The Famous Vjandep

Vjandep, infamous for its pastel, came from Camiguin. I've read so many great reviews on the Vjandep restaurant so we decided to also try it out. Apparently, Vjandep is pronounced with a silent 'j' and it actually stands for the names of its owners (I can't recall the names, however).

Kan-anan sa parola, their sign says. Beside the restaurant stands what looks like a historic parola or lighthouse with a great view of the sea. Too bad, the steps of the parola is already rusty and broken. It would nice to see the view from the top since it was a nice clear but windy day.

What we've ordered: Pinakbet, Garlic shrimp, Liempo and Sinigang (forgot what kind of fish was in it). The verdict: the food was delicious but nothing spectacular, in a word, it was just so-so. Maybe because we have high expectations because of the great reviews it was getting or maybe their original cook was on a day-off. In fairness to the owners, the reviews we've read were from the Vjandep restaurant branch in CDO. On a brighter note, I love it that I get to have a great shot of the view on the 2nd floor of the restaurant.

I also like it that they were environment friendly and I also noticed that they hold Bible study groups since they have their lessons written on a whiteboard. It's nice to know that the word of God reaches the island of Camiguin. Praise be to God.

I captured the names after all! It says here in their reusable place mats, "Vjandep (pronounced with silent "J", stands for VIRGILIO JOSE AND ELEANOR POPERA used to be VJ's military code)". Customers can read all about the history of Vjandep and how it came about while waiting for orders. And as we were reading, this line caught our attention and we couldn't stop laughing. "Though its shelf life is short, it is microwavable naman." The taglish ruined the perfectly written history of Vjandep but it was quite a charming mistake. =D It still was a memorable meal at Vjandep restaurant naman pala. ;)

Dinner at Cafe Juanita

At the heart of Kapitolyo, Pasig is Cafe Juanita -- Filipino food at its finest. We dined at the new Cafe Juanita, very elegent with its East Asian decors and endless antique pieces. The old place, as we were informed, is only opened when the new place is already full. So we need not worry of not getting any tables here.


First on our table is the catfish with green mango salad. The catfish on top is fried and needs to be broken down and mixed with the tangy green mango. The dish was deliciously crunchy and sour that will stimulate your appetite at the start of the meal.


I wasn't really a fan of Laing when I was a kid because my sister and my mom told me that it was leaves that was chewed by the pigs before it was cooked (how mean). Anyway, I love Cafe Juanita's Laing because the gata was so creamy and I love anything cooked in gata.


I love the Laing paired with their garlic rice (see picture below).


The next one is new to me, Corned beef and Chorizo Sinigang. Like the usual sinigang, it had lots of veggies in it. Before it was even served to us, our server brought us a sample of the soup to have us taste it so they can adjust the flavor. This was a nice touch so that we didn't have to complain when the dish gets to our table. When we sampled the soup, it lacked the sourness. We were trying to get the attention of the waiter to tell him our finding but he was already carrying the Sinigang dish and putting it on our table and told us "pinaasim na po yan, ma'am". Wow, they're either mindreaders or just really good. LOL.


Lastly, a dish that will make us even younger (as the saying goes), their famous Bagnet. This crispy and oh so delicious bagnet is served on a bed of red and green tomatoes that were tossed in bagoong. This dish was perfect, no complaints.


To end the meal, we had to sample their bestseller desserts. This is the Sticky Toffee Pudding that I've heard so much about. It was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side (no doubt, they use Big Scoop) and was drizzled with caramel sauce. A sweet ending to a fine meal.


We also had their special cassava cake. A very smooth and creamy cassava cake that's warmed just right so that the cheese on top will also melt in your mouth. Mmmm, so good!


This is definitely a place worth coming back to. Wonderful food and great ambiance. =)