Paved Paradise

I could spend a day just marveling at this sight. How the rice plants gently sway as the wind runs across the field, the majestic sight of Mt. Makiling.

Too bad after a few years' time, this rice field will just be another B-Class subdivision.

They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you got till it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot

-Big Yellow Taxi, Counting Crows

The Frustrated Chef's Garlic Herb Chicken

Good morning ladies and gentlemen!

Thank you for tuning on us again!

Welcome to the Frustrated Chef's Show!

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Our recipe for today is.. drumrolls please...

..oh, yun na nga pala yung title hehehe, plangak!

Since kaming dalawa ni papa RT ko ay mga dukha lamang, we don't usually get out on a date that much. Movie dates are only possible for those big-budget-special-effects-driven movies of each quarter! Yes, quarter talaga. Unless it's the MMFF,  where you don't have a choice but to help our country's dying film industry or when barkadas bug us for a movie get together. For the rest of the movies that do not fit the description, kuntento na kami sa paghihintay sa kanila sa torrentz.com at panonood sa 32" LCD TV ni RT with matching surround sound. Parang sine na din, nakatipid pa! For dinner dates naman, bihira na din kami lumabas (dukha nga kami). Super special occassions lang and when we both have extra money to spare or when I find out about this super-affordable-and-excellent hard to find hole-in-the-wall resto. But on the rest of the special nights, being frustrated chefs,  we just cook something fancy every now and then. It definitely beats dining out! No hassles, no gastos, plus it's something that we both do together. Oh ha! Oh ha!

This is where we usually get our recipes. This app is a life saver!

Allrecipes.com

So eto na ang pinili naming lutuin!

 

AllRecipes on RT's iPad, mas sosyal ang interface!

  I tricked RT to put a LOT of garlic! teehee!

syempre talagang kelangang isingit sa shot si iPad 

my favorite spices! tarragon, pepper, and garlic! RT added some italian seasoning in the mix for added flavor. :D

whisking in the olive oil.. then the chicken breasts

the nice shots were from RT phone

marinate for about 2hrs.. wrap in foil.. then bake in the oven.. for...hmm.. tinantya lang namin kasi ibang size ng cuts nung chicken.


at ang finished product




... tandadadan!!

Super sarap mga pre! As in RACKS delish! Oi, hindi ito biased porket kami ang nagluto... okay sige, medyo dry sya ng konti kasi tinanggal namin yung foil habang binebake pero malasa talaga siya. :D

It's never frustrating to make Garlic Herb Chicken.

'Till next time!

Stay tuned!

Manok

Wala lang. I'm just trying if I could upload vids using the BlogPress app.

The Soft Truth

Sabado, kakauwi ko lang ng bahay galing Laguna. Nagmeryenda. Nakipag chikahan sa kapatid. Inayos ang gamit sa kwarto. Since ako lang naman ang walang laptop sa bahay (RIP DELLilah) kinailangan kong hiramin ang laptop ni Itay para ma-charge ko ang aking ipod at manood ng aking Angel series (na sa wakas ay natapos ko na ding madownload after 1 year c/o RT). Lo and behold, etong window na ito ang tumambad sa akin nung kinuha ko ang laptop nya!!

Syet! Kinikilabutan ako habang iniimagine kong nagdyudyug dyugan sina Itay at Step Mom! Blech! (>_<)

BEYNTE SINGKO (21-25)

Speaking of 25, naalala ko hindi pa pala kumpleto yung "25 Things About Me" na series of posts ko. So here it is from where I left off.

1-10

11-20

BEYNTE UNO

Yung mga notebooks at libro ko hindi nawawalan ng scribbles sa likod. Nung highschool, whenever my teachers check my notes, they would always put a note "anong pinag gagagawa mo back pages ng notebook mo!?". I guess it was a symbolic manifestation that I'm living double lives. Someone who is inside society's boundaries in front and outside of the box at the back. When it comes to my books, hindi lang scribbles meron kundi set of animated scenes. Mas makapal ang libro, mas mahabang scenes ang nagagawa ko and yes, I use up all the book's pages. My work would be something like that gif image on the right side of my blog page.







BEYNTE DOS

I like my taho without the arnibal and sago. Also I prefer original flavored soymilk!







