grilled seafood – Jellybeans in the City

Would you like to give in to your flights of fancy and embark on an exciting journey?

A journey among extraordinary flavors, that is. 🙂

Well, head on then to Ridge Cafe at Timberland Highlands Resort up in the mountains of San Mateo, Rizal. Here, you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city to enjoy the fresh mountain air as you dine in style, thanks to its opulent interiors and al fresco area overlooking the metro.

Ridge Cafe - Timberland Highlands Resort — Ridge Cafe from outside

Here, your tastebuds can certainly go on a flavor tour, thanks to its recently unveiled Arabic Dinner Buffet.

Expanding gastronomic possibilities in the Rizal area

Every Saturday, from 6m to 9pm, you can eat your fill of flavorful and nutritious viands that boast of having Arabic, Mediterranean and South Asian origins, as well as free-flowing iced tea, all for just Php980++.

This exciting culinary curation is the brainchild of Timberland Highlands Resort’s new Executive Chef, Ranuka Hettiarachchi, who sought to include healthy Mediterranean dishes in Ridge Cafe’s buffet, as well as providing guests with vegan and vegetarian diets with suitable options.

Ridge Cafe - Timberland Highlands Buffet — A preview to the Arabic Dinner

Also, given that restaurants offering Arabic food are not that common in the Rizal area, local residents now have a new convenient destination if they want to expand their food horizons.

Representing exotic flavors from the Mediterranean and Arabic regions

Ridge Cafe’s Arabic Dinner Buffet presents travel-hungry foodies with the opportunity to enjoy signature dishes of regions such as Greece, the Middle East, Egypt and South Asia, all cohesively curated and mouthwateringly presented in their respective stations.

Carnivores will be (quite understandably!) drawn to the carving station where beautifully roasted beef striploin and leg of lamb take pride of place, accompanied by roasted veggies and a variety of sauces to choose from.

Those seeking healthier fare can always go to the cold section and check out the fresh salads comprised of crisp greens and veggies as well as filling proteins.

Then diners can hop from station to station to sample distinct tastes from various countries in a virtual food trip across the Mediterranean, Gulf and Indian subcontinent with these flavorful offerings:

Dessert lovers can also look forward to sampling the popular desserts from these regions as well as their favorite sweets in the dessert station.

While you can always take this journey by yourself, it’s best to experience it with family and friends!

Ridge Cafe also offers other buffet meals including:

Top of the Morning Buffet: intercontinental breakfast menu and classic Pinoy almusal favorites at Php650 net per person (weekends from 7am to 10am)
Filipino Buffet: favorite Filipino dishes with free-flowing iced tea at Php980+ per person (lunch from 11.30am to .30pm | dinner from 6pm to 9pm)

To reserve a table, email timberlandfbm@timberlandresort.com or message 0999-889-2659 | 0995-840-3206 | 8891-8288 local 1030 and 1032.

Ridge Cafe is located at Timberland Highlands Resort, inside Timberland Heights, Barangay Guitnang Bayan II, San Mateo, Rizal 1850 Philippines.

Book your room via Klook today to enjoy great savings!

To know more about Timberland Highlands Resorts latest updates and offers, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Timberland Highlands Resort:

Anilao is a barangay in the municipality of Mabini, Batangas. Over the years, it has become known as a divers’ paradise, its clear blue waters teeming with diverse marine life. Being only a few hours away from Metro Manila, it can offer some respite to city slickers seeking time away from the hustle and bustle.

If you’re dreaming of a beach trip you can pack with memories of fun and adventure aside from the usual swimming and sunbathing, why not go to Anilao? There’s just so much to do and discover, such as:

Diving

Anilao is best known for its diving scene, being the place where many of the country’s most experienced SCUBA and free divers converge to venture underwater or to coach diving newbies. If you’re new to diving and don’t want to invest in the required gear, you can rent these out at most diving resorts in the area.

Diving in Anilao can show you so many wonders beneath the waves from colorful lion fishes and wrasses darting about to exotic neon-colored nudibranchs that seemingly float here and there.

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Plan ahead for the weekend. Call or drop us a line

A post shared by Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort (@saltitude_dive) on Jul 3, 2018 at 10:24pm PDT

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Join us on a night dive . It’d be so much fun!!! 📷 by @scuba_lakwatsero

A post shared by Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort (@saltitude_dive) on Aug 1, 2018 at 4:42pm PDT

You can also catch sight of unusual views such as the ruins of a sunken restaurant at the Dari Laut dive site.

Snorkeling

If diving is not your cup of tea but you still want to peek into the rich wildlife that Anilao has to offer, you can always go snorkeling instead. This way you can observe the many species of marine life that reside Anilao’s waters without the need for training or bulky equipment.

Jetskiing, Windsurfing and Kayaking

You can pretend to be on a spy adventure ala Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible series, with the wind blowing through your hair as you zip through the waves.

Or how about harnessing the power of the wind and waves by windsurfing?

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Learn to wind surf with us here @saltitude_dive

A post shared by Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort (@saltitude_dive) on Jul 26, 2018 at 5:05pm PDT

Both of these are great items to tick off on your bucket list, particularly if you’re type who feels the need for speed.

However, if you want a leisurely glide over calm waters instead, then kayaking is for you. Paddle along the shoreline and work off your stress while giving yourself a great upper body workout.

Trekking

If you want a change in scenery, do venture up the mountain, the Mount Gulugod Baboy that is. From its peak, you get a sweeping vista of the Batangas coastline and the vast sparkling sea. Enjoy a sunset picnic here and bask in the orange sunlight while taking in the stunning view.

Dining and Drinking

All those swimming, diving, snorkeling, jetskiing, kayaking and trekking will surely work up an appetite.

Take a bite (or two or more) of all the fresh seafood and meats grilled right by the sea. There’s something about the smoky smell of food grilling and the salty sea air that makes eating at the beach a gastronomic adventure.

Take a nightcap by sipping some margaritas at the beachfront while staring at the open water. Who knows? You might even catch sight of a passing pod of dolphins.

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Lovin our very own Blue Marlin cocktail 💙

A post shared by Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort (@saltitude_dive) on Aug 11, 2018 at 2:41am PDT

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Our very own margarita. Come & unwind here @saltitude_dive 🍸🍾🍷

A post shared by Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort (@saltitude_dive) on Jul 28, 2018 at 5:20am PDT

Lazing About

At the end of each day at the beach, you may just want to curl up on a comfortable bed and read your favorite book. After all, R&R stands for “rest and relaxation,” right?

All these and more are in store for you and your beach buddies at the newly opened Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort. Situated along the Anilao shoreline, it provides a haven for beach lovers and adventure seekers with well-appointed yet quirkily decorated rooms styled according to different beach activities.

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It was an awesome opening weekend!!! Big warm thanks to all the divepros who stayed overnight & dropped by!!!!

A post shared by Saltitude Dive & Beach Resort (@saltitude_dive) on Jul 3, 2018 at 8:45am PDT