Balesin is paradise! We explored the island last March with our office mates. "A destination of unmatched natural beauty located off the Eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines, Balesin is a 500 hectare tropical island paradise with 7.3 kilometers of pristine white sand beaches. Located 21 kilometers southeast of Polillo, Quezon Province and just 60 nautical miles east of Manila, Balesin is a quick 25-minute plane ride from Manila, yet is a world completely unto itself. Alphaland Balesin Island Club is your unique, members-only, private leisure getaway-today and for generations to come," lifted this from their website.
Upon arriving, we went directly to our villa in Mykonos Village. The view was breathtaking! I haven't been to Greece but the village was picture-perfect, just how you would see Mykonos from the internet. Our villa has its own jacuzzi and veranda. And the pool was right in front of our villa, so perfect!
For lunch, we ate at the Mykonos restaurant. While waiting for your orders, they will serve assorted breads with different spreads.
We ordered both the Baked Macaroni and Moussaka.
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| Pastitsio (Baked Macaroni, Greek Style) |
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| Moussaka |
For main course, we ordered Stuffed Squid, Lamb Ribs, Beef and Chicken Souvlaki. I'm a big fan of Beef Souvlaki from Cyma. This one didn't disappoint me. Loved it! Coincidentally, we saw Chef Robby of Cyma also dining in this resto. He said he was there for a friend's wedding. I wasn't able to get his review though of this Greek Restaurant. Sayang!
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| Beef Souvlaki |
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| Chicken Souvlaki |
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| Stuffed Squid |
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| Lamb Ribs Souvlaki |
We ordered this for dessert.
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| Thanassis Mousse |
In the afternoon, we joined the tour, and here are some photos from the 7 "themed" villages in Balesin.
For dinner, we ate at Trattoria Toscana. As you enter the restaurant, you will be greeted with cured meats and cheese. We ordered our own platters. Too bad I wasn't able to take photo of the cheese platter. The salami and prosciutto were great. Read in a related article that the cured meats were personally flown from Tuscany by the owner, RVO. We ordered Red Wine to partner with the cured meats. While waiting for your orders, they will also serve you freshly baked breads. You can dip your breads into a mixture of olive oil, vinaigrette and parmesan cheese.
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| Salami, Prosciutto and other cured Meats |
We ordered two pizzas. Both were good but I loved the Meat pizza more. Crust is perfectly crispy thin and topped with a great mix of the ingredients for that great flavor!
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| Prosciutto and Basil Pizza |
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| Tutti Le Carni Pizza |
For pasta, we ordered one tomato-based and another olive oil-based. For both dishes, the pasta was al dente, and the ingredients tasted fresh! I loved the Vongole!
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| Spaghetti Bolognese |
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| Vongole Pasta |
This pork ribs is a must try!
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| Costoliccio (Pork Ribs marinated in days with garlic and rosemary) |
On our 2nd day, we had breakfast at St. Tropez. We ordered Eggs Benedict, and sweet and savory crepes.
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| Prosciutto Savory Crepe |
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| Bacon, Egg and Cheese Crepe |
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| Ham and Salmon Eggs Benedict |
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| Banana Hazelnut Crepe |
After breakfast, we went to the Beach --- to lounge and try different Yoga poses. Hehehe! We got so tired and hungry, our tummies can't wait for our yummy Sakura lunch. The place is not that big. We were seated in front of the teppan grill where we can see the chef cook our yummy beef teppan and fried rice!
First, they served this yummy complimentary salad. It has lettuce and fried wonton strips dressed with Roasted Sesame Mayo-based dressing.
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| Complimentary Salad |
Then we ordered these yummy appetizers and salad! Everything was yummy! The spicy Maguro is a must-try!
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| Uni Maki and Spicy California Maki |
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| Japanese Salad |
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| Spicy Maguro |
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| Japanese Popcorn |
We were already half-full when the Main Course arrived. We paired our viands with the fried rice cooked after the Tepanyaki - just imagine all the fat from the Marbled beef used to make our yummy fried rice! It's worth the carbs! My favorite dish was the Beef Teppanyaki followed by the Tori Teriyaki.
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| Grilled Salmon |
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| Beef Teppanyaki |
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| Tori Teriyaki |
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| Chicken Teppanyaki |
We made room for desserts. Hahaha!
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| Wasabi Creme Brulee |
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| Red Bean Ice Cream |
After lunch, we went back to Mykonos for our afternoon swim. Then around 5pm, we head to Bali Village where we can view the lovely sunset. We ordered some Satay, Spicy Dilis and Kropek, paired with Wine!
For dinner, we had reservation at Phuket Village Restaurant. The dishes I liked most are the Tom Yum Goong, Catfish Salad and Pad Thai.
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| Tom Yam Goong |
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| Crispy Catfish Salad with Green Mango |
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| Pad Thai Goong |
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| Green Chicken Curry |
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| Bagoong Fried Rice (Mixed already) |
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| Moo Kathiau Prik Thai (Pork Belly with Garlic) |
We also surprised one of our friends with his Sticky Rice Birthday Cake. Really adorable how they've assembled this - with cherries, mini-umbrellas and carrot sticks as candle stand.
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| Kau Niew Mamuang (Sticky Rice with Mango) |
On our last day, we had Filipino Breakfast. I loved my TapSiLog! Great beach view from the al fresco dining area of Balesin Sala.
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| Tapa with Sinangag and Itlog |
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| Bangus with Sinangag |
We dined at Costa Del Sol Restaurant for our last lunch in the island. I love the Spanish vibe of the village.
Food was great. I loved everything we ordered! And because it was really good, we had to order 2nd or 3rd servings of Chorizo, Gambas and Salpicao. Their paella is also a must-try! Super duper yummy!
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| Baked Mussels |
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| Spanish Chorizos |
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| Gambas Al Ajillo |
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| Salpicado |
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| Callos |
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| Calamares Fritos |
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| Paella Negra |
For desserts, we ordered these. I loved the fluffiness and not-so-sweet/perfect blend of Tocino de Cielo.
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| Leche Flan |
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| Tocino de Cielo |
After lunch, we went to Balesin Club while waiting for our 4pm flight. What's great with travelling to/from Balesin is that you don't have to be early in the airport. We had these merienda minutes before we boarded the plane.
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| Spaghetti |
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| Balesin Burger |
It was hard to leave the paradise that is Balesin but I was also missing my kids! I really want to bring them with us next time, but I would have to prepare a good budget for it, hehe. I'm sure they will enjoy as much as we did! I will update my blog with menus when I get the chance to go back. Til then!
Balesin Island Club (members only)
4330 Polillo, Quezon
+632 8466205
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