BEYNTE TRES

Ewan ko ba pero naiirita ako or naasiwa when someone or something other than me touches my stomach and my knees. Kaya hindi lumalampas ang ID lace ko sa dibdib (or I don't wear one) at ang shorts ko ay above the knee. Yes, I am indeed a psychologically ill person. Teehee! Minsan yan ang panlaban ni RT sakin kapag kinikiliti ko kilikili nya (armpit fetish? LOL), hinahawakan nya tyan or tuhod ko!

BEYNTE KWATRO

This may not come as a surprise for all of you kasi evident naman sya sa blog ko, I am a foodie! I like discovering hole-in-the-wall restos and places where you get quality food with budget friendly prices!







BEYNTE SINGKO

I'm a practicing Buddhist and I know I've got a lot more to learn to become a real one. I'm just taking it one step at a time since you really have to adapt to the Buddhist way of life before you can finally say "This works for me." No, I'm not preaching here and I won't go down the religion-comparing way. I just believe that we all have the right to pick our own religion (when we are of the deciding age) instead of what our parents decide is good for us when we were just mindless, innocent, cute little babies. But if you already love and believe in your initial religion, then it's all good. For the rest, Tabula Rasa, start with a clean slate.

25

I just turned 25.

I wasn't really looking forward and expecting some big, exciting celebration to happen on my day. Heck, I was even planning on sleeping this one out after the traditional family dinner like I did Christmas and New Year.

Well, I guess what I'm saying is, as a guy who very much loves surprises, I was uh.. surprised with the turn of events.

Akala ko nga (syet, biglang kabig ng Tagalog. Nosebleed na kasi LOL!) I'll be subjected to a boring birthday but I was wrong.

It was supposed to be just OK pero naging MASAYA!

To start things off, I spent my first birthday hours with RT. Ang original plan kasi, I'll celebrate with my family in advance para on the day itself si RT na kasama ko (we're supposed to just cook something fancy for dinner) pero sabi ni Itay aakyat kami ng Tagaytay on my birthday, so change of plans. Syempre gusto ko yung partner ko kasama ko when the clock reads 12:01 AM so I opted to stay at RT's and go home the next day.

Pag-uwi ko sa bahay hindi na pala tuloy ang Tagaytay trip namin. I wasn't shocked, really. Mabilis talaga magbago ng plano ang mga tao sa bahay haha! But they more than made it up by preparing a sumptuous feast. Akala ko nga may dadating na bisita kaya isasabay nalang sa birthday ko pero para sakin pala talaga yun. Also, kaya pala hindi natuloy yung supposed Tagaytay dining kasi hindi pwedeng ilabas yung kapatid kong kaka-chemo pa lang.

Anyways, natuwa naman ako kasi parang kiddie party lang with matching cake and number candles to blow! Ang dami ko din palang bisita mostly mga kapitbahay namin na di ko naman talaga close pero oks lang. It felt like I was back being a kid again. Without responsibilities. It's selfish but there was a part of me who wanted to be stuck in the moment. Thought lang naman, of course the bliss (yes, this is a V reference) eventually faded after ng handaan at konting kwentuhan. It was a special celebration, none the less.

Salamat kay Itay, Step Mom, Sisters, mga kasambahay at mga bisita! :D

"First, the kiddie parties (gifts, games and feasts) stop. Then when you're too old for those, you jusr celebrate it with a family dinner in a nice restaurant and, instead of wrapped gifts, cash is a more practical incentive (In me and my siblings' case, we get P1,000 on our birthdays). Then you get older and you now have a job, it all feels that it's your turn to do all the pleasing since your supposed to be financially capable already. It sucks right?"

The day after my birthday is the first day of work week. Birthdays in the office mean free merienda at gastos para sa celebrant! Ritwal na yun sa office kaya kailangang pangatawanan. Marami na din naman akong naexperience na meryenda so quits lang at dumating kasi si boss so no choice talaga. I bought a huge bilao of pansit for the whole crew and some softdrinks. Grabe ang gastos (T ^ T) but it was OK kasi Boss invited everyone for a dinner / inuman after office. Post celebration daw for me! Yes, Boss always take us out to dinner and some drinks but this time, this one's for me. I couldn't express how honored I was. Finally, I felt like one of the big leagues (yung mga mas nauna at may mas matataas na posisyon sakin). The dinner was fun (hindi ko na iisa isahin mga pangyayari basta masaya siya hehe) and we ended it with a toast for me!





