November 30, Sunday was the perfect day to take a trip to Tagaytay.  It was a Sunday following a Monday holiday so I was expecting traffic to be heavy on Monday instead since people would naturally sail through the extended weekend. 

 

 

After ziplining in Tagaytay, pasalubong stop at Rowena’s and a sampling teaser at Sanctuario Tagaytay, we headed to Paseo de Santa Rosa in Laguna for our main dinner.  Only 30 minutes passed and the car convoy was already parking in front of the Adidas outlet store.  Kanin Club was the destination.

 

Arriving at half past 8pm, I was surprised to still see a queue by the door.  The place was packed and there was not an empty table in sight.  More than the reviews, this is a good sign that great dishes wait behind that door marked Kanin Club.  It wasn’t too long (barely 15 minutes in fact) and our group of 6 was seated comfortably in adjoined tables.

 

The restaurant is a brainchild of mountain bikers, Chef Anthony Mendoza and wife Emely, along with business partners Tony Cancio and Mariel Luna of Café Breton.  When I scouted Paseo de Santa Rosa as a location for an Internet Café franchise a few years back, Café Breton was always my favorite place to hang-out as I watched foot traffic change hour after hour.  Now, there’s more reason to stop over Paseo de Sta. Rosa from Tagaytay to Manila or vice-versa.

 

The first few pages of the menu help you decide what to get, mentioning their bestsellers.  There are so much appetizing dishes to try, you’d have a heartache snubbing those left unuttered to the wait staff.

 

On the Table:

 

Crispy Dinuguan P233

It is KC’s most copied signature dish, which is pork heavenly deep fried to a crisp then set in a semi-dry stew of pork blood.  Menu says it’s proven to have convinced non-dinuguan eaters to like the dish.  The group seemed to be excited to try this dish and was very much satisfied at the innovative take on the unthinkable pork blood stew.  They would have enjoyed this tremendously if the Crispy Pata wasn’t on the table.

 

 

 

Sinangag na Sinigang P200

Sinigang inspired fried rice complete with pork liempo and vegetable tempura –a rice version of dry Sinigang.  This is what piqued my interest the most.  I love Sinigang and sour dishes –and sinangag, in fact when we have leftover of Sinigang na Baboy, I usually have it with my sinangag or I usually save sinangag rice from breakfast and reserve it for a Sinigang na Baboy lunch.  KC’s idea of marrying the two is definitely my cup of tea –or tamarind broth!  The vegetable tempura at the peak of the rice surprisingly complements the entire rice.  It was a complete meal on its own.

 

 

Tinapa Rice P133

We were debating between Fully Loaded Rice (Jim’s choice) or Tinapa Rice.  It all boiled down to Marie’s decision so we got Tinapa rice.  Rice cooked with bits of garlic and smoked fish.  Butch said Andrew would like this rice because Andrew likes salty dishes.

 

 

Vegetarian Curry P140

All the vegetable you like in Pinakbet with flavorsome curry sauce.  Between chicken and vegetable, I opted to get the vegetarian kind because we’ve had so many meats throughout the day.  This curry dish made me remember a bit of Japanese curry I tried in Japan and the Filipino curry version I like.

 

 

Crispy Pata P393

Deep fried pork knuckles, skin is light and crunchy and the meat is so tender the menu proudly claims it melts in your mouth while it challenges you to resist the temptation.  I haven’t had Crispy Pata for so long that it was the only meat (and fat) I attacked that night.  I fought the urge to grab a knuckle and gnarl on it like a starving mutt.

 

 

Sigarilyas Express P133

Wing beans cooked the bicol express way, spicy!  It was okay, nothing overly special but trying something new always makes up for a refreshing break of the mundane.

 

 

Prices already includes the 12% VAT which is really good value for money.  Our meal came up close to only P1,600 including 3 drinks.  Reminiscing the wonderful Filipino food plates we tried just made my mouth water right now… I have an intense craving to go back –soonest (any volunteers?).  KC’s promise to give a grand time satisfying your “lutong bahay pinoy cravings” was very much kept.  Kanin Club –truly a Filipino kitchen whipping up Filipino specialty dishes with a brilliant twist.  You have to experience it.

 

 

 

Yay, I can scratch off another name on the Miele Guide list.

 

Kanin Club Kusina Filipino is located at Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Sta. Rosa Laguna and is open Monday-Sunday from 11am-2pm and 530pm-930pm.  For inquiries, you may contact them at 049-5440332.  The second branch is located at Westgate, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa (771-1400).  Alabang Branch Restaurant hours: Monday to Thursday, 11:00AM – 2:30PM, 5:30PM – 10:00PM; Friday to Sunday, 11:00AM – 11:00PM; Merienda served from 2:30PM – 5:30PM, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays

 

Since my long pending plan to do ziplining in Camp Sabros, North Davao or in CDO is still pretty much pending, I went for a quick fix and did ziplining in Tagaytay instead.

