Combine tried and tested Barrio Fiesta Singing Cooks and Waiters Atbp's restaurant experience and Filipino cuisine, native-themed palaisdaan restaurant with an ambiance of native huts with Buddhist-inspired landscaping and you got yourself a satisfying meal and relaxing place called Isdaan Floating Restaurant.





Located along Gerona, Tarlac portion of MacArthur Highway where Tutubi passed by so many times in the past but never actually visited. This time, his officemates, coming from Camp John Hay in Baguio City, acquiesced to drop by for late lunch at the popular palaisdaan floating restaurant in Tarlac. This place is half-way to Baguio, and other northern provinces making it a popular stop-over for road trips reachable from Manila via NLEX, SCTEX and Tarlac City.

Cory Aquino, a Tarlac native, consulting with the late Jaime Cardinal Sin

From MacArthur Highway, one can see the giant Buddhas, fishes and other Buddhist-inspired statues and mythical creatures that remind you of Buddhist nations of Southeast Asia like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos if you've ever been to one of them.


Giant Buddha at Isdaan

Price of food at Isdaan Floating Restaurant is only slightly lower than Barrio Fiesta restaurants in Manila but worth it due to the relaxing atmosphere, beside rice fields with fresh air, conducive to sleeping after a heavy meal.

Sample menu prices:

Crispy Pata: PhP254.00 (crispy pork knuckles)
Ginataang Hipon Sipitsipitan Luto sa Buho: PhP139.00 (a recommended dish of prawns in spicy coconut milk served in bamboo),
Lechon de Leche PhP2,800.00 (one whole pit-roasted baby suckling pig, quite cheap actually)
Lechon Manok (Inihaw sa Dahon): PhP191.00 (one whole roast chicken)

lechon de leche (roast suckling pig) only costs PhP2,800.00

picture of the table with the food gone, reason why Tutubi doesn't take pictures of food if he's with hungry office mates. Note the restaurant serves food in environment-friendly banana leaves and bamboo-- no plastic except straws

Activities at Isdaan Floating Restaurant, Gerona, Tarlac:

Tacsiyapo Wall: Release your anger
Ungoy-Unggoyan: survive the spitting, urinating monkeys for a kilo of free fish
San Kilo Bridge: for 1 kilo of free fish, cooked the way you want it, cross the long bridge and survive
Mga Mahiwagang kamay: experience the legend of the giant hands
Wishing Buddhas: make your dreams come true


Cross this concrete bridge called "Sang Kilo Bridge" about 20 centimeters wide and 30 meters long, laden with sea shells as obstacles, and get 1 free kilo of fish cooked to your preferred way...the fishpond is about 6 ft to 9 ft so prepare to get wet should you fall

Note the place is dangerous for playing kids to roam around unattended so better stick to the restaurant's policy of using life vests for hyperactive kids. Be careful also when stepping on or leaving the floating huts, this is specially for non-swimmers as you can get a splash of your life there.


the tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur is out of place, it should've been moved to a children's playground as its a really distracting figure

Talking about negatives, their non-acceptance of credit cards -- it's a cash-only establishment so better bring wads of cash before visiting the restaurant. Budget about PhP300.00 and up per person and you'll really have a really nice meal. The establishment seems to be almost always full, attracting families of tourists and balikbayan so be early in order to get your desired seat/hut in the place.

How to get to Isdaan Floating Restaurant, Gerona, Tarlac:

Directions to Isdaan Floating Restaurant is easy, just follow this route: NLEX, SCTEX, exit at Tarlac, turn left going to Tarlac city proper and Hacienda Luisita then right on MacArthur Highway. Continue until you reach Gerona where the restaurant can be seen on your left. Travel time is about an hour from NLEX Dau exit entering SCTEX.

Update August 2010: there's an on-going construction of Isdaan restaurant in Bay, Laguna in between Kamayan sa Palaisdaan sa Bay and Samaral Seafood Restaurant. No information on opening date though.

UPDATE: November 2011: Isdaan Laguna is now open for business. No information yet on Isdaan telehone number for reservation nor contact person.

Labels: Central Luzon, Restaurants, Tarlac, Tarlac Restaurants