A trip to a place for Tutubi won't be complete without looking for nice places to eat that's not the usual fastfood restaurants in every corner of almost every town, even with the advent of SM City San Pablo, he wanted a different kind of experience.

He got this wish during his second "official" visit to the City of Seven Lakes when he was asked by his contact on his wish on where to eat and promptly replied "I want to catch a glimpse of Sulyap Cafe and they took him there.

Sulyap Cafe stands at the site of the former school inside Cocoland in San Pablo, 2 minutes from Sambat Intersection (hmmm, such a redundant name, Sambat means intersection or junction in Tagalog, many places called Sambat in Sta. Cruz and Pagsanjan towns for example.)

Sulyap Gallery Cafe is an ancestral house from Real, Quezon sold by its owner then transplanted to its present home.

While Tutubi's companions ordered not interesting items on the menu (e.g. cheese sticks, cheeseburger, tapsilog et al), Tutubi ordered house specialties like the following:


Pinais na kabute (Pinais recipe, simply means the main ingredient, wrapped in banana leaves, is simmered in water, vinegar, garlic, ginger salt and pepper). In this recipe, kabute (mushrooms) were used)

Crispy tilapia in oyster sauce. The tilapia is fried, well done with no salt; the oyster sauce with spices for dipping.


ensaladang pako (edible fern salad using fresh fiddlehead fern abundant on the slopes of Mt. Banahaw and Sierra Madre mountain range). The fern was fresh and crispy with the great balance of the saltiness of the itlog na maalat (salted egg) and sourness of the vinaigrette-like dressing. (a similar take of this exists at Chef Mau restaurant, Liliw, Laguna, another favorite place of Tutubi)


The newly relocated bahay na bato soon to be turned into an inn/bed and breakfast for those looking for overnight accommodations. That will surely compete directly with the nearby Casa San Pablo bed and breakfast.

After Sambat, Tutubi opted to go to the tour of Lake Pandin but was spoiled by a sudden heavy downpour and just decided to go back to Manila. The rafting tour of Lake Pandin occurred on his third visit.

Tutubi's take: Sulyap Cafe deserves a second, third...many looks, not just a short glimpse!

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Sulyap Gallery Cafe
Brgy Del Remedio
Cocoland Compound, San Pablo City, Laguna
Telephone number: +63.49.562.9740; +63.49.562.9735
GPS Coordinate: N14 04 37.2 E121 18 46.7
Official Website: www.sulyap.net

Budget: P200.00++ per person

Other Recommended dishes:
Kulawong Puso ng Saging
Kulawong Talong with flavor of smoked coconut meat similar to the minanok recipe of Paete, Laguna and nearby places.

No reservations required but limited space available around 8 tables. Call Sulyap's contact numbers to be sure.

Other notable San Pablo restaurants:

Kusina Salud
Cafe Lago, on the lakeshore of Sampaloc Lake
El Mare Bulalo on the national highway (opposite the El Mare Buko Pie and Chicken Empanada and pasalubong shop)

Where to eat in San Pablo on the cheap, there's
Clydenjosh Luto sa Lawa for cheap meryenda plus the "al fresco" grills (barbeque, isaw, betamax and other street food) on the lakeshore promenade near the park.

Labels: Calabarzon, Laguna, Laguna Restaurants, San Pablo, Southern Tagalog

Tutubi visited The City of Seven Lakes that is San Pablo in Laguna twice but on both occasions he was not able to to do a sidetrip to the still pristine lake due to, first, usual busy Tutubi, and, second, sudden rain spoiled the day.

On the third take, he was able to finish work early and while waiting for his peers to to finish theirs, "sneaked" out to tour the cleanest and greenest of San Pablo City's Seven Lakes: Pandin Lake.

After about 15 minutes on Schetellig Avenue from San Pablo Cathedral, Tutubi saw the Lake Pandin sign on the left side of the road (just near another sign of Lake lanot), he stopped to park his car at the "parking lot" then asked around for Mang Tano, the leader of the caretakers of the lake.

