Enchanting, Enthralling Kinabuhayan Cafe

By: Carrie A. Javier

It’s not often that I find a place that speaks to my heart and soul. As a travel writer for a little more than two decades, I have been to and experienced several destinations here in the country, but I must admit that Kinabuhayan Cafe takes away the cake when it comes to “extraordinary” hideaways.

For one, Kinabuhayan Cafe Bed and Breakfast is more than your typical restaurant cum hostel. “It is a sanctuary that reflects the mystical beauty and natural powers of Mt. Banahaw. Designed by well-known production designer Jay Herrera, Kinabuhayan Cafe has two-story open-air huts and tree-dwellings offering a view of indigenous flora and natural flowing landscapes.”

It is the open-air huts which intrigued me. I guess I’ve been used to resorts with enclosed rooms. The “kubos” here have no walls, the downstairs portion is the receiving area with a hammock, bamboo sofa, cushions with “banig” design, some impressive looking antiques and a television set, which delighted my son. “I thought we’re in a jungle Ma, with no electricity, but look, they have TV here,” he enthused and promptly switched channels to his favorite cartoon network.

The upstairs part is a ceiling space/loft which is actually the sleeping quarters. The kubo’s set-up makes it an ideal haven for families, groups and “barkadas” seeking refuge from their daily grind.

Winston Baltazar and his partner, production designer, Jay Herrera, managed to turn the place into an enchanting repository of art, an oasis of verdant greenery and a gourmet restaurant.

Our group, composed of die-hard wanderlusts and avid photography enthusiasts immediately felt at home in the very relaxing ambiance of Kinabuhayan Cafe. “It’s so peaceful here,” Jessica, one of the workshop’s participants said. Indeed, the cafe exudes a serene stillness. Here, time seems to stand still and we could all forget about work and pressing deadlines. We immersed ourselves in the pristine surroundings while intently listening to Ocs Alvarez’s pointers on photography.

In the evening, I sat at the cafe’s entrance lit by capiz paper lanterns and listened to the night sounds with my senses keenly alive. Rarely do I experience such a peaceful interlude, a reprieve from my usual hectic pace as a working single mother. Coming here was a real treat which shall be part of my treasured memories forever.

Our compliments to the Chef
Jay, we discovered is not only a talented production designer but also a master chef. He whiffed up a delectable array of dishes which he proudly dubs as “Pinoy Gourmet,” read, Philippine food with a European flavor, like Risotto with black mushrooms topped with goat kaldereta sauce and Chesa samosas stuffed with ground pork with chili and oyster sauce. Jay proudly calls this dish ‘chesmosa.’ We also savored the bean sprout salad on the side, together with white wine and buko pandan ice cream with buli palm fruit topped with passion fruit liqueur for our dessert.

Kinabuhayan Cafe serves other delectable dishes, such as, Pork Estofado thickly glazed in pineapple, crispy fried squash fritters wedged on steamed rice, salad of grilled capsicum, eggplant and tomatoes set in a coiled steamed stringbean, drizzled with fresh basil and cheese dressing, manok sa gata with alibangbang and other herbs, and pinaupong manok sa asin and tortellini.

Desserts are sweet potato or yam cooked in pandan and syrup, served on crisp open fried springroll wrapper and topped with cream, and Buli palm fruit with pineapple, lychees topped with mango rum liqueur for dessert.

Getting there:
(Note all kilometer readings are +/- 1 km.)
To reach Kinabuhayan Cafe in Dolores Quezon, Winston gives the following directions:
“Take the Batangas Lucena exit 41 km from the Shell Magallanes station. Follow the road to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. After 7 km, after the long islands on the road, take a left when the road forks where the Laurel statue with the raised clenched fist is. Around three km later, take a left at the large intersection with the Isuzu bldg. heading towards San Pablo, Quezon.

Five km. after entering Alaminos is San Pablo Welcome arch. Six km after is Brgy. San Ignacio arch. One km after is Meralco Building on left side. Soon after, take road on the left with Bato Springs resort sign.

The road ends in a T intersection. Turn left to town of Dolores. Turn left on Dejarme St. Sign is paaralan Central ng Dolores. Kinabuhayan Café is on the right side. The directions are +/- 1 km accurate. There are some forks in the national road where one turns into town proper. Do not enter the towns but follow the national road.

Kinabuhayan cafe is named after Barangay Kinabuhayan which is the entrance to the mountain. We are in Dolores town and if you ask for Kinabuhayan Cafe, you might be directed to Barangay Kinabuhayan which is outside of the town.”

Note: Before coming to Kinabuhayan Cafe, please book with:

Winston Baltazar:
0917 327 1106
0917 524 1106
kina_cafe@yahoo.com

Photo Credits: Lucky Besa for Kinabuhayan Cafe , Explore Philippines Group, Salad by Deo Zulueta, Sta. Lucia by Toper Porto, Treehouse by Paul Martin and Winston Baltazar

About the Author
Carrie A. Javier is a veteran free-lance travel writer. An affable and gregarious soul who loves writing and traveling, she considers God’s Absolute Gospel as her ultimate guide and inspiration in whatever she does. She also loves her country and prays that the Philippines will emerge as a truly progressive and stable nation in the near future. She hopes that through her articles, she could help promote the Philippines and its unique culture, people and events.