Dreamland Dining at Rustic Mornings

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Rustic Mornings is proof that dreams DO come true! Despite not having any formal culinary training, Portia Baluyut's dream of opening a restaurant and sharing great food came true. And coincidentally, Rustic Mornings' easy, ethereal charm is almost dream-like.

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Welcome to dreamland.

Imagine, if you will, a spacious garden; small patios with tables and chairs are spread around; bottles, sea shells and thin, white veils are hung around the dining tables giving a sense of privacy; rays of light leak through the leaves; french music plays softly in the background and the fresh, outdoor air provides the ventilation. Seriously, this place is nothing like anything I've seen before.



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The beauty is surreal.

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Organized Chaos. 
 It may seem messy and random, but when you see it, you'll realize feel the order to the madness.

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Paintings, pots, empty perfume bottles decorate the wall.

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Happiness indeed.:)

And indoors is a completely different world. It has a country/cottage appeal, with an almost exclusively blue and white motif. It's very homely and welcoming and with the same peaceful energy as the outside.

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Rustic Morning's country-Mediterranean flair is thanks to Ms. Portia's artsy mom.

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Serenity, romance, color, chaos, magic - that's as close as I can do to describe Rustic Mornings.

Portia calls it "Rustic" because it's informal. It's more a home than a restaurant. It's a place where you can feel secure, comfortable and loved - as if you ate in your own porch. You're a guest in their home and you're invited to try her cooking. And the food isn't pretentious. It's not even made by a professional chef. It's simply good food that came from personal research, trial and error and meticulous understanding of the chemistry.

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Breakfast that's just so darn good.

The menu is your typical breakfast food - tocino, tapa, pancakes, waffles - but when you get your food, you'd be pleasantly surprised! It's very generous, visually appealing, and DEEEEE-LICIOUS!

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Their wonderful Country Omelette (P220)

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It's good for 2, even 3 (if you have a small appetite)!

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Beef Tapa Breakfast Tray (P280)

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Rustic's unique, picnic-style, Hashbrowns (P80)

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Spot.ph's #4 Waffle

And I cannot stress enough that you should definitely get the waffles here! Get the Crispy Waffle Plain and Churros (P215)! It's crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and simply delectable all over! It even comes with your choice of fruit on the side! When I first took a bite (and I'm not even a waffle person really), it. was. heaven.

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Got a taste of their Pork Tocino as well. It comes in its own breakfast tray (P155)

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I'm not 100% sure what this fruit drink was but it was refreshing!

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So creamy and so good. Cheesy Chicken Fricasee (P380, good for 2!)

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Fresh Mango Shake (P110) and another must-try - the Crunchy Pinoy Burrito (P185)!

Rustic Mornings is an experience. There's no easy way to describe it, you just have to go there and see for yourself. But one thing's for sure, it's a place you'll easily fall in love with.

Rustic Mornings is open everyday from 8am - 4pm. Why does it close so early? Because at night, the same place transforms into a different restaurant altogether - Isabelo Garden.

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No pictures of the night place yet, but I'll definitely get some when I visit again!

Isabelo Garden is a dinner by reservation restaurant. You can find them online at www.isabelogarden.com. Aside from reserving a table, you can also already order your food online as the menu items of Isabelo generally take 4-6 hours to cook. It's open during the night, from 6pm - 11pm, it's when they turn on all the warm garden lights! Isabelo Garden is the more exclusive and more romantic sister of Rustic.

It still doesn't end there! There's one more business the ever hardworking Ms. Portia is into - Curly Sisters. It's a catering service she works on with (you guessed it) her sister.

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Ms. Portia Baluyut's got something for all your foodie needs. f you're looking for unique looking place to have breakfast, look no further than Rustic Mornings. If you're celebrating a romantic occasion, reserve a table at Isabelo Gardens. If you're bringing the party at home, contact Curly Sisters. 3 food businesses. Not too shabby for a former advertising professional turned self-taught chef and entrepreneur.

You can catch Ms. Portia Baluyut on a show Lifestyle Network too!

Rustic Mornings opened last Nov. 2012 and not more than 2 weeks since its inception, it had already garnered the attention of foodies across Manila. Today, it's flooded with people on the weekends (so best to go there on weekdays so you get the REAL Rustic Morning experience) Even Portia didn't expect the sudden influx of customers clamoring for her food and the experience of her restaurant! But I believe this success, which she attributes heavily on passion, practice and prayer, is very well deserved. Because at the end of it all, people simply love good food, and that's what Rustic Mornings brings to the world. 

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Good food, a lovely place and a dream-like experience - that's Rustic Mornings.
  
Rustic Mornings is open everyday from 8am - 4pm
Then Isabelo Gardens opens at 6pm - 11pm
They're located at #11 Isabelo Mendoza St. San Roque , Marikina City 1801 
For reservations and inquiries check out their websites:
http://www.rusticmornings.com/
http://www.isabelogarden.com/

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