I’ve been living in Dumaguete for the last four years now and one thing I can say about this place, aside from the fact that my muses got back their groove here (yes, sila talaga, hindi ako), THE FOOD IS GREAT!
I mean, whenever friends ask me what is fun to do here, I’d mention the usual stuff – visit the bell tower, the cathedral, go to the beach, go snorkeling, hang out at the Rizal Boulevard. But I’d always say the best thing to do here is to EAT! Yes, ladies and gents, FOOD TRIP is something to actually look forward to here. From restaurant food to carinderia food to street food, there’s no such thing here as a bad meal. Only better ones from the other eatery. hehehe!
There’s one particular place I love coming back to if at all possible, at least twice a week. I’m talking about Gabby’s Bistro at Florentina Homes.
Florentina Homes, Brgy. Bantayan, Dumaguete City
Food’s really really good at really really affordable prices and the place is just so cozy homey that you’d not mind overstaying for like, a whole day. You can start at breakfast, go through lunch, afternoon snack and all the way to dinner and late night snack / meal. With desserts at that!
Bring your laptop / netbook / iPad / tablet / whatever gadget, too as the place offers free wifi! I do. I work there when it get’s too stuffy at home and well, generally when I am too lazy to cook for myself and there’s not a scrap of bread left to munch on to satisfy my hunger pangs.
And I’m doing this blog entry because it is a long-overdue tribute which I should have done since I was introduced to the place by a friend the first month of my stay in Dumaguete. I’ve kept coming back here with my trusty laptop in tow, making my stories. Many scenes from quite a number of my manuscripts were written / finished / thought of at Gabby’s over gremolata fish fillet. Or cheezy chicken rice bowl. Or shrimp scampi pasta. Or soup, salad and fried mozzarella sticks. Or yummy apple crumble with a double scoop of vanilla ice cream. And bottomless iced tea or lemonade. Yum!
Dessa, thank you sistah, for bringing me here. I’ve brought many of my friends here. I’m sure every new visitor I have who hails from Manila (or any other place outside of Dumaguete) will get to experience Gabby’s Bistro. Thanks, Gabby and family, for coming up with such a wonderful place.
My sweets Elise will agree, this is a happy place. 🙂
Gabby del Prado, chef, food connoisseur, artist (!), friend
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