With the unbridled congestion of the metro and the widespread contamination of our surroundings these days, i would sometimes pray for the abundance of old-fashioned things like fresh air, sunshine and farm lots. Why not? Perhaps, its the most luxurious boon that i can give to myself so i could breath obliviously. Well, talking about fresh air, on one of my occasional explorations, I've discovered a ranch house turned cafe somewhere in the sleepy town of Taal, Batangas where lush greenery and a breath of fresh air was very ordinary. 

I always believed that Sundays are for the family. If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter and other social media pages, you'll notice that i always use the hashtag #SundaysBest. Basically, because it's the first day of the week and starting it right makes it the best! First, by going to church to declare my faith and thanksgiving and to enjoy quality time with my loved ones. In my context, quality time also means eating good food and trying out something new, given enough time and resources.

If you'll notice my Instagram feed, the past weeks of my life was spent food hunting, cafe hopping and indulging into different family occasions. The flooding of food is just so hard to resist! Have you ever been into that situation? How do you manage? Ako? I just give in! Kain lang ng kain! Hahaha! 

Kidding aside, there comes a time talaga that you'll really feel like craving for something extra special than the usual. Or perhaps, getting bored sometimes, resorts to some sort of binge eating. I, for one, loves the idea of checking out new cafes once in a while and coddle myself with good food or coffee, coupled with a nice and cozy ambiance where i could set the mood for some random musings and think about something that i wanted to write.

There's a hidden cafe that i used to frequent lately along San Jose, Batangas. I was itching to go home as quickly as possible after a series of client meetings in the city of Lipa when all of a sudden, i got sleepy along the way, and obviously, it was not a good idea to continue driving. Thankfully, i spotted a commercial complex and saw Tuesday Cafe, so i stopped by for a while to take a dose of strong coffee.

(An Honest Review + a Side Story)

I am amazed how cafes and food hubs are cleverly designed nowadays. For the past years, I've seen how these coffee shops and newly opened restaurants were slowly filling up the spaces in cities like Lipa and Batangas. Some rainy days ago, together with my foodie son (yes, he's a foodie now!) and my favorite cousin Josh, we braved the heavy rains, drove around the city of Lipa and found ourselves chilling like wet chicks in a "bus station", drinking some frappes and eating some pastas.

As i have said earlier on my previous blogs, garage burgers and other burger joints were popping everywhere in the city. While everything that they offer are burgers and burgers with added fries and drinks, still, there's one burger joint that never fails to tickle our tummies.

If you'll notice, my posts about food trips and restaurant reviews is centered in Batangas. Yes, because i'm a proud Batangueña who hails in the traffic capital of the province! (Hulaan nyo kung saan yun) My advocacy for entrepreneurship (mompreneurship) goes out to small and medium enterprises and that includes budding businesses that suits my lifestyle. That's the reason why, once in a while i give them some space here in my personal blogsite, lending them the chance to shine and to entice more people to visit Batangas as well. So here i am again with my When in Batangas series!

"What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?"  

Last Saturday, I was invited by a dear friend to come over to the grand opening and blessing of the newest "tambayan" in town. Guess what? If you think that only burgers are popping out today like mushrooms in every corner of the streets here in Batangas, don't you know that coffee shops are also massively penetrating at every town nowadays? These coffee shops excites me so much! For the love of coffee, yes it is!

I love Burgers! 

If there would be one specialty that me and my hubby would enjoy the most, i think that would be a platter of seafoods garnished with the most delectable flavors of butter, garlic and chili or maybe a bowl of  crabs cooked in creamy coconut milk that is hot and spicy. Yes we love "maanghang", but he likes it more than i do.

Just recently, our busy Monday schedule transported us in the city of Lipa, Batangas, reason for us to check out a new place to dine-in, just in time for lunch. The wheels of the car went fast as we approached San Jose, and slowly till we reach the city where we spotted Seafood in the Bucket by Chef Jonas. Actually, i had been seeing this resto for quite some time now and the name sounds familiar. On my frequent googling, i stumbled across this site and thought that oh! it was in the middle east! How am i goin' to try that? But that was just the name similar to this and how happy i was to know that the concept of seafoods inside a bucket is now here in Batangas.

It was a gloomy Sunday afternoon then. The kids were off on a short vacation at their granny's place due to a long weekend celebration once again. While me and my all time favorite cousin Josh were left in the house and that day seemed to be a lazy, sleepy, kind of Sunday. Still, we managed to get up in the afternoon and attended the 4pm Sunday service in our local church. I love Sundays, probably because it's the kind of day when i had the excuse to not cook or prepare any dish for lunch or dinner (we usually eat out). I love it too because it's that one day of the week where i can be on the lookout to try new restaurants or cafes around the city or maybe in the nearby towns after attending church.

Aside from coffee shops and cafes who offer delicious pastas and sandwiches for the foodies, don't you know that burger joints were also popping-up like mushrooms, everywhere in Batangas? In my town alone, i think i can count five (5) garage burger stalls (if i'm not mistaken) or more! And they offer nothing but BURGERS! The slowest kind of poison for the health conscious buffs but perhaps the most satisfying comfort food to many.

Restaurants and cafes are opening one by one  in our locality nowadays and it only signifies that our community is gaining progress. Going back to our days, i remember how we drive all the way to Alabang just to meet up with friends over a cup of coffee and a plate of scrumptious dish while setting the perfect mood to start a nice chat in a sound ambiance. But now, coffee shops and a lot more of chic restos are here! Thanks to social media buffs for putting the limelight on these establishments that are now gaining popularity. 

Finally, after a month long craving i was able to try out the newest and most talked about burger joint in town, the BG Burgers! I was getting curious as to why a lot of people talked about the burger craze over facebook and instagram. So i set a date to visit and check out this burger hype which was according to their tagline is "grilled at its best". My first visit failed, because after attending the church on a Sunday, me and my kids proceeded to the place out of excitement without knowing that they usually start grilling their home-made patties at 3pm! So we went back and source out for another fastfood at SM City Batangas which is just 10 minutes away less the traffic. :-(

When you say Batangas, perhaps, the first thing that comes to mind is Kapeng Barako and the beautiful beaches. But don't you know that there's something Italian too in this southern most part of the region? Yes, we have Italian and Japanese raving the food market in the province today. Why not? Another reason for us to be proud and to love our local enterprises. And another basis for me to stay and enjoy the simple and quiet rural living in the province. I hope my dear Batangas will stay this way, a progressive and peaceful place to dwell in.