Lively Filipino music, rich and boisterous laughter and the clanging of utensils were in perfect harmony during the blessing and grand opening of Lantaw Native Restaurant Dumaguete. It seemed like one giant feast that brought together families from all over the city. And as the night progressed and the moon steadily lit the restaurant’s skyline, the crowd excited to taste the savory native delicacies unique to this new restaurant just kept getting bigger and bigger.
A lot of people are in a constant quest for good food. New restaurants open here and there offering a variety of meals inspired by Oriental, Mexican, Italian, Korean, Greek cooking and so on, but sometimes our taste buds remain insatiable. And sometimes, the food made available in these restos are highly commercialized. This is exactly why some people take it upon themselves to cook up their own meals rather than to eat out. On a personal note, I believe that a generously prepared home meal is always twice as good as a meal cooked in a chaotic restaurant kitchen no matter how many stars it may have. But, lucky for us foodies here in Dumaguete, there is a new place, nestled within the outskirts of the city where one can find gourmet pizzas, burritos, spaghetti, carbonara, sandwiches and a whole lot more, cooked with precision and passion in a kitchen built with love.
It’s not easy making it big in the local music industry. But through his burning passion for Original Pinoy Music and the arts, coupled with a ton of perseverance, this man has beaten the odds. In a country still enslaved by colonial mentality, this man has managed to unite local artists in advocating our very own brand of music. He is Mr. Earnest Hope Tinambacan – singer, songwriter, ultimate performer and the idol of many Dumaguetenyos and Negrenses.
Full Name: Earnest Hope Lumayag Tinambacan
Home Town: Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental
Profession: NGO worker
What/Who inspires you to sing and compose songs? Why do you say so?
So many artists have influenced me. Every time I listen to their songs I immediately feel like writing. Good songs inspire me to write. I started writing when I was 12 or 13 with the influence of my barkadas and my papa who loves to write “balak”. When I was in first year High School my close friends were “the singers” in the batch, and our favorite hangout activities were songwriting and jamming. I also used to join songwriting competitions in the CYF, our church youth group when I was still in High School.
If you’re from Dumaguete or spend a lot of time in the city, you’re bound to know about Gabby’s Bistro. Their flagship restaurant, although located in a primarily residential area quite far from the city proper, is the go-to place of many foodies. It is everywhere on social media. The bistro is modern and fun, and the food, a consistent homerun. It has been dubbed as one of the places to be when visiting the city and with good reason.
Dumaguete is home to a lot of students, artists, writers, and professionals constantly looking for a place to meet, chill or work in. And since the opening of the newest commercial center in the city, people are already raving about the new Milk Tea shop in town, Infinitea, perfectly situated in the vibrant and scenic Boulevard strip. The new place has everything you need for a good drink and a good time. It’s the new haven for Milk Tea and Coffee lovers alike.
Food Trip Dumaguete 