Monday, June 15, 2009

ABUNDANT PLACE OFFERS ELEGANT DINING

The Filipino people are a cultured lot. We have all kinds of thriving arts: music, painting, sculpture, performing arts, handicrafts, etcetera.

Last week, I had the chance to go to Tagaytay courtesy of Brother Carmelo Go, Chairperson of the five spiritual groups. We passed by a handicraft store-cum coffee shop owned by Pastor Dong and spouse Cecille.

Pastor Dong was able to design its interiors into a cozy casbah-like restaurant complete with dividers made of cotton gauze screens and wooden-iron dining chairs and tables. The curtains have fringes knotted with shells at the end. Then at corners are dried wood with green plants in pots.

For snacks, we were served delicious chocolate drinks and true malagkit palitaw with roasted rice on top, muscovado and splashed with bits of grated coconut.

Then we drank water from glasses also covered with cotton cloth fringed with beads. At every corner were dried wood with crawling plants.

The experience was like eating in heavenlike atmosphere. After snacking we visited the handicraft store inside selling native products from sweets and chocolates to bags.

Actually, Pastor Melo, having a prophetic vision, had advised them about putting up this business and now it is thriving well.

So in case you want to visit Tagaytay, drop by: Abundant Place, Garden Cafe and Restaurant owned by Pastor Dong and spouse Cecille 0928364050563