viaje del sol: kusina salud

kusina salud is one of the better-known destinations in the viaje del sol group. its rustic environment was created by renowned designer patis tesoro.

for those who've been to fat michael's in bangkal, makati, and enjoyed it, you will definitely love kusina salud, as it's a larger version of fat michael's, with an aviary and lots of plants to boot.

the place was interesting enough and highly photogenic. however, as for the food, i didn't find it spectacular as others claim it to be. don't let me change your opinion about the place, though. kusina salud is still worth a visit, and maybe the a la carte menu is better than the kambingan festival lunch buffet that we had last sunday.

here's the lineup of dishes we had that day:

kilawin
traditional goat ceviche tossed with red onions and chili

ensaladang pako salad bar (photo)
fettlehead fern salad with marinated organic tomatoes,
roasted peppers and corn, julienne of carrots and jicama.
served with two choices of dressing: red onion or garlic mustard.

lumpiang shanghai
crispy pork and shrimp spring rolls with a chili guava dip

sinampalukan
organic, farm-raised goat in a tart sampalok-broth
with traditional vegetables

kambing curry
spicy curry goat stew served with pineapple relish

kaldereta "shepherd's pie"
braised goat-kaldereta style, topped with mashed potatoes,
creamed corn, and cheddar cheese.

pinangat
braised taro leaves stuffed with seasonal fish,
local green chili and topped with deep-fried crispy-pork

organic white rice

fresh buko salad
with market fresh fruits and luscious sweetened cream

they failed to include the only thing i thoroughly enjoyed: the bread pudding with mango sauce (photo). of these dishes, i was pretty satisfied with the kilawin, the salad, and the sinampalukan. i did not enjoy pinangat at all. i was actually pretty interested to try out something different. oh, the curry with pineapple relish tasted good, too, but there wasn't much meat to feast on. luckily, the pineapples were great.

kusina salud is also home to a branch of pillar plants & novelties, which was filled with various items and oddities, such as wooden heads of the apostles (sent shivers down my spine, i tell ya). there were also wooden furniture and antique stuff for sale.

even with my sub-par experience in kusina salud, i'm still not writing it off. maybe next time, i'll get to try their other dishes and finally see what all the fuss is about.

to see more of kusina salud, go here.

contact information:
kusina salud
bgy. sta. cruz, putol, san pablo, laguna
contact person: jerome
mobile: 0921-7726985
tel. nos.: manila: (02) 6995035; laguna: (049) 2466878.
rates: P410/head, sunday lunch buffet.
business hours: lunch: 11am-3pm; dinner: 530pm-9pm

viaje del sol: caffe curio

dinner on our second night was in caffe curio, colette's (as in the buko pie) venture into the cafe/restaurant business. this tiny little cafe stands beside colette's main store along the highway in san pablo, laguna.

don't be fooled by its size; this small wonder has quite a great selection of meals and coffee-laced drinks. i had a pretty hard time choosing my meal, because i didn't know which one i should try out. after a few minutes of internal debates, i finally settled on their adobo flakes meal, which was priced at P95.

susie had the beef stroganoff rice bowl at P90, shobe ordered the farmer's ham sandwich for P130, and zane decided on a smoked turkey sandwich for P140. susie treated us to an appetizer of mozzarella sticks with tomato anchovy dip. at P83, we got five cheesy sticks. it tasted pretty good!

while we waited for our meals, we took photos of the place. there's a corner with books, magazines, and some games, and one wall was decorated with a wooden shelf filled with various, well, uhm, curios. :) nice to see that they still dedicated areas for that, given such a small space.

after a few minutes, we settled on a table in the middle of the cafe, and our meals arrived one by one. the beef stroganoff portion seemed just right, the taste is good enough. i was the luckiest, as my adobo flakes came in quite a large portion for just one person. a spoonful confirmed that it wasn't just the size that was great, but the taste, too! the flakes reminded me of those dried beef flakes they sell in shin ton yon foods in binondo.

