On Cagayan Valley road in Cabanatuan on the way to Isabela, Tutubi's driver pointed out a restaurant he recommended for lunch but since it was too early, they decided to have lunch there instead on their return trip to Manila.

It took Tutubi more than 5 hours to travel to Cabanatuan from Santiago City due to heavy traffic in Santiago City's fiesta aggravated by the gridlock in Cabanatuan caused by the "million" tricycles weaving their way throughout the city.

Tutubi's driver took a bypass road from crossing passing by Barangay Kapitan Pepe, Capitol and Texas Hotel and Traveller's Inn back into Maharlika Highway where Circle's Restaurant is located.



They waited in line at the jam-packed restaurant where a wedding reception was held and naturally, food was taken much faster than waiters can replenish at the buffet table so they decided to activate plan B: transfer to another all you can eat restaurant near Circles.

Just a few meters Circle's Restaurant is another place offering the same tack at the same price of P100: Honeys Grill and Restaurant shaded with a big aratilis tree and other plants. The place has no air-conditioning but is cool enough due to the presence of chicken wire-like porous walls allowing air from the outside to circulate.

Menu included balaw-balaw, adobo, pinakbet, ginataang kalabasa, caldereta, and chicken curry with salad, leche flan and gelatin. You get all these for only P100 or P120 for additional bottomless softdrinks or iced tea.





Over-all, food at Honey's Grill is not something to rave about since it's just ordinary to Tutubi's quite discerning taste; but the price tag for such an "all you can eat" menu makes it a recommended place to eat for budget travelers like him wishing to squeeze the most out of P100 bill whose value shrinks due to high inflation aggravated by the rising cost of fuel prices. (for foreign readers' information: US$1 = P45)

After indulging in two full plates, iced tea and desserts, headed out to find the former concentration camp immortalized in the Hollywood movie "The Great Raid" plus the visit to Cabanatuan Cathedral to visit the Antonio Luna monument interrupted by a sudden rain that rendered parts of the "tricycle capital of the Philippines" flooded.

another all you can eat place spotted by Tutubi in Baliuag, Bulacan: Mango Tango Restaurant


About 4 hours later, Tutubi's back to his lair somewhere in Metro Manila.

Labels: Cabanatuan City, Central Luzon, Nueva Ecija, Restaurants

The first time Tutubi set foot in Cabanatuan was sometime in 1995 to visit Wesleyan University. This time, he passed by the city notorious for the presence of so many tricycles criss-crossing the busy streets of the city made notorious by the murder of a revolutionary general and the almost forgotten daring rescue of American POWs by Americans aided by Filipino guerilas during World War II.

It took barely two hours drive to go to Cabanatuan from Quezon City because Tutubi left at early at 5am and got there before 7am when Jollibee and the city's notorious "million" tricycles were still asleep.

Drive and shoot pictures of Cabanatuan City:

welcome arch of the city
a photo of NE Crossing unobstructed but a speeding tricycle entered the frame. It's about 7am and you still can't see the other million tricycles here
Kamura, Tutubi thinks prices here are cheap! :P
The statue of Antonio Luna near the Cathedral. For lesson in history, the revolutionary general Antonio Luna was murdered by the soldiers of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo inside the Cabanatuan Cathedral in July 1899. (Tutubi wanted to take pictures of the statue and the marker on the wall of the church but rain fell as soon as he got out of the car...next time Tutubi, next time)

There are three major roads in Cabanatuan: the Maharlika Highway, Cabanatuan-Tarlac, and the Cabanatuan-Aurora road. The Maharlika Highway is the main thoroughfare going to Nueva Vizcaya. The so called Crossing is the corner of Maharlika and the road going to Aurora (Baler, Casiguran, Dingalan) and pass by the historic Pangatian Shrine and Palayan City,the capital of Nueva Ecija province. Cabanatuan-Tarlac is Nueva Ecija's link to neighboring Tarlac province.

Should you find yourself in Cabanatuan, Tutubi recommends gassing up at this gas station. Too bad, he had already gassed up at Shell Crossing when he saw this nationalistic station sporting the colors of the national flag and whose name sounded like refill. Creative and nationalistic indeed!

On his return trip to Manila, Tutubi passed by the former concentration camp also in Cabanatuan which was the site of the most successful rescue mission in American military history...subject of a future post! :P

Tip: To avoid heavy traffic in Cabanatuan, there are two bypass roads you can take, one pass by Barangay Kapitan Pepe (left, coming from Manila) and the other one is up to Mabini (right, from Manila)

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How to get to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija:

Driving Directions: On NLEX, take Sta. Rita Exit then just follow the route that willlead to Pulilan, Plaridel, Baliuag, San Ildefonso, and San Miguel and Gapan.

Those with motorcycles or want to avoid toll fees on NLEX can opt to go via MacArthur Highway passing through Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiguinto (Tabang), Plaridel, Pulilan, Baliuag, San Rafael, San Ildefonso, San Miguel , Gapan, San Leonardo, Sta. Rosa, then Cabanatuan City.

Commute: Bus to Gapan, Nueva Ecija is serviced by bus companies on EDSA, Cubao Quezon City e.g. Baliwag Transit, Five Star Transit et al with signboards Cabanatuan, Santiago or Tuguegarao.

Labels: Antonio Luna, Cabanatuan City, Central Luzon, National Heroes, Nueva Ecija, Philippine History, Philippine Revolution