Cafe Juanita

Last wednesday morning, I got a surprise phone call from Ramon Dimacali, President of Federal Phoenix Insurance. He was laughing and told me he discovered my blog  ohmybuhay.com that morning while he was googling his name. He became curious and started reading. He couldn’t find who the writer was so he read on and on. He found out it was me when he saw my Malacanang picture.

He invited me to join him, his wife Susan, friends Nadine and Jing for lunch on that same day. I re-arranged my schedule to accommodate them. And glad I did.

We ate at Cafe Juanita in Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig. Funny because our family dentist, Dra. Elizabeth Carrasco, holds clinic nearby. I have seen this Cafe Juanita dozen of times from the outside but never got curious to try it out.

As soon as I entered, I was overwhelmed by their decor. It’s not actually Filipino. But a collection of knick-knacks from the many travels of it’s owner, retired ob-gyne Dr. Edwin Vasquez. Most of the items have prices which tells me these items are for sale. I saw a nice English dessert plate with a tag price of P2,200. Ang mahal naman. Mon said, “baka set na ‘yan”. Pero hindi lahat ng tea cups may separate prices.

Some items are from Bali, Java, Italy, Philippines, yung iba parang Muslim inspired, Chinese, halo-halo, kung saan-saan galing.

From the many plaques on the wall, it’s obvious that they are rated and multi-awarded.

Outdoor dining for smokers

I like these plates!

This place looks like an antique shop.

Left to right, Susan Dimacali, Annie me, Ramon Dimacali, Jing and Nadine.

This Lapu-lapu fish was definitely alive before it was cooked. See the mouth? You could tell it screamed and shouted, “Help, don’t cook me”. Even at the plate, it whispers “Hey, don’t eat me”.
(Please see related post VISIT TO ONGPIN)

Mini sampler, super liit talaga ito, pang tikim lang.

Toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream

Do not be deceived by the photo. Etong mini-turon ay kasing liit ng hinliliit.

Susan with her Hermes Berkin bag. Turquoise color matched her blouse.

I found the place interesting and a good place to bring balikbayan and foreign guests. Be sure to call and reserve a table ahead of time because the place has become so popular, it’s always full even on weekdays.