Travels with Gusto: September 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The crowd led me to a cluster of restaurants at Forums de Cardeurs. One of them is Bistrot des Philosophes where I had one of the best meals of my life. #aixenprovence #france #forumsdecardeurs #bistrotdesphilosophes

I was lost among the quiet alleyways of Aix in search for Forum des Cardeurs when this crowd found me and led me to the place I was looking for. #aixenprovence #france #followthecrowd #travelswithgusto

Monday, September 29, 2014

In the footsteps of Cezanne. #aixenprovence #france #travelswithgusto #travelandleisure

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Be still my heart. #aix-en-provence #france #travelswithgusto #travelandleisure

En route to Aix en Provence. #tgv #provence #travelswithgusto

My favorite course at two Michelin star Le Taillevent: sweet, perfectly cooked Homard Bleu aux Saveurs Méridionales. #Michelin #LeTaillevent #Paris #travelswithgusto

Un cafe creme at Cafe de Flore, my way of paying tribute to the ghosts of Sartre, de Beauvoir and all those who taught us to love the questions more than the answers. #paris #travelswithgusto #cafedeflore

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Riding a red Vespa with a camera in hand and the wind in your face, a good driver in front of you and an expert tour guide leading the way. I really think this is the best way to see Paris if you are short on time. #paris #leftbankscooters #travelswithgusto #vespa

As good as its reputation. #angelinas #paris #travelswithgusto #epicurious

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Nothing like a home-cooked meal in Paris. Kuya Jojo and Vicky choosing the wine to pair with our tabbouleh, poulet roti and ratatouille. #paris #travelswithgusto

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Breaking the travel posts with an OOTD pic. My travel blues and browns. #pfw #fashion #paris

Enjoying my petit dejeuner of baguette, brie, mimolette, chevre and espresso. #paris #petitdejeuner #travelswithgusto

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Across my 6th arrondissement apartment is the bookshop and studio of Karl Lagerfeld. #paris #travelswithgusto #saintgermaindepres

After 22 years, we meet again. Bonjour. #paris #eiffeltower #travelswithgusto

About Me

I am a writer with a big appetite, for food, for travel, for life.

For more than two decades, I have been writing travel and food pieces for international and regional publications, including Travel + Leisure US, T+L Southeast Asia and Conde Nast Traveller UK.

I have a few books to my name, both as writer and editor. These include two coffee table books, Sonya’s Garden and the DOT-funded Best of the Best Philippines. I also wrote for Insight Publishing's guidebook, Asia's Best Hotels and Resorts.

Several years ago, I was the executive editor of Mabuhay, the in-flight magazine of Philippine Airlines.

In 2002, I was awarded Best Travel Writer in the ASEAN Travel Awards.

In parallel to my writing career, I also work as a digital media executive.

About This Blog

I was raised on good food, courtesy of a maternal grandmother who was relentless in the kitchen.

Lola Illang, a retired Home Economics teacher, could make anything by hand and was ardent about growing her own ingredients. By her example, and from the beaming faces of friends and family who came to share our table, I learned that food was love made manifest.

It is little wonder then that I became an advocate of slow food (or, as I like to call it, soul food), in restaurants and in my own kitchen. I look forward to the thrill of tracking down the finest ingredients, whether fresh produce that are tended with care and plucked at their peak, or artisanal elements that can be savored with very little embellishment. I find joy in watching my food putter quietly in the stove for hours until its flavors mellow and deepen. Good food takes time. I suppose the same can be said about love, and everything else that matters.

My appetite only grew bigger when I started a career in travel writing. My best adventures are those that begin and end at the table, with frequent grazing along the way. I never go anywhere without visiting the local market or signing up for a cooking class. For me, the kitchen offers the best view of the world.

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