Miguel's Garden Cafe

You know that feeling when you are going for one thing but ended up stumbling upon something which makes the experience all the more perfect? We had that kind of experience when we chanced upon Miguel's Garden Cafe in Antipolo City.

We were dead set on having a nice afternoon coffee and some light snack while enjoying a really great view. It turns out, the place we had on mind could only offer great view and none of the things we want to feast on to tide us over before we hit dinner.

We checked out couple of cafes along Sumulong Highway Antipolo, but Saturday afternoon in that area could only mean restaurants and cafes crowded with people waiting for the Insta-worthy golden hour. We've no choice but to just enjoy the view while we're at it and just go to the nearby mall where there are plenty of restaurant options.

It was already past sunset and we're already headed to the mall when our Kuya Tony spotted Miguel's Garden Cafe. It doesn't have an amazing view like the one at Cloud9, but the ambiance is still stellar s it brings you that feeling of being close to nature. It's almost dinner time but we're lucky that there's still plenty of spot at the parking area. We were told, it gets pretty crowded during dinner service.

The place was impressive. There's a main dinning hall where we were seated, and there's also the garden area for people who prefer outdoor sitting. There's a solo singer/performer during our visit which makes it a perfect place not just for dinner but for a night out with friends.

They have decent number of choices on their menu ranging from breakfast options to appetizers, pasta, gourmet pizza, desserts, gourmet coffee, beer, and cocktails. They also offer baked goodies neatly packed, it can be a good pasalubong or gift to anyone who enjoys sweet treats.

My nephews were excited upon checking the menu because most of the items were something that they could enjoy. That Saturday was meant for their enjoyment hence, we allowed them to decide on what to order. They've been eating their veggies at home, as they should. So, eating out could mean it's their cheat day where they could eat their favorites (Fried food. Why do kids love fried food? They're crazy about anything crips, crunchy, and cheesy - not always all together.)

First on the table, Nachos with a Twist (Php399) It's basically a serving of corn chips with tomatoes, onions, cheese sauce, and homemade garlic sausage bits which is probably the twist that they were referring to. It was good, the smokey flavor of the sausage bits contributed to the overall flavor.

Potato wedges topped with mozzarella cheese and bacon bits, this Baked Potato Wedges (Php229) was a one of those which my nephews enjoyed immensely. The cheese pull was so divine it's almost illegal!

Then there's also the Breaded and Boneless Chicken Tenders (Php329) which comes with your choice of flavor such as Classic Buffalo, Sriracha, Garlic Parmesan, Soy Sesame, Teriyaki, and K-Yum. Ours came with no flavor because my youngest nephew wants his chicken tenders plain and simple, as long as it's crunchy, he'll love it.

We also had Miguel's Chicken Wings (1/2kg Php329, 1kg Php649) Crisp fried chicken wings, coated with your choice of sauce (Same option with Chicken Tenders flavors) We opted for the Garlic Parmesan flavor and it did not disappoint.

Kids sure love crisp food so the Calamares and Tofu (Php439) was also asked to delight the table - much to the satisfaction of us, adults. The Calamares was cooked to perfection - light and crips, while the tofu - known as a blank canvas of a food, borrowed the lovely flavor of the calamares without losing its own distinct taste.

In my attempt to somehow incorporate veggies to our meal, I settled for Baked Zucchini (Php249) It was topped with mozzarella cheese and bacon bits. Not my favorite dish that night as it was a tad underwhelming. Definitely not something I would order again.

No one from our group was interested to have meal coupled with rice so, I figured there should be pizza especially that my father already asked for bottles of beer. Miguel's Garden Cafe offers Gourmet and Thin Crust Pizza.

For Gourmet Pizza, we had their Michelle's Supreme Pizza (Php649) Freshly made pizza with red sauce, mozzarella sauce, bacon strips, bell peppers, black olives, and fresh basil leaves. It was a good pizza, packed with flavor and the crust isn' run-of-the-mill. I love the twirl on the edge of the crust which makes it distinct in appearance.

For thin crust we had their Homemade Pepperoni with Pineapple (Php649). I'm gonna be a little bias here because I love thin crust pizza, hence, I preferred this one no matter how simple the toppings were.

For desserts, we had Miguel's Garden Cafe's Black Magic (Php205), Pastillas Cake (Php175) and Brazo de Mercedes (Php100). I'm happy to report that their cakes were good, not too sweet, decently moist, and flavorful.

We also tried their coffee selections. We had their Ice Blended Caramel Coffee, Iced Latte, Mud Slide (Php195 Over Ice, Php235 Blended). These options were good enough to rival those of branded coffee shops we have in the Market. My little nephew enjoyed his Cucumber Lemonade (Php130) to warrant a photo with him holding it.

I still miss my mother and my younger sister everyday. It was them who enjoyed food trips like this more. But I'm glad that slowly, our family is getting the hang of enjoying simple things we used to enjoy when we were still complete, like trying out new cafes and restaurants we haven't tried before.