Filipino-Spanish Cuisine at Sulyap Gallery Cafe

Last Thursday my mom successfully bribed me and Yuri into going with her to San Pablo, Laguna to take pictures of the farm lot that my dad and her are trying to sell.  The price?  Lunch.  That's always how it has been with me and my mom.  She hates to do her errands on her own (who can blame her) so she'd bribe me with a food stop in between so that I'd go with her.  Truth is, I'd go with her anyway even without the tempting restaurant stops, but it just made getting out of bed early a lot easier and pain-free.  I'm not the cheeriest person in the morning, you see.

The usual bribes were Taco Bell's Crunchy Wrap, Jollibee's Chickenjoy meal, Mcdonald's nuggets and fries, Figaro's Al Tonno Pasta, Cibo's Rigatoni Al'Afonso, and Omakase's or Teriyaki Boy's Shake Sashimi just to name a few.  These were the kinds of dishes that she knew knows I can't resist.  Appetite trumps laziness ALWAYS.

On that fateful Thursday, the bribe was a trip to Sulyap Gallery Cafe.  Sulyap is the Filipino word for "glimpse".  It was literally a glimpse into the past.  A peek into the days of Maria Clara outfits and kalesas.

The cafe is in a traditional Spanish colonial house, which was transported piece by piece from Quezon, and refurbished to it's former glory in San Pablo.  The 2-storey cafe is just a teeny tiny part of a huge compound that houses a massive art gallery building and a quaint B&B that they're still putting together.  My mom loves the place because it reminds her of her grandmother's old house, which she says is a spitting image of the cafe.

It feels like being thrown back to a time when things were less hurried and afternoons were savored with long siestas.  I had never felt so relaxed in a loooong time.  The sound of the breeze rustling through the bamboo leaves surrounding the restaurant just added to the sleepy and relaxed ambience.  During the two hours we spent there, I forgot about my never-ending list of things to do and our hectic schedule back in Metro Manila.

I found out that 3 architects own the place, which explains why every piece of furniture and accent decor in the cafe seemed well thought out.

We were planning on having a light lunch but that quickly changed.  It took 15 minutes for our food to arrive but that didn't matter since we were too busy ooh-ing and aahh-ing over the house.

Calamares & Chips Php 280.00

We started off with an order of their Calamares and Chips.  Deep-fried breaded squid strips with their homemade "fries" and a side of garlic dip.  The calamares was nice and crispy.  I liked that the garlic dip was subtle in flavor.  The chips were a bit soggy and could've used a few more minutes in the fryer, but nonetheless, they were fun to eat.

Kulawong Puso ng Saging Php 310.00

We were advised to order the Kulawong Puso ng Saging since it is a regional dish of San Pablo City and also one of Sulyap's specialties.  I was an instant fan!  You can choose between the puso ng saging (banana heart) or the talong (eggplant).  We went for the puso ng saging (the original recipe).  The strips of puso ng saging were simmered and reduced in smoked coconut milk and a dash of vinegar.  The resulting flavor was intense and rich.  I imagine the eggplant would work out just as well for this recipe.  It's then topped with slices of grilled pork liempo which completes this hearty dish.  It would've tasted just like a regular Ginataang Puso ng Saging, except that the smokiness of the coconut milk comes through distinctly in this dish.  It takes it to another level.  This dish is good for 3 persons and is best enjoyed with steamed white rice.  Mmmmmm.

Crispy Tilapia Php 270.00

We also ordered their butterflied deep-fried Crispy Tilapia.  It's my favorite way of eating a whole tilapia.  Since it's nice and cruchy, I can literally eat the entire fish... even the head.   Haha.  I did my dad proud that day.  No slices of sanitized fillets here.  The tilapia comes with a side of extra gingery oyster sauce.

All in all, the food was pleasant and the servers were courteous and unobtrusive.  Sulyap is a bit pricey but the ambience is well-worth it.  Another must-try is their Kare-kareng Sugpo which we didn't get to sample since we were quite stuffed with the food we had ordered.

The dish that really stood out for us was the Kulawong Puso ng Saging.  This proves that there's more to Filipino food that just lumpia, pansit, and adobo.  Don't get me wrong, lumpia, pansit and adobo are awesome, but there are hundreds of other regional Filipino dishes out there that are waiting to be discovered and reintroduced to the world.  Sulyap is definitely on to something here.  The traditional house and the food commemorate a time that is slowly being forgotten.  I'm glad that Sulyap is trying to preserve and recapture it. :-)



Address: Old Cocoland Compound, Del Remedio (Wawa), San Pablo, Laguna Province
Hours: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM everyday
Contact #: (6349) 562-8059