On the Road to the Home of the Generals 2

Summer has always been known to be a time when we could crave for a change of scene and actually get it. Summer has always been one of the most awaited times of the year because it is during this season that people find themselves feeling less guilty to go out and have a little bit of fun in the sun. We are only a few weeks away from the end of the summer, and the only question is: have you really gotten your summer’s worth of fun?

If the answer is “no”, then you definitely have to do something about it. I know it is not as easy as people make it seem; it requires a lotta cash and a lotta spare time. However, when I feel like a change in routine (to change my perspective and mood) is in need, I go on a road trip to nearby cities. One of my favorite places to visit is General Santos City. The city of Generals and oh-so-fresh tuna has a lot to offer, it has all the urban comforts I need, and the people seem friendly and nonchalant about how other people are; and this is probably one of the reasons why I love the city so much.

The next time you feel the need to maximize your Summer, gather all your fun-loving friends, pack for a night, hop on a car and head off to General Santos City .And that was exactly what I did last weekend.

This article started on last week’s issue, and we stopped at 6:00 PM. Here is the rest of my itinerary:

7:00: Our next stop was the (less than a year old) Robinsons Mall where we heard that most of the people flock during night time. And since we visited the city during a Friday, we were pretty sure that the place was packed and happening.

Even before we could even come up the curb, we could already hear the band playing. This just proved that we came to the right spot. Robinsons was filled with a lot of establishments that were packed to the brim with people who were enjoying some live music, drinking some beer and cocktails, and partaking in some conversation. We scoured the area for a perfect spot along the strip. A few seconds later we had decided that Piyesta was the perfect place to spend the rest of the night in. It seemed like the busiest establishment there, the people seemed chillaxed, the vibrant color of the establishment seemed promising, and quite honestly, the sight of the quirky drinks lured us in. A quick glance at the menu kept us interested as unique culinary creations piqued our curiosity. We were excited to read that they served everything from Pinoy Fries (fried banana) to Chili Dogs, Prawn Curry, and even Avocado Float. We had wished that we weren’t so stuffed from the pizza we had earlier at Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria (refer to previous article) so we could actually take in more gastronomic delights; but sadly this was not the case. So we decided to stick with the favorite among beer drinkers: Kurasticks.

Kurasticks is actually a combination of the words Kurat (Surprising or Shocking) and Sticks. The dish is actually made of deseeded long, green peppers (usually used for Sinigang) that are stuffed with ground beef, wrapped with Lumpia wrapper and then deep fried to golden perfection. They serve this with a dressing. A bite into this crunchy treat was enough to convince me to come back to Piyesta. The combination of the crunchy wrapper, the slightly zesty chili pepper, and the savory beef was just perfect; especially since we had paired it with “Gayuma” which is one of their signature drinks. This red potion is actually a combination of Tequila, Rum, Vodka, Strawberry Juice, and other secret ingredients and is served in test tubes; giving it a sense of quirkiness and fun. If you order one large serving, they even give it to you in a graduated cylinder!

Piyesta also offers popular punches that they served in towers, making the concept of the beer tower seem boring. In fact, most people have these quirky contraptions on their tables. The owner says a lot of people order it just because it looks nice (with a bright hue and floating fruits inside) and then they get totally surprised that they get drunk in no time. And that is exactly how punch is supposed to be; it has to pack a punch.

If for some odd reason you lose your brain, your sense of excitement, and your palate and don’t find anything you fancy on the menu, you can actually request for anything under the sun, and as long as they have the ingredients, they can whip it up for you. Now that is great service. I haven’t heard of any other restobar claim that; and it takes a lot of good faith in your cook to do just that. However, this place doesn’t seem to have problems with their cook as everything they serve out seems fresh and tasty. Plus, they also have three KTV rooms with very affordable prices so you could get your vocal exercise right before getting drunk.