Calauan: Home of Isdaan Resto-Fun Park

It was my first time in CALAUAN...

I heard so many times about the town and also about the RESTO-PARK... but this particular weekend, I decided to satisfy my curiosity of what is something different about this town which came from the word "KALAWANG" (RUST)...

CALAUAN  is a secondclass municipality in the province of LAGUNA adjacent to SAN PABLO CITY and towns of BAY and VICTORIA.

The ISDAAN RESTO-FUN PARK is part of CALAUAN but located along the highway between the towns of BAY and VICTORIA. 

To reach ISDAAN using public transport, there are buses bound for STA.CRUZ (LAGUNA). The trip will pass by the whole stretch of Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX) then exit at CALAMBA, then pass by CALAMBA CROSSING, then the towns of LOS BANOS and BAY. After about an hour and a half travel time from any part of METRO MANILA, alight right infront of the restaurant.

This signage is visible along the highway.

Towering and huge structures are located everywhere in the restaurant, from entrance to the dining area...your eyes and other senses will be filled with amazement that you can even forget that you are already hungry or you were there to eat...because these amazing structures are more than what we can grasp simultaneously... 

There is a PASALUBONG CENTER right at the entrance where local products are available for sale...but it is nice to avail them on your way out or while waiting for your order....prioritize to get the menu list first, then select the food that you really wanted to try and make the order right away. Because it takes some time to prepare your order because the food are prepared on the spot. An assurance that your food is newly cooked...

There are also replicas of famous personalities within the compound of the restaurant such as former PRESIDENTS and even foreign dignitaries...I have seen the replica of former Presidents ESTRADA and CORAZON AQUINO and also US PRESIDENT OBAMA and his first lady. There are also structures of SUPER HEROES and CARTOON CHARACTERS.

Senses will be filled with numerous images and structures every step, every angle, every second, every minutes, and everywhere. I think that is the purpose of cooking the food on the spot because you will have all the time to capture and digest all the things that you can find and see. It is actually very hard to explain what is really the over-all theme of the place. The comprehensive description is beyond grasp of majority of the guests, I believe. Or it is only me who have that perception.

The place is a mixture of man-made structures and natural wonders. The refreshing sight of coconut trees and other plants are relaxing for our body, soothing for our mind, engaging for our heart, and rejuvenating to our spirit.

There are also singing cooks and waiters to reinforce the already nice ambiance for the guests to experience full package of satisfaction not only for the hungry stomach, but all other senses. They have original compositions with funny lyrics and popular melodies delighting the guests especially the young and the young at heart visitors.

Employees occasionally greet the guests with "MABUHAY" complemented by genuine smiles and hospitable gestures and words.

The "floating bamboo rafts" with varying sizes are provided to accommodate both small and large groups...flexibility is a perfect attribute of any person or place!!!

I have heard and read about this place...the TACSIYAPO WALL...

Yes, it is located inside the compound of the ISDAAN RESTO-FUN PARK...This side of the wall is for the CUSTOMERS in order for them to release their anger and disappointments about anything and about anyone...they can throw available utensils and appliances available right at the counter, but with corresponding cost...

But, there is also another wall...for the EMPLOYEES in order for them to also release their anger about a certain type of customer...

The cost ranges from as low as 20 pesos each for mugs. Look at the ocean of broken utensils. An indication that plenty of angry souls and disappointed hearts were already released and were all absorbed and felt by the said wall. If the wall can only write the pains, sufferings and hatred from those angry customers, it can already publish a book entitled "PADER LANG AKO, NASASAKTAN DIN" containing statistics of the highest number of reasons of anger and disappointment.

There are plates, saucers and other things that you can avail until you have drained all your anger, energy or money...whichever comes last...

I still have to discover what is the meaning of every structure separated from the rest...and I also want to explore the description of the totality of the place...If there is a book entitled "THE SUM OF ALL FEARS", this place can be called "THE PRODUCT OF ALL CONFUSIONS"...

I was not able to take pictures of everything within the ISDAAN RESTO-PARK because there are so many of them and it is impossible for me to capture and describe them in one blog...

During my stay, I ordered special kalderetang kambing with rice and nicely-served fresh buko juice which only cost a total of 294 pesos...reasonably priced for the food, entertainment, great ambiance, excellent service and other good things in ONE PACKAGE!!!

I will surely comeback to try other menu...and to capture other structures...and try to figure out what is really the "EXECUTIVE SUMMARY" of the place.

After satisfying my hunger, I went to the town proper of CALAUAN which is about 4 kilometers away from ISDAAN. I was not able to take pictures but the most visible landmark is a large structure of PINEAPPLE. CALAUAN is popularly known for delicious and sweet PINEAPPLES. The town is celebrating PINYA FESTIVAL every 15th of May. "PINYA" is the Tagalog term of PINEAPPLE, for the benefit of my readers from other countries. (Opo, meron naman po kahit papano, sana dumami pa sila)

I think that the name of the town "CALAUAN" or "KALAWANG" does not commensurate for a beautiful town....with nice people...and with great food especially the sweet "PINYA"...

If I am the MAYOR, I will recommend the name "CALAUACAN" (KALAWAKAN) or UNIVERSE because of the vastness of the place ISDAAN alone.

Seriously, it is time for you to visit CALAUAN and say "PATIKIM NG PINYA MO..."