Authentic Filipino Dishes in Bahay Ligaya, Quezon City
After toiling for the entire morning in one of the Gawad Kalinga's projects, the company where I currently work decided to reward everyone who participated in the volunteer event with a sumptuous meal in a nearby restaurant. It goes by the name Bahay Ligaya. Best of all, they serve lunch buffet here.
Read about how enriching the experience was in participating in GK's project here - Volunteering in Gawad Kalinga (GK) Community in Quezon City
Hauntingly beautiful interior
The interior has this traditional heritage house feels that is both haunting and fascinating at the same time. Paintings and other ornaments are hung on the walls further giving the ambiance this mystifying gaze. Despite the potential chills, the place is still "homey". In fact, its features add a bewildering beauty to the restaurant.
(I then realized after writing this post that we visited the place close to November, and the interior was decorated in such a way to be "spooky" for Halloween.)
Filipino lunch buffet
For this particular dining experience, we had a lunch buffet. I'm not sure whether this is a regular offering, since our HR might have had a special arrangement. But hopefully, they do because the buffet selections are really great!
The spread featured soup, appetizers, main dishes and desserts. All of which are authentic in terms of concept and, of course, the taste.
Still getting a little creeped out
I further examined the place as I waited for my turn, and I couldn't help but be drawn to the interior. I admit that I find tad bit creepy, but I still found myself marveling at them.
The dynamite, which was the first I grabbed and tasted, was undoubtedly "explosive", not of spiciness but of flavor! Take a lot of these. Swear.
Another dish that captivated me was the asim-kilig sourness of the Sinigang which really tickled my palate. I also loved the subtle sweetness that softened the sourness, giving it a flavor that wasn't "tiring" to taste.
The Ensaladang Talong was also nicely done. Eggs were soft and the eggplant was rightly seasoned. It also had a special sweet-sour sauce that further enhanced the flavor.
Perhaps the most enjoyable among all was the Pandan Chicken. All the meat was meticulously wrapped by pandan leaves giving them a sweet-minty-flowery tang. Excellent!
Now, the meat-fest went on with the Liempo which was also rich in sinful fatty flavor that burst in each bite. While I loved the Pandan Chicken more in terms of the taste, I went back a lot more for the liempo.
Lastly, for the dessert, we were served this ice-cold Saba Con Yelo. It was a perfect ender! The saba was abundant in freshness, and the sweetness was spot on. Also, since we really got tired shoveling up sands and gravel that morning, the cold touch from the crushed ice was magically soothing.
Bahay Ligaya Restaurant - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings reflect my personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Place ★★★★★
Taste ★★★★
Service ★★★★
Budget: I was not able to take note, since the food was care of our company
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 1 || Date of last visit - October 27, 2018
Bahay Ligaya is a special gem slightly tucked in the xx street of Quezon City. The ambiance is hauntingly beautiful that reminds you of a "heritage" house. Food as evidenced by our buffet experience, was noteworthy especially the chicken pandan, liempo and dynamite. Servers were warm bringing the Filipino Hospitality to life. Recommended.
Bahay Ligaya Restaurant
Location: 176 Katipunan Ave, Project 4, Quezon City, 1109 Metro Manila
Contact No.: (02) 439 6826
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