WHAT makes a restaurant awesome? Some would say great food and the
right ambiance. ?Great food? is subjective and varies with each person?s
experience and background, however. To be considered awesome, a
restaurant has to take the overall dining experience to a higher level.
That means food that leaves an indelible mark on your taste buds and
imprints lasting memories in your mind in an ambiance that carves out a
special place in the heart to share with other people.
Every restaurant in this list has been carefully chosen. Each serves
gourmet food with the freshest ingredients, and combines nature
elements, artifacts or a sense of history in its atmosphere. Simply put,
these restaurants have a story to tell that is spread via
word-of-mouth. I can proudly say that these restaurants are found ONLY
in the Philippines.
Kubli Springs @ Kinabuhayan Café, Dolores, Quezon
The road to Kubli Springs is literally the road less traveled, and
when you do get on it, you?ll be glad you decided against taking your
sedan car. Flashlights, candles, mobile phones, and the moon are the
only sources of light. Occasionally, they may put up Christmas lights
connected to a portable battery source to make the place special. You?ll
find yourself in the middle of a forest, surrounded by boulders, a
spring at your feet and a clear starlit sky overhead. You sit on rocks
and makeshift benches, savoring the aroma of steak being grilled on the
spot. Ah, this is the perfect time to play the acoustic guitar for a
sing-along with the barkada (gang) without fear of disturbing anyone.
For P500 per person, you get fresh salad with flowers, grilled steak,
Jay?s special rice, and a fruit platter. The meal ends with lambanog
and a special roast of barako coffee. For drinking, there?s fresh
mineral water from the mountains. You?d wish the night would never end.
Antonio?s in Tagaytay
Dining at Antonio?s is like entering a magical portal to a world
where any food you choose is worth a rave. The service is that of a
six-star hotel where you need not worry about a thing. Even going to the
restroom is a chance to appreciate nature and its beauty. The positive
energy in the place encourages conversation and bears witness to
thousands of memorable life stories.
You won?t mind waiting for your food because you know it?s being
prepared to perfection. The real flavor of the meat and other
ingredients stands out without the sauce overpowering the taste. Any
wine selection seems to match the food you order. My favorite in
Antonio?s includes the Salad with Foie Gras, the steaks, sea bass and
the soufflé dessert. I envision our silver wedding anniversary at this
place because of the food, service and its enchanting garden.
Ugu?s Pottery Garden Restaurant, Tiaong, Quezon
It remains a secret place in Tiaong because Ugu never advertises and
there are no road signs. Even the neighbors don?t realize that such a
place exists. The whole of Ugu?s Pottery Garden Restaurant is a labor of
love, with the entire family designing everything from the huts, the
garden layout, the pottery and the food concept.
Ugu is known for such dishes as Kulawo and Lato.
Kulawo is charcoal-grilled banana heart with a smoky flavor that tastes
like tuna, while lato is seaweed in vinegar. Both are traditional
Filipino dishes you seldom find in Metro Manila. It?s home-cooked Filipino food served on Ugu?s signature pottery. I do hope it remains a secret.
Isla Naburot, Guimaras
Isla Naburot resort is like wine?the older it gets, the more exotic
it becomes. Electricity is supplied by solar panels that can only
support the incandescent bulbs in the room. Even mobile phones seem
superfluous as there are no charging stations nearby. Your itinerary
revolves around swimming in the clear beach, playing sungka and spending quality time with the family.
The main attraction is doing nothing and eating gourmet Filipino
dishes prepared the traditional way. Fresh seafood is patiently grilled
to lock in their natural juices. Meals are served with home made sinamak vinegar.
Fruits are abundant, especially the famous Guimaras mangoes. The taste
of the food is enhanced by the open air environment. It?s a foodie
heaven I can?t wait to go back next summer.
La Cocina de Tita Moning, Manila
As you enter the gates of this old mansion, you can?t help but feel
transported to a different era inhabited by the Old Rich. You are
welcomed with drinks and pica-pica in the patio, before being given a
mini-tour of the place, where antiques and turn-of-the-century design is
evident in the living room, bedroom and especially the bathroom.
