Cafe Ysabel

     The Philippine Hispanic Era has come alive in a quaint restaurant located along Wilson Street in Greenhills, San Juan. Cafe Ysabel, a casual dining restaurant established by Chef Gene Gonzales on 1982, has long been famous for its reputation of good food, romantic ambiance and fine dining suited to the affluent.

     The cafe's facade envibes those of a genteel family's house from the Spanish occupation. To be exact, it is actually an ancestral house of Susan Roces' family built around 1927 that is refurbished to become a resto. A small fountain with floating lotuses and with swimming with Koi greet the guests as they arrive. Moss frolic around the concrete's surface, adding the to the 'old-age' feel Cafe Ysabel has.

     As you enter the room, you would really feel like you have moved back in time. Wooden floors, wooden pillars and a wooden bar furnish the room. The ceiling and the walls are painted with a Caribbean-like motif which looks as if it had aged through time.

  The windows are wide, just like those of old Spanish houses built in the Philippines. Even the chairs and tables try to cross the boundary of time with its classic design.

     Upon being seated, you will be given their newspaper-like menu which has a very interesting cover written by Brillat-Savarin, a lawyer and politician who became a well-known epicure and gastronome. It is an excerpt from his book, entitled 'Physiologie du Gout' or The Physiology of Taste, which is known to be the most famous book ever written about food and the source of the famous aphorism 'Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are'.

     

     Among all the restaurants I have been in, Cafe Ysabel would probably be the one with the widest array of dishes and beverages on their menu. They have over 150 dishes, over 70 beverages and over 20 desserts and pastries to choose from. Their price range is also wide. They have items that would cost below P200 and those that would range around thousands. 

     After placing your order, you would be served with refillable drinking water and complimentary bread with which seems to be Balsamic Vinegar with Olive Oil. The bread is baked well. It is soft and a bit moist on the inside, crisp and powdery on the outside. It blends well with the sweet yet tangy taste of the Balsamic Vinegar with Olive Oil. The good news is, the complimentary bread is unlimited. 

     Due to our prior food adventure in the morning, my friends and I decided to order something light - lo and behold, the souffle. A souffle is a lightly baked cake made from egg yolk and egg whites combined with other ingredients. It originated from the French word 'souffler' which means to puff up - thus its appearance.

     Cafe Ysabel's was my first souffle. One order is good for two - not the serving size, but they will literally give you two souffles. It costs P198, so that is like P99/person for two people. It was served separately with milk. What we had was chocolate flavored. On first bite, one would easily taste the egg white present in the dish. The taste would greatly remind you of 'Champorado'. The feeling of eating it on the other hand, would probably remind you of breakfast and childhood. It is quite amazing - how food is able to stir up memories.

     My other friend ordered Caesar Salad for himself, and let me tell you, I have just seen the most intimidating salad in my life. It looked as if they had served a quarter of the Cabbage on his platter. However, it only seemed like that since the bottom was filled with other veggies. My friend enjoyed his meal. He found it tasty and filling. The Caesar Salad costs P380, but if you are planning to eat their entrees, it would probably be good enough to serve around two to three people as an appetizer.

     One would probably need around P250 to P400 to be able to dine in Cafe Ysabel. I would greatly recommend it for dates, especially romantic dinners. It may also be a great place to take visiting relatives from abroad due to the historic feel that the place exudes and the wide array of food offerings that will suit a well-traveled person. 

     A place seemingly teeming with romance and history, with a well-thought of menu from their chefs to match, Cafe Ysabel is definitely a great place to dine when you are offline.