Barrio Bantique, Pagbilao is not your usual destination for a vacation nor a dinner date with someone special because first of all it's far off the main highway and second it would be impractical to come out here just to dine after traveling so far only to travel the same long distant route back after eating.
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The discovery of this seaborne restaurant on stilts is the product of an arduous search for a beach outing for our officemates back in Cavite. We were traveling along the Quezon-Bicol highway and I was trying to drive as close to the shoreline as possible keeping the sea visible in sight. So whenever the sea cannot be seen from the highway, then there must a a chunk of land or peninsula jutting out of the sea that obscures the beach from the highway. This prompted me to make a sudden turn in unknown territory. The rest is now history.
Reaching the place was an 8-kilometer drive inland with lots of uncertainties in mind. I was worried about the waste in gasoline should the unplanned turn yields nothing at the end of the road or the possibility of the car breaking down in the middle of nowhere with no street lights at night and all ricefields from left to right really made me wary of the situation. Fortunately, after what seems to be an eternity, we were finally greeted by a big sign that says "Silangang Nayon". There was no hesitation between me and Malen. We immediately stepped out of the car to check the place out.
We were not able to roam around the zoo because we were more
excited to see the floating restaurant which is not visible from the
entrance. When we were led to the reception area, the ambiance was
very comfortably furnished with large wooden muebles with colorful orchids
hanging in trellises around the outdoor receiving area and different kinds of
chicken roaming around the gardens.
Malen was awed by the beautiful orchids and posed for a posterity shot
beside one, gleaming with delight.
The entire restaurant complex is actually divided in 2
areas. The main attraction is the
floating restaurants and the second are the cottages situated in the
mainland. Customers can choose to dine
in any of these 2 places. While some
customers prefer the safety of dining in the mainland cottages, the primary
dining area is apparently the floating restaurants but can only accommodate a
certain number of guests. When the carrying capacity is already reached, excess
guests can only opt to dine in the mainland cottages or wait for their turn to
dine the floating pavilions.
Obviously, the main attraction of the place is the floating
restaurant itself. The restaurant on
stilts is situated about 100 meters from the shoreline and is connected by the
single bridge on the one side and 3 pavilions on the other side.
The main
pavilion is the largest among the three complete with a kitchen, sink and
toilet, while the other smaller pavilions are just dining areas. The main
pavilion can actually accommodate a large gathering while the rest can just
accommodate a limited number of customers.
Overall, the dining experience in the floating restaurants offers a
unique treat to its customers because you get to dine in the open sea with the
cool breeze of the fresh countryside air blends with the trade winds of the sea
complemented with a panoramic seaview and gentle low curvature of hills on the
islands across the Pagbilao Bay.
But the centerpiece attraction of the entire Silangang Nayon is the dumb waiter zipline. A dumb waiter is a term that describes a system of transporting food and utensils from the kitchen to the dining area without manually carrying the tray that’s full of food and other stuffs. This is like a downsized elevators small for an adult person but big enough to carry food and utensils. So instead of having the kitchen out at sea where it discharges its wastes without undergoing any treatment, the food is still prepared in the mainland where the kitchen is set up and is delivered to its customeres via a zipline. Truly a unique sight only seen in Silangang Nayon.
All these attractions add up to the interesting ambiance of Silangang Nayon. You get to enjoy fresh countryside air and the sea breeze gliding across gentle rolling waves and a panoramic sea and landscape view of the beautiful Pagbilao islands. The floating complex really awaken our spirits despite the long drive that we took all the time to take pictures in every nook and cranny of the floating restaurant.
But don’t be mistaken by the empty tables and chairs and assume that Silangang Nayon has no customers. On the contrary, the place has a list of reservations in line for the entire week and we just happened to arrive after lunch where everyone has eaten already. The food is superbly delicious as well and very reasonable especially if you avail their package deals. Furthermore, it would really eliminate inconveniences on your part if you reserve prior to your visit to make sure that the management made all the necessary preparations and be ready to serve the moment you arrive.
(Disclaimer: Prices are subject to change from time to time)
We also had a choice of having the food served a la carte or
served on a buffet table. We opted for
the buffet table so the people will have a free hand in choosing the type of
food and the amount that they want.
As soon as the our group arrived at lunch, everyone was very impressed with the elaborate preparation and the extravagant amount of food despite a limited budget. We were very pleased with the food prepared by Silangang Nayon because not only was it delicious ti the taste but everyone had more than their usuak fill. In fact, some were even able to bring home extra food to go.
When everyone had finished eating and some are already beginning to roam around, we discovered that the main pavilion is actually designed to resemble a ship because of a bow constructed on the side facing the sea. The main pavilion must be amusing to look at when view from out at sea.
Silangang Nayon also offers boat trips to the nearby islands around Pagbilao particularly the popular island of "Borawan". Locals called the island as such because it boasts of rock formations similar to the limestone cliffs of Palawan and complemented with white sands like Boracay. However, it doesn't have a long coastline like Boracay.
Another interesting place to visit is Puting Buhangin and Kwebang Lampas. We actually had the opportunity to visit the place via the land route that's kind of risky because of the uneasy feeling we get from strangers. The place is more commonly approached via boat by tourists. During our visit to this beautifu place, misfortune had the better of us because my camera that was supposed to be waterproofed conked out on me when we started taking pictures there. Perhaps I will be writing a more interesting blog about the place when I visit it again in the near future.
Silangang Nayon is not simply a restaurant but it also offers room and lodging accommodations for a limited number of guests. It has 2 air-conditioned apartments but I did noticed a low patronage of the place because it doesn't have a swimming pool.
Many travelers and tourists prefer a pool to go along with the accommodation where they dip in it after a tiring day's tour and a long drive from the city.
Finally, it was time to bid Silangang Nayon goodbye. Before we departed, the management gave out souvenirs as a remembrance. The visit to this out-of-the-way place for our department outing is one for the books that is worth remembering. Malen and I never regretted discovering this place one bit and our colleagues enjoyed dining in this interesting place out in the Quezon countryside as well. Much of our photos in the visit to this beautiful place has hugged facebook for quite some time.
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