Syempre, being someone who doesn't want to be under the spotlight of attention, I was awkward during those for-me-celebrations. But I was deeply touched sa effort at importance na natanggap ko for my birthday. I was even worried, having constantly checking my FB wall, na baka walang bumati but instead, I got tons of them!

Thank you everyone!

I don't know what's with becoming 25 years old but I sure didn't feel any older.

I felt younger, to say the least.

It was a happy two days.

(o^^o)

Joy

in reply to master Mugen's entry Search For The T'boli

Yeah, they are our society's open secret. More than people like us.

I had a classmate, who also is a close friend, who is openly (but not loudly) dating lesbians. She never really specified her orientation but I guess her preference speaks for herself. I remember her showing me the tricks and trades of hooking up with the same sex (in her case, girls). MIRC chatrooms and Downelink.com, which she initially typed minus the "e". Because I couldn't bear no more after some minutes of her figuring out why the hell isn't she directed to te site, I had to correct her with that and pretend to be amused with the MIRC interface while looking innocently, thus, keeping my cover as her straight, geeky classmate.

"Hmm.. ayaw gumana Ate Joy eh. Invalid yata yung URL. Baka kulang ng letter? Baka may "e" sa gitna?"

"Pano gumamit nyan? Ayos yan ah! Kelangan pa mag register? Eh Pano mo makikita yung mga chatrooms? Waa! Nakakalito naman!"

She even taught me the categories of her kind.

HARD BUTCH - Manly in every way, even more manly than a regular straight guy. The only things keeping them from crossing over Adam's side are their bandage flattened boobs and umm.. their vagina! The lesbians' version of our transvestites.

SOFT BUTCH - Dresses like a guy but with some girly touch here and there. More fashion conscious than the HBs

LIPSTICK LESBO -Ate Joy belongs to this category. They are our Pamintas without the society's intense pressure to keep them hiding inside their closets. I mean, c'mon, most people will be amazed if a LL revealed herself. Disgust from the closeminded, on the other hand, is what we get for the same revelation.

Since we both were living in dorms, we get to spend an awful lot of time
together. I learned about her previous relationships (all are of the same sex) and witnessed her flirt and have relatioships online and thru texts. Just like how most PLUs do business.

There was no urge to tell her my truth at all. I mean, yes, sometimes I felt guilty when she told stories of her relationships and I kept hiding under a mask of the-straight-and-single-loner-who-is-too-geeky-and-self-absorbed-to-notice-the-opposite-sex but I guess I felt that I had everythig to lose... and she's not the secret keeping kind (not deliberately, of course). Although I did confess to Ate Joy's dormmate, a girl she wants me to woo, but did not believe me.

Oh well. The very first time you had the courage and a trustworthy person to tell who you really are and they call you a liar?! That sucked!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Location:C-5,Taguig City,Philippines

Bagong T

Okay, medyo late na 'tong New Year's Resolution entry ko eh kasi naman pinahupa ko muna ang kaguluhan sa mga NYR entries ng ibang blogs para mapansin naman ako LOL! Biro lang, ang totoo nyan nag muni-muni muna ako kung gagawa pa ba ako eh napaka cliche naman kasi halos lahat naglabasan ng NYR nila. Kaya lang since inggitero ako eh di nakayanan ng aking powers na magpigil kaya eto na sila! Haha! Medyo iniklian ko lang ang lista at sigurado naman akong di ko matutupad karamihan kapag mahaba. Pinili ko din yung mga madadali at malapit sa katotohanan para naman di ako mapahiya! Take note, tagalog 'tong entry na 'to. Nagka anemia na kasi ako kaka-english!

1. YOSI BREAK
As in break na sa pagyoyosi. Number 1 talaga 'to dahil ito pinakamahirap gawin. Kinailangan pang sumakit dibdib ko ng husto para mapahinto ako sa yosi 2 years ago kaya lang 1 year lang tinagal at balik yosi ulit (T ^ T).

2. MAGPAPAYAT
Yes, sobrang taba ko na! Eh pano ba naman kasi tingin ko plano talaga kaming lahat patabain ng boss ko para di sya mainsecure sa size nya! (joke!) *ubo*malapitnasummer*ubo*

3. PESCETARIAN
Once upon a time naging vegetarian ako dahil sa pangyayari sa #1. 1year din yun ah! Tapos dumating ang lecheng holiday season. Eh araw araw ka ba namang humaharap sa mga masasarap na meat dishes ewan ko na lang kung hindi ka ma-brainwash sa pagkain! hmpft! And since ayaw ko namang mapahiya agad sa pagshift from meat to no-meat, isasama ko na muna ang mga seafood sa aking diet.. at siyempre, ang meat ni RT! Bwahaha!

