First Dinner and Nightlife In San Jose

It started with dinner of course, at my very own Sikatuna Beach Resort. No frills, I said I’d try their sizzling grilled fish. And came the grilled fish in style! How?

On a tray was a red hot sizzling plate, a ceramic plate of the still smoking fish from the grill but already garnished with veggies, a cup of sauce I don’t know what, and a cup of rice. I watchfully wondered (therefore grabbed my camera) why the waiter purposely brought that tray to the next table.

And the ceremony began…First he transferred the fish and garnish from the plate to that sizzling (really sizzling!) grill plate; next he poured all of the graveyish cup of sauce – and there was smoke all over; waited a few seconds for smoke to dissipate; then settled the sizzling plate on my table and placed the cup of rice beside it. The works! Seremonyas! Like!!!
For a moment there I dreamed I was at some seaside resort in the Côte d'Azur. Asuu, of course I woke to reality that I was in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro hehehe!
I specifically noted this on my phone – that was one of the best tanguigue steak I have tasted lately! Its buttery taste was not overpowering, I could still discern the fishy taste, well-done as I have requested but not burned, and fish meat was still soft!

Would have been a nice experience to cap my evening in this cozy place. However, when I wanted to order a 2nd bottle of SanMigLight, I saw that my original waiter was climbing the stairs with a food tray (obviously room service). A curly haired waiter passed by, so I told him to give me one more bottle. He said yes, and disappeared.

It took so long (as far as I am concerned). When I looked at the “almost empty” restaurant again, there was curly-haired waiter who looked like he just delivered food to some table at another corner of the place. I still told him about my beer, and he said yes.

But even that took longer – to think that I was busy tapping on the notebook! I turned my back again, only to see that curly-haired waiter was bantering with another employee near front desk. So, I called him again to demand for my beer. Yes, I was seething when I called him, but only curtly reprimanded him when my beer arrived. At least he said sorry. I decided to just finish this bottle and go somewhere else.

Fortunately, when I turned to ask for the bill, it was my original waiter (in pic above). He asked if I was calling it a night too soon. I think I was still mad when I told him I wanted to go elsewhere as I was pissed with their “kulot-salot” of a waiter that took ages to deliver beer. He was still saying sorry for what happened when I asked where else could I go to continue drinking beer. He said “sa bayan pero ingat po kayo”. And I smiled telling him “kesa naman ma-high-blood ako dito sa waiter nyong kulot salot”!

Did I really go out to downtown? Yes I did, and this was my cool ride going there!More of like a rolling loudspeaker with a passenger seat! Kakabingi nga hehe!

When trike driver asked where to, I told him to bring me to a bar with live singers. He brought me to this place.Unfortunately, it was only 8:31PM, thus, there were no patrons yet, the band members not even around yet!

So I decided to walk around the rather dark streets. They have street lights yes, but not consistently everywhere...

I saw this...What is it? See below...

A swimming pool obviously.

And then this...The equivalent of Anito, Victoria Court, Queensland... if you know what I mean!

Then I passed by an "ice-plant"...Night-time, and things looked a bit eeky to me. I wonder how this place looks like during the day. Am sure it wouldn't be much different! Could it be? Really?!

Anyway, the big bold letters got my attention...They mean "crusher" I guess, right?!

And this is the "crasher" (I insist "crusher")!Am no authority on sanitation but... I felt I was in a yucky place hehe. Feeling lang. I could have been wrong y'know! But try to imagine, your crushed-ice on that drink came from this place. Ayiyiyiiiiiiii! Daw ka damak ah!

Next I took another trike, told driver to take me to a drinking place with open-air areas. He brought me here...and I asked him to come have a bottle with me, on me...Dios Mio! No, I did not drink from that glass nor did I touch the ice. I drank my SML straight from the bottle!

Only because... I allowed my otherwise splendid dinner and drinks at Sikatuna to be ruined by a kulot-salot of a newbie waiter :( So after that bottle (in the pic above), I asked the trike driver to deliver me back to Sikatuna. First thing I did upon reaching the place was order another bottle of SML from my original waiter above, and I demanded to NOT let that kulot-salot of a newbie ever come any close to my table!

Nalasing din naman ako... and slept quite well hahaha!