Dining at My Mother's Garden was easily one of the best experiences of my life…read more
Let's start with what My Mother's Garden isn't: It is not a proper restaurant. You will not find any signages along Zamora st because there is none. This is, to be precise, a private dining setup hosted inside the residence of Pablo S. Antonio, national artist for architecture. We were hosted by THE Malu Veloso, renowned fashion designer, who was more than apologetic about losing her voice after two days of entertaining clients.
You cannot simply waltz in here and be fed. My Mother's Kitchen is strictly by reservation. You need to call in advance to book your lunch or dinner. You will be given two set meal options, served buffet style. The first one costs P900 and includes a salad with two wonderfully flavorful salad dressings, two pasta sauces (one tomato-based, one chorizo-based, both absolutely divine) with two pasta options, the absolutely incredible Mustard Chicken dish, and a delightfully fluffy cheesecake for dessert. We were also given a salabat-based drink and coffee. The second option had an additional shrimp dish that I had to nix because of my allergies.
I made reservations for a 7pm dinner, and we came on time. While waiting for dinner to be served, we were free to roam around that incredible sala, a testament to the visionary genius of Pablo Antonio, as well as peruse some ternos in display, some done by Malu's mom, some done by her. Malu Velose herself came out to make us feel more at home, and she took great lengths to explain the history of the Antonio House, as well as to show some of the items she was working on. Dinner was served by 7:30, and my date and I were floored by EVERYTHING we ate. There was not one bad dish in there, as everything was extraordinary. My date and I really took our time eating, as there was literally nobody else but us in there.
Combined with eating in a showcase house and being regaled by a renowned fashion designer, dining at My Mother's Garden was an absolute incredible experience. Absolutely brilliant.