I honestly knew very little about Liliw until Cille and Titus invited me to visit their home a few months ago. I wasn't really expecting much, except for the batis that Cille mentioned. na by the way, hindi pa natin na visit! haha! But other than that, I thought it's just going to be a do-nothing weekend in the highlands. I was wrong.
Before Liliw, Laguna to me just meant hot springs and buko pie. Thanks to this couple, I was able to discover a deeper culture that isn't much publicized on social media.
Our first stop: Liliw, Laguna.
The Place:
Liliw. A small town at the southern end of Laguna, dubbed as the Tsinelas Capital. It is situated at the foot of Mount Banahaw on a hilly plain bounded by the neighboring towns of Sta.Cruz (where the Emilio Jacinto Burial Shrine and Immaculate Concepcion Parish is located), Magdalena (for the St, Mary Magdalene Church and Bahay Laguna), Nagcarlan (for the Bunga Falls, Underground Cemetery and Nagcarlan Church), and Majayjay (for the shooting at the rapids and white water rafting experience).
How To Get There:
From LRT Gil Puyat Station, take any bus from JAC Liner, Jam Transit or DLTB Co. bound to Lucena Quezon (~Php 127; travel time is around 2 hours). Ask the driver to drop you off at SM San Pablo -- from there, take a jeepney going to Bayan and go down to the Cathedral (~Php 8.00; travel time is 10 to 15 minutes). Once you reach the cathedral, you will see a fire station a few steps away, in front of the church -- that's where you'll find the jeepneys bound to Liliw (~Php 31; travel time is around 1 hour). You will know that you've reached Liliw when you see a street full of shoe stores. You can either drop off at the end of the street if you want to visit the church first, or walk upwards the street if you prefer to go shoe shopping. You decide.
Where To Eat:
Where To Eat:
1. Arabela
Address: 503 Rizal Street, Liliw, Laguna
Contact Number: (+63) 49 563 24 95
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArabelaLiliw
Arabela is an Italian-inspired restaurant situated at the ground level of a three-story ancestral house, located at the corner of Rizal Street, parallel to the "Tsinelas Lane" at the town proper. It is a low ceiling restaurant, with eclectic novelties distributed all over the space. During the weekends, the place is usually packed with customers from the town and visiting guests from the metro. So, don't forget to reserve ahead if you want to eat here.
I ordered a Parmesan Crusted Chicken. A straight out deep fried chicken with a mild flavored meat, balanced with crispy parmesan breading. Very simple, but I liked it. Found out later, through online raves, that their best seller pala is the Seafood Marinara and Brownies! Haha! Will keep that in mind and order for next time. We didn't try the desserts that time because I brought a box of cheesecake for Cille and Titus -- so yun talaga muna dapat! *wink.
..and oh! don't forget to try the Watermelon-Mango-Grape Shake too!
..ang sarap! as in! (~Php 130.00)
..and oh! don't forget to try the Watermelon-Mango-Grape Shake too!
..ang sarap! as in! (~Php 130.00)
Parmesan Crusted Chicken (~Php 190.00)
2. Tea Tree
Address: Gat Tayaw Street, Liliw, Laguna
Tee Tree is a dainty coffee shop at the heart of Liliw. Yes, another one of those, "I-didn't-know-there's-a-branch-in-Manila" kind of thing, because apparently, there's one located in Quezon City as well pero dumayo pa ko sa malayo! Haha!
The place looks exactly how I pictured my imaginary art cafe would look like. From the fancy design of lights, colorful post-its on the tables, up to the lovely display of crafts around the coffee shop. The owner of this cafe is truly a crafting brilliant (agreeing to what's written on their place mats) Haha! This place really deserves to be noticed and I can't wait to try more of their dishes in the future.
Tip: If you're planning to visit Tee Tree, whether in Liliw or in Lagro, keep in mind that you can request for polymer clay materials from the cashier (with a minimum order of Php 1,000.00) and you can craft in any design for you to take home or have it displayed at the shop.
A few of my favorite dishes on the menu include: House Pasta (~Php 140.00), Pizza De Bagong Bayan (~Php 395.00) and their Raspberry Yakult (~Php 80.00) -- cooking takes a little time, but I swear, it's worth the wait!
House Pasta (~Php 140.00)
3. Chef Mau's Restaurant
Address: Liliw - Magdalena Road, Liliw, Laguna
Contact Number: (+63) 49 234 38 21
I never really thought that my first visit to Liliw would end up as a food trip weekend for all of us! There's just too many restaurants to discover and everything seems to be at a reasonable price. Like Chef Mau's menu for example, price range is from Php 65.00 (for a generous serving of Tinapa Rolls) to Php 350.00 for some of the pork selections like Crispy Pata! Perfect for those who are on a budget, but don't want to skimp on good meals! Sulit talaga! Especially the Thai Tinapa (~Php110.00) and the best fried chicken in the whole wide world (a.k.a Half Crispy Chicken) that costs only Php 140!
Tinapa Roll (~Php 65.00) and Thai Tilapia (~Php 110.00)
4. Bibingkang Liliw in Gat Tayaw Street
Forget Buko Pie and try this instead! Bibingkang Liliw is not the typical rice flour bibingka you'll find elsewhere, because this one has coconut meat mixed on the batter instead of salted eggs or cheese.
Definitely a must try for anyone craving for a sweet treat!
Bibingkang Liliw (~Php 70.00)
Places To Visit:
1. St. John the Baptist Church
A baroque-inspired architecture built during the Spanish period in 1605.
This church houses a gold-leafed retablo behind the altar and a small chapel named in honor of Franciscan Priest, Father Pedro de San Buenaventura.
Of course, you can't leave Liliw without buying a pair shoes!
Who can resist a Php 100 to 300 price tag? I know I can't! Hah!
3. Tourism Office.. or as I'd like to call the Sunset Tower
6th Sunset in the #OneHundredSunsetsProject on Instagram
If you're like me who loves to watch the sunset and vowed to never miss the opportunity, then you should include the Liliw Sunset in your itinerary. Along Gat Tayaw street, beside St. John the Baptist Church is the Liliw Tourism Office where you can climb up the tower and enjoy the over-looking view of this small town.
Uraro. A local pastry that's widely available and one of the best pasalubong you should take home.
Our Next Stop: Nagcarlan.
If you want to know how this local delicacy is made, then head over to Prime Choice Food Products in Mabini Street. Their kitchen is usually open for tourists who are interested to learn the age-old techniques in Uraro making.
During my stay, I was lucky to be introduced to the owner of Prime Choice Food Products, Tita Ada, who's been in the business for more than 30 years. She showed me their kitchen where they still use a traditional brick oven and tools for their pastries even up to this day.
During my stay, I was lucky to be introduced to the owner of Prime Choice Food Products, Tita Ada, who's been in the business for more than 30 years. She showed me their kitchen where they still use a traditional brick oven and tools for their pastries even up to this day.
That's cool for a self taught baker like myself. Haha!
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If you are planning to go to Liliw, you may want to consider the following:
- The Tsinelas Festival is being held every 4th week of April, where they parade slipper floats and bird mascots around town to remind the people of the origin of their province.
- There's almost always a light rain, especially during the -ber months, so don't forget to bring an umbrella and don't let a little rain stop you. Anyway, konting konti lang naman sya, Haha!
