Stephen's at Balay Puti — Restaurant in Negros Occidental

The location is purely for ambiance. Usually, I don't remark, but I'm simply sharing an incident we experienced. We arrived at the restaurant with the folks working there busy with their phones and no welcome, so we just had time to take pictures of the outside exterior of the establishment. Instead of greeting us, a waiter approached us and informed us that we were not allowed to take pictures here. It's been a while since I returned to Bacolod, and I drove to Silay to spend my birthday at this restaurant. I also recommend dressing up when visiting this restaurant, because they will accommodate you better than others who are more simple. The cuisine is plain and nothing special. The restaurant next door, Cafe 1925, is considerably better and has a lot of people eating, so we tried it too. No regret we enjoy better. I would still recommend Cafe Bobs, Kuppa, and Cafe Quino's in Bacolod as the best places to dine for both good food and service.

But yet, thank you for...

An ancestral house turned into restaurant. The place is a glimpse on how the prominent negrense family lives back in the past.

We visited in the afternoon so not much food they offer. Keep in mind they are offering different menu in lunch and dinner. We opted for palabok, pancit molo and lumpia sariwa. I like how balance the flavor of palabok, pancit molo is one the best. The soup is tasty and the fried garlic gives more aroma to the dish. The sauce of lumpia sariwa is a bomb that enhances the taste of it. However, it could have been best if pancit palabok and pancit molo comes with bread as a side. The price is a bit expensive for the small quantity of servings.

The place is picturesque. A typical Spanish house in 19th century. I love how serene the place is. The white and black color of the mansion plus the green surroundings makes you calm amidst the...

I'm a big fan of repurposed heritage homes. Balay Puti is absolutely beautiful. The renovations were done with restraint and with respect to the history of the house, the City of Silay and the lifestyle of its people.

The food, while good, needs some improvement. I ordered an appetizer, a main and dessert. Tim's Boquerones was somewhat lacking in flavor and only served on white toast. The Beef Salpicao was tender but a bit too sweet. The sauce on the Strawberry Panna Cotta should have had a thicker consistency.

Service on the other hand was impeccable and the wait staff were attentive and very helpful with menu recommendations. Ample parking slots in front of the house with more space available at the side of the property.

Rooting for this restaurant. We need more places like Stephen's at Balay...