as for drinks, smoothies didn't seem to be their forte, though i was pretty satisfied with my calamansi smoothie. i think their smoothies are just made with fruit syrup, so for P60 bucks, i'd rather go for their iced tea (P45) or one of their coffee blended drinks. the white mocha cheesecake latte seems intriguing. maybe i'll try that next time.

dinner was short, but satisfying and fun. caffe curio gives off a light, fun vibe that makes sharing meals with friends even more fun.

i have more photos of caffe curio right here.

contact information:
caffe curio
san pablo, laguna
business hours: 6am to 2am

viaje del sol: ugu bigyan: potter's garden

i first learned of ugu bigyan from the now-defunct channel, juice tv. it had an interior design show, space, which was hosted by reema chanco. one particular episode featured ugu bigyan's tranquil garden.

i also read somewhere that augusto "ugu" bigyan used to be an accountant, but left the world of numbers to pursue pottery. he has transformed his home in lusacan, tiaong, quezon into a sanctuary where artists can seek inspiration, rest, and dine on his well-renowned dishes. everything in the garden is a result of ugu's hard work.

the potter's garden was scrapped from our itinerary, because we thought they would be closed during the holidays. but jun, one of the other guests in sitio de amor (our weekend headquarters), told us the garden was indeed open. so after kinabuhayan cafe, we headed for tiaong.

ugu's place is pretty hard to miss. his garden is guarded by a massive brick house that is simply awesome (but it looked hot). we pulled up in front of the house and entered the garden. nobody stopped us or came up to ask why we were there; apparently, they have indeed opened the garden to anyone who would like to explore.

the garden is a maze of paths leading to huts and gazebos filled with native decor. the largest pavilion had a couple of long wooden tables with matching chairs, where large groups can have their conferences, meetings, or workshops. some huts were smaller, providing shade and a sitting area for a couple or a group of four. wood, clay, and bamboo were the recurring theme in every nook.

in most of the huts, you will find an ugu bigyan creation or two. it's ugu's very own "open house," it's his way of letting you know how you can use his masterpieces in your very own space. a large portion of the garden was alloted for his shop, where his latest and best work is displayed, and is available for sale.

we inadvertently disturbed the peace while we argued about whether a frog we found on the table was a clay accent or the real, live thing. before i had a chance to poke it with the blunt end of my pen (i never meant to hurt it, okay?), the poor amphibian sprung up and left, causing us to yelp in surprise. i guess that finally settled the argument.

it seems while most are inspired, the four of us became insane in the stillness of the garden. we found one bright nook and played tableau using my camera's self-timer function. the result: a hilarious set of photos with the theme who killed djong?

we walked away from ugu's garden without any of his clay creations, mainly because they were a tad pricey, but also because... we didn't really have much space in our homes to put them in. but when the day comes that i have to decorate my own place, i'm hoping i'll have space for an ugu bigyan piece.

for more photos of ugu bigyan's place, click here.

contact information:
ugu bigyan: potter's garden
alvarez village, lusacan, tiaong, quezon
tel. no.: (042) 5459144
mobile: 0917-5605708
rates: P350 per person for one of ugu's famous meals, minimum of 5 persons. advanced booking is required for lunch. pottery workshops or demonstrations may also be arranged.

viaje del sol: kicking back at kinabuhayan cafe

when i think of quezon, i immediately think, "ugh, long drive. too far." but i found out that there are some parts of quezon that are actually pretty close. and there are interesting places to see there, too.

kinabuhayan cafe was one big, pleasant surprise. i had heard a lot about the place, mostly about how it was a backpacker's haven. it's one of the entry points if you want to hike up mt. banahaw, which is known for its mystical healing powers.