4. SAVE!
Ainaku! 1 year nako kumakayod, it's about time makapag ipon naman ako.

5. UPGRADE
Pinipilit na ko ni Itay na kumuha ng board exam kaya lang medyo burned out pako mag-aral tsk. Supposedly this May na pero prinoject ko nalang sa November para sure ball or pwede din maurong ng May '12 depende sa sitwasyon haha! Ang alam ko lang inevitable na ang pag-take ng board exam kahit na gusto ko nang lumipat ng ibang field (multi media arts).

6. BLOG MORE
Ang dami ko nang napalampas na ideas at stories dahil sa katamaran kong magsulat haha! Anyways, with my new iBlogger app, siguro naman mas gaganahan nako kahit papano. Blogging on the go! Yebah! Expect more foodtrip entries dahil dami kong gustong i-feature na pagkain (goodluck sa #2). Also, I'll try my hands on some fictions *excited* ☆〜（ゝ。∂）



"Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right." - Oprah Winfrey

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Anniversary Special Part 4: Bawai's Vietnamese Kusina

"Bawai, which is Vietnamese for grandmother, is a homey restaurant inside one of Tagaytay’s retirement communities. It’s actually the home of Vergilio & Yong Tatlonghari. Yong, a Vietnamese, settled in the Philippines after marrying her Filipino husband. A great cook, her home was always open to her children and grandchildren, who wanted to share their bawai’s fantastic Vietnamese meals. When strangers started showing up at their doorstep, they took that as a sign to open a portion of their home as a restaurant."

This is a place worth traveling for because of their scrumptious Vietnamese food! We discovered the place just days before our Tagaytay celebration via Anton of Our Awesome Planet and because we wanted to taste authentic Vietnamese food, we decided to include this on our anniversary itinerary on the last minute.

I got their contact number onlinr and made a lunch reservation for two. An old man answered the phone, probably Mr. Tatlonghari himself, and took my details but then later instructed me to just send in a text message so that he won't forget. After some hours, I got a reply with a sorry for not replying immediately  and a confirmation for my reservation. Also included is a list of the menu and the driving direction to the restaurant. Since initially, we were supposed to use the public transport, I inquired for the commuting directions and immediately got a phone call from Mr. Tatlonghari. He then instructed me on where and what to ride. Now that's what you call great service! I felt like we are valued visitors and not just mere customers.

Finding Bawai's is a bit hard because they do not have signages along the highway. We had to make a U-turn because we drove past the entrance to the compound. All we had were maps and directions we got online.

It was a Sunday and the restaurant was packed with famished customers. We were excited to finally taste those yummy dishes we only had the chance to see in photos online but that excitement faded when a mix up with the reservation occurred. Our reservation was not listed! I tried to reason out with the gate staff and showed him my confirmation messages but to no avail. Okay, I was losing my cool and my interest when I called Mr. Tatlonghari about the situation. He then said sorry and called the restaurant (he was tending their other branch). It was a good he fixed it or else I would've wrecked havoc in the blogworld! *evil laugh*

Anyways, we were invited in and given a table for two. It turned out, our names were mixed up with another. There were two groups inside the converted sala, one with 15pax and another with 8pax. Upon ordering, another group of about 6 came and I guess that's just the maximum number the restaurant can accommodate. The others groups were too noisy talking so we got shy taking photos other than what was on our table. Our meal was cooked rather quickly despite the fact that they lost the list of my advanced orders.

Complimentary Pandan Tea

Since we were still full from our breakfast at Sonya's, we started off with just a  plate of three pieces of Goi Cuon (Vietnamese fresh lumpia) with peanut sauce for the appetizer. One bite into the Goi Cuon and we know it’s freshly made. The shrimp is tender and seemed to be bursting out of its transparent wrap. The veggies crunchy and a tarragon leaf was a nice surprise. There's also a beef strip on the other side which provides that meaty taste.

Goi Cuon (Vietnames Fresh Lumpia)

Next comes our main dish, Pho Bo for RT and Bun Thang for me.

RT's pick: Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup)

 I don't know it tasted but RT said it was delicious. There's something to the broth that enhances its beefy flavor. The beef was also easy to chew.

