Rib Nights at Texas Joe's

I was in Subic last Labor Day Weekend. See what I was up to! This is the last of 3 parts.

Texas Joe’s is a new restaurant in Subic creating a lot of buzz. It’s an authentic American smokehouse which prides itself on having the best pit-smoked pulled pork, sticky ribs, and tender briskets in town. It also has a bar, aptly named TJ’s Salon, making it ideal for a night of drinking and unwinding. A pool table and flat screen TVs greet patrons upon entry to the joint.

 

Texas Joe’s, however, is also appropriate for families with its big servings, kid-friendly menu, and welcoming servers. Kids are also given a set of crayons to keep them distracted while waiting for their food to arrive!

Since we were still full from our late lunch that day, we decided to order light and just had chicken wings and the house specialty, ribs.

Complimentary corn bread was served while waiting for our orders. This is a welcome break from the usual bread baskets we are accustomed to.

Texas Tornado Wings with Carolina Honey Sauce (239php)

  Good. It has a woody, smoky taste and the wings were succulent and well-marinated. Only gripe is that a non-wing portion found its way to our table. They probably ran out of wings.

Joes Spareribs (549php)

We went for the large order (5 bone) which is good for two hungry people. Texas Joe’s ribs are imported from Brazil and it showed since the ribs were very meaty while still maintaining its tenderness. The ribs were also pretty tasty, consistent with the restaurant’s philosophy to only use aged hickory wood in the cooking process.

The ribs didn’t really need additional flavor but it was interesting to experiment with the different rib sauces available. They have Texas Joe’s Original Barbeque Sauce for a tangy flavor, Sweet Carolina Sauce for those who prefer their ribs extra sweet, and Habanero Hot Sauce for a spicy kick. I personally enjoyed eating the ribs best with the Sweet Carolina sauce but others in our table begged to differ. Best to try it yourself and decide.

While I can’t say that Texas Joe’s spareribs were the best I’ve eaten, they do offer a superior version of this old time favorite. On my next visit to Subic, I will drop by this restaurant again to try their other specialties.

Texas Joe’s is located at Bldg. MC12, Waterfront Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales. Visit http://www.texasjoes.com/ for more information.

Cheap Steals at Pure Gold Subic

I was in Subic last Labor Day Weekend. Witness what I was up to! This is the 2nd of 3 parts.

There’s a new Pure Gold complex in Subic and it’s so big that it’s hard to miss. After a few hours resting in our hotel room after our Tree Top Adventure, I decided to head to Pure Gold Duty Free Subic since I was curious what this huge depot in a new location offered.

The S&R Food Service at the entrance instantly caught my attention as it signified that there’s something different about this outlet. True enough, Pure Gold Duty Free, upon closer inspection, is actually a cross between a local Pure Gold outlet and members only warehouse store, S&R. The store has a good balance of local and imported items with clothing, footwear, perfume, and cosmetics thrown in the mix.



Pure Gold-Subic reminded me more of an S&R though since some items that I thought are exclusive to S&R are also available in Pure Gold Duty Free. The layout of the store and the overall shopping experience are also undeniably S&R.

Having just shopped at S&R a few weeks back, I realized, after exploring a few aisles, that prices in Pure Gold Duty Free were a great deal cheaper compared to S&R. I took this as my cue to hoard on items that I regularly consume. Here’s a portion of my loot bought on the cheap:

AVEENO DAILY MOISTURIZING LOTION 36 OZ TWIN PACK S&R: 1299.95php
Pure Gold Duty Free: 940php

IVORY BODY WASH (709ML)
S&R: 249.95php
Pure Gold Duty Free: 169.20php

CADBURY DREAM WHITE CHOCOLATE 220G Other Groceries: 200++php
Pure Gold Duty Free: 155.57php

Pure Gold Duty Free is a must visit for any visitor of Subic. One gets to buy imported items at more affordable prices, without the costs that go with membership shopping.

Note: The exchange rate at the time of purchase was 44.76php to $1.00.

Pure Gold Duty Free Subic is along Rizal Avenue and Argonaut Highway (in front of Petron) Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Little Thrills: Tree Top Adventure

I was in Subic last Labor Day Weekend. Witness what she was up to! This is the 1st of 3 parts.

Curls during our failed attempt

It’s actually my second time at Tree Top Adventure in Subic. My first visit was with Curls together with our good friend Lolo, back in the day. We unfortunately were deprived of a real experience having arrived 5 minutes late of their cut-off time (4 p.m.). Yes, we were that lucky!

Early Sunday Calm

So after a couple of years, I’m back, more determined than ever to have my Tree Top Adventure. I was with my family this time and we reached Tree Top at 9:30 am. It was an ideal time to show up since lines were nonexistent unlike my last visit.

Tree Top Adventure offers different jungle encounters and it’s best to choose from a variety of packages available in order to fully maximize the experience. Three of us chose PACKAGE E (620php per person) which included the Canopy Ride, Tree Drop Adventure, and the Superman Ride. Another, who shall not be named, skipped the Tree Drop because of his fear of heights. His package cost 500php.

Uh Oh: Canopy Ride

Holding On For Dear Life

Slippers Not Advisable

We started with the Canopy Ride because we thought that it would be relaxing. The Canopy Ride basically lets one explore the rainforest while being suspended in air. It’s where a nature lover could appreciate and be one with the environment. We were split into two groups because the chair lift can only accommodate three people at a time. After being securely fastened by the friendly staff of Tree Top, my sister and I found ourselves hanging 100 feet from the ground. Though the ride was slow and smooth-sailing, both of us had an uneasy feeling the entire time. This probably comes from the fact that we were out in the open with no real chance of survival in case the cable snapped. Paranoid thoughts I know, but it couldn’t be help at that height.

STOP!

The trail thankfully only had 4 stops! Not only were we edgy about falling but also got tired of switching chair lifts. Every stop had a different set of seats that will transport you to the other sections of the rainforest and the swaps got tedious as it was done repetitively. It actually took more time to make the actual transfers than the tour of the rainforest itself.

View From the Top

For someone who doesn’t appreciate plants and trees, it was no surprise that I failed to marvel at the view offered 100 feet up. It was just tree after tree after tree for me. I don’t regret the experience though since it was a good warm-up to the next exploits to follow.

Fly: Superman Ride
 

Short But Sweet

The Superman Ride proved more exciting as it swung me and my sister from one tree to another. Though the harness proved uncomfortable, putting a lot of pressure on my stomach, the experience of being able to fly was worth it. Do remember to enjoy every flying moment as the ride only lasts 30 seconds.

Just Do It: Tree Drop

Taking the Plunge

The Tree Drop was our last stunt for the day. We were most nervous about this since we had to rappel from a 60 foot tree. After making sure that all the harnesses were in place, a Tree Top attendant guided me to stand on the foot of the platform. I was then asked to move out of the platform in a sitting position with the attendant guiding my every step. This is the point where one just has to let go and trust that a disaster will not happen.

No Good: Knees Should Be Straight

When I was finally on a lying position rappelling from the tree, I was more amazed than scared that I was able to do it. It wasn’t frightening at all since the long way down was slow and steady. Before I knew it, I was back on safe ground with my heart still pumping at a normal rate. While the Tree Drop didn’t provide the excitement I was anticipating, it was a good experience nonetheless since it’s not every day that I could claim to have rappelled from a tree.

Tree Top Adventure is for people who are looking for a different type of adventure. Though it fails to give real heart-pumping action, it’s a place where little thrills are realized. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to try a few “firsts” in life.

Tree Top Adventure is located at Jest Area Upper Mau Cubi Point Subic Bay Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.treetopadventuresubic.com/.