Backpacking Philippines: A Glimpse of Sulyap Gallery Cafe: A Restaurant in San Pablo, Laguna

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Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!

Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.

More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!

A Glimpse of Sulyap Gallery Cafe: A Restaurant in San Pablo, Laguna

A trip to a place for Tutubi won't be complete without looking for nice places to eat that's not the usual fastfood restaurants in every corner of almost every town, even with the advent of SM City San Pablo, he wanted a different kind of experience.

He got this wish during his second "official" visit to the City of Seven Lakes when he was asked by his contact on his wish on where to eat and promptly replied "I want to catch a glimpse of Sulyap Cafe and they took him there.

Sulyap Cafe stands at the site of the former school inside Cocoland in San Pablo, 2 minutes from Sambat Intersection (hmmm, such a redundant name, Sambat means intersection or junction in Tagalog, many places called Sambat in Sta. Cruz and Pagsanjan towns for example.)

Sulyap Gallery Cafe is an ancestral house from Real, Quezon sold by its owner then transplanted to its present home.

While Tutubi's companions ordered not interesting items on the menu (e.g. cheese sticks, cheeseburger, tapsilog et al), Tutubi ordered house specialties like the following:

Pinais na kabute (Pinais recipe, simply means the main ingredient, wrapped in banana leaves, is simmered in water, vinegar, garlic, ginger salt and pepper). In this recipe, kabute (mushrooms) were used)

Crispy tilapia in oyster sauce. The tilapia is fried, well done with no salt; the oyster sauce with spices for dipping.

ensaladang pako (edible fern salad using fresh fiddlehead fern abundant on the slopes of Mt. Banahaw and Sierra Madre mountain range). The fern was fresh and crispy with the great balance of the saltiness of the itlog na maalat (salted egg) and sourness of the vinaigrette-like dressing. (a similar take of this exists at Chef Mau restaurant, Liliw, Laguna, another favorite place of Tutubi)

The newly relocated bahay na bato soon to be turned into an inn/bed and breakfast for those looking for overnight accommodations. That will surely compete directly with the nearby Casa San Pablo bed and breakfast.

After Sambat, Tutubi opted to go to the tour of Lake Pandin but was spoiled by a sudden heavy downpour and just decided to go back to Manila. The rafting tour of Lake Pandin occurred on his third visit.

Tutubi's take: Sulyap Cafe deserves a second, third...many looks, not just a short glimpse!

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Sulyap Gallery Cafe
Brgy Del Remedio
Cocoland Compound, San Pablo City, Laguna
Telephone number: +63.49.562.9740; +63.49.562.9735
GPS Coordinate: N14 04 37.2 E121 18 46.7
Official Website: www.sulyap.net

Budget: P200.00++ per person

Other Recommended dishes:
Kulawong Puso ng Saging
Kulawong Talong with flavor of smoked coconut meat similar to the minanok recipe of Paete, Laguna and nearby places.

No reservations required but limited space available around 8 tables. Call Sulyap's contact numbers to be sure.

Other notable San Pablo restaurants:

Kusina Salud
Cafe Lago, on the lakeshore of Sampaloc Lake
El Mare Bulalo on the national highway (opposite the El Mare Buko Pie and Chicken Empanada and pasalubong shop)

Where to eat in San Pablo on the cheap, there's
Clydenjosh Luto sa Lawa for cheap meryenda plus the "al fresco" grills (barbeque, isaw, betamax and other street food) on the lakeshore promenade near the park.

Labels: Calabarzon, Laguna, Laguna Restaurants, San Pablo, Southern Tagalog

posted by GingGoy @ 8:33 PM,

9 Comments:

At Jan 18, 2011, 6:28:00 PM, Wena said...: hi..I miss the ensaladang pako .. hayy.. yummy.. nagutom tuloy ako. :( Kailan ka balik? Sama na kami ha. :)
At Jan 19, 2011, 8:31:00 AM, Traveler on Foot said...: wow. we should visit Sulyap. I also want to create something like that... a sancturay where friends can stay and relax.
At Jan 19, 2011, 4:32:00 PM, Nisha said...: Hi,
I was recently in Philippines for 3 weeks holidays and enjoyed the country a lot. It'll be fun to go thru your posts to get another version. :)
At Jan 20, 2011, 6:21:00 AM, Photo Cache said...: the house is magnificent.

i dont get it why people order burgers when you're in places like that?
At Jan 20, 2011, 11:13:00 AM, GingGoy said...: wena, sige sama ka next time P

traveler on foor, also planning of acquiring my own vacation home for relaxation someday...mauna ka, i'll visit you :P

nisha, glad you like my country. will return the favor soon :P

photo cache, don't ask me hehe i held back on my thoughts when i learned what he ordered :P
At Jan 22, 2011, 7:04:00 AM, Luigi said...: Exciting food an interesting story make your blog REAL. Thanks a lot!
At Jan 22, 2011, 8:34:00 AM, GingGoy said...: luigi, it's as real aas it can get. i don't have sponsored posts, advertorials nor hidden affiliations here that's why you'll see occasional thumbs down or bashing :P
At Feb 2, 2011, 9:45:00 AM, Cheap flights philippines said...: am a big fan of good food and nice places to eat them, I really think that this seems to be a trend of nice places where houses are turned into restaurants where you really feel the sincereness of the ambiance. I haven't been to much restaurants of the same type, but this reminded me of Pamana back in Tagaytay. Cozy place and great food.
At Apr 11, 2011, 5:09:00 PM, Unknown said...: great informative reporting tutubi...am hitting laguna-quezon route this holy week...and will definitely go sulyap....thanks...more power

A Glimpse of Sulyap Gallery Cafe: A Restaurant in San Pablo, Laguna

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