One random day my older brother suddenly called me and invited me to visit our father in the province.
Our parents were separated when we were young, my older brother and I grew up together in Bulacan. We went to high school there and we were raised by our uncle, who is my father’s brother and a pastor.
There was no special occasion that day. He just asked me if I wanted to go with him in Tanay Rizal. It was about 4hours from our place, even if its a long ride... I still agreed because we only get to do this sometimes, maybe just once a year.
When we arrived in Tanay, we first went to a relative because my father needed to get something from Baras, Rizal, which is near Tanay.
On our way back to my father’s house, I searched on Facebook for a nice place to eat in Baras because it was already lunchtime.
Mangantila Cafe showed up in my search. We didn’t think twice and everyone agreed to go there because we were already hungry.
The place was a little hidden in Evangelista, Baras Rizal. At first, our plan was just to eat and continue our trip. But when we arrived, I became more interested in the place itself. I started taking pictures while waiting for our food because the view was really beautiful.
The place was so wide and peaceful. When you enter, there is a long path with trees that makes the place look really nice. There are also native huts and areas where you can sit and enjoy the view. You can see Laguna Lake, the Sierra Madre mountains, and even the Pililla Windmills from some parts of the place. There are also areas near the water that I wasn't able to take pictures of because we were there just for lunch.
Honestly, it is very Instagram-worthy. There are so many beautiful spots where you can take pictures. I was amazed that there was a place like this that I didn’t even know about. The entrance is free if you dine at their restaurant.
The food is a little pricey. From what I saw, you can expect around ₱500 to ₱1,000 per person depending on what you order. But the servings are big, especially the family or group meals. One order can really be enough for several people, so it is better to share with your family or friends.
The food was good and the servers were also kind and accommodating. They were friendly while assisting us which made the experience even better.
We ate together and my father paid for our food and honestly, food tastes better when its free. 😂
There were only a few people when we went there. Maybe not many people know about the place yet, though I heard it can be more crowded during weekends. I also heard that it is even more beautiful at night because of the lights. We went there at lunchtime, so it was still bright, but you can already appreciate how beautiful the place is.
If you ask me, I would love to go back there. Not only because of the beautiful view and good food but because of the family bonding we had that day.
We dont always get the chance to be together like that. We may not see each other often, so having lunch together in a beautiful place made that simple trip more memorable. Sometimes the things we don’t plan are the ones that bring wonderful moments.
Maybe I won't always be able to go back to that place but I know I will always go back to this memory. I think its not really the place that stays in our hearts. Its the people we were with, the food we shared, the pictures we took and the simple moments we shared together. ❤️
(Photos are mine edited in canva)