Manila-style lunch in the middle of nowhere

Haha not really in the middle of nowhere, but here in dry, super probinsya Isabela! :) After church service two weeks ago, I decided to have lunch at Gallerie Cordon in (duh) the municipality of Cordon. I read about it in Chief Executive Bum's blog and was so enamored with how lovely the place looks like, based on his photos, and I wanted to see the restaurant for myself. I must say, I was not disappointed! I drove down the provincial highway from the municipality of Alicia and arrived in Cordon in half an hour (I drive a bit fast :p). Actually, I was a bit in shock with what I saw because I never expected to find a restaurant that nice out here.

I immediately got a table and settled in my seat to just enjoy the ambiance of the place. Gallerie Cordon really is like an art gallery, with paintings hanging on all sides of the restaurant. Even the conference room had artwork! Apparently, these paintings are part of the owners' collection and are changed every few months.

Art isn't just limited to paintings in the restaurant, even the menu's full of artwork! Each page would have a picture paintings of different well-known local artists. The menu isn't limited to Filipino food, it's actually very intercontinental. If you're from Manila, you won't be shocked with the price range (Php 200-400/person). A teeny tiny setback is that the payment is in cash basis only :p

Starving, I ordered Grilled Buttered Salmon with Vegetable Kebab in Teriyaki Glaze for lunch--really good! The salmon slice wasn't too thick, which I prefer, because I find salmon a bit too heavy for my tummy. The Gaddi iced tea was also good :)

The server, who noticed that I was taking pictures (and also because I asked to have my picture taken, haha!), asked if I was a tourist. I gladly shared that I am sort of a tourist, and that I'll be based in Isabela for a few months which is why I've been exploring the province and read about Gallerie in a blog. Also told him that I'm also a blogger, and he excitedly asked for my blog so that he could read the entry about Gallerie. To that server, I'm sorry it took me two weeks to post about Gallerie, hehe :) But here it is! :p That server was also really nice, he showed me the enclosed conference room, which they usually have rented out for parties or meetings.

I will definitely go back to Gallerie Cordon, considering I have a few more months left here in Isabela.

You know, the provincial life ain't that bad knowing that I have places like Gallerie Cordon to go to :)

Directions: If you're coming from Santiago City, take the provincial highway (or Maharlika highway) and just go straight down to Cordon. You'll pass by the town proper, so don't worry you're not lost ;) Once you've passed the town proper, just go straight and veer left when you see the Goldilock's sign :) Gallerie Cordon is located in the same lot as Total Gas Station (Goldilock's is also here :p). If you're coming from Manila, you won't miss it as it's on the right (thanks for the correction, Domie!)  side of the highway. Cordon's the first municipality you'll pass by :) For more info, you can call (078) 622-1238