Eating Out: Tipulo | Antipolo City, Rizal, Philippines

If you’ve ever driven along Sumulong Highway, then chances are, you have passed by this pretty good Filipino restaurant without knowing it is in the area.

Located inside the campus of the First Pacific Leadership Academy, Tipulo is a relaxing open-air restaurant serving delicious Filipino cuisine that’s easy on the wallet. It’s open 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m..

It was really an impetuous decision on my part to go to Tipulo for lunch. Good thing my husband and my mom were up for it.

We ended up ordering Tortang Talong, Aligue Rice, Pinakbet and Boneless Crispy Pata. Nothing earth-shaking, but a good enough standard of measurement on the quality of their food.

This thirst-quenching Cucumber Lime Shake was the perfect drink while sitting outside. I can definitely make this at home!

Pinakbet is a Filipino veggie stew with shrimp paste. Their version was topped with pork belly bits! Hubby was so happy to find slices of sigarilyas (also known as Goa bean, four-angled bean, four-cornered bean, Manila bean, Mauritius bean), which isn’t available where we live.

Their version of Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette) was topped with red bell peppers and anchovies. It’s my first time to see those toppings on a torta.

If you’ve never eaten pork knuckles, then Crispy Pata is the best way to try it! It’s a Filipino dish of deep fried pork knuckles. This version came with a soy-vinegar dip, lechon sauce and hoisin sauce, but I don’t think you really need the sauces.

The different dishes we ordered wouldn’t be complete without rice. We had Aligue Rice, which is fried rice mixed with crab fat, so the result is pure yummy!

We got this view of the swimming pool from where we sat.

There was enough breeze in the air that day, which made sitting outside a particularly enjoyable thing to do.

That artwork right there explained what tipulo was. Yes, it’s a tree endemic to the area.

Verdict: While Tipulo promotes itself as serving modern Filipino cuisine, I didn’t really see any modern take on the classic Filipino dishes (except to top the torta with red bell pepper and anchovies). A part of me was half-expecting an inventiveness to the dishes à la Locavore (see my post about Locavore here).

That is not to say that I didn’t like their food. Our little group actually loved the food and finished everything up. Their dishes were well-prepared and the setting actually added to the enjoyment of the meal. Eating your food in such verdant surroundings makes it easy to take your time and take a breather from the stress of day-to-day living. Add it to your list of where to go when you’re in Antipolo. Tipulo is a delightful place to decompress, sit back and enjoy a pretty enjoyable meal.

Address:
Tipulo
First Pacific Leadership Academy campus
Km. 27 Sumulong Highway
Antipolo City, Rizal 1870, Philippines