SkimChix - island life

In the mood for a sweet treat? How about some tasty ice cream from Gelatissimo? Hmmmmmmm am I making you salivate? I am a self-confessed ice cream addict, doesn't really matter what brand or how much it cost, as long as its ice cream, I'll always consider it a treat. One of the best ice cream experience I've had was with Gelatissimo.

I love how they allow you to taste the different flavors. Whew! Saves me bucks from buying flavors that I'm not inclined to eating. The staff are friendly, they are patient with my every demand for free taste.

The price maybe quiet expensive, that's Php 90 for 1 scoop of ice cream. But I suggest if there are more than 2 of you to go for 2 scoops of different flavor and just share it, because its more cheaper than buying individual scoops of ice cream. You get to taste different flavors for a discounted price.

So what are you waiting for? Don't deprive your cravings and savor the ice cream even in this rainy weather.

When traveling the west side going south, you can pass a Milk Station somewhere in Barili. It's a small park that has a store selling homemade products. These are ice cream, fresh milk, white cheese and other dairy products.

The main ingredient which is milk, came fresh from their farm. It taste good and is very affordable. The ice cream comes in different flavors such as strawberry, ube, chocolate and vanilla. And I love all the flavors.

There's also white cheese which is really tasty. It is rarely found in the city nowadays even in market place where we used to buy some. I haven't eaten white cheese for quite a long time and I don't know where to buy it until I discovered that in Barili. These are either from a cow's or carabao's milk. And yes I did ate the white cheese raw. Eating it with crackers is also a nice way of enjoying white cheese but there was no crackers available.

The best part of this milk heaven is the price and the ambiance. It doesn't cost much and it gives a quick break after traveling the south west national road of Cebu. There are tables and chairs under the shade of the trees that surround the area. So if you're on a road trip and on a milk food trip then this is the place to go.

photos from Raymond Lazaro

Enough for those adventures, either climbing peaks or exploring beaches because it's time to enjoy some food trip. Oyster or Talaba in the Cebuano language has been very abundant lately in Cebu. Though I guess that not everyone is a fan of this.

I don't like the taste and the slimy feel the very first time that I've tasted it. Then I got a chance to taste a baked talaba and that's how my addiction started. From baked talaba I began to love the raw or half cooked talaba with just a squeeze of lemon juice or kalamansi.

We flocked to Consolacion, a town north of Cebu. Its just after you crossed the bridge connecting Mandaue City and Consolacion. Its situated near a fish pond that doesn't only offer fresh talaba but also fresh milk fresh or bangus.

Both can be cook over charcoal, right from the fishnets. There was approximately 15 of us and we were able to consume 29 kilos of talaba. We actually bought our own home made spicy vinegar, butter and cheese to add flavors to our talaba, but eating it raw is just fine, because fresh talaba taste sweet with some salty feel.

The place may not be a class A destination but its enough to give you a feel that you are away from the city, its very relaxing and gives you a breath of fresh air, sea breeze that is. And the food doesn't cost that much, 35 pesos for every kilo of talaba consumed. Not bad, right?