The District North Point - Ayala Malls

The newest mall to hit the metro area of Bacolod City is The District at North Point, a Ayala Mall. It opened on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 and hosted Side A at 4:30pm.

Currently, only one building of the planned 3 building complex is open. The second building will open April 18th and will house the Department Store. The third building will open at an unspecified time in the future and will house the Grocery.

Ayala has been criticized for their mall plan by customers and it has shown in the few amount of people who visit the mall outside of events.

The entire commercial district is said to have cost P9.3 Billion. The area is also home to parks and will soon have a hotel.

Kuidore Yakiniku Restaurant

Japanese Yakiniku in Bacolod

Kuidore Yakiniku (meaning, "many grilled") can be found inside the Pag-ibig building in Barangay Singcang. It's hours are 11am-1pm (lunch) and 6pm-9pm (dinner). The lunch menu is quite a bit different than the dinner menu, with lunch offering package deals (similar to bento boxes).

Since we live nearby, my wife and I decided to finally check out this Japanese restaurant we see so often, only from the outside.

At first impression, it looks small with only around five or six tables. The ambiance is nice yet simplistic. The colors go well together and aren't overcoming of our attention or feel as if it is compensating for something. The restaurant plays Japanese instrumental music in the background to further the aura of simplicity.

Lord Byron's Back Ribs Restaurant

Lord Byron's is a restaurant little known within Bacolod, but those who do know it love it, and those who don't know it, will love it as soon as they find it (and are able to get a table).

The restaurant is located in Homesite near the tennis courts. If you don't know where that is, it's a difficult place to find. Very few Homesite jeepneys drive past the area, but if you ask many of the drivers, you are bound to find one that knows of the place. Of course, you can always take a taxi. However, when doing so, be sure to tell them, "It's the place where all the Koreans and Japanese students eat", otherwise they might not know what you are talking about.

This is true. Most of their customers are foreigners, and that's with good reason. The food is delicious, and when new foreign students arrive, the previous students tell them about the great food the place serves and they keep coming back.

Of course, there's only around six tables available. Since they are only open for a few hours, it is impossible to show up without a reservation and expect to have a place to sit. Thus, please call a day before hand and tell them you are coming at a specific time, otherwise you'll stand around and never get a table.

Shabuniku Restaurant

Shabuniku restaurant, located on Lacson St. above Shakey's, is a Korean restaurant full of the many great foods we enjoy. Sadly, it doesn't quite live up to our expectations.

Finding the entrance to the restaurant took a few minutes since it is located above another place. However, once finding it and heading up the stairs, there were signs to help us out.

Kimstaurant

From right to left top to bottom: potato slices, Korean salad, mung bean sprouts with veggies, kimchi, and jaejong bokkem

Kimstaurant, found at Mayfair Plaza on Lacson St, is a favorite among Korean students, and for good reason. Not only is the price good enough, but they also serve fantastic (and unlimited) side dishes.

My wife and I have been to Kimstaurant five times over the past few months and have loved it every single time. Our favorite dishes there include Jaejong Bokkem (spicy pork), Japchae (bihon and vegetables), and samgyupsal (bacon wraps). They also have a nice ice cream dessert shaped like a fish that is absolutely delicious.

Of course, a Korean meal is never complete without kimchi. It's free and absolutely fantastic.

Moon Cafe

Robinsons Place Bacolod, where Moon Cafe is located.

With the extension of City Walk behind Robinsons Place Bacolod City quite a few new restaurants have been put in the area. One of those restaurants is Moon Cafe.

Moon Cafe is fashioned as a Mexican food restaurant with various Mexican artifacts originally from Iloilo. The waitresses are dressed in traditional senyorita costumes.

Of course, that's about where the Mexican influence stops. Even though many Mexican foods are served, such as burrito, chimichanga, quesadilla, fajitas, tacos, and more, they are nothing close to being authentic. Actually, the restaurant tends to use the same cheap ingredients that you might find in a street vendor's food in the US, except in some ways even cheaper and even less authentic.

Bob's Cafe Restaurant

Sate Babe at Bob's in Robinsons Place next to the Supermarket

Bob's, also known as The Pastry Shop of Bob's (simply a name placed on some of the restaurants), is a restaurant in Bacolod that serves a wide variety of food. There are are several restaurants around the city and each seem to have a slightly different menu. It is marketed as American food, but it really isn't.

Menu price is anywhere from 80-250 pesos depending on what you wish to order. The best Bob's I have eaten at is the one at Robinsons Place. The worst is the one at SM. If you have been to either of these, you will notice how empty the SM Bob's is compared to how full the one at Robinsons is, especially around dinner time.

Their menu includes items such as hamburgers, sate, chicken,  and various panini sandwiches. Those four  are served at all the Bob's I have been to. However, other menu items change. For example, the burrito is served at Gaisano City but not at SM. SM's Bob's serves tuna fettuccine and spaghetti, that isn't served at Robinsons (at least, it wasn't last time I checked).

L' Kaisei Restaurant

L' Kaisei located at Lacson St and 10th in Bacolod City

L' Kaisei Japanese Restaurant has two locations in Bacolod City: along the tourism strip on Lacson St and 10th and in SM City Bacolod. However, don't be confused. Even though both have the same name, same owner, and both serve Japanese food, the menus are entirely different.