My Pick: Bun Thang (Seafood and Egg Noodle Soup

I love everything seafood and this one is one of the best! I agree with RT that the broth has this special taste I can't figure out. 

My pick: Pandan Iced Tea

Nothing better to sooth your thirst but  a fresh pandan iced tea. It tasted a little bit like the famous sago't gulaman.

RT's pick: Vietnamese Iced Coffee

 They used condensed milk that's why the milk stayed at the bottom.

Bahn Da Lon

 Because of the mix up earlier, Bawai or Lola Yong was very apologetic and gave us two of these, on the house. I guess it's the Vietnamese version of our local sapin-sapin or maja blanca. This is made with pandan (green) and monggo beans (yellow). It is topped with coconut cream and a sprinkling of crushed peanuts.

What I really like about Bawai's, besides their good food, is that, whenever not busy, they will entertain you as their own guest. You need to reserve and order in advance since each meal is cooked by Bawai herself. I do hope it remains that way, and the food don't get commercialized like most Vietnamese restaurants in Manila. The secret to Bawai's food is authentic imported ingredients from Vietnam sent by Bawai's friends and relatives.

Because lola Yong herself cooks all the dishes, Bawai’s kitchen is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for lunch and dinner. Also, due to Bawai’s limited space, reservation is a must. For reservations, call 0920-9722924.

Bawai’s Vietnamese Kusina

Brgy. Bukal, Silang, Cavite

+63 920 972-2924

Location map:

Click on the map to see the larger version.

Anniversary Special Part 3: Sonya's (Not So) Secret Garden

 After our lunch date at Buon Giorno, we then headed to our next destination, Sonya's Garden.

We chose Sonya's Garden because netizens were just raving about it's good reviews so we had to check it out. It was initially just a restaurant featuring healthy organic buffet meals in a garden setting but as people started flock the place and wanted to spend a little more time with it's wonderfully tranquil garden, the Bead & Breakfast facility was born. It was really inevitable because with the beauty of the place, some hours of stay aren't enough.

For a weekend stay, they charge P3,400 per person (P3,000 on weekdays). Yes, it's a little hefty on our pockets but we really wanted our first anniversary to be special and memorable so we picked a unique place to stay. On our second anniversary, we could have a typical anniversary celebration, eat in a typical restaurant and stay in a typical hotel but not on our first. Firsts should always be special.

I made a reservation three weeks in advance for Dec. 11-12 but December being a peak season, all of the rooms were reserved so we had to settle for the Dec 18-19 weekend. But I guess fate was with us when someone backed out and we got a slot on our preferred date. It was good that I decided to put our names in the wait list for that date. :D

It was a little hard to find but I guess that adds to its charm because you'll never think that a place like it would exist inside their compound. This is probably the reason why it was previously called Sonya's Secret Garden.

We got there just in time for our check-in, 2:00 PM (check-out time was 12NN the next day)

The Garden

The dining hall

Sonya's is of course well known for its lush gardens, you will be astonished of the stunning huge area planted with thousands of varieties of fruiting and flowering plants. I asked our attendant for the lot area but I forgot what he said, haha! It would be perfect to be here in the summer just in time to see the garden bloom, an authentic burst of colors which is truly relaxing and delighting to the senses. No wonder that there are people who just drop by to take lovely pictures of the verdant garden, and let the soothing aroma of the herbs please your senses.

  

Your eyes rest on light blue, bright fuschia, orange, violet and white blooms. Your ears hear the lulling sound of water from small fountains and rain tubes. As you walk around, there's a hammock that both kids and oldies can try. There are areas where people can sit or lie down to read a book, all framed by soft, white, flowing, curtain-like cloth.

cherry tomatoes?

 A walk around the garden will reveal beautiful nooks and crannies to explore: a hut tucked away with a bench and Buddha for meditation, shaded benches with cushions to lounge about in, large containers with beautiful Balinese like flower arrangements strategically placed to entice the senses, etc. It was all so overwhelming and at the same time so calming as well.

Butter bush. Smells sweet and buttery.

The Room

On our way to the Bed and Breakfast area, we couldn't wait staying and sleeping in a non-airconditioned room with no television to agitate serenity.  The rooms are designed with exquisite soft white curtain with shells which adds a romantic touch. The architecture is Filipino/Spanish with bits and pieces of things from around the world. There is a mini lanai before the room where you could relax and read some books. It has that "with the nature" feel probably because of it's transparent roof and part of the walls having only fine nets for covering (and keeping insects away).  We loved our bed! It was huge with warm, crisp white linens. We just wanted to lay there and just cuddle, and kiss, and..


