Senyorito Lakwatsero Goes to the Office!

In Laguna, there's a municipality where nature meets technological advancements, and where bright minds meet - Los Banos, LB or  Elbi.  For Senyorito Lakwatsero, this is where his office is located.  His “office”?  The vast grounds of an international research centre.  Thus, it is not surprising for Senyorito Lakwatsero, Driver, Yaya and Mayordoma to have food adventures in LB.

Coffeeshop in the rice fields?

Inside the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is a cozy coffee shop called Beanhub.  The coffee shop caters mainly to the employees and guests of the Institute but they are also open to the public.  How good is Beanhub?  Well, for one, it has captured the discerning tastes of both the local and international staff of the Institute.  Mayordoma's bosses always tell their guests that Beanhubs's coffee is good enough  to match the famed Starbucks franchise.  Aside from coffee, they also serve pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads and pastries.  On top of the gang's list are the Kani Salad, White Cheese and Pesto Sandwich, Grilled Cheese with Vegetables, Spicy Sardines in Pesto Pasta, Mushroom Alfredo, Chicken Spaghetti, Lemon and Basil Juice, Mudslide and Blueberry Cheesecake.  The list just goes on and on.  Here's more, their price range is just a third of what other cafes charge.  Value for your money to the highest level!

But Beanhub's biggest asset is its people. CJ, Bob, Weng and the rest of the team provides a special touch to their service.  They'll even personalize the froth of your cappuccino – your name, the face of your dog, a kiss, even the initials of the training that you are attending!

If you plan to go there during lunchtime, be sure to come early because the place gets really packed.

If LA has The Grove, so does LB!

Senyorito Lakwatsero fell in love with Bonito's menu that he wouldn't let go of it.  We are not exaggerating when we tell you that he gave the waiter dagger looks when he tried getting the menu from him after we were done ordering.  He only let go of it when we were about to leave.

Bonito's is a resto-bar at the LB's version of The Grove (sa may UP Gate).  It is located at the entrance of Demarces.  If you are bringing a car with you, the able guard on duty will assist you in parking.

One of Bonito's gems is the Crunchy Calamari Salad – crunchy coated squid, salad greens, carrots, singkamas and your choice dressing.  We preferred Honey Mustard but we will try the Strawberry dressing next time.  Another hands down winner is the Batangas Kaldereta.  It will literally melt in your mouth.  But please don't be too eager to taste it because it is served steaming hot.  They also have the Elbi Burger (not sure if this is the right name but we are referring to the humungous burger) which we will try next time.  Another curious item in their menu is the Crispy Kare-Kare.  It's your typical Crispy Pata served on top of vegetable Kare-Kare.  If you don't have any health restrictions, try it!  For dessert, we tried the tiramisu but it did not go well with our taste.  Probably, amaretto and us are not meant to be together!

Over-all, Bonito's is a place we recommend for friends who would like to hang out or for quick business lunch. 

Do not judge a book if you are not a judge, er, by its cover!

Along Lopez Avenue (university avenue) is the office of a cable tv provider, nothing really special.  But tucked behind it is a place that will take you to another era.  Think Victorian especially with its brocade upholstered seats.  Madam Mamita, Senyorito's grandmama who came with the gang, was impressed with the interiors of Mio Cucina.  And boy, she is not that easy to impress!  The same theme applies to their menu, simple name marvelous taste!

After placing our orders, we were provided with their complimentary Bonete.  For those familiar with Bonete, this is the Pan de Tubo like bread you can buy in panaderias.  But Mio Cucina takes it to another level.  They serve it together with butter and a concoction of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, sometimes with Sinantulan.  It was so good that even before we were finished eating the batch that was given to us, Madam Mamita was already ordering Bonetes to go.  For appetizer, we ordered Ukoy.  Yes, Ukoy in a fancy place!  This was actually the runaway winner of the night. Unlike the typical ukoy, this one is served shaped like a square and extremely thin.  Almost, cracker-like. And it goes really well with the tangy dip that comes with it. We ordered seconds!  For our main course we had Bistek Tagalog, Kaldereta and Fish Fillet with Sweet and Sour Sauce.  The Bistek was good but can still be more tender.  The Kaldereta is tender enough that there was no need to use a knife.  It was heavenly!  We ordered the fish fillet as a filler but it was another surprise.  The fish, the sauce were fantastic!

Lesson learned, never ever judge a food by its name unless you have tried it!

Bonito's and Mio Cucina will cost you around Php1,000 – Php1,500 for a meal good for four people.  At Beanhub, you can have pasta/sandwich and drinks for under Php100.

Tonight, if Madam Mamita will not play architect (read:  drawing), we will explore one of San Pablo's newest restaurants.  This time we will go Mediterranean!