 

It’s been two weeks since I told Bubba that there’s ziplining in Tagaytay.  Sunday, we were at Edsa Shangrila for Karie’s 1^st birthday celebration.  Karie is the cute baby tot of Anne and Drew.  We were enjoying our buffet lunch at the Garden ballroom when I asked Marie and Butch their plans this weekend.  They said nothing concrete but told me they are planning to visit the Mango outlet as well as other designer brand outlets in Pampanga.  Bubba and Jim were getting their desserts during this discussion.  I suddenly blurted out about the ziplining in Tagaytay and asked them if they wanted to go after the party.  They shared my excitement and were game about the idea!  We arranged to meet an hour later in Magallanes, just about enough time to get a couple things and allowed me and Marie to change from dresses to jeans.  Jim said yes too and before you know it, we were on convoy to a Tagaytay trip.

 

The travel was short, an hour and half later, we were in Tagaytay parking our cars.  Upon seeing the zipline area, it took us a good 15 minutes to actually decide whether to go for it or not.  I’ve only tried extreme (not so extreme) sports overseas, parasailing in Malaysia and Sky Jumping in Macau.  I will include the rollercoaster in Ocean Park HK because that was also crazaaay for me.  I went ballistic over the sky jump and rollercoaster but parasailing was a walk in the park (ahem, right.)  But the thorn on my throat is, how safe is it to try terrifying stunts like this in the Philippines, manned by us?  Thank God, it’s safe enough when we tried.

 

Ziplining is P300 per head for roundtrip and P200 for one way.  If you go one way, you have to walk back using the bridge, which wasn’t too bad a walk.  It’s additional P100 if you want your photos taken by the crew.  The crew was nice like how most of Laguna and Tagaytay people are.

 

After ziplining, we made a quick stop at Rowena’s for pasalubong.  It’s Jim’s first time to buy from Rowena’s, while I confirmed that it’s really one of the better quality pasalubong stores.  Then I treated my friends to a sampling dinner at Sanctuario Tagaytay.  I’ve only tried the one in Metrowalk but never the original branch.  Good to know that my friends enjoyed their dishes.  We ordered their 2 Pan de Sanctuario bread with 3 kinds of pate: Quezo, Garlic and Smoked Fish, Bulalo with Pasta (always a winner to me because of the bone marrow and sinful creaminess), Tuyo Rice and Adobo Flakes.  I should have ordered their Sizzling Bulalo as well but was worried that we won’t have room for another dinner at Kanin Club.  Sanctuario Tagaytay was a teaser to whet their appetites satisfying enough to hold out til we hit Sta. Rosa.

 

The only time we’ve tried Kanin Club was during the Pink Kitchen event this year.  Bubba really liked the Morcon he ordered and was looking forward to eating at the actual restaurant.  Currently, they only have two branches –Alabang and Paseo de Sta. Rosa.

 

We reached Kanin Club around 830pm and it was absolutely packed!  We were the second big group waiting in line for an available table.  Since it’s past dinnertime, it wasn’t long before a table was vacated.  The menu had an extensive list of mouth-watering dishes to take a crack at.

 

More on Kanin Club on a separate post (interesting twist on Filipino favorites: Sinangag na Sinigang, Crispy Diniguan, etc… and finally I can scratch off one more resto in the Miele Guide list!)

 

Jim was so great with Joyce!

 

I really had a wonderful Sunday spent in breezy but not too cold Tagaytay breathing fresh air, trying a new activity and bonding with my sister Joyce and friends.  Whoooweee!!!!

 

Events This Weekend Album

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March 31, 2007. My first all Vegan lunch occurred at the famous Farm of San Benito in Batangas. 85% of the food served in their Vegan restaurant is actually raw (read: not cooked). They use several methods of blending, soaking, dehydration and culturing in preparing the veggie dishes in order to keep as much of the enzymes as possible. The lunch felt so enriching because even if I ate 3-4 plateful of salads and different entrées, I felt so light afterwards. For some reason, it was an internal body-cleansing feeling.

We chose to have our lunch at the open-air veranda amidst the tall trees and pseudo-jungle. Fresh food and fresh air go hand in hand as we completely felt a surge of natural energy while chomping away the greens. We were served four kinds of dishes with buffet trip to their salad bar. I remember the opener as my favorite Segafredo appetizer –Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil drizzled with olive oil. The Farm’s version is less salty and fresh.

The Farm at San Benito, a 6-year old facility in the city of Lipa, was awarded as the Best Retreat and Best Holistic Healing Program by regional publication of Spa Asia. The Farm deserved that award in it’s entirety because it is a retreat where one can breathe freely, the eyes satisfied with relaxing colors of abundantly green and tasty healthy food that cleanses the body and mind.