it took us only thirty minutes to get to barangay kinabuhayan, the place that the cafe is named after. i did not expect to actually locate the cafe in the middle of town, alongside concrete houses and paved streets. just goes to show you that reading about a place is never as good as being there yourself. all the while, i thought this cafe-slash-hostel stands proudly at the foot of mt. banahaw, surrounded by lush flora.

a couple of dachshunds were tied by their leashes near the entrance. we pat their heads and enter the cafe. there was a billiard table in the middle, a curious bar to the side, with various knick-knacks on it. the walls were filled with decorative curios: a round mirror with intricate carvings, souvenirs and collectibles from all parts of the country, and wooden accents.

a bespectacled, long-haired man in native garb approached me. i introduced myself, and told him that i had made prior reservations with winston. his face lit up in recognition. his booming voice greeted us warmly, and he led us into the cafe's "backyard." it was like stepping into a completely different place. two huts stood in the yard, providing comfy accommodations to anyone who would want to stay over. people were littered about, talking, sipping coffee, lazing about.

our host turned out to be jay herrera, part-owner and official chef of kinabuhayan cafe. he led us to a table covered in banig, and had us sit on the wooden benches. a nipa roof hung from above, shading us from the sun. jay offered us coffee, which was pretty good (though i'm not exactly a coffee connoisseur).

we spent a good part of the morning just exploring the place. it wasn't very large, you can see everything no matter where you sit. it's a pity i couldn't quite explore the huts, because there were still people in them. maybe next time, i'll get to stay and even climb mt. banahaw.

there's always something to do in kinabuhayan. just take jay's cue and you won't get bored. at one point, he took out a round plastic container, shook it, took its contents, and scattered it on the ground. pigeons and cocks came running, pecking at the corn that their master just gave them. you can even opt to pet the dachshunds. or if you're not an animal lover, why don't you head on over to the bar and pick up jenga extreme! and play it with your friends? we played three games of jenga extreme! (i lost twice. bah.) before lunch finally came.

kinabuhayan cafe is known for their pinoy gourmet meals. for P500, we got a heaping plate of two pastas and a salad, plus dessert. the salad was actually strips of carrots topped with tomatoes and a vinaigrette-type sauce. coming from someone who HATES carrots, i actually enjoyed the salad, and even finished it! one of the pastas was spaghetti with tomato sauce, which was good. the other one was fettuccini topped with creamy laing. the taste was simply unforgettable, i tell you.


dessert consisted of a scoop of ube ice cream, a chunk of melon, and ubeng halaya, all drowned in grenadine. though i have long gotten tired of eating ube (we would make them every christmas), somehow, having it in kinabuhayan makes it taste so different (or maybe it was just the grenadine).

everything about the place was just so pleasant--the host, the ambience, the food. we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. it's no wonder every single one of us is planning another visit.

and here's my gallery of the kinabuhayan cafe trip.

contact information:
kinabuhayan cafe
dejarme st., bgy. kinabuhayan, dolores, quezon.
mobile: 0917-3271106 (winston) or 0917-3680054 (jay)
tel. no.: (042) 5656858
website: http://www.klar.us/kinabuhayan_cafe
rates: P500 per person for gourmet meals; P400 for a trek to the falls.
prior reservations are required. according to the website, it's their way of keeping costs down and to ensure that they will indeed be able to accommodate you.

viaje del sol: fun in the farm

after such a serene lunch in lake pandin, it was time for us to head to our weekend headquarters. sitio de amor farm resort is the bondad family's own farm which they opened to the public as a bed and breakfast.

unlike the drive to pandin, sitio de amor is a breeze to find. just coast along maharlika highway and look out for the following landmarks to your left: the meralco compound, the kusina salud sign, and ridge park hotel inn. pretty soon, you will find the sitio de amor farm sign on the left as well, pointing to a small street.

a small, bumpy dirt road greeted us as we bounced our way to the farm. it's just a short drive from the highway to the farm's iron gates. once we entered the sprawling grounds, a lady carrying fresh towels walked up to us and led us to our home for the weekend.

