Author: Rochelle Sy Chua

Oh, how I love Sonya’s Garden food!  Aside from their famous lunch, they also serve breakfast!   For just Php 427.00 per person, we’ll be able to eat so much food to help us get energized for the day.  This is available from 8-10AM.

We can choose from 2 different kinds of breakfast:

• Filipino
• Continental

I’ve always been a rice person & was never fond of breads.  That was why I opted for the Filipino breakfast which includes a lot of dishes.  We weren’t able to finish the food because it was too much for the 2 of us.  But man, it was sooo yummy!

Before I share what we had, let me share with you what the continental breakfast consist of  for those who may want to know 🙂  Sonya’s Garden Restaurant’s Continental breakfast includes cereal w/ fresh milk & fruits, bread w/ assorted jam, ham & cheese omelette, fried potato with herbs, fried white cheese w/ honey, hot chocolate or coffee & seasonal fruits.

So now let me share the Filipino Breakfast at Sonya’s.  It was soo good & sooo worth it, believe me!  I believe a lot of people know Sonya’s Garden as a place which serves good lunch but you should definitely also try their breakfast, you won’t regret it.  We definitely had a great eating experience there.

Our yummy Filipino breakfast includes the ff.:

• Fried Rice



The fried rice here is simple yet so delicious.  As with anything at Sonya’s, simplicity but with great flavor, and even their fried rice does not disappoint.  Not salty or oily at all, and the rice is not dry.  Compliments the main dishes just right.

• Pork & Chicken Adobo



The pork and chicken adobo is of the dry kind, which also meant less oil in terms of the sauce, which can sometimes be the case with other adobos.  I liked this adobo only because it had the mixture of chicken and pork which is good because at least there’s variety all in one dish.  The seasoning was good with this dish, nothing fancy, again, I think the basic ingredients in adobo went into this dish and nothing more.  Simple, but delicious.  I’m sensing a theme here.

• Fried Boneless Bangus



Oh fried bangus, what can I say.  Fried bangus is really one of my favorite dishes too.  I especially like the inner portion since i always feel it’s the more tastier portion.  But with this bangus, you wouldn’t mind any part of it.  I believe they marinade this for a while before they fry it, because you can really taste the garlic and a little vinegar taste to it, not to mention some spices that I just can’t figure out what it is.  I guess it’s their secret as to why it taste just so yummy.  This bangus with their rice is a great combination.

• Omelette



Their Omelette was cooked nicely too.  One or two ingredients, cheese, and that’s it.  Did I mention that as with the rest of the menu items, this also wasn’t salty or too much.  At Sonya’s even their omelettes are light and balanced in terms of flavor  and simplicity.

• Hot Chocolate



We can also choose from coffee or hot chocolate.  Since both of us decided to quit drinking coffee, we opted for the hot chocolate.  It was fresh, chocolate lovers would enjoy this drink.  The chocolate drink was rich and think in consistency, and the flavor was just perfect, not too sweet or not too bitter.  You can ask for more too!

And don’t be shy in asking for their Basil Dalandan hot tea too, it’s not offered at breakfast, but if you ask, they will greatly accommodate like they did with us.  We even had two teapots of that tea, even in the mornings, that Basil Dalandan hot tea was just too good to pass up.

• Mango Tomato Mixture



Their mango tomato mixture was just that.. fresh mangoes, fresh tomatoes, fresh herbs, i think just a little olive oil, and that was it.  It’s a sort of chutney and salsa mix which compliments any sort of meat or even bread.  Sonya’s actually also has this during their lunch.  It’s the freshness of the ingredients that bring out the taste in this nice little side dish.

We were also served mangoes after we were done eating the main dishes.  All dishes were healthy too as most if not all ingredients were being taken from Sonya’s Garden.  Herbs on almost all dishes.  Truly a place to go to if you wanted to eat good food and stay healthy.

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Sonya’s Garden Restaurant
Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite 4123, Cavite, Philippines
+639175335140

When in Tagaytay, we shouldn’t miss dropping by Leslie’s Restaurant located on the outskirts of Tagaytay.   The best reason is not only the great view, but because of their famous and delicious bulalo!   Not convinced?   Trust me when I say, that not only is the the soup perfectly made, but you get such a big portion of the meat, and the bone marrow, it is to die for!!  And did I mention, that with Leslie’s, they provide unlimited refills of the yummy soup!

I always have that in mind, that before heading back to Manila, going to Leslie’s Restaurant is a definite must for everyone, and not only tourists.

Whenever I visit Leslie’s, we always sit at the indoor area.

But when we went last time, we discovered that there is actually a cottage that you can dine at which is sooooo cool!  You need to pay additional Php500 though to be seated there, but it was well worth it, believe me.  Sitted at a cottage, we’ll be able to see full view of Taal Volcano while we have our sumptuous lunch.  The view is just breathtaking, with the cool wind blowing, the sun shining down, while eating lunch with someone special, it’s truly a magnificent experience.

Here is our view while eating:

Leslie’s Tagaytay branch also has souvenirs available at the restaurant as well as resident musicians that will serenade you.  Don’t forget to give a tip to the band who plays any music that you request them to play.  We requested a Tagalog song for the first song, and they also obliged us with a wonderful second song that they chose, which was an English song.  I am always amazed at the caliber of talent, and these singers along with the guitars in the background was just another addition to one of the best lunches you’ll ever have, especially at Leslie’s Restaurant in Tagaytay.

Here is what we ordered:

• Bulalo Special (Php 550)

One of the best bulalo ever!  It’s such a big portion too, a lot of meat, and not to mention the delicious bone marrow and the soup too.  I requested for more bone marrow and they gave us exactly that. I was just so ecstatic while having it! yum yum yum! A must-order (I really mean it!) when you visit Leslie’s! If it’s Leslie’s, it’s bulalo.

• Garlic Rice (Php 55)

Filipino dishes are best eaten with garlic rice. Enough said.

• Sizzling Gambas (Php 299)

Shrimps served in sizzling plate, cooked in tomato. This is very very tasty, especially with the great tasting shrimp.  Again, as with any Filipino tomato dish, it always has that distinct sweet yet a little sour and spicy taste to it.  Leslie’s sizzling gambas definitely did not disappoint.

• Buko Juice (Php 79)

It is such a treat drinking fresh fruit juice especially if it’s buko. Good for the body plus it’s one of the yummiest fruit juice in the Philippines. You do know though that tourists always make it a point to try out buko juice when visiting Manila. It’s the more popular fruits in our country.

After eating, guests usually come out and take pictures with Taal Volcano.  Leslie’s has a really great spot for taking pictures.  This is me having my picture taken with the wonderful scenery.

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Leslie’s Restaurant
Aguinaldo Highway, Silang Crossing West, Tagaytay City
(046) 483-4271