My last visit here in Balaw Balaw restaurant was in 2010, I was with the group of travel bloggers in a tour and over night stay in Thunderbird Resorts Rizal, that was my 1st time there in Rizal and I haven’t visited the place after three years. But then another junket event took place in Antipolo and one of our agenda is to eat our dinner here in Balaw Balaw restaurant, when I saw the name of the resto being included in our itinerary, I got excited to join and through out the trip, names of their food always come out from my mouth hahahaha. you may read my 1st visit here in my old blog post at http://azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/2010/10/enjoy-exotic-food-at-balaw-balaw.html
Here’s the entrance of Balaw Balaw restaurant, I forgot that I’ve been here before 2010, that was around year 2003 when I always visit a girl here in Angono, Rizal at night. I think my friend Josie is already in Japan today. But she’s the one who told me to try eat exotic food here in Balaw Balaw, back then they serve python meat in adobo and ihaw ihaw. But after some years, they started to ban cooking pythons because we have a law now that protects endangered species.
Here’s our uniform during our Cemex factory visit. That’s me and Ashley of www.theroguewriter.net
After our junket tour in Cemex, we went around in Antipolo City and then ate our dinner here in Balaw Balaw restaurant.
Here’s the entrance and gate of Balaw Balaw restaurant, in my 2010 blog post, they don’t have yet that lovely wooden gate with metallic leaves.
btw, this is an art gallery and restaurant founded by chef and visual artist Perdigon Vocalan. He developed and invented these cuisines that makes Balaw Balaw be popular of, balaw balaw is a term they used for "binurong hipon" that they sell in a bottle.
the media team entering Balaw Balaw restaurant
The welcome sign in Balaw Balaw
I call that 3 feet wooden statue – Darth Vader hahahah
Also they sell those paper mache statues, last 2010 they sell it at Php250 and now 2013 they sell it at Php 380…whoaa for the price leap. I requested for a discount but they told me that it’s the last price. I bought the half body version to accompany the female statue that I bought from them last 2010.
Various paper mache artworks are displayed here, they are one of the makers of those “higantes” statue costume being worn by people during their annual Higantes Festival. I also wish to attend it next time, everytime I organize a trip in Angono, Rizal, I always get so many workload here at home.
“Higantes” are giant paper-mache endemic in the history and culture of Angono. For adults, they symbolize the joy and festivity especially when they are moving, swaying and dancing. For kids, however, they solicit either amusement or fear during the “Higantes Festival” celebrated on November 22-23 by the Municipality of Angono, Rizal, known as the Art Capital of the Philippines.
The festival is celebrated alongside the feast of St. Clement, Angono’s patron saint of fishermen. This year, the activities feature tiangge, play, band and rock concert, talent search, dance contest known as “Parehadora Festival,” parade, and an art exhibit welcoming the centennial birth of National Artist for Painting Carlos “Botong” Francisco in 2012.
Local folklore reproduced in the research books of UP emeritus professor Ligaya Tiamson-Rubin noted that the “Higante” was used as symbol of agrarian protest during the waning years of Spanish colonialism.” --- from angonodreamnews.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/the-history-and-evolution-of-angono-rizals-higante/
Dining area for their restaurant / resin mold for their paper mache costume
art gallery and paintings of Vocalan / that’s a stuffed animal pangolin
more artworks on display, I think some of it are for sale and artworks of other artist here in Angono, Rizal
The landscape artwork inside Balaw Balaw restaurant, there’s a pond and a mini falls with lots of wooden and rock statues.
Ok time to eat!!! we saw this giant kawali near our restaurant, our event head called the restaurant 30 minutes before we arrived, they reserved the table and ordered the food for us a day before we landed here in Rizal.
It’s a mixed seafood and meat in rice
here’s another version of the rice kawali
Bulalo
Bulalo soup
yeah…they kinda separate the bulalo content and its soup
Fried itik – one of the best seller here in Rizal.
Adobo frog – we requested for a serving in our table hahaha, I requested for a yummy adobo style
Fried frogs – but the most yummiest of them all is the fried version.
Ashley’s first time to eat a PALAKA ahhahahaha… I told her that it tastes like chicken
ohh Balaw Balaw, I wish I can visit you again next year, I have already my Rizal map and I will include you in one of my blog projects to map around the best place to visit and eat there in Rizal.
And oh…before I leave Balaw Balaw restaurant, I must wear again this Dolphy higantes mask for my instagram post hahahah.
Balaw Balaw Restaurant and Art Gallery
Doña Justa Street, Angono 1930
(02) 651 0110
Balaw Balaw Foursquare - https://foursquare.com/v/balaw-balaw-restaurant/4c1353b4a5eb76b05fc7bfb7
Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Balaw-Balaw/122289674505861
