In-Yo is one of Katipunan’s best kept secrets (so I guess now it isn’t). Actually it isn’t really along Katipunan per se so that would be one reason for the seclusion. It is located along Esteban Abada which is the street parallel to Katipunan. It’s a quite quaint place. You park in a small gravel parking area amidst a nice garden. There’s even a small koi pool. The interior is well done.

But of course the important thing is the food and, thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint either. The menu is gourmet so if you’re used to “American” size servings, In-Yo’s would appear relatively small, relatively expensive. They look like they’re meant less for filling up your stomach in the fastest way possible and more for tasting and viewing. But it’s perfect for a romantic dinner.

When you go up Antipolo for dinner, people usually think Padi’s Point or Cloud 9 (not the surfing destination). But there’s actually an alternative that, at least for me, is better: Vieux Chalet. I only learned about Vieux Chalet from Wil who learned about it from OAP. So why do I like it? It’s got the same sunset and city lights view as the aforementioned places but in a fine dining setting. Perfect for quiet dinners.

Getting there requires a bit more effort than going to your favorite mall restaurant. Start by going along Marcos Highway till you reach Sumulong Highway. You will see Masinag Market as well as a traffic light in the intersection. Turn right and go on past Padi’s Point and Cloud 9. After some time, you will see Bankers’ Village to your right, watch out for the next intersection. Turn right and at the next intersection, turn right again and enter Villa Christina. Drive down the road (watch out for all those kids playing) and enter Purok Sampaguita. Follow the Vieux Chalet signs and go on past Villa Christina Resort till see Vieux Chalet to your right.

In my two visits there, Rico (the all-around guy there), recommended fettucine and osso buco. And in my two visits, I ordered the same :D Their menu is actually more varied than that though some items are sometimes not available. Be more adventurous than I. And don’t fail to try their signature lemon grass iced tea. Servings are good for 2-3 people.

Rating: 4/5

I’ve been to Cafe Juanita three times before. And last Sunday, I went there again for the belated celebration of Erwin’s birthday. I suppose that says something about how I like the place :P

Cafe Juanita is tucked away in a side street in Barangay Kapitolyo but it’s pretty easy to find. Coming from Makati, take EDSA and turn right at Shaw, turn right at the rotonda, and then you will see a sign on the right soon after. The restaurant has a homey old house atmosphere complete with the antique furniture, decor, and trinkets.

My favorite there is the the crispy fried Laguna fish. It’s a simple but nice dish. I almost always order it at Juanita so this time around I decided not to say anything about what to order. But Crissy ended up ordering it again along with kare-kare and bagnet which are also good :))

Rating: 4/5

Tried Rufo’s early this morning (like 2AM early). Actually I’ve tried it almost exactly a week ago at Makati. That time, I ordered (what else?) tapsilog, their signature dish. Unusually, the tapa comes with sauce. In fact there’s more sauce than meat. They claim that the sauce alone is already viand. Frankly, I didn’t expect tapa to come with sauce since I’m used more to Rodic’s and Tapa King’s tapa which are more traditional. But I have to admit that it does taste nice. I like Rodic’s tapa better though. Anyway, this morning, I ordered embutido then switched to liempo because both Alex and Aby ordered it (shades of gluttony and envy in one sitting, beat that!) . But no regrets since it’s one of the best liempo I’ve had. I definitely want to try the other items on their menu.

UPDATE: Their embutido sucks.