Lunch @ Kinabuhayan Cafe, Kubli Springs
Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho is an award-winning TV show on one of the largest networks in the country. Jessica Soho has been a constant presence on Philippine television for a long time now, establishing her mass influence, integrity and solid journalistic reputation through the years.
Her show is the first one to feature and acknowledge the Food Bloggers on primetime TV. It’s also the first time that Joel of Market Manila, Lori of Dessert Comes First and I appeared in one TV show feature — we were all excited about it.
Here is the inside story…
For my segment, we wanted to feature the food, travel, and Filipino angle of the blog. We decided to travel to Dolores, Quezon (2 hours away from Manila) to feature one of my favorite restaurants — Kinabuhayan Cafe, Kubli Springs. (see: Top 10 Awesome Restaurants of the Philippines)
I first discovered Jay Herrera’s Kinabuyan Cafe in January 2006, and I’ve loved it ever since.
Here are the blog posts about Kinabuhayan Cafe:
- [Viaje del Sol Series.3] “Starbucks” stop @ Jay’s Kinabuhayan Cafe
- [Viaje del Sol Series.4] Postcards from Kinabuhayan Cafe
- [Viaje del Sol Series.5] The Charm of Kubli Springs
- Kubli Springs Night @ Viaje del Sol
- Hailed the Most Beautiful Experience in Kubli Springs
The shoot was made extra special because Lori decided to join us. Although a self-confessed “city girl”, she was happily still game to check out this restaurant hidden at the foot of Mt. Banahaw.
Kinabuhayan Cafe is awesome because the entire place seems like a production set. There’s the rustic bed and breakfast; there’s the charming tree house (that most foreigners love); and there’s Onion, Jay’s pet pig. What’s not to love? 🙂
Jay decided to make risotto on the spot for the cameras, and he cooked it from scratch.
The food at Kinabuhayan Cafe is special because Jay personally cooks for all his guests.
It costs P500 per meal. You can stay overnight for FREE at Kinabuhayan Cafe by just paying for 3 meals — lunch, dinner and breakfast.
Jay’s Risotto is a Filipinized version already. He showed us how easy it is to cook it. His version requires a shot of lambanog (Quezon is known to have the best lambanog) and he ignites it as part of the cooking process of this dish.
The most tedious part is mixing the risotto for a few minutes.
Lori and Jay got along well — two highly creative people who share the same passion for food!
Lori shares her own version of our food trip to Jay’s Kinabuhayan Cafe:
Dessert Comes First | Tailing Mr. Awesome Planet in Quezon Province
Tucked away in the wilderness is Kubli Springs, which is just 12 minutes away from Kinabuhayan Cafe.
The best part about eating at Kubli Springs is being able to eat good food in a lush, natural setting. The spring waters caress your feet while you eat. This is the best place to drink lambanog, too! 🙂
Jay’s popular Alagaw Salad is made with local leaves and is eaten like fresh lumpia, where you put different ingredients inside the leaf, roll it up and eat it in one bite.
There are only two places in Manila where you can eat Alagaw Salad — one in Crescent Moon in Antipolo and here in Kinabuhayan Cafe.
After the salad, Jay prepares the risotto for the cameras and for the best part of the shoot — eating time! 🙂
Jay’s Risotto was very creamy (there’s no cheese in it) and flavorful because it was cooked in beef broth and a shot of lambanog. It is actually best paired with grilled meat.
Alagaw Salad, Mushroom Risotto, Breaded Eggplant with Cheese, Veggies and Tofu served on a natural boulder formation along Kubli Springs.
Thanks to Lori for making this trip awesome with her stories about the blogging life and other things. 🙂 We truly bonded after spending time together during this whole day shoot in Quezon.
Visit Lori’s DessertComesFirst.com for the best of home-based bakers and desserts in Manila.
Thanks to Jay Herrera for the consistently wonderful experience at Kinabuhayan Cafe and Kubli Springs. You never fail to impress me or any of your customers!
Kinabuhayan Cafe, Kubli Springs
Dolores, Quezon
Contact Jay Herrera +63 916 221-5791
Thanks to Jacq and the Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho crew. They are one of the most professional and talented TV crews that I’ve met from our local TV networks. They were game to troop all the way to Quezon, and they will do whatever it takes to make the segment look artistically great.
Here is the Food Bloggers Segment during last Saturday’s episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho:
For more information about Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, visit their KMJS Facebook Page and the official website: www.KapusoMoJessicaSoho.tv.
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
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Full Disclosure: We paid for our meals (with discount) at Kinabuhayan Cafe. That’s probably why Jay or Kubli Springs was not mentioned in the show because they did not sponsor the meal.
P.S. For those who want to pursue professional blogging, I will teach a course called Maven Secrets – Batch 5, which will start this coming February. Email me at anton@diaz.ph.
oh wow! been there twice, super love my first experience. the second visit was scary though because my friend and I never thought that there was a storm going towards Quezon (remember bagyong Frank??). such an awesome experience! 🙂
Hey Anton!
