sam heart travel

Tokyo 2025 – Day 5 – Sushi Go-Round Restaurant – 03/13/2025: A Conveyor Belt Sushi Adventure!   With our new eyeglasses safely secured, a serious case of hunger hit us. And what better way to satisfy those rumbling stomachs than with a conveyor belt sushi experience? We were perfectly positioned in Shinjuku, an area brimming with culinary delights. After a bit of searching, we stumbled upon a fantastic sushi go-round restaurant right in the heart of Shibuya.   This was my first time experiencing a truly authentic conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Japan, and let me tell you, it was an absolute delight! While a bit pricier than some of the more popular chains like Kura, it was still incredibly affordable, and the quality of the sushi was outstanding. The freshness was undeniable, and the taste was exquisite.   What really set this place apart was the open kitchen concept. The chefs were right there, preparing each plate with precision and care, ...

Restaurant Review: Smooth Cafe Moalboal, Cebu   After an adventurous day at Kawasan Falls, my parent and I found ourselves famished and in need of a good dinner. We decided to head to Panagsama Beach in Moalboal and rented a tricycle for 150 pesos to get there. Our initial plan was to try a famous restaurant in the area, but unfortunately, it was fully packed. We wandered around the area in search of a decent Filipino restaurant, as I am a fan of rice and budget-friendly dining options. However, due to our hunger and lack of time to explore further, we ended up at Smooth Cafe.   To my surprise, the restaurant had live bands performing and seemed to attract more expat customers than Filipinos. Although I initially felt a bit anxious, we were too hungry to back out, so we decided to give it a try. We were delighted to find that they offered Filipino food at very reasonable prices. Without hesitation, we placed our orders and eagerly waited for our food to...

Restaurant Review: Asakusa-Gyukatsu Restaurant Tokyo   After our short visit to the Sensoji Temple, my friends and I were feeling hungry and decided to look for a restaurant for dinner. It was already 10 pm, and our friend recommended a quaint family-owned restaurant on the other side of the temple. Initially, I was hesitant because there was a long queue and the pace of service seemed slow. However, our friend assured us that a long queue usually indicates great food.   We decided to give it a try, and I must say, we had the most wonderful experience at Asakusa-Gyukatsu Restaurant. Despite having to queue up for about 45 minutes, it was well worth the wait. The service we received was exceptional, and the staff were incredibly respectful and kind.   Now, let's talk about the food. It was absolutely fantastic! One of the highlights of the dining experience was having little grills on our table to prepare the meat. It added a unique touc...

STK ta Bay Cebu City   I’ve been telling in my previous blog post about Cebu’s unique dining experience. If someone will ask me the best place to dine in the Philippines, Cebu City will surely be in my top list. I love eating but I’m not familiar where the best restaurants located are. Whenever I eat in a good restaurant, it is because I am with a friend who has more knowledge and experience in finding good restaurants. I am lucky to have a couple of friends who like to dine and spoil their palates. When we were in Cebu, it was a great opportunity for us to try the different restaurants in this humble city one of which is the famous STK ta Bai at 6 Orchid Street, Capitol.  STK ta Bai! Restaurant is well-known here in Cebu as the place where families usually gather and have dinner together. STK means sugba (grill), tula (broth), kilaw (raw/ceviche), it's a typical fish serving in Cebu and most Visayan cities in which a fish is cut and prepared in three different ways as...

Cebu is one of the best places to dine in the Philippines. It is a food lover’s haven of flavor. You won’t be surprised if Cebu City offers a variety of food, I bet that you are not a foodie lover if you haven’t heard the famous Lechon Cebu, Dangit or Dried Mangoes. The first trip that I had with Cebu was an eye opening experience. I’ve learned the different flavor Cebu can offer, one of which is a restaurant called Casa Verde.  A friend who frequently visits Cebu recommended this place. It is also popular among bloggers and you’ll hear a lot of good reviews online. Casa Verde has several branches. The main branch is at 69 Lim Tian Teng St., another branch is at The Walk at IT Park and the most accessible branch is at The Terraces at Ayala. We traveled using public transportation during our Cebu trip so we opted to visit their most accessible branch near our hotel which is in The Walk at I.T Park.   You won’t regret waiting for a couple of minutes to be seated because it’s...

  Unplanned trips are more likely to push through. My aunt (daisy) went to Manila for a business trip and asked my mom if she could go with her. My mom has a different plan for that day but agreed to go with aunt. When aunt arrive in our house, mom was surprise to see her other siblings (aunt) Dulce and Minda. Aunt Daisy feels like going to Tagaytay and when I heard it I volunteered to come with them. Luckily, mom said that she will go if the two of us my sister (badet) and I will come. After preparing and packing our things were off to go.     Whenever someone mentions Tagaytay I imagine how romantic the place is. I heard a lot of good reviews in this city. They say that it’s like Baguio City which is popular for locals and tourist but much closer to Manila.. It is the best place for cool weather, awesome food, and fantastic nature view.   It was a cloudy and gloomy day, but that didn't stop us from chattering our way to Tagaytay and back. Driving to Tagaytay means...

I always love travelling and adventure but the experience that I had with Batangas Port Shipping lines made me think that personal safety and hassle free journey is the most important thing in travelling. It all happens late summer of July. My cousin (Dhen) invited me to go with her co-workers in Puerto Galera to unwind.  I heard a lot of good reviews about this place and the people that have been there compared its beauty just like in Boracay. I said yes immediately and didn’t think twice, from then on, I already imagine myself partying on the beach.  We planned to go there during weekends and will meet at four in the morning. We haven’t eaten breakfast yet so we just ordered from a fast food chain and ate it inside the bus. We arrived in Batangas Port around nine in the morning and we were welcome by a packed of tourist and long lines. I was really excited at first but then I immediately notice the disorganized system that made me realize that this travel would b...