Saturday, January 01, 2011

GETTING MAJORLY LOST AT ISABELO'S (SECRET) GARDEN



G.U.S. NITPICKS!! (v. 21)

ISABELO GARDEN RESTO





Actually, i had sworn off writing restaurant reviews, since so many other bloggers are able to do this much better than i can; and i just reserve my efforts for the out-of-town, so-called "destination" restaurants (think Antonio's Tagaytay).

But then Isabelo's was located in the shoe city of Marikina, which, for me, might as well be at the ends of the earth, since it seems so remote and far, far away like a distant galaxy.

Add to this the fact that my wine-swilling friends, D. and Jbs., waxed rhapsodic about the food and ambiance of the place, so it was a go.


Before we get on the car and drive off, here's a few things one should know about Isabelo Garden resto:

1. They are open for DINNER only (6 PM onwards).
2. One has to make advance reservations. No reservations, no food for you!
3. One also has to order from the menu in advance.
4. The owner-chef, Portia, generally does the cooking of the food herself.
5. They will give you the exact address and location map, only AFTER you make a confirmed reservation. Ergo, curious sightseers aren't exactly welcome! :D


So, off the three of us went for our foodie excursion. Unfortunately, the girls neglected to print out the map, relying instead on their memories of the directions from their previous visit.

This resulted in us getting lost in a major major way, and we tried asking policemen, a hospital doorman, tricycle drivers, etc. for directions, to no avail. D. called the resto, but their landline was not working.

"The food had better be worth all this trouble," i muttered grumpily, whilst entertaining thoughts of ejecting Jbs. from the car.

Finally, we turned into the small, extremely narrow Isabelo St. and honked at the slightly rusty, totally non-descript, grey-colored and unmarked gate of Isabelo Garden resto.


First, a brief word or two about the place. Isabelo aims to project a rustic, "feels-like-home" garden setting, and i'd say it overwhelmingly succeeds in this aspect. With the ancestral trees and assorted plants and cool breeze, one could very well forget that just outside the gates is a booming, industrial city with concrete roads and new commercial complexes.

There are various seating options, depending on the size of the group. One can dine on the garden, alfresco-style, or inside the equally-charming wooden house, which
doubles as an art studio/gallery.








Now, on to the FOOOOOOODDD! :D We had pre-ordered the following:

Creamy Italian Paella (PHP550.00)



This paella was a bit moist and soupy, i had thought it was almost like risotto. Creamy risotto at that, with sausage, chicken, and more than a hint of cheese.

Ultimately, it didn't matter what shape or form it was; this paella was simply packed with flavour, rich and delicious, albeit a bit heavy on the stomach.



Orange Herb Chicken (PHP660.00 for small size)

This is Isabelo's signature dish - one whole chicken, stuffed inside with orange peels and roasted for 4 hours. It comes served with squash, potatoes and carrots.






Moist, tender and juicy! I could have inhaled the entire chicken all by myself, come to think of it :D


Pizza Rustica (PHP430.00) - thin crust, with a thick layer of mozzarella cheese, and roasted veggies (zucchini, mushrooms, etc.) on top.

I was initially leery of this dish, being a major carnivore; but after two bites of the crunchy pizza, i was sold! Great way to eat veggies.





Mango Float (PHP110) - Isabelo's ice cream cake. This was good, but maybe because i had already eaten too much of the other dishes, it wasn't anything fantastic. Passable.




So, obviously we have a happy, positive verdict: The food at Isabelo's not only lives up to the hype; coupled with the nice, relaxing ambiance, it is worth all the trouble getting lost in the (dare i say it) boondocks of Marikina!

I'll leave you all with this nice table accent. It's small, deft touches like this that make all the difference, no?




A return trip is in the cards, indeed-y.


Photo credits to MBismonte.

(For more details regarding menu and reservations, please check out Isabelo Garden's website. I will not publish the exact location, but here's a hint: It is very near the Marikina Shoe Museum)



12 comments:

-=K=- said...

Bring me here! Hehehehe. Nice naman! And to think this is just in Marikina. Awesome!

Happy New Year GUS! Mwah!

Unknown said...

There are a lot more surprises in Marikina! I, just a newbie in Marikina (7 years as a resident) I am still discovering what is really inside this town. Another resto to consider is Krung Thai.

Anni said...

Very nice pictures!

HazeyJane said...

this post made me hungry!

carlotta1924 said...

all righty, this just made my list of restos to try for this year. :)

about that mango float, i guess anyone can make it, no? not unless they have a secret ingredient that makes their mango float a cut above all the others. but maybe i'd still try that, i'm all for frozen creamy desserts anyway lol

grumpyurbanslacker said...

hey K,

Marikina is soooooooo far, nasa dulo ng walang hanggan! :D pero taralets!

Simon, Annie and Inge,

many thanks for dropping by! stay tuned for future posts! :D

hey carlotta,

fellow lover of frozen creamy desserts, haha!

GUS

Dmarie said...

what a brilliant place! love all the little design touches that add up to major ambiance. great find!

unlock iphone said...

Excellent post.I want to thank you for this informative read, I really appreciate sharing this great post. Keep up your work.

Koryn said...

What time do they close? Looks like a nice date place.

BTW...update! Update! Hihi.

grumpyurbanslacker said...

Hi Dmarie and Unlockphone,

Thanks for dropping by! :D

Hey Koryn,

Thanks for commenting, i've been reading your blog for the past few months or so, hehe.

Isabelo is indeed-y a nice date place, although when i went there, i was the 3rd wheel. haha. Pls. check the website for their operating hours.

As for update....hayzzz, the little grey cells have been stagnant recently!

Padron Cigars said...

These are very best dishes you described it with us. Best dish for morning breakfast and dinner.

buy wow account said...

Oh my! what a great pics indeed. .makes me drool.=D