OOPS! Sorry, we’re not in Davao for today. This time, let’s get to know the top eats in… Vigan City.
Yeps, that must-visit place with all those fascinating stone houses. There for a short stop, we checked out one of its most talked about restaurants, The Hidden Garden.
The number of people inside, the din of activities and conversations prove that it’s a very popular place. It’s a one-stop study on Ilocano cuisine, thus, you don’t need to explore a lot. You can reserve your spare time going around the souvenir shops and enjoying the pottery-making workshops as we did.
As its name says, it’s a garden and the tables are scattered in huts all around the place. After placing your order, you can opt to just sit around on the long table or… explore the garden.
Don’t worry, it’s just a garden, meaning, it will not cost you a drop of sweat to walk around in. It’s a treat for all plant lovers as the plants are well taken care of, and there are interesting plants dotting the place in between familiar ones.
The food is good, too. These are served in kalderos and kawali, depending on whether these have sauces or soups or are fried and dried. But everything should be taken as a total experience. The Filipino theme, the bahay kubo feel, the walkways, even the occasional house cat and yes… those penis-shaped wood or topiary that are “tongue-in-cheekily” labeled, “Just for the sake of art”.
Aside from the Vigan longganisa and the pinakbet, we had buffalo wings, a soup that’s much like papaitan without the green color and bitterness of a bile whose name I can’t recall, then the bagnet sisig. My officemates also tried the buco halo-halo for dessert. I preferred to go around again and check out the garden.
Hidden Garden is at Barangay Bulala in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, with phone number 604-02-70. Be ready to be humming Pamulinawen under your breath once you’re done with your meal as the sound system plays rondalla with mostly Ilocano folk songs, Pamulinawen among them.