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This is the blog of Ian Rosales Casocot. Filipino writer. Sometime academic. Former backpacker. Twink bait. Hamster lover.

Email: icasocot(at)gmail.com

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Wednesday, December 11, 2024

entry arrow7:00 PM | Casa Paquita

I’ve been wanting to share the photos below for a few months now, but Jaime Ponce de Leon asked me to wait. You see, I’ve loved this old, old house along Pinili Street for many years, and I have always been concerned that the owners were neglecting it and was not seeing its full potential. Then one day, passing by its old location, it was just ... gone. That really made me despondent, and I thought about how many heritage houses in Dumaguete were disappearing, because some owners consider them useless, or their possible restoration would take so much work [and finances]. For the Arrieta family who owned the heritage house, it must have been prohibitive to do the upkeep of an old house, even though they might not have wanted to part with it. Anna May Cruz would later tell me: “My aunt’s family didn’t want to part with it but no one could afford its upkeep. The neglect was not intentional.”

And then I was told that this old house, about to be demolished, was actually bought wholesale, and transferred to somewhere in Fatima Village, restored to its full glory. Tomorrow, December 12, it finally opens as Cafe Maria in Casa Paquita, a restaurant and a gallery. Congratulations, Mikel Teves and Nadia Teves!

[Cafe Maria is named after Maria Arnaiz-Diaz and Casa Paquita is named after Paquita Arnaiz-Ponce de Leon.]











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[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich



Monday, July 06, 2015

entry arrow8:06 PM | Food for Thought



There are reasons why I prefer cafes as places to go to for work. Yes, I'm one of those people -- and our tribe is increasing. There's coffee readily available, for one thing, and there's reliable wifi. And sometimes, you just want to avoid certain people to keep yourself productive.

But I keep changing my "offices" as a matter of changing taste and circumstances. And right now, the best places for me are these two I've been wanting to keep to myself for sometime now -- but I think it's time to share.

I love the ease of THE ROLLIN' PIN along Katada Street beside Opeñas. It's not fancy but I like the quiet. The pastries are good, but most of all, I'm constantly craving for their Mediterranean Chicken, a concoction with pesto with the chicken meat somehow tenderised and fried with knowledge of culinary alchemy.

Then there's THE VENUE in Tubod, ostensibly a place for grilled inasal chicken, but really a place where you get the best wraps this side of town made by a bunch of Persians. (My favourite to go with my order of Pecho Pak is the Belliso Barbecue Wrap. It also comes in sisig.) I go there for quiet afternoons where I can truly find myself focused on writing.

People used to drop by certain places in Dumaguete to make sure they can see me. I've since eluded the usual places, but now I guess you know where to find me.

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[0] This is Where You Bite the Sandwich



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