Hidden Garden - Vigan City — Restaurant in Vigan

Restaurant and Mini Garden in one. Free entrance. Following a nature theme, everything in sight is wood, rustic, and retro. At the get-go, there's a turmeric seller and souvenir shop. They sold local honey too.

There are creative donation signs with fat Buddhas and Thai statues. You also see celebrity photos and awards won. The cashier is here with the plants' claiming area.

Walking further, the resting spots by the tilapia fish pond is nice. There's a hut with a crystal ball and a wishing well with a frog. Lots of children making a wish by the 1 peso.

The primary restroom is very nice, spacious for one person compared to a cubicle (can't fit a wheelchair) and clean. There's alcohol, tissue, automatic flush, and black stones on the flooring that's a good touch. No odd smell inside; always cleaning it. You can view decorative plants from there through the glass that served as a wall between the plants and restroom. If you're dining in the restaurant, you can use for free. If visiting the gardens, courtesy dictates that you give 10 pesos on the bin. There were 3 separate single restrooms for women yet only one for men. The 2 secondary restrooms for women were simpler.

Wide and cozy restaurant space. You can choose to sit where there's more leg room or elsewhere with less. Decorations are Asian themed. The statues wore face masks!

There are hand washing stations scattered. The one near the restrooms can get crowded with the line.

This place claims to feature authentic Ilocano food; a foodie can easily get excited. There was even a funny sign saying, "Please don't leave your husband unattended. Thank you" that implies that wives should watch out for their husbands for overeating because food is good.

But I didn't have a lot of food options because the menu is biased for sharing. Only 2 solo meal options! Either you have bagnet (pork) or chicken. In this time of pandemic, I would have appreciated it if they downsized their other menu or vegetables for solo or side dish options too since not everyone would want to share meals.

I had the solo sizzling bagnet meal worth 250 pesos. The bagnet was divine, worth revisiting if you can eat crunchy oily dishes. The dish doesn't come with vegetables. I wanted a side dish, so I ordered the poqui poqui dish for sharing of 2-3 people because the staff said it's ensalada, made from eggplant, for 260 pesos. Sadly, I didn't like the poqui poqui dish - tastes different from usual ensaladas, like you ate some bland mushy scrambled egg! It was so strange and doesn't match the bagnet. I had it for take out, it didn't last long for travel back to the city, went stale along the road. If you eat here, just eat and finish what you can.

I tried their fresh mango shake for 90 pesos. This one was iced and good tasting with a small umbrella touch. Menu could be better if they had options for solo or side dishes. I wanted to try the other local dishes but I cannot finish that size. If you like eating, come prepared to spend for it can get expensive. You can take out a special empanada order. Seems popular. The seafood kare-kare is also popular; families in our tour group had that. If you want other drinks, they serve milk tea and coffee.

The gardens were better. Throughout the path, pictures of their staple menu appear at different points. Coffee corner on the side if you want to hang out there. Empanada stall closed. The Bonsai Garden, Plant World (ornamental plants), and Plant Nursery were open. At the end of the mini garden were flowers at the Bonsai corner. There was a sign near that bonsai garden written in cardboard near a brown plant warning people not to pick the plant as it can impregnate. I don't know, but for couples passing through, that may have an opposite effect! Almost tempting to ask how much is that plant. Not for sale. I don't know if it has that effect or just for laughs.

If you can afford it, come to this place. It's a special treat for the local foodie and the...

Its been quite a while eversince the strict implementations of border triage, and travel regulation in the whole country. National Election is almost at hand and election campaigns has all been sporadicly spontaneous in the entire country. Therefore strict implementations are lowered to level 1 classification to make way for the on going election campaign. While this is on going, its good to really take advantage of the loosened community quarantine rules and regulations. This place is totally free! You can visit it anyday of the week and its open for all! They have free parking spaces that has an option for donating any amount for parking maintenance and etc. Ive been here couple of times before the pandemic and I missed the place. Its been a while, im glad I was able to visit the place again. There are restaurants, bubble tea shops, coffee shops, empanada specialists shop, souvenirs, and you can but plants as well. There are vast arae of plant genus inside the hidden garden that may struck your interest most especially if you are a fan of bonsai type of plant grooming. Their bonsai plants are really well taken cared of. They also have fruit bearung plants like berries and other beautiful ornamental plants. I bet your mom, your tita, your auntie, even you tito, and lolo would love to have a good look at how beautiful the plants are taken cared of in this place. So when you visit, you might as well take the whole family with you.the restaurants inside serves great selection of locally famed dishes that I think you would also love to try and enjoy. Hope many more would take advantage of the free entrance fee and the very loosened pandemic rules and regulations before it lasts. Just remember to always move with caution by keeping preventive measures in keeping your family's health and safety. Enjoy! But always...

My recent visit to Hidden Garden in Vigan City, Ilocos Region, Philippines was an absolute delight and a true highlight of my culinary journey. This charming restaurant is not just a place to eat; it's an experience that celebrates authentic Ilocano cuisine in a beautiful, serene setting.

The food here is simply outstanding, with every dish tasting like a labor of love. The absolute stars of our meal were the Bagnet Kare-Kare and the Bangus Sisig.

The Bagnet Kare-Kare is a must-try – the bagnet (crispy deep-fried pork belly) was perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender within, beautifully contrasted by the rich, creamy, and savory peanut sauce of the kare-kare. It's comfort food elevated to an art form. The Bangus Sisig was equally impressive; served sizzling, the flaked milkfish was incredibly flavorful, with just the right balance of tanginess from calamansi and a subtle kick from the chili. It’s a brilliant, lighter take on sisig without sacrificing any of the iconic savory punch.

Beyond these showstoppers, we also thoroughly enjoyed the Poqui-poqui and Okoy. The Poqui-poqui, with its smoky grilled eggplant mashed and sautéed with eggs, tomatoes, and onions, was earthy, savory, and incredibly comforting – a perfect example of how simple ingredients can create profound flavors. And the Okoy, a crispy fritter packed with small shrimp and vegetables, was a delightful appetizer that was perfectly fried and seasoned.

The ambiance of Hidden Garden itself adds to the experience, offering a peaceful escape that truly complements the traditional flavors served. If you're in Vigan and looking for an authentic taste of Ilocano cuisine that will leave a lasting impression, Hidden Garden is an absolute must-visit. You won't be...