Like a Christmas village, Sonya’s Garden in Alfonso, Cavite, is filled with the spirit of the Yuletide season any time of year. The ambiance is peaceful yet jubilant. And the food — what with the all-day Sonya’s Everyday Classics — speaks of the bounty of the season. (But I’m getting ahead of my story.)
No matter what the season is, especially at its cozy bed and breakfast surrounded by English gardens, crickets perform conciertos when night drops its cloak. Not to be upstaged are the fireflies around the cottages, as they lend the evening the experience of a fairy tale. The shimmering silence of the fireflies complements the sound of the flowing water around the gardens.
Kilyawan, kalaw and other bird species welcome the dawning of a new day as they chirp from the trees. The morning air is cool and fresh. It’s a happy day, away from the bustling city. It’s a new day; time to take a break and experience life.
Then breakfast begins — for both guests of the bed and breakfast and walk-in visitors. (For my dear college friends Mulong Palis, Dayday Cabrera and me, we availed ourselves of Sonya’s All-Day Classics… plus, a newly introduced buffet at Sonya’s Garden.)
The all-day dining menu features a scrumptious smorgasbord of the restaurant’s famous fare of garden salad and edible flowers generously drizzled with a secret dressing. The fresh greens at Sonya’s Garden are a plot-to-plate experience.
Owner Sonya Garcia, who pioneered the bed and breakfast in the Philippines, believes, “When a garden is your backyard, chances are, it is also your pantry.”
The freshness of the fare offered in the all-day dining is extended to the restaurant’s pasta dish in a trio of sauces: fresh tomato sauce simmered in olive oil, Sonya’s traditional white sauce, and pesto sauce; and freshly baked breads from the restaurant’s own Panaderia with a yummy roll call of dips and toppings like basil pesto, creamy white cheese, anchovies, bruschetta, mushroom paté, black olive tapenade, jams and herbed garlic butter.
We feasted on the classic buffet and more. We also had pure-tablea champorado that came with fresh milk or freshly squeezed coconut milk, partnered with crispy danggit and tuyo; and congee that was served with sweet pork floss, slivers of salted egg and adobo flakes. Always, always, the combo of sweet and salty provides a delicious trip on the palate.
Part of the “plus” in the all-day dining includes a range of delectable meat, fish and vegetable choices. There are the tried-and-tested CPA (chicken-pork adobo), beef tapa, tendon callos (“That did not scrimp on ingredients,” according to Dayday, “as it is as heirloom as the Spanish recipe of my grandmother with olives, olive oil and chorizo”) and grilled chicken breast (“That was still juicy and flavorful,” according to Mulong).
The vegetable chips, served like vegetable tempura, are a “runaway winner” because they always land on everybody’s plate. Easy to munch on and with a dip. Addicting. And the Tagalog-style pinakbet is also a treat for vegetable lovers because it is paired with a side dish of bagoong alamang sautéed with coconut milk.
What makes the boneless daing na bangus a treat at the restaurant is that it comes with mango salsa and atchara. And the fish fillet becomes more delectable with sweet-and-sour sauce or tartar sauce. Heavenly.
Part of the joy of dining at Sonya’s is basking in the glory of nature, whether one is settled with just a simple yet yummy dish of mushroom egg omelet and the newly introduced nilupak, a creamy dessert made of sweetened cassava mixed with coconut milk.
Every bite is to savor because the buffet is served at either of the three restaurants of Sonya’s Garden: the Conservatory is a dining place where a garden with greens and blooms takes half the space amid tables with crisp linen; the Morning Glory restaurant allows diners to ogle the flowery vines that creep along pillars and beams; and the Sunflower dining area boasts robust ferns and sunflowers — and butterflies!
For me, paradise provides a feeling of Christmas any time of the year. Sonya’s Garden is a land of warmth, tidings and joy. *