Calle Real

Here in the Philippines, there are so many ancestral houses that date back from the Spanish pre-colonial era. A lot of those houses have been taken for granted and have slowly rotted away. But some have been well maintained and some has been given new life by converting it to a restaurant. Let me take you today to one of those houses that serves Spanish and Philippine cuisine.

Dine with me at Calle Real.

This ancestral house has been built in the 1920's and is located in Tanza Cavite, Philippines. Due to it's uniqueness and good food it has been featured in local newspaper and television.

We always visit Calle Real whenever we get a chance to pass by this town. We even called in for food delivery during the strict lock down when dine in was not allowed.

At the entrance you will be greeted by bougainvillea flowers hanging above.

During this time were the only customers in the restaurant unlike before it was a bit hard to get a table here during dinner time. It seems people are still hesitant to dine in restuarants.

The ambiance is cozy and decorated with old items. It almost feels like my grandma's old house and gives me a warm relaxing mood.

There is a mural inside that shows the old town and even showing the old church.

I never got a chance to ask about the photo. Probably one of them could be the owner of the house.

Menu

There are so many options here but their best seller is the Paella. Their Paella make people come back for more and you need to order it every time you visit.

Since there were 12 of us and some of us does not eat a lot, we went for the the Spanish Group Meal Combo.

Spanish Combo 1 770 pesos ($14.78 USD)
Spanish Combo 2 790 pesos ($15.17 USD)
Spanish Combo 3 890 pesos ($17.08 USD)

Paella Marinera

Paella with shrimp, squid, mussels and fish. This is my all time favorite and is their best seller.

Paella Negra

Paella with squid ink, chorizo, pork and squid meat. This is my brother-in-laws favorite and you will need to add 20 pesos or ($0.38 USD) if you select this variant in the group meal.

Kare Kare

This is an additional dish that my father-in-law requested. A Philippine dish made from peanut butter sauce, ox tripe and vegetables. A Philippine all time favorite one that should also not be missed from this restaurant.

Beef Strips

Tender beef meat cooked in gravy and mushrooms. Served in a sizzling plate and is so delicious.

Chicken Pastel

Chicken, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms cooked in a creamy white sauce.

Callos

A special stew made from chorizo, ox tripe, bell peppers, olives. This is slowly cooked to perfection in tomato sauce. I have tasted callos from various restaurants but their Callos is superb.

Beef Caldereta

This is a Spanish inspired dish and their beef caldereta was ok. For me our recipe is still the best.
You can read thru our recipe here if you want to learn more about this dish.
Ancestral Taste • Beef Kaldereta

Pollo Frito

What can I say just fried chicken wings. Since the kids don't like to eat food that they do not recognize they went for the chicken. I didn't get a chance to taste the chicken but the kids loved it.

Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin cooked in a sizzling plate and topped with gravy. This is also very good.

Churros

Each group meal contains a plate of churros. A very delicious dessert, freshly cooked and served with a chocolate dip.

When was the last time left a restaurant very satisfied? This is one of those restaurants that you feel very happy knowing that every cent is worth it. Fantastic food that you would like to keep coming back for more. There are a lot of fancy restaurants out there but the food is not good. This old place is a gem and has a special charm and food that dates back centuries.

Total Bill: 2,730 pesos ($52.43)

How that for a fantastic meal for 12 people?

Thanks for joining us today for dinner and I hope you enjoyed the food.
Hope to see you again soon and before I forget. They have a Cafe on the second floor which I will show you around next time.

Enjoy life, eat, love and always keep safe.

All photos are original and taken with

Lumix GX85 and Olympus 45mm f1.8