With all the hype about organic food these days, one can only imagine how many people have taken to planting their own gardens of herbs, vegetables, and maybe even fruits. Organic sections have become one of the most-visited parts of a supermarket. Organic is clearly THE BIG TREND in food and nutrition today.
But did you know that long before organic food caught the attention of the junk-consuming masses, there’s a restaurant in Davao City that’s been serving healthy organic food for years?
Vista Restaurant, the on-site restaurant of Eden Nature Park and Resort, has become an institution in Davao City’s dining scene. People endure the hour-long trip to Barangay Eden, Toril just to experience the food and the relaxing ambiance this restaurant in the highlands has to offer.
The Food
Vista Restaurant serves buffet-style meals plus a salad bar, fruits and dessert station, fresh fruit juices, and the day’s soup. In this respect, it is just like any other restaurant anywhere.
What sets them apart from others is the quality of their ingredients. Vista Restaurant uses ingredients picked from its own gardens. Eden Nature Park maintains gardens and orchards all over the property, which some of you can see during a guided shuttle tour. They grow everything organically and use hydroponics to cultivate the salad greens. You can probably tell the difference when you take the first bite of your DIY veggie salad.
Vista Restaurant serves a hodge-podge of different cuisines from all over the world. On any given day, you’ll find Italian pasta dishes sitting side by side with Oriental stir-fried vegetables. Classic Filipino favorites like Beef Caldereta and Adobo always make an appearance at the buffet table. I personally find their pasta dishes perfect. They make the pasta and sauces from scratch so you’re sure it’s fresh.
They also make their own dressings and vinaigrette. You can buy them at the counter along with other products like sinamak (a local spicy vinegar) and fresh pastries. Of course, they also sell vegetables for you to take home.
The Restaurant
There’s only one other restaurant in the immediate area. All guests of Eden Nature Park and Resort eat at either Vista Restaurant or the Fishing Village. The Fishing Village cooks the fish that you catch and serve them in the surrounding nipa huts. Day tour packages include either buffet-style lunch or plated snacks from Vista Restaurant. Similarly, special deals for overnight stays may cover full-board meals.
Vista Restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Guests descend a flight of stairs to reach the main entrance, passing by the Day Tour Center and a few selfie-worthy spots. Colorful ceiling installations adorn the restaurant’s interior. Live plants line all corners of the dining room. They use fine netting instead of walls. As a result, guests enjoy relatively uninterrupted 360-degree views of the beautiful surroundings.
Rates and Other Services
Buffet-style lunch and dinner at Vista Restaurant cost upwards of P500 per person. This already covers all the food you can eat and a beverage of your choice. They also serve complimentary meals for overnight guests. Overnight guests also get a special discount for meals. Guests celebrating birthdays get free lunch; just present an ID with birth date at the Day Tour Center where they give out a birthday card with a free meal stub.
Vista restaurant also caters to special occasions held within Eden Nature Park and Resort. Weddings, small conferences and family gatherings are made more special by the excellent food and wonderful service. Just recently, the restaurant also started accepting food orders.
If you’re ever in Davao City and have an entire day to spare, I recommend going to the highlands where the air is fresh and the food is great. The hour-long journey is totally worth the healthy goodness of Vista Restaurant.
Update: Eden Nature Park now offers more dining options at three other venues. Guests may now also dine at Cafe Vista, Fisher’s Grill, and Skyview Cafe.
Downloadable Resources: For a closer look at Vista Restaurant, Philippine Traveler has prepared a photo review for you. The Vista Restaurant Review is available as a free PDF download or free Powerpoint download. Enjoy this review at your leisure or share it with a friend!
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Have you been to Vista restaurant? What did you think? Comment below and let us know!
