El Arrozal: Breakfast By The Paddy Fields

Next to the city of Calapan, I must say that Bongabong holds a number of cozy dining cafe in Oriental Mindoro. A few months after Beati Hortus opened, El Arrozal Resto Cafe, which found its good location along the road going to Lisap bridge, is now welcoming hungry travelers as well. Although it is more of a restaurant than a cafe, El Arrozal also offers great coffee and breakfast meals.

I find this restaurant one of the best spot to spend your brunch because it gives you an incredible al fresco dining with a good view of the farm, sunset scenery and breeze of fresh air. It’s country style that’s why we love it here. Apart from the ambiance, El Arrozal offers satisfactory food, too.

http___www.bigleaguekickball.com_about_ Soma free consultation Crispy Pork Kare-kare

We instantly ordered their Crispy Pork Kare-kare because we were attracted to its photo in their Facebook page. Crispy cuts of meat laid in a pool of orange peanut sauce – you really get what you see. However, it’s clear from its color, texture and taste that the sauce lacks that nutty flavor. The sauce tastes more of annatto powder. But we still enjoyed everything on this plate, especially the pork belly that gives us crunch and delectability in every bite.

http___www.bigleaguekickball.com_advertise_ Soma OVERNIGHT COD ~ Soma NO PRESCRPTION Crispy Pork Sisig

This Crispy Pork Sisig was included in their Father’s Day Family Bundle so we got a chance to taste their version of sisig. I’ll give it a thumb up for the nice food presentation and another thumb up for having an absolutely crispy hog hashes. The texture didn’t disappoint as it gives variety of pork parts. I can sense some oyster sauce to it, which is unusual. It made the dish quite salty. But we just squeezed more calamansi juices into it and the outcome was delish.

http___www.bigleaguekickball.com_category_press_ soma same day delivery Fish and Chips

I found my favorite dish in El Arrozal! Their Fish and Chips was spot on. Both fish fillet and fries were fried just right. The cream dory is soft that it almost melts in the mouth. It has thin crispy golden crust, which gives way to more fish flesh. The fillets are salty yet the natural flavors of fish are still present. It’s like I’m having a bite of the sea. The accompanying chips are more on starchy than crispy, which is also good for a fries. Ugh! I wish this plate has more! 

Pancit Bihon Guisado

Our table won’t be complete without Pancit when we always dine with our mom. Fortunately, she approved of El Arrozal’s Pancit Bihon Guisado. When they served it, the generous amount of toppings was totally noticeable. My eyes formed heart shapes when I saw the Kikiam. They all worked well with the sauce and the noodles, which exhibits intense flavors.

Chicken Katsu Sandwich

I’m a fan of grilled cheese and I like that this is similar to grilled cheese with the addition of chicken cutlet in it. Everything is just simple from bread to cheese to chicken buns but this is the type of food that you’ll truly appreciate simplicity. Every component of the sandwich has their own amazing contribution to the outcome. The chicken katsu is tender like a nugget. The sandwich has the right amount of cheesiness that made the sandwich lively. The bread is toasted to crispiness. Even that small drizzle is flavorful.

Spanish Latte

I like that even it’s a Spanish Latte, which is a latte with condensed milk, it still has balanced sweetness. The coffee isn’t strong but I still ended up loving it since its taste is similar to X.O. candy. I was the only one who have a coffee but when my boyfriend took a sip of my Spanish Latte, he also wanted his cup so he ordered Caramel Latte. For me, there was only a slight difference between the two lattes since both are milky.

Cucumber Basil Lemonade | Cranberry Lychee Iced Tea

We kinda had a bad impression when they almost forgot to make my drink but redeemed themselves when they gave us good juices. As always, basil never fails to make a lemonade better. This glass contains organic fruitiness and tanginess. The Cranberry Lychee Iced Tea was just as refreshing. It has perfected the red iced tea my palate wants. Both cranberry and lychee are recognizable from this red liquid.

Affogato Coffee Jelly

From the name, i’m expecting a combination of vanilla ice cream, espresso shot and coffee jelly. The Affogato part may be missing in this bowl, we still enjoyed eating this dessert. The blend of coffee and vanilla was luscious. We didn’t pour the whole condensed milk so the sweetness was just right. Speaking of dessert, we were also craving for their White Custard Halo-halo since we saw their generous serving of it on other tables. It looks delightful! We’ll definitely order it next time.