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    Choco Zone

    5.0 (1 review)

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    Recommended Reviews - Choco Zone

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    3 years ago

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    Catalino's Restaurant - Halo halo

    Catalino's Restaurant

    4.0(2 reviews)
    6.2 km

    If you happen to stumble on this hidden gem in Lucena, you have to stop in. The restaurant is…read moretucked away behind an old antique shop which gives this place an old world ambiance. This is an outdoor-ish type restaurant, so don't expect air conditioning and white linen. Nonetheless, it's gorgeous and comfortable in its own special way. A wonderful treat for the palette, Filipino / Quezon provincial delicacies at its best for your tummy to enjoy. The food takes a while but totally worth the wait, I'm not sure if the food is prepared fresh when you order it, but nonetheless, it was well worth the extra wait. The view from the main dining area is beautiful, a stream running just below, with beautiful trees and a mountain as the backdrop as the cool breeze runs through. The servers are friendly and always helpful with a smile. The service overall is OK. The food: Binagoongan: a house specialty: I haven't had this dish prepared so well before today. The skin of the pork was crispy and meat was tender. The dish was not overly salty considering its contents. I'm no expert on Filipino cuisine because of my inexperience with it specifically, yet this is one of my favorite dishes overall, just superb to the palette. Chima: noodles which are stir fried with vegetables and meat: dish was very good, noodles had a perfect al dente texture which is rare for me here in the Philippines, noodles are usually cooked all the way through making them soft. Delicious! Pako Salad: my first time to have this: One of the best salads I've ever had. I cannot quite describe the taste, the greens were fresh, crisp, and I'm not sure if it's the vinegar based dressing or the greens themselves, but I enjoyed this salad throughly! Topped with onions, tomatoes, and salted egg, who would have thought this salad is one of the best I've ever had. Must must try! Halo halo: The ice is smooth and not chunky, so right off the bat, there's something going right here. The milk they used or cream was a coconut base, of course! We're in Quezon the coconut capital. Overall just a simply fantastic put together dessert. Whether you have room for dessert or not, you have to try this as well. Overall, 4 stars. The food alone does it for me, the rest was pretty much negligible. Simply awesome food!!! Al la cuisine! Stay hungry!

    The food is prepared well, and the view is gorgeous. I'm from the U.S., so for other foreigners,…read moreplease don't expect nice bathroom facilities. Also, someone is raising chickens nearby, so sometimes you get wafts of that. Of course, there are mosquitoes, since the place is outside. With that said, if you want a great take on Filipino food, I would definitely recommend this place. Egg rolls, pinakbet, and the pako salad were all great. Wasn't the biggest fan of their version of Halo-halo--I could have used a bit more variety in the mixings, so it was average for me. The view of the river and the forest around is spectacular. The waiters were nice. Again, the food is the thing at this place. I wasn't disappointed. Also, the place is kind of hard to find. Don't trust your smartphone GPS. Good luck. The compound on which the restaurant is located is interesting: some kind of antique shop with beautiful plants and trees and a well. It's definitely a memorable place. There weren't many people around when I visited, so the antique areas were cool/creepy to see.

    Photos
    Catalino's Restaurant - Pako Salad

    Pako Salad

    Catalino's Restaurant - Our lunch break!

    Our lunch break!

    Catalino's Restaurant - Binagoonan

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    Binagoonan

    Arabela - Truffle Pasta with Mushrooms

    Arabela

    4.3(4 reviews)
    20.6 km
    ₱₱

    During my recent visit to the PI, we stopped by Arabela for lunch. I think this was the only (or…read morevery few) restaurants that are modern + up to date. Service was really good as our server Choi was very attentive and polite (both times we went) along with the rest of the staff. The green mango smoothie was so good! One thing I must say is the oddity of how low the ceilings were!!!! Eek. I'm short but it was low enough for me to tippy toe and touch the ceiling. The restroom too was like this. Felt like Alice in Wonderland lol Def a must when you're in town.

    I love this place. My first visit was the first year they were open. I didn't even know to be…read morehonest. I was in the country the year they opened and happened to be visiting my cousin in the area who took me here for lunch with her family. I remember having the best dining experience and promised to come back the next time I'm in the country again. This time around that very same cousin invited me to stay with her for the weekend so of course I obliged. She made sure a meal here was on the agenda. We came in for lunch 7 deep on a Saturday. There was a little bit of a wait, but we didn't mind since we were catching up on what we missed the last few years since I hadn't seen them in over a decade. My cousin went on an ordering spree as soon as we sat down. Before I knew it, food started covering all our tables. What a feast indeed. My mango shake was amazing. Always so good. Every dish was great. They're known for their pastas, hut I only got to have a bite of one order. I got a bit of every single dish ordered for the table. The salad was my personal favorite. The pizzas were great. The bbq was my favorite of the meats. A visit here is a must if you're in the area. I highly recommend walking around the Liliw area for souvenirs from the local vendors right after your meal. We had such an amazing day. I know I've only visited twice, but the memories bring me so much joy. I always tell everyone I know in the Philippines to make sure they come here for a meal if they happen to be in the area. I'd certainly be in trouble if I lived in the area. I will definitely be back for a visit on my next visit. I intend to be in the Philippines towards the end of the year so I guess see you soon! From California, with love.

    Photos
    Arabela - Green mango smoothie

    Green mango smoothie

    Arabela
    Arabela

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    Choco Zone - restaurants - Updated July 2026

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