If there's a new food park in town, you bet your a$$ the boyfriend and I will hunt it down no matter what it takes nor where it is. Which is pretty much what happened when we visited this newly opened food park in the South. I've read about it a few times and I though, ooh, it's in Tagaytay! The boyfriend's family has a house there so we spend most of our weekends in there too. In my head, going to this place will be a breeze. But, as we were set to leave the house and after putting on the location at Waze, I was a bit surprised since it says travel time is about 1.5 hrs. I thought it was the traffic--turns out it isn't!

Technically, the food park is along Sta. Rosa - Tagaytay Road, which may be the reason why it's being marketed as the first food park in Tagaytay. We were already on our why so we figured why not just go with it? We were also on our way home to Manila so we thought it would be okay. And gladly, it didn't disappoint. 

The Place

When I saw the place, I was so glad we made it because it was soooo worth it. From the colorful containers to the lit sign of the food park--everything just looked enticing! It also had a Miami vibe to it, probably because of the colors. There's ample parking in front of the park, and you can also park on the side of the street--though I bet you can't guarantee your car's safety there. Traffic was horrible as we closed in on the location! I think we spend about 15-20mins of our travel time just traversing the street going to StrEAT, lol. 

Aside from Japanese food, which every one knows I'm obsessed with, I also have a mild infatuation with Persian food. I don't get to post about it often because it's quite difficult to look for a Persian restaurant that's well within my budget. I've tried a few which are very affordable but compromises the taste and quality of the food. I have a couple of favorites--Mr Kebab and Adbul the Cool. Aside from the two, I have a couple more that I frequent but not something I'd really recommend to friends. 

One time while driving along Katipunan, we saw this small, homey joint that was flocked by a lot of students. I was curious because I haven't tried any new Persian restaurant for the past few months. While looking at the menu, we didn't expect much because the food was cheap and they don't always look like the ones in the photos. But this restaurant though, you'll be surprised. Let me take you in on the food that we got ourselves!

The Place

The place is not right out the streets of Katipunan. You have to enter a small alley and you'll see the place. It has ample parking, and I was surprised because the street also has CCTV. No need to worry about your belongings in the car. The joint also has a CCTV of its own. Looking from the outside, the place may seem a little small--but there are several seats inside once you enter. It is also quite spacious inside with a wide view of the kitchen so you can actually see how you food is being prepared. 

The Food

For starters, we had the Chelo Jujeh Kabab (P179.00), Chicken Barbecue with Saffron, Grilled Tomato and Persian rice. The chicken is grilled to perfection, and isn’t tough or dry at all (which is usually my problem when it comes to Persian food). The rice on its own also speaks wonders! My usual Persian rice is just plain Basmati rice topped with butter; but their rice, on the other hand, beams with different flavors and spices. I was trying to identify each one, but eventually gave up because I just wanted to enjoy the food.

Our second course was the Kabab Kubideh Wrap (P99). After having rice, we wanted something a bit lighter, so we could ease into rice again, lol. It’s made of Beef Kabab, Tomato and Onion. Our last meal was the Chelo Kabab Kubideh (P179.00), or Beef Kabab with Grilled tomato and Persian rice. I made sure I tried this last because I’m very fond of Chelo Kabab. The Chef mentions that if you eat Chelo Kabab with pure beef, though, you have to make sure you eat it as soon as it’s served because it gets drier the longer you let the meat sit.

To complement our meal, we had Lassi P70 , a Yogurt Drink in Plain and Rose Water. I’ve had a couple of favorite yogurt drinks in the past, but their plain yogurt drink is a revelation. It is sweet, tangy and refreshing. The Rose Water Yogurt, on the other hand, gave me butterflies on my tongue (is there such thing?). I hadn’t had any rose water-flavored drink before and I was surprised that it tasted so invigorating.

While dining, we also had the chance to meet the owners of the place, Violet and Chef Manoj de Silva. Chef Manoj was very chatty and told us a lot of things about herbs and spices. Through our short 15-20 minute conversation, I learned a lot about food preparation, import and export, and a few things about the food service industry! It was an interesting dinner to say the least. Will we come back? Definitely! I’ve yet to try the rest of their menu which I assume will be as wonderful as the ones we’ve already tried. Next time you around the area, don’t forget to drop by and see the humungous serving sizes yourself!

Halal Kabab Express

Budget – P100 – 150 / person

12NN – 12AM

The Yard at Xavierville, 83 Xavierville Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

Montfort Bat Sanctuary has been the home of a large colony of 2.3 million Rousette fruit bats since recorded history. They cover 75% of the ceilings and walls of their 245 ft (75 m)-long cave.[2] The sanctuary is located on Samal Island, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) east of Davao City, Philippines. According to Guinness World Records, it is the largest single colony of this kind.

Fruit bats are an extremely popular type of bat that can also be called megabats. The bats originate from tropical regions of the Old World. They don't hibernate and since they dislike the cold, tropical regions suit them best. Fruit bats diet includes fruit and nectar. During their Circadian flight, fruit bats gather 1.5 to 3 times their body weight in food. Certain types of fruit bats have short jaws and powerful teeth to pierce into fruit. Others have long tongues and snouts to reach pollen and nectar. They can search up to 30 mi (48 km) to find food. Some types of fruit bats can have a 5 feet wing span, the largest of all bats. Other fruit bats only have a 6 centimeter long wing span. All but a few types of fruit bats are nocturnal. The ones occupying The Monfort Bat Sanctuary are nocturnal. These bats are quite rare because they are killed for food. Other predators include crows, rats, 10 ft (3.0 m)-long pythons, and lizards. Usually fruit bats can survive these creature attacks. Their major predators are feral dogs and cats. (via)