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4/23/2008

Isabela's Ramos Cafe

Finally I get to post my favorite restaurant in Isabela!

A little place in a residential neighborhood in quaint little Echague Isabela. A town which is small even by country/province standards. Surrounded by ricefields all over and serviced by (my observation) a gasoline station (that regularly has rice drying in its service bays), a school, a cemetery, a number of carabaos, a rice mill, one church that I know of and the best pizza place in Isabela.

Ramos Cafe aka Cafe By The Park

Introduced to me when I first started going to Isabela for work, it has been a favorite ever since.

Imagine being in the middle of a burning desert at high noon and suddenly bumping into a Fruitas stall or maybe finding a spa on top of Mt. Everest with a hot spring bath.
That is sort of the feeling.

At that time I was a stranger to the province and the only food options I had then were McDonald's, Jollibee, Chowking, Felicita's Pancit Cabagan and lechon manok in the evenings.


Situated in a residential neighborhood, this sign marks the spot.


Cozy interiors really make you feel that you're someplace unique to everything else in the immediate vicinity.


A menu of homemade stuffed crust pizzas, pastas and dishes like surf and turf, roastbeef, seafood thermidore and a lot of other stuff you'd never expect to find in well... Echague.

Fresh flowers on the tables.

Salad and iced tea. I love their waldorf for less than a hundred. Although tweaked to fit local taste, I love the nuts and apples which cleanse my palate and refresh my mind.

The Italian favorite has beef, italian sausage, mushrooms, basil, pomodoro sauce, soft cheese and mozarella I believe.


Chef's Choice (my favorite) has ham, onions, bell peppers, young corn, pineapples which I was able to take a picture of as it baked in their oven with the fire burning on top of the pizza.

Oh, and I always request for a special twist to my cheese stuffed crust pizza which isn't on the menu. Bacon.=)

Price would be around the Greewich Pizza range.

Other favorites of mine would be their canneloni and shawarma with super yummy garlic sauce.

The chef/owner I heard worked in Mandarin hotel and Paris before retiring to establish this wonderful manna from heaven.

If you're ever in the area, Cafe By The Park/Ramos' Cafe now has a branch along Villasis Highway in Santiago Isabela which is smaller and not as secluded but definitely more accessible. But, if you want to experience the real deal, the Echague branch (which is also the owner's house) is just around 20 mins away. Take the Cauayan Isabela bound highway until you reach a fork in the road. Take the right prong which veers off the main highway and leads into a small town. Go straight (around a kilometer) till you reach a small intersection with an equally small Shell gas station. Turn left and go straight a few meters till you see the sign.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks like this place has quite the diverse menu! Pizza and schwarma? Sounds good.

Ruy said...

Marvin: Yeah, haha! Come to think of it, there is something funny about their having shawarma on the menu. Oh well, I love it!

Anonymous said...

I love blog posts on restaurants I can visit out of town as I love exploring the Philippine provinces. Now I know where to eat just in case I'm in Isabela!

Ruy said...

Whiffandasip: Thanks! I totally recommend this place as one of the better "only in Isabela" places to eat.

Gloria Baker said...

Ruy, this place looks so nice!!!!xGloria

Ruy said...

Gloria: Yup. I really love going here to relax and eat and eat and eat and relax.;p

Oggi said...

Oooh now I want some shawarma! The only time I had shawarma here was at the Philadelphia Reading market about 7 years ago. I will h

Ruy said...

Oggi: I'm sure you can make that. Easily.

Anonymous said...

oh wow. the pizza looks fantastic! hope i can visit Cafe By The Park. thanks for the tip! :-)

Ruy said...

Dyosa: If you ever get to, you might want to ask for their bacon and cheese stuffed crust. Its not on the menu but they do it upon request.

Anonymous said...

hi, ruy, thanks for posting. are you from echague? thank you for the compliments. My tito Sam husband of my tita gudelia ramos will defintely be flattered. By the way the house is owned by my late Grandfather Felipe Ramos. Try our best tasting home made tacos.

Cheers,
KRISTIAN RAMOS

Anonymous said...

I came across Ruy's post on the internet and after reading it, it makes me want to go home to Echague. I left Echague for the U.S. a long time ago and I miss home. I hope our house in Cabugao is still there. Kristian, extend my regards and accolades to your family for making Echague a beautiful place. - Jake Valdez

Anonymous said...

I agree, Ramos Cafe really makes the best pizza. Their pizzas are the only ones, my kids (especially my 2 boys) enjoy eating.

Brythym said...

Want to discover more information about Echague Isabela?

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