a handsome, long-haired dog walked up to the car and wagged its tail as a welcome to the family's new guests. it really felt like we were invited over for the holiday, and family friends were offering us their home to stay in. the house was located in the middle of the property. we entered through the kitchen, which had access to our room.

our room was lovely and homey, there were two double beds covered with fragrant, floral sheets. the fresh towels the lady was bringing a short while ago were now folded and placed at the foot of the beds. a daybed sat facing a large television set. a separate room that doubled as a storage closet also housed our bathroom, which was simple and clean.

everything about the farm made us feel so comfortable and welcome. the atmosphere was very friendly, almost like we were part of their family. breakfasts would be spent with the bondads, talking about their farm, their dogs, the other things they're planning for the farm. we'd share adventures while slicing our longganisas or forking salty fresh pineapple chunks from a large bowl. ms. amor even recommended other places for us to check out while we were there.

even with our busy itinerary, we still found time to explore the farm. we got to see the cozy nooks and gazebos where curling up with a book would be nice. there were some huts that had hammocks in them, where siesta would be ideal (susie actually took a nap in one of them!). and of course, we couldn't miss taking a dip in their lagoon, which was fed with fresh water from the river by the farm. i actually got to see the river, complete with playful children and a bathing carabao.

the farm also had a pavilion that was undergoing repairs. i think they're extending it so they can accommodate weddings and other special functions. there was also an unfinished house near the lagoon, which had wooden and brick accents. i found it so lovely, and i want to go back to see it when the whole thing is done.

the area was filled with trees and colorful plants. various animals also lived there. we found out that the dog who welcomed us is rocky, and the yappy mini pinscher that we're all scared of is called loda. my sister not only got to bond with rocky, but she also got to ride around the property on horseback. there were also bird cages near our room, one of them actually housed a young eagle.

at night, everything felt different. we'd always while away the time by playing cards and watching videos (the family had quite a huge collection of dvds) until we started drifting off to sleep. but at 4am, we would all be up, and feel an otherworldly presence in the room. we would hear rat claws scurrying up on the roof. at times, we'd hear a loud tap on the wooden door. i even heard noises inside the large porcelain jar beside my bed. whatever it was that woke us up had us waiting for the sun to come up before we'd go back to sleep.

still, though, i believe we all had a lot of fun while we were on the farm. the good times definitely outweigh the experiences we had in the middle of the night. the bondads' warmth and hospitality will be better remembered than our sleepless nights.

click here for more photos of sitio de amor farm resort.


contact information:
sitio de amor farm resort
km. 88.8 maharlika highway
san antonio 1, balanga, san pablo city, laguna
contact person: ms. amor bondad
mobile: 0918-9274346
manila tel. no.: (02) 5527340
san pablo tel. no.: (049) 2461565
email: sitiodeamor@yahoo.com
rates: bed and breakfast: P900 per person per night; daytrip with buffet lunch: P600 per person.
prior reservations are required.

viaje del sol: tour of lake pandin

once there was a childless couple who prayed to the gods to grant them a child. after twenty years filled with prayers, a fairy appeared to them to tell them that their prayers will be answered, but they must make sure that their child should never set foot on earth.

thus, their daughter, pandin, was born, and she became quite a beautiful young lady. for some reason, even though this woman has never set foot outside her home, an ardent young man with the name yambo became her suitor.

one day, yambo asked pandin to spend time with him outside. pandin refused, for her parents told her never to set foot on the earth. but the stupid yambo took the ball of yarn or thread that she was using for her knitting (or was it needlepoint?), and threw it outside. pandin's anger at yambo's shenanigans caused her to forget her curse. the minute her feet made contact with the soil, the earth opened and turned her and yambo into seemingly identical lakes, separated only by a thin strip of land.

and today, those two lakes are probably the most picturesque of san pablo's seven lakes. howie severino pronounces pandin as "the cleanest and the least disturbed," and i would have to agree with him.

