Kinabuchs

I don't know why Kinabuchs Grill and Bar has a large outdoor screen when you can't hear the sound. But that's how laid-back the place is. Think huts in a parking lot, three billiard tables and two bars. Don't be fooled by its beer garden appearance. Families eat here; teenage cliques meet here; tourists drink here.

We had Kanin ni 04, eggplant salad, fresh lumpia, and gambas. But the highlight for me had to be the local delicacy, tamilok (wood worm). If you're squeamish, skip the rest of this paragraph. For P115, you will get a dish with several pieces, enough for a group of brave souls. When I saw the dish, I remembered dissecting earthworms in biology. I ate a few short ones and one long one 14 inches in length. That was my Fear Factor moment, putting it into my mouth and trying to imagine myself in a contest, thinking I musn't puke. I took it slowly and managed to eat a few more. The taste isn't bad at all: my dad tried one and confirmed that it tasted like oysters. The difference is that this one does not look appetizing at all, since you can see what seems like the veins through its translucent body.

We all had shakes: pineapple, banana, mango banan and mango ginger (I was still feeling adventurous), but none of them turned out right. Damage: P1039. Still ok.