Sojourn in the City of Smiles

Mommy and baby are all smiles as we are going to the City of Smiles!

Our recent family vacation in Negros Occidental is the 8^th time I have visited the province. My first was way back in 2009 when I spent the Christmas holiday with J’s family. Yet despite of my numerous trips I still look forward to every new visit at the place where my husband grew up.

Bacolod City, also known as the City of Smiles, is the capital city of Negros Occidental. Bacolod City along with the nearby Talisay City and Silay City are collectively known as Metro Bacolod, the center of commerce of the province.

J and I have already visited majority of the tourist destinations in this area. Last 2013, we even act as tour guides for our friends who visited the province with us.

With the birth of our little Queen B, J and I decided to limit our travel itinerary. We want Georgina to spend as much time as possible with J’s family as we can only visit them once or twice a year. In our future visits, we promise we would one by one show her the different tourist destinations in her Daddy’s province.

In our latest vacation, J and I dedicated less than a day to tour around Bacolod City. Well, the term tour is quite an exaggeration as we only had lunch, coffee, and later on go to a mall to buy some essentials.  Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable experience.

Instead of trying out a new restaurant for lunch, we went to Sharyn’s Cansi House. We already visited this local favorite before and we, along with many others, just love their Cansi.

Sharyn’s Cansi House

Narra st., Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City

Cansi is a Negrense soup dish. It is their version of bulalo but with a hint of sourness due to the inclusion of a local fruit known as batwan or batuan. On a future post, I’ll share a recipe of my own version of Cansi so stay tuned for that.

Kaon ta! (Let's eat!)

We ordered one serving of Cansi which is good for 2 to 3 persons. J and I both have 2 cups of rice each. (Hey, I’m nursing one active baby so don’t judge me!)

Look at that yummy goodness! Namit gid!

Sharyn’s Cansi House is included in the Top 10 Yummiest Restaurants in Bacolod City of GMA News TV’s Ang Pinaka. Well, it is no surprise because this unassuming place served the best Cansi in the area. Aside from Cansi, they also served other dishes.

After our delicious lunch, we head over to Tom N Toms Coffee.

Tom N Toms Coffee

26^th Lacson street, Bacolod City

Tom N Toms is a Korean coffeehouse chain. Their Bacolod City branch is their first and so far only store in the Philippines.

J and I liked their industrial interiors. I also liked that whether you are alone or with a partner or even a big group, you will have a space in their large cafe. 

Tom N Toms interiors. This is in the first floor. I was unable to take a photo of the 2nd floor. 

Aside from their wide assortment of coffee and non-coffee drinks, Tom N Toms also offer breads and pastries. They also got Korean ice cream for sale. Candles, mugs, glasses, coffee grinder, and coffee maker, all from Korea, are also for sale.

Mugs and tumblers. Price ranges from 350 Php to 1500 Php. 

Juices for non-coffee drinkers. All are Korean brands. K-Pop fans will surely love these drinks.

An assortment of Korean ice creams. I haven't tried one actually but J said they are quite good. 

Coffee concentrates for their Single Serve Coffee Machines. 

Candles for a relaxing coffee experience at your home. 

Coffee grinder and various types of coffee machines.

As for their coffee, I admit I still prefer Starbucks and CBTL’s offerings. I think the ice they used for their frappuccino is not as smoothly shaved as in those coffee chains.

Our orders: J's Hazelnut Latte and my Cinnamon Mocha Tomnccino.  

These two makes me smile everyday! 

We met up with J’s sister Ate Era while at Tom N Toms.

Auntie Era and baby G are so happy to be together. 

Afterwards, we went to SM to buy diapers for our little Queen B as we only brought a few pieces. We went home early to ensure that we will have seats on the bus. There are only few buses plying the route to J’s home in Bago City. The last trip is around 8:30 PM. There were some instances that J and I had to stay in Inday Ednalyn’s (J’s oldest sister) house in Bacolod City because we missed the last bus.

It will be quite a while until our next trip to Negros. It will actually be a week after Georgina’s first birthday so we can also have a celebration with her Daddy’s family. I’m excited to bring my little Queen B to Silay City’s ancestral houses, Talisay City’s The Ruins, Bacolod City’s Negros Museum, and other must visit places in Negros. Of course, I’m also excited for her to taste the delicious food her Daddy’s place of birth has to offer.

Till our next meeting City of Smiles!

#xoxo