After lunch, we took a stroll around the huge multiple hectare land. We took a dip at their mini-waterfall pool and enjoyed our privacy since there were only the two of us.

They offer different kinds of rooms that ranges from USD 98.00 ++ to USD 750.00 ++. The Anahaw Terrace is the one that I particularly liked. The room rate is USD 175.00.

Even if it was a short visit, I felt a surge of new energy as my body restored balance and vitality through a short stay at The Farm at San Benito.

The Farm at San Benito

Office Address: G/F, Shop 10, The Peninsula Manila Ayala Ave., Makati City

Resort Address: 119 Baranggay Tipakan, Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines.

Tel No: 884.8074

Info@thefarm.com.ph

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/189/07_0331-_The_Farm_at_San_Benito

One of the more memorable weekends of 2007 was spent at Casa San Pablo, April 8.  Casa San Pablo is your sanctuary at the outskirts of Manila –your home away from home.  Passionate art collector Boots Alcantara, who we briefly met during our stay, owns the secured quarters amidst pine trees, sprawling lawns, and different petite multiplexes.

The country-inn is a good jump off point for Viaje del Sol –which is San Pablo’s local art and culture tour in the sphere of Laguna and Quezon.  Part of the Viaje del Sol tour of this historical part of NCR are Patis Tesoro’s Kusina Salud, Carlo’s workshop, Patio Verde, Villa Escudero, Ugu Bigyan’s Café and Jay’s Kinabuhayan Café. 

After checking in at Casa San Pablo, we had a hefty lunch at Kinabuhayan Café owned by Jay Herrera.  Interestingly, Jay’s house is simply designed, with very few walls, even the living room is open air.  There is a tree house at their porch.  It was minimalistic in a native way.  Dining at Kinabuhayan Café is an experience in itself as you dine al fresco style on a table perched against a tree.  One plate costs PHP 500 (PHP 1,000 per couple) and you get served the dish of the day –or whatever Jay feels like cooking on that day.  On our plate was a huge serving of aromatic rice, spicy herb chicken and greens.  The greens had some miniature flowers in it.  Jay said it was edible so we had our first taste of edible flowers.  Everything on the plate was delectable, especially the chicken!  We had the best spiced-chicken our taste buds ever savored in this lifetime.  I tried to make my own spiced-chicken at home but I simply cannot re-create a master’s creation or even come any close to it.  (Hats off to you Jay!!!)

Halfway through the plate I was already full, but I still managed to finish everything in front of me.  We were served with Laguna hot chocolate with pinipig and it was just the right drink to cap our yummy meal.

We exchanged stories with Jay and Jay’s trusted right hand, Winston.  We also played with Jay’s cute dogs.  They offered us shots of lambanog.  I looked at Bubba’s face when he downed it so I declined.  However, since nothing has disappointed me yet, I conceded.  The lambanog was whopping strong!!!  It got me wired right after that one shot.

Jay was really kind to offer us a trip to Kubli Spring.  Winston accompanied us to the spring and even treated us to a round of cold beer.  Winston shared stories about Laguna and the people there.  Bubba and Winston played the guitar while we took in the beauty of the afternoon and enjoyed our sound trip.  Since the Kubli Spring visit wasn’t planned, we didn’t have any other clothes with us.  Yet that didn’t stop us from taking a dip.

After that lovely afternoon at the Spring, we went back to Casa San Pablo to bathe and rest.

Casa San Pablo has that homey rustic ambience.  Each room was uniquely designed as Boots Alcantara showcases different works of art.  The room we had was quite small but it didn’t cramp our accommodation.  The AC was working perfectly; the bed and bathroom were clean as a whistle.  There was no TV unit in the room, only a couple of good books on the bedside table, which made this a secluded and relaxed weekend. 

That night, we planned to go back to Jay’s for dinner but unfortunately since we don’t know how to get there at night, we were advised to eat somewhere nearer to avoid getting lost.  We went to Kusina Salud, unfortunately they were already closing by the time we got there at 8pm.  We managed to find a grill restaurant nearby that had a fascinating landscape.

The next morning, we had the Casa San Pablo breakfast of the local corned beef, egg, garlic rice and longganisa. We also had drink all you can hot chocolate with pinipig.  Breakfast at San Pablo felt like eating in front of a beautiful painting.  The food was good and eating a table of good Pinoy breakfast with the view of the garden was something you’d want to wake up early for every day.

Directions:  From Manila, after the San Pablo border, stay on the Maharlika Highway. You will see a Caltex station to the left, right before a fork in the highway. The right side of the fork heads straight to Lucena, the left leads to San Pablo city. Take the left road, this is Colago Ave. Watch for the Community Hospital on your left. Shortly after the hospital, to the right, is Kay Inay Resort. Turn into the resort gate, Casa San Pablo is inside.
 

For Reservations: Prior reservations must be made. Please call 0917-8126687. 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/188/07_0408-_Casa_San_Pablo#