You really look really comfortable na in front of the camera. Good job!
Congratz Anton.
I saw you on TV on my way home last Saturday. ^_^
I missed the show!!!! Good thing your photos are very clear. The restaurant and the springs look dreamy! I am curious to try the alagaw salad.
lori + anton is like a tv crossover special.hehe
yeah i think drinking lambanog with the cool
spring water flowing through your feet would be
a really awesome drinking experience. hehe
Haha, thanks for the feedback 🙂 yes, trying to be more comfortable with the camera.
Hi! I recently became aware of OAP when I changed channels and saw that you were featured by Jessica Soho. Somehow, your segment caught my attention and I immediately search for OAP in the net. I might say that I was impressed or that could even be an understatement. I’m not into reading blogs but now I’m a changed person, you might say. All the entries here are very informative and interesting which made me realize that there are so many things to discover in our country and even in my own little corner of the Philippines. Congratulations and more power to you.
Thanks Geraldine 🙂 We are just doing the best we can also to promote our country 🙂 Thanks for reading OAP!
Good job Anton! You were born to be in front of the camera…very calm. By the way, it was nice meeting you last Sunday at Mercato. Seriosuly, it felt like meeting a rock star! Will have to go back as there is just too much food to try. 🙂 My mom says hi!
I rarely watch local TV shows – one, because of all the commercials, two, because they never follow the time schedule. But I purposely stayed home Friday night to watch this segment. My first ever Jessica Soho segment, just to see the 3 bloggers I read on a daily basis. Kudos Anton, I have been reading you for the past 4 – 5 years, always anticipating the New year calendar, the New year party list, things to do for Xmas, best restaurants etc. Keep on blogging, my day is not complete without a visit to your blog.
And an advise to Jessica’s writers, not all runs are Marathons( it’s 42K run, not lower). A 3K run is not a marathon, it’s a run.
** I meant, Saturday night
I can’t believe you revealed MarketMan’s real name! His secret identity! Hehehe. now the mystique is gone. The Philippine Food Blog God has come down to earth
haha medyo exag.. hehe
yep, actually nagka issue dyan during the No Reservations episode when they revealed MM’s full name if I am not mistaken.
Of course that's not true. Anton
Sarap, wanting to try risotto…
Hi Anton,
Bakit ganun, out of all the bloggers featured in Jessica Soho’s show, Market man and lori were the only ones cited for having integrity and credibility by margaux salcedo?
Do you think, pahaging ito na ikaw ay hindi man of integrity and credibility?
Totoo ba talaga na hindi ka tumatanggap ng pera sa mga restaurant na nirereview mo, eh yung mga gifts? No offense meant ha, highly commercialized yung blog mo at nakakatamad basahin. Nalaman ko pala tong blog mo because many commenters from other ‘respectable food bloggers’ say na ikaw daw yung BBB.
Pero sabe mo nga na hindi ikaw yun, kaya sige sabe mo eh. Pero yun lang ang napapansin ko sa blog mo, facade pa lang, commercialized na yung dating!
That's not true of course, you need to have an awesome restaurant to be featured in OAP. But you can believe what you want to believe, will respect your opinion.
I’ve been a follower of your blog for years Anton but i’ll have to disagree with you on this one. My personal opinion is that Kinabuhayan Cafe is not worth all the hype. Misleading, akala ko its at the foot of a mountain amidst nature yun pala its on a residential area! The huts were not clean, nakatambak mga gamit everywhere, nakasampay mga beddings kung saan saan… I really felt mislead by the reviews sa multiply site nila “magical” daw and when we got there it was… just messy. So disappointing.
I suppose everything is a matter of opinion. :)But Jay’s risotto is what daydreams are made of. Hey Anton, think he’s willing to cook it here in Manila? I sometimes see him around QC. 🙂
Hi E,
MM himself has already torn down the veil of secrecy during his temporary hiatus from blogging. This was last year pa, if I remember correctly. 🙂
Haha, yea seen from that angle… To me this B&B is a unique place to go. I’m a nature lover, so maybe it helps. But come on, it’s such an adventure to experience a night in a bamboo hut! I remember how the moskito net is so silky, haha.
And the food is absolutely gorgeous!! Jay is able to mix ingredients and techniques from so many cuisines (japanese, french, pinoy, etc.) plus his unique personal touch. No, seriously, this is a place to visit.
The decoration is really inventive and full of art.
Of course if you’re super picky & girly, then don’t go. But otherwise, it’s a great gettaway for a 24hours stay out of the city and it should be experienced at least once in a life-time.
I wish I’ve taken this review to heart before considering a trip to Kinabuhayan Cafe. 6-years after this review, Jay Herrera still operates in the same disappointing manner. There’s no such thing as early preparation in his world. The food is still over-priced and compensates by serving too much of it. The “interesting artifacts” some called his interior/exterior design are actually just clutter to me too if you put it all together, gathering dust in their out-of-place corners. And what some may so kindly term as a “strong personality” is actually 30-bipolar-years-in-showbusiness