The shower area was very ingenious! The floor's got tiny white pebbles and a big shower head that tricks you into thinking that you're just taking a bath in the rain. Their complementary shampoo and soap is probably home made because of their natural mint smell.

Path to our cottage

  Going to Sonya’s is the perfect hideaway solution if you want to spend time with your partner or friends over a nerve-wracking week or simply to smell the aroma of the flowers around or most likely to eat a hearty meal and set aside meat and fatty foods. 

Walk under the trees

We stayed in the Parsley room

Tagaytay being well-known of fresh cool freezing air making the weather agreeable that one does not need an air-conditioning. 

Lanai

 

Lanai

Notwithstanding the idea of being surrounded by plants, natural repellents proliferate in the gardens thus, there are no irritating mosquitoes. Picture yourself waking up in the morning to smell the aroma and see the rich garden, just outside your window. It’s the Bed and Breakfast experience which only Sonya can provide. 

Nature in the backyard

View from the lanai

The Dinner

Come dinner time, we were first served with a buffet salad, which I understand is organically grown in their garden. 

We were also served freshly baked bread with different spreads like pesto and mushroom pate'. To add to the healthy appetizer we were served fresh dalandan juice. I was happy to munch the leafy greens since there was no guilt. You had the freedom to select the ingredients for your salad like pineapple, mango, melon, beans, cucumber and egg. 

RT's salad. Mine was too "with everything" to be delectable in photos. :P

I just love the sit-down buffet style, you don't need to stand up to go to the food.

The much awaited pasta was served. The serving fork used for getting pasta is a novel idea. It's like a huge-toothed comb. You also get to make your own pasta with ingredients like olives, mushrooms, salmon, etc. The salmon was a letdown. It was too fried and too oily just like how daing na bangus are cooked. You also get to pick what sauce to use between sun-dried tomato and white chicken sauce. RT and I chose to use chicken sauce because it tasted great, creamy with a bit of sweetness, but was too dried when added to the pasta. 

mini turon, caramelized sweet potato and chocolate cake

this is literally a sliver of chocolate cake

my favorite tarragon tea!!

We ended with a very thin slice of chocolate cake,  mini turon, and caramelized kamote. The dessert is nothing to rave about. Pampatanggal lang ng umay. My favorite tarragon tea provided a very distinct touch of class. I ended with an after-meal mint that I took from my dalandan juice. I'm talking about real mint leaves here and it sure beats any chewing gum. RT on the other hand suffered from toothache so I told him to chew those left over tarragon leaves from the tea and paste it on his aching tooth. Sure enough, it worked! Yay for natural remedies!

After the dinner, off we went to our room to do some anniversary thing haha! But not without taking photos of the garden at night :)

The garden transforms into something mysteriously beautiful at night. Parang nasa fairy land ka lang.

I call that bahay ng dwende because, well, it looks like one.

Now, isn't this a scene from Avatar?

The idea for the christmas tree was great. A eucalyptus tree adorned with christmas lights.

The Breakfast

Because of the heavy dinner last night, we prepared ourselves for a hearty breakfast meal. We had a mix of European and Continental breakfast but it seemed to be more of continental dishes. RT being a light eater, I was tasked to eat more which I happily obliged! 

The dining Hall. We were one of the first to have breakfast

deliciously rich hot chocolate

chicken pork adobo

sausage, too tough at salty :(

The redeeming factor of the breakfast: Creamy Mushroom Omelet

Salsa, Fried Rice, Daing na Bangus, Chicken Pork Adobo

fresh fruits for dessert

Daing na bangus

Long and short of it is that I loved it! I loved the tasteful blend of Filipino architecture. The cuisine is not that notable but I'll give them a thumbs up for coming up with an eat-all-you-can healthy set of meals. Though with a P610 price for lunch/dinner and P427 for breakfast, I wouldn't recommend going there just for the food alone.  I loved the gardens and the surprise of finding a bench in some secluded area which allowed me to sit and ponder the lush vegetation. I felt very fortunate and blessed to be in such a special haven of peace and tranquility with my partner, RT. That is what's so special about this place: it allows you to slow down, be mindful of the present and count your blessings because there is nothing to distract your from what is happening at the moment.