G Travel: Balaw Balaw Specialty Restaurant

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Balaw Balaw Specialty Restaurant

Angono is the art capital of the Philippines. We wouldn't want to miss this famous restaurant that was even featured on TV.

Balaw Balaw Specialty Restaurant

Based on research, this restaurant is special because they serve exotic dishes. After Angono Petroglyphs, we were talking about exotic foods to order on our way. But when we were in the restaurant to order, no one had the guts to mention any exotic food. So we agreed on their house specialty, Minaluto and added Sinigang na Baboy (Pork Stew).

Minaluto - P245 (single serve)

Minaluto is a combination of seafood, vegetables and salted egg in a rice served on banana leaf. Your rice options can be plain white rice, java rice and pink rice. If you know me, you'll be able to guess what I chose. Haha! Right! Pink rice is binuro (fermented) rice.

We were too hungry to roam around. We wanted to eat before exploring the gallery. Balaw Balaw is not just a restaurant. They also have a gallery in their Mezzanine and 2nd floor. We just waited for our food to be served first.

Art Gallery

I like this mother and child painting.

And at last, after a few minutes, we are ready to taste their Minaluto when suddenly... I saw something crawling heading to my fork. I panicked a little, but I don't want to cause a scene. So I immediately tried to cover it with my glass of iced tea. When all I thought that it was dead, it crawled again (surviror!). This time it's heading to my friend's direction. But she was more calm than me (I think). She just squash it with a handful of tissue (eeeww.. juicy pa!). And the cockroach is dead.

Rest in peace ipis (cockroach).

If you think that this stop us from eating, you're wrong! Hehe! Although it decrease my appetite, it didn't stop us from eating our lunch. I guess the three of us thought the same. We need the energy for our next destination, Darank and Batlag Falls.

From the foods that we ordered. I'd recommend their Pork Stew more. You can taste the real asim (sourness) in sinigang. They made it the traditional way.

Sinigang na Baboy - P235

Total bill is less than P700. We roam around for a awhile then head out. We didn't bother to order a dessert anymore. We agreed to buy an ice cream at a nearby convenience store. Perfect for the hot weather.

How to get there

Address: 16 Doña Justa Subdivision, Angono, Rizal
Contact No: (02 651-0110) and (02) 295-2698

By Private vehicle
From EDSA, drive through Ortigas Ext. road passing by KayTikling. Turn right to the towns of Taytay and Angono. Turn left on Doña Justa Subdivision (They have a signboard at the corner of the hi-way).

By Public Transportation
From EDSA-Crossing, take the Angono, Binangonan bound FX or jeepneys. Make sure that it will pass the hi-way. Just ask the driver to drop you off at Balaw Balaw Restaurant or Doña Justa Subdivision. The entrance is just a few steps from the hi-way.

Read our Rizal Tour from Day 1 to Day 2.

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Rizal Tour (Day 1)

Day 1:

After researching and planning for weeks, we finally pushed through with our Rizal Tour. Our meeting place is at Melvin, Crossing at 6AM. From there, we took a jeepney ride to KayTikling (P20). At KayTikling, we decided to eat breakfast at a local fast food restaurant and bought some essentials at a nearby drug store. After breakfast, we crossed the street and looked for a jeepney that will pass hi-way. We asked the driver to drop us off at Christ the King Parish in Muzon. (Along the hi-way, you should be able to see the old Christ the King church). Tricycles going to the church in the sky is at the street before the old church. It has a sign like in the photo below. Fare is P35 per trip. You may ask the driver to wait for you since there are no other public transportation at the church.

Christ the King Parish

From the hi-way, we took another jeepney ride to Scrapyard (P8.50). This place is where the street to Thunderbird Resort is located. But unfortunately, someone told us that the service van for guests is at the town proper. So we took a tricycle to Angono town for P10 each.

While waiting for the 11AM schedule of pick-up, we decided to pass by Angono Municipal Hall and Blanco Museum. My friends and I just can't resist to take pictures with the Higantes. Angono, aside from being the Art capital of the Philippines, it is also known for their Higantes Festival celebrated every third week of November.

Higantes with Raina and Raz

We went straight to Blanco Museum after cam whoring at the park. Blanco Museum is just two blocks away from the Municipal Hall. Entrance fee for adults is P70 and P50 for kids.

A family of artist

We were amazed of all the paintings made by the whole Blanco family. Specially the huge painting that took Pitok Blanco two years to finish.

The town fiesta

At exactly 11AM, the van for Thunderbird Resort guests arrive. Please remember that it will wait for 3-5 minutes only. The van will leave whether it is full or not. You will have to wait for the next schedule of pick-up if you've been left behind. The van is a free service transportation for hotel and casino guests.

At the Fiesta Casino, we hired a tricycle to take us to Angono Petroglyphs (P30 per trip). Angono Petroglyphs is one of the oldest work of art in the Philippines. Human and animal figures are engraved on rock walls dating back to 3000 B.C.

Angono Petroglyphs

It was past 1PM when we decided to take our lunch at Balaw Balaw Specialty Restaurant. Famous for serving exotic dishes and Minaluto. Aside from their specialty restaurant, they also have an art gallery on their Mezzanine and 2nd floor.

Balaw Balaw Restaurant

After feasting ourselves with food and art, we were hurrying ourselves to get to Daranak and Batlag Falls before dark. We took the Morong-Tanay bound jeepneys around 2:30PM (P35). We asked the driver to drop us at the tricycle terminal bound to Daranak Falls. We took the special trip for P150 since it was already past 4PM. Don't forget to ask the tricycle driver to pick you up at your preferred time.

Most of the people are on their way out when we arrive. The officer-in-charge told us that they will close at 5PM and they won't accept visitors anymore.

We can't risk going back to Angono without nothing so we told them that we are having an ocular inspection only of Daranak and Batlag. We didn't pay the P25 entrance fee of Daranak. But when we reached Batlag, we were told that we have to pay the entrance fee of P50 even for an ocular inspection, so we paid.

Daranak (left) and Batlag Falls

It was really dark when we left the falls. From Tanay, we stopped at Scrapyard Restaurant for dinner at around 9PM. We were suppose to go overlooking the city before going to sleep. But then we thought that we need to rest for another adventure the next day.

For the complete story, click on the links.

Click on Day 2 of our Rizal Tour.

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