pandin lake was our first stop for our viaje del sol tour. we had made prior arrangements to tour the lake and have lunch there as well. it takes about an hour and a half to two hours to reach pandin from manila. once you're in san pablo, ask around for directions to sto. angel.

we got a little bit lost trying to find the clearing where we were to meet our guide. it was when we reached lake calibato that we found out we had gone too far. we drove back and finally caught a sign that pointed the way to pandin and yambo lake. several townsfolk seemed to sense our "lostness," and walked up to the car. apparently, our guide had been waiting for us, and they knew all about the four manilenos touring the lake. they pointed us to the right clearing.

so there we finally met jewel, our guide, who works in manila, but was on vacation for the holidays. he helps his family out with the lake tours while he's home. he led us to a 10- to 15-minute hike to the lake. when we reached the shore, jewel's family happily ushered us onto the raft that would take us across the lake.

and after a few minutes, our raft was off. the wind was against us that day, so about four to five rowers had to join us. while our raft made our way to the other side of the lake, a lady was already cooking our fresh tilapia using coconuts. never have i been so happy to sniff smoke.

the entire ride was so serene, with us just floating over the green water of pandin. our guides parked our raft by a wall of the lake, and that's where we had lunch. we were served rice wrapped in banana leaves, ginataang hipon, fresh tilapia, chicken adobo, and fresh buko as drinks. we couldn't resist eating with our hands. it seemed the best thing to do, and it made the experience even better.

we lingered at the spot for about fifteen to twenty more minutes, enjoying the sights, marveling at the lush greenery that surrounded the lake. being oligotrophic, lake pandin is home to quite a number of plants and fish.

the locals rowed us back to shore after we finished talking about a myriad of topics. it was such a nice start to a great weekend. it was such a shame that we didn't get to climb over the wall to see lake yambo. that just means we have a reason to go back.

click here to see more photos of our lake pandin adventure.
read more about the legends of san pablo's seven lakes.

contact information:
contact person: mandy marino
mobile: 0917-5016694
rates: P180 per person for the lake tour, P100-P150 per person for food.
prior reservations are required for this tour.
mandy can also arrange tours for sampaloc lake.

viaje del sol for holy week

for the past five years or so, i have spent the lenten season baking myself dark under the scorching boracay sun. this year, i decided to go somewhere completely different.

and three other adventurers joined me on this journey:

susie, the other half.


shobe, the bratty sister.


zane, the demented friend.

for two and a half days, the four of us wandered around nearby san pablo, laguna, and its neighboring towns, dolores and tiaong quezon, and visited as many places on the viaje del sol route as our budget will allow.

so, what happened? stay tuned! :)

a nearby escape

for susie's birthday, i decided to take him someplace we've never been to before. i made the necessary preparations about a month ahead, but i was really afraid that something would go wrong.

thankfully, things went off without a hitch. :)

so let me tackle this one by one.

booking. probably the most painful of the entire process. though the website details the process quite well, there were some problems. they said that once you fax your deposit slip to their office, you'd be contacted, and your reservation will be confirmed. once i faxed the receipt, i didn't get any confirmation, even though i provided all the details that they needed. i had to text them to get a confirmation.

also, it would have helped if they mentioned that you can only fax your deposit slips during certain times of the day. it's not wonderful to hear a constant ringing sound on the other end of the line after a harrowing day at the bank.

but, at the end of the day, we got the room we wanted, so i guess that ended well. let's move on.

directions. as printed on their website, these are the directions to the place:
1. Take the South Superhighway. Exit at Lucena/Batangas Exit.
--> No problem finding this one. Some brochures of Viaje del Sol and Casa San Pablo might say it's Exit 50A, but it's really just exit 50.

