Shoes, Church and Foods in Liliw

It was a long holiday and a trip somewhere is inevitable but unlike other trip this was just near and less extravagant. The place for this long vacation was at Laguna. There are lot of places to visit in Laguna. Even though Laguna is just near Manila, they still have places that are quiet and suitable for relaxation.

The first town we visited in Laguna is their famous shoe capital. The small town of Liliw which is located near the mountains has a street where one can go on shopping for shoes. Fortunately, it was their town fiesta when we went there so the place has a festive atmosphere.

We went to Gat Tayaw Street where the shoes stores are all lined up however before we go on shopping we want to visit first their church. Honestly, we do not know how to get to the church we are just walking the street of Gat Tayaw when we saw a group of police officers. We asked them how to get to the church and they are very happy to give us the information. Since it was their town fiesta they have an information desk where tourist can ask for help. When we reached the church a group of people are cleaning the whole vicinity of the church. There are people even scrubbing the gates of the church.

St. John the Baptist Church or Liliw Church is best known for its red bricks and baroque style architecture. The church has three altars. The altar at the center contains 13 saints.  The two altars at the sides each contain four saints. The church also has the golden vestment worn by St. John Paul II.
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After our visit to the church we then walked at the street of Gat Tayaw. One of the famous stores is Badong’s Shoe Factory which was even featured in a TV show. There were a lot of customers inside store.  A store that captured my attention is Entrada. The store has a sophisticated design. It sells bags and shoes that is much expensive than the other stores.

While walking and waiting for my companion to finish their shopping, I saw some kids selling Pako. Aside from that there are vendors selling small crabs and snails.

Feeling hungry we went to Arabela - a famous Italian restaurant in Liliw. When we arrived we were already second in the waiting list. Arabela serves pasta, pizza and steaks. They also have pastries and cakes. You may want check my post about Arabela.

We took a last glance at the street of Gat Tayaw and the church with the picturesque mountain at its back. This was just the first stop of our travel in Laguna. We are to set foot for another town.

Pizza, Pasta & Steaks at Arabela

It was a hot day when we went to the small town of Liliw, Laguna. Liliw is best known for making shoes.  However, our trip to Liliw was not only to go shopping on their shoes. We learned about a famous restaurant in Liliw while going there.

Located in the narrow streets of Liliw is an Italian restaurant offering pizza, pasta and steak. Arabela is named after Ara and Bela, the daughters of the owner Bobby and Tonet Camello. The restaurant opens at 11:15AM however as early as 10:30AM there are already two groups waiting to have a taste of their food. Our group decided to have another stroll on Gat Tayaw Street to check the stores for slippers.

When we went back to Arabela after our short stroll, we found ourselves second on the waiting list of hungry people waiting to be seated inside. The waitress gave us an option if we would like to have our lunch outside where they have set-up some tables. We agreed to her offer however when we went inside to check the interior of the place we immediately change our mind and decided that the wait is worth it. We actually didn’t wait that long to get inside.

The restaurant is just small with low ceiling giving it a homier feel. Paintings are hanged on the walls of the restaurant. Once the waitress took our order we started taking photos.

Included on our lunch are their best seller pizza – Kesong Puti and Deluxe. We requested if we can combine the two pizzas. So half of the pizza is Kesong Puti and the the other half is Deluxe. Of course, the Kesong Puti pizza has Kesong Puti as its main toppings while the Deluxe is for meat lovers. The Deluxe pizza has bacon, pepperoni and ham in it.

Since we are having pizza, my sister and I just ordered pasta. My sister chose Penne while I had Lasagna. The serving is good for only one person but the other pasta can be shared to at least two to three persons. There is a distinct smell of herbs or seasoning on their pasta that makes me even much hungrier than I already was.

After a few minutes the steaks came in that were ordered by our other two companions. If I was hungry they are I think even hungrier. With rice and mashed potato on their steak they will also have pizza. The long travel to Liliw might have really exhausted them. Their steak is a thin slice of meat and just by the looks of it; it is definitely tender and juicy.

The finale of our lunch is a slice of their Blueberry Cheesecake. Presented in a sophisticated way; we almost do not want to eat it just to preserve its looks. However, our stomachs win! The cheesecake was so smooth on the mouth. The taste of this cheesecake is just perfect. Aside from cheesecake they have other cakes and pastries.

After eating, we were surprised that there are a lot of people still waiting in line outside Arabela. This place is indeed a must visit restaurant in Liliw.

The Food Street of Kapitolyo Pasig

Kapitolyo, Pasig has been a recent place every Friday night and anytime that we would like to have a nice dinner. Why not? There's a lot of restaurant that you can choose from that offer different variety of foods. There is a restaurant ready to serve any hungry stomach from breakfast to dinner and even a late night drink. And it seems that every now and then there is a new establishment being opened offering its own delicious creation. Kapitolyo is not different from Maginhawa Street in Quezon City or Aguirre Street in BF Homes Parañaque. They are the same. The restaurants are all lined up that you just have to walk across the street to check for a vacant table in another restaurant.

I have not tried all the restaurants in Kapitolyo. I have only tried some restaurants that have been recommended by friends and I have enjoyed and like it. Kapitolyo is very much close in our office so it has been a place for dinner and unplanned drinks. These are some just some of the restaurant that I have visited.

Uncle Moe’s Shawarma Hub is a place for of course Shawarma and Kebab lovers. The place is across ACE Water Spa. The Shawarma is oozing with beef. The Kofta balls is also a must try. Aside from having a shawarma the place is also good to have some bottle of drinks. A nice place just to hang-out out and talk with friends.





Anyone who wants to have a hot bulalo especially on a rainy day does not have to go to Tagaytay, Bullchef boasts their very flavorful bulalo. The wall of this place is full of photos and testimonials of people who have experienced their bulalo.

One of my favorite place in Kapitolyo is Charlie's Grind and Grill. This is the famous burger joint in Kapitolyo. Aside from the burger, their fries and buffalo wings is something that is also sought out by people who go here. American draft beers are also offered here. 

People looking for Vietnamese cuisine can dine at Banoi's. Just like the other restaurant in Kapitolyo, this is house converted into a restaurant. Spring rolls is something very popular in Vietnam and Banoi's spring roll will surely not disappoint your tastebuds.

Steak lovers can dine in at Rubs. A friend just drove us in this place and we found ourselves waiting to be seated. I have not yet heard about Rubs at that time and I was glad that my friend took me there. After having dinner I realized why people are patiently waiting even if there is a long queue. The wait is worth it. Although some say that Racks is better I cannot say that Rubs' steak is not good. The sight of their steak is just mouth-watering. The buttered corn, potatoes and salads is just a perfect combination for their steak. 

Just a few walk from Rubs is another line of people waiting to be seated in this popular restaurant. Everyone seems to just want to have a taste of their famous Nachos and Quesadillas. Silantro has been featured by several TV shows already and has been recommended by many. Aside from Nachos and Quesadillas they also offer Buritos. Silantro is also famous for people who want to have some beers.

For those who just literally want to drink the night away, St Patrick is just the place. It has wine, beers and cocktails. It seems to be just a place for drinks. I remember me and my friend ordering different type of drinks. It undoubtedly shows our personality.

Well, there are other restaurants in this food street like the famous Three Sisters and Cafe Juanita. I have also tried eating in these two restaurants and their foods are also nice.

That has been my trip to Kapitolyo. I feel lucky that I work near Kapitolyo!