Talisay The Garden Cafe — Restaurant in Quezon City

I admit. It’s my fault. I expected too much only to be disappointed. Massively.

On our entrance to the café, a server had a major accident which resulted to shattered glasses on the floor. Was it a sign for a not-so-pretty-night?

But still we proceeded. We ordered for Molo Soup (P240) which was on the bland side. The Talisay Garden Salad (P390) was a colorful salad and nothing but. By nothing I mean nothing was exciting about it except for the fact that the vegetables were fresh. Period.

We were initially excited for the Paella Mixta after having two courses that, well, just passable.

Then, it was served after a few minutes. Then, we were disheartened. We mixed it trying to look for socarrat (scorched rice). There’s none. Zero. Nada. Question: How can genuine paella not have scorched rice at the bottom of the pan? Not unless... We just relied on the Beef Salpicao (P580) to save the night. Good thing that it was more than passable, it was flavored right (tendency to be a tad salty). One upsetting thing though, the beef was leathery. So generally, the salpicao was not enough to save whatever was left of the night.

Still, we hoped for a savior. And that night, the Palabok Negra and Lumpia Fresca were it. Both dishes tasted well especially the palabok which was fun to eat not to mention unforgettable. Why unforgettable? Go and try it (tip: bring your own wipes it can prove to be very useful).

And finally, dessert. The Talisay Cassava Cheese Cake was the perfect piece to close the, not-so-perfect –birthday-dinner. Oh yes… we were given a slice of some cake to make up for a booboo they committed of which I choose not to discuss it anymore. Too stressful.

Oh, the service? Please re-read the second paragraph...

We finally had time to visit Talisay, The Garden Cafe in Quezon City. The trip was a little nostalgic for me as this was the calm neighborhood where our former school is located. It’s been decades I’ve been here and the street is highly commercialized, bustling with activity. I love the charm of the former house turned resto, similar to another Chef Tatung resto jn Tomas Morato.

We were here on Sunday evening and there was an event in the garden and a few diners. This resto is well reviewed with tons more photos on their social media accounts, so you can explore before your visit.

We ordered Molo Soup, which was garlickly and very filling, and the Garden Salad which we ended up taking home. We really came for the rich, spicy and savory Balbacua. Melt in your mouth oxtail, salty black beans, deep orange soup, and peanuts, just thinking of it now makes my mouth water, are so authentic. It’s a must try.

I have a mental note to return here and try their coffee and dessert. Zoom in on the coffee and cake selections to see what I mean. We didn’t have any more room for dessert so we picked up a Fruit Cake instead.

Our orders were ready after a few minutes, complete with serving spoons. The cutlery was a little heavy though. Service was efficient, we didn’t wait long for our bill. Restrooms are minimalist and clean. With wooden floors though it would be great if staff walked lightly; dragging one’s shoes or too much shuffling doesn’t add to a relaxing dining experience. Pick up your feet when you walk, it may take some practice but it can be done,...

The food was good and there were dishes that were unique.

The palabok negra was the best out of the dishes we ordered. It had a really rich and delicious taste. The texture of the noodles made it really nice to eat as well. I would recommend this dish to try! But note that there isn't much seafood with it, 4 shrimp and a small amount of squid only.

The burger was great as well with cured pork (like ham), being the meat instead of a beef burger patty. The sauce that came with it was great and delicious. The pork itself was tender and tasty, but just note it has quite a lot of fat if you don't eat pork fat. I would recommend this dish as well.

The lumpia fresca was good, but just wasn't my type. It was like a lumpia ubod with ube crepe as the wrapper. It was a unique dish that is good to try, but I am not inclined to order again.

We tried the balbacua and it was mixed for me. I didn't expect it to be more soup than viand. The soup broth is tomato-based but is more sweet, which I'm not a fan of. The black beans tasted super salty when you eat them. But the oxtail was tender and juicy, so that was the best part. So if you want a sweet soup, you can try this dish.

The banana creme brulee was disappointing for me as it lacked flavor. I didn't really taste much as I ate the chocolate base and the creme brulee. The ice cream was the best part already. I would not recommend ordering this for dessert.

Overall it has unique dishes that are mostly good. Just have to choose...