This nondescript entrance gate gives no hint of the treasure one can find inside. In fact, I got lost looking for it. 2650 Zamora Street is the 1940s residence of Pablo S. Antonio, National Artist for Architecture. It's now open to the public and is Pasay's best kept secret!
The house plays host to The Garden Room, a by-reservation dining haven run by his family. Every room of the house has been converted into a dining area and it can host several groups at any given time. It was a perfect venue for our HCS board meeting yesterday.
The Garden Room has a refreshing ambiance owing to Antonio's "green" design for his residence. The whole house seemed to be shaded by trees and other plants. Small pocket gardens can also be found around the house. And what is nice about it is the consistent use of natural lighting in the different rooms.
There are five set menus ranging from P700 to P900 per head. All set menus come with fresh fruit juice, fresh green salad with oil and garlic dressing, and assorted dessert tarts. The guava juice they served us was rich! All the food was great and the cakes were heavenly!
MENU 1 (P700) - Mustard chicken, seafood pasta and melanzaneMENU 2 (P700) - Roast chicken, pasta with black olives, anchovies and mushrooms, and melanzane
MENU 3 (P700) - Roast rosemary chicken, putanesca, and melanzane
MENU 4 (P800) - Tenderloin, chorizo pasta, and mustard chicken
MENU 5 (P900) - Roast leg of lamb, pasta with pesto sauce, roast chicken
On EDSA, if you're coming from Makati, make a right at Zamora Street (it's the street before the LRT and there's a Watsons store at the corner). Then watch out for the house. It does not have any signage outside so you'll have to look for the house number.How to get there
From Makati, take EDSA. The street before Taft Avenue is Zamora Street. There is a Watson's store at the corner. Make a right there and just go straight until you reach No. 2650.
Contact numbers
The Garden Room
2650 Zamora Street, Pasay City
+63 2 8318407
+63 2 6315054
+63 917 6008886
Related entries
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National Artist Pablo Antonio’s work to be demolished
The food and the setting make the trip to Zamora Street in Pasay worth one's while. It is a memorable example of both Adaptive Reuse and Green Architecture.
ReplyDeletethanks for this ivan, at least we don't need to go to tagaytay. :)
ReplyDeleteYup, I'll let you know if we do find more hidden gems in Metro Manila.
ReplyDeleteso nice. thanks for the tip! maybe i will go there one of these days with friends.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of the old houses in Pasay with art galleries and restaurant when I was still based in Manila in 2002. I am not sure which lifestyle program featured this hidden gems in Pasay.
ReplyDeleteCan you feature those art galleries in Pasay located close to that area. I am not sure if they are in F. B. Harrison Street or nearby location?
wow! a good find. i'd love to try it out really soon. love going to tagaytay. this will surely be a good alternative when going to tagaytay is just not possible.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find.
ReplyDeleteI will surely be trying it out
Hidden gems in Metro Manila?
What an interesting direction to pursue ...
daguldol taracatak iii
been here before. i think the place isn't open yet for public that time.think it was year 2006. work related siya but we were able to taste some of the foods they now serve. ^_^
ReplyDelete