 275147365.