Travelling back in time with a full tummy

They have always said that the best things in life do not come easy. This saying applies to visiting Chef Roland Laudico’s restaurant, Guevarra’s. Situated in P. Guevarra’s Street in San Juan (hence the name), the restaurant is not readily accessible to public transportation except for cabs. While the location is a bit iffy, it does come with its perks. The secluded place gives off the feeling of a retreat, a luxury very few restaurants can boast of, especially here in Metro Manila. With vintage houses looming from both sides of the road, you can click away happily with your camera on the way to the restaurant. Whenever you feel the need to get away from the worries of your busy life while enjoying great food, Guevarra’s is the place to go.

Guevarra is an ancestral house-turned restaurant

The restaurant is a converted ancestral house of Chef Laudico and started operation on March 5, 2013. The restaurant gives off a relaxing feel, painted in immaculate white coupled with a flowing water fountain facing the entrance. It was nice to see that the restaurant retained the ancient feel of the ancestral house. Portraits of several figures in Philippine history like Apolinario Mabini and Pedro Guevarra hung on the walls. The facade features a staircase leading to the main door, a perfect place for photo-ops. The glass windows let you view the garden outside while you eat, contributing to the “presko” ambience.    

A portrait of  the sublime paralytic Apolinario Mabini

A flowing fountain stands at the entrance of the restaurant

 As with every restaurant, food is still the defining factor. Guevarra’s offers authentic Filipino food in a buffet style. It works on a self-service system wherein you choose from the wide assortments of delicacies and dig in to your heart’s content. The main dishes range from seafood like halabos na hipon, the usual suspects like chicken adobo, and the bestseller angus beef tapa among many others. There are also options for vegans since they also serve vegetable dishes.

Being a buffet style restaurant, Guevarra’s is a haven for volume eaters. Arriving there early is also a must if you intend to get your money’s worth. (The restaurant opens at 11:00 in the morning and closes at 2:00 for the morning shift). The 2:00 pm deadline is just for the kitchen. Customers who are not yet finished are allowed to eat the foods that were already served before the time.

The experience with the food was sub-par for me. But to be fair, I did not really put myself in position to enjoy the food fully. Buffets are not really for slow eaters and 12:30 is not really a recommended arrival time. Seafood compromised the majority of the massive blob of food I put on my plate. Halabos na hipon was a personal favorite, with its savory sauce complimenting the crunchy yet tender sugpo. Fried chicken adobo was a heavy meal, but who says no to abodo and fried chicken in one right? Most of the class had their 2^nd maybe even 3^rd servings, I had just one (but it a huge heap of food). It was with the desserts that I had my fair share. The desserts were bite-sized so I had a taste of almost all of them.  The chewy and chocolatey pudding was a stand-out.

You just can't have enough of  Guevarra's puddings 

Assuming that you are not a slow eater and will arrive on time, Guevarra’s offers good value for money. The food, the ambience and the overall experience makes up for the 450 pesos buffet rate. And to quote Guevarra’s marketing officer Lyka Matugas, “Masarap balik-balikan”

Lyka Matugas being interviewed by the J195 class