It?s a treat to enjoy Spanish food cooked from recipes handed down
from generations. You leave La Cocina raving about its paella and its
bread pudding. The former could rival the paellas in Manila?s Spanish
restaurants. The latter tastes like bread leche flan that melts in your
mouth. The service is slow but sure. What?s important is that they serve
you with a smile and exert every effort to make the experience
memorable. Our La Cocina experience was way back January 2005, but I?ve
never forgotten it since.
Kusina Salud, San Pablo, Laguna
We need to give credit to Kusina Salud for making the Viaje del Sol
travel route popular. It?s the ?Sonya?s Garden? of San Pablo, Laguna but
even better because of its wide selection of gourmet dishes.
Occasionally, you can chat with Nina and Chef Paul Poblador about the
story of Kusina Salud. The place seems to smile back at the camera, with
its odd pieces of furniture and accessories fitting harmoniously with
styles from other eras.
The best time is breakfast; go at 9 a.m. and use the place as your jump-off point to explore Laguna and Quezon. I long for the hamonado- style longganisa, fried adobo flakes and bangus
(milkfish) belly for breakfast. Buffets are served on special occasions
but I still prefer to order from the ala carte menu. Massage service is
available and would be perfect if you make this your last stop before
heading back to Manila.
Vieux Chalet, Antipolo
Operating for more than 20 years now, Vieux Chalet remains a
mysterious place. The house cum restaurant on top of a hill in Antipolo
rewards diners with an awesome view of Manila, especially at night.
What keeps me going back to this place is the passion with which
Susan Hassig prepares the food. You?ll never forget the taste of the
homemade pasta, the freshly baked bread and the varieties of homegrown
cheese. Some people go to Vieux Chalet to taste its refreshing
lemon-grass drink or to indulge in its version of the Osso Bucco. This
is our favorite hangout if we want to escape and eat good gourmet food.
Claude Tayag?s Bale Dutung, Pampanga
You?ve never really tasted Pampanga cuisine until you?ve dined in
Claude Tayag?s Bale Dutung house. This is perfect for those long lunches
with friends when you don?t even notice the hours passing by. Diners
are greeted with frozen baby cologne-scented towels and steamed peanuts
that bring back memories of childhood. The entire house is a showroom
for Claude Tayag?s creative and artistic brilliance.
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Tayag will serve you personally with simple Kapampangan
dishes artistically presented. They will also entertain you with the
history of Bale Dutung. My favorite dishes here include the catfish with
buro (fermented fish) and green mustasa (mustard leaves), and
Pampanga?s version of the paella. The meal ends with a simple Paradiso
dessert made of smoked ube, camote and macapuno on sweet carabao milk pastillas. After the meal it?s so nice to just laze around the house and chat up Claude Tayag before saying goodbye.
Charley?s in Lipa, Batangas
I fell in love with the place after seeing the beautiful horses at
Leviste?s Equestrian Farm in Lipa. Till then, I?d seen only the tired
horses in Baguio and Tagaytay and never imagined seeing such
thoroughbreds on Philippine soil. Lunch or dinner is courtesy of Les
Roche-trained chef Popit de Leon
who?s passionate about cooking his foodie creations either in his
Makati condo or in Charley?s on weekends. Popit uses fresh herbs from
Charley?s garden in all food served at the farm. Diners might even get a
personal tour of the farm with Charley herself after the meal.
Unfortunately, the place recently closed its doors to out-of-town
diners. Popit now cooks exclusively in his Makati condo. This is a
simple tribute and thank you for becoming part of our foodie memories,
accompanied by a wish that the place opens its doors again.
Entalula Island, El Nido, Palawan
Imagine having an exclusive picnic with gourmet food on a white-sand
island far better than Boracay. Entalula Island in El Nido is definitely
a bit of paradise that you can enjoy privately for lunch or dinner.
Everything is set up for you, and you can request exactly the food you
like. Your imagination sets the limit on how creative you want the
experience to be.
It is definitely worth saving up for and reason enough to go back to
El Nido resorts. When you book an El Nido vacation, make sure to reserve
the island for your lunch or dinner date. Next time, I?ll have dinner
here with just my wife and lay down after in the pristine sands with limestone cliffs as backdrop.
For more information about these restaurants, please visit www.ourawesomeplanet.com.
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