Bambulo

It was a pleasant discovery on a weekday afternoon... tucked amidst the bamboo groves of Bacong is a funky new restaurant right beside the river. Bambulo, it turns out, is supposed to be a restaurant/ mini golf course resort, but the latter is still undergoing construction. But fear not, consummate weekend daytrippers, Bambulo already has three cottages done in the traditional native Filipino hut style, all open to reservations.

The restaurant is right beside the river, with each table enclosed in its separate bamboo nook. Efren, our friendly waiter told us that the owner is a Swiss national, which explained the excellent food preparation and great service, not to mention the really funky restroom (murals of an Egyptian woman marked the little girls' room while an Egyptian guy guarded the entrance to the little boys' room.)

The food was superb, and the prices made my jaw drop. It was like eating at any of the regular restaurants in the city, but the presentation looked sophisticated and upscale. Even the 30-peso leche flan, which was creamy, and rich and sweet, looked like it came straight out of FOOD. With the large servings, you are really getting your money's worth. (Plus, Efren is really an entertaining waiter.)

*I made the photos uber-large for my drooling pleasure :D*