2. Drive straight down the highway towards Batangas, passed the Makiling Conference Center, St James Academy and the Yakult factory (all on your right side). Upon reaching the Batangas junction, turn left, passing Junction Inn and the Laurel statue, towards Sto. Tomas.
--> landmarks mentioned are not in order. this might just be the o.c. in me, but i think it's more helpful if you write it down in order. it should be: st. james academy, makiling conference center, then yakult factory.
--> it might just be my frustration, but i did not see the laurel statue.
--> and finally, you don't exactly TURN left. there's a fork in the road, and you follow the road to the left. (yes, i believe there's a difference.)

3. Drive passed Jollibee, Rose & Grace Bulaluhan and the Pamilihang Bayan. After a few meters, you will reach the Batangas intersection, with an Isuzu Truck showroom across. Turn left toward YKK factory.
--> landmarks should be in this order: rose & grace bulaluhan, jollibee, then pamilihang bayan.
--> the ykk factory has no huge, visible sign. if you're not from there, you may not know where it is. but you'll figure it out.

4. Drive straight towards Alaminos. At the Alaminos boundary, follow the sharp curve of the road to the right and drive passed the Alaminos proper.
--> whatever you do, do NOT turn into that small road that says "san pablo city." that's not where you're headed.

5. After Alaminos, drive straight down the highway toward San Pablo City.
--> this one's pretty easy.

6. 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.
--> this one's pretty clear, too.

7. Drive down this street to Barrio San Roque. Watch for the PT&T office and the Community Hospital on your left. You will notice a welcome arch, immediately after this, to the right, is Kay Inay Resort. Turn into the resort gate, Casa San Pablo is inside.
--> and by "immediately," they do mean immediately. just drive slowly when you're close to the arch.

staff and service. no complaints here. they're part of the reason why i can erase the nightmare of the booking process from memory. from the guard that welcomed us at the gate to the all-around guy that hunted down delicious beer for us, everybody's just so friendly and courteous. eighteen thumbs up.

cleanliness. oh, the place is quite well-kept. even though the rooms are filled with collectibles and antiques, everything's free of dust and fully functional.

ambience. being around such a quaint environment does one a lot of good. the furniture, the accents, the rooms all merit closer inspection. you start to wonder who used to sit on the chair your sitting on, how that lamp was used, and what that p.m. carved on the table stands for.

as for the outdoor area, you're given a huge expanse of grass to run around in, hammocks to lie in, plenty of nooks to curl up and read a book in. the garden is filled with trees, the air is pretty clean, and though the highway is a short walk away, you only hear a faint buzz that reminds you of the chaotic world outside.

rooms. one of the things that makes casa san pablo stand out is the fact that no two rooms are the same. each room was painstakingly designed by boots alcantara himself (the owner), and his love for antiques and collectibles is evident in every room. to see the other rooms, you can check this out. we got to see some of the rooms after checking out. we asked mylene to give us a tour, and she gladly obliged.

food. what i love about this place is that the price you pay includes overnight accommodations and three buffet meals. as susie and i are very enthusiastic about food, this is definitely good news. i was a bit disappointed with lunch (rice, chicken kare-kare, liempo, and salad that has eggplants and onions), as nothing on my plate got me shovelling food down my throat.

dinner was a different story. they served pinaputok na tilapia and pork sinigang. i downed the sinigang right away, and concentrated on the tilapia. as mentioned, susie and i managed to go through three whole tilapias. do i still need to say that it was incredibly good?

we had binalot na kanin with chicken adobo, scrambled eggs with tomato, dilis, and native hot chocolate with pinipig. such a nice way to start the day. if only someone would cook breakfast this bongga everyday, i'd probably be up early all the time.

so, despite the booking glitch and the confusion with the directions, the experience was quite wonderful. how often can you find a getaway that's so close, yet gives you the feeling of being away from it all?

contact details:
casa san pablo
san pablo city, laguna
website: http://www.casasanpablo.com
tel. no.: 0917-8126687 (boots alcantara)