Another 10 minutes of slow trekking, Tutubi spotted Lake Pandin before descending to the lake shore. He was greeted by a large group of tourists going home with smiles on their faces and even told him it's going to be dark soon but he didn't mind.

the first sighting of Pandin Lake

the foot trail markers with banners of Laguna's governor

Several bamboo rafts with huts and benches were waiting for passengers. When he inquired how much was the cost to board the rafts and tour the lake, he got P180/person (even if you're alone or with a group) which takes about 3 to four hours that includes. He begged off from the long tour due to limited time and just opted for the one hour crossing the lake on the bamboo rafts guided by a rope to the other side of the lake where a grotto and spring water was fetched before going back.


several bamboo rafts moored waiting for visitors and tourists

an oarswoman of green pandin lake

fresh buco juice prepared on board Lake Pandin "Cruise." Tutubi paid for two persons at the standard rate of P180.00/person even if there were only two of them on board

The ones steering the raft were women, call them the oarswomen of Lake Pandin, while the barangay captain joined the fun. They were mostly game with joking around and telling stories and legend of the origins of the seven lakes of San Pablo to the joking Tutubi.

Lake Pandin is quite deep, claimed as the deepest besides the cleanest and best preserved of the seven lakes. Thanks to the efforts of some citizens of the city and cooperation of lake side dwellers. Several sources of "mineral" water can be found on the lake shore with various species of trees and shrubs. Fish pens can also be found but regulated to occupy only a small portion of the lake (as expected, people claimed their tilapia and ayungin taste better than those caught or raised elsewhere)

the oarswomen of Lake Pandin

the grotto at the end of the guide rope. There's a "saluno" where locals fetch natural mineral water for drinking

Once back to the "docking" area of the lake, the women suggested a tour of Lake Yambo, Pandin's twin lake via a small water link between the two and is inclusive of the P180 Lake Pandin tour price but he declined due to his very limited time.

Complimentary buco juice was served and enjoyed "lips-to-lips" style due to the absence of straw (it's really better since plastic straw may just end up polluting the lake).

After the abbreviated "green water" rafting tour, he went back to the city center, near CARD Bank on Quezon St., only to find out his peers still were not ready to go home.

What Tutubi did next to while away time? A tour of Sampaloc Lake!

...to be continued.

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Lake Pandin tour
Contact: Mang Tano
contact number: +63.929.978.9565
Tour rate per person: P180.00
Note: inconsistent reply on tour cost for children
additional P180 per person for lunch (pre-ordered in advance) composed
mainly of locally caught fish
Safety: mandatory wearing of life vests. rafts don't tip over and will only slightly submerge if overloaded but not completely sink unless the bamboo poles are unbound.

Seven Lakes of San Pablo City:
Lake Bunot, Lake Calibato (Lake Kalibato), the twin lakes of Yambo and Pandin, Lake Palakpakin (Palacpaquin or Palacpaquen), Lake Muhikap (as Lake Mojicap or Lake Mohicap) and Lake Sampaloc (or Sampalok Lake, the largest of the seven lakes)

How to get there:

GPS Coordinate of jump-off point/parking area: (to follow)

Commuting from San Pablo City center near San Pablo Cathedral, ride a jeepney with signboard "Ilog" or those plying the San Pablo - Nagcarlan -Liliw route and request the driver to drop you off at the Pandin Lake sign along the road of barangay Sto. Angel. There's another five minutes or so walk to Pandin lake shore.

If you're from Laguna, you can ride the jeepney to the capital town of Sta. Cruz and transfer to a jeepney going to San Pablo City.

Driving directions: from San Pablo city center Schettelig Avenue all the way to barangay Sto. Angel. You may park your vehicle near the Lake Pandin sign (you can see this to your left) with approximate travel time of twenty minutes. They have someone to watch your car while you're away and the guide will fetch you from the parking space.

Labels: Calabarzon, Laguna, Lakes, San Pablo, Southern Tagalog