I've been to Isdaan in Gerona, Tarlac and it was really beautiful and indeed a unique way of attracting customers and have a one of a kind dining experience. An officemate of mine goes to her province in Dolores and passes by the national highway of Laguna then she saw this, Isdaan in Calauan, Laguna. After our planned adventure at Villa Escudero, we planned to have dinner here. She had been to this place during a weekday so she wanted to try see it at night.
Isdaan in Calauan, Laguna recently opened during the last quarter of the month last year and still on construction up to now. Only half of the property was used and the remaining lot was barely filled with water which means there are still room for many more ideas and innovation.
At the side of the restaurant's entrance, a really huge Buddha head will welcome you but the real entrance is located at the center of the restaurant where you have to reserve your seats first before settling to a table because every server have four assign table to take care of. Be sure to be here early for lunch or dinner every weekends and even weekdays as crowd really flocks this place because its newly opened.
The ambiance was really inviting specially during night time. It was like you were dining at a dock. This is the facade from the waiting area where you could have picture taking with the life-size statue of the late former President Cory Aquino or former President Erap Estrada.
You may actually feed the fish from their man-made ponds or even use the fishing rods but I'm not sure if there's a fee for using them or even feeding them but don't be shy to ask the men wearing the orange life vest.
Ponds are everywhere within the vicinity of Isdaan not just for fishing and feeding activities but this is where they culture the fish that they sell from their menu insuring its fresh from the catch.
It's a feast for the eyes for this really huge statues of Isdaan, which includes monkeys, Buddhas, hands and elephants.
Life-size statues were also everywhere that adds up to its unique attractions.
One of the original features of Isdaan was their San Kilo Bridge, whereas the challenge was to cross the bridge with only about more or less six inches wide while carrying a pale of water to win the 1 kilo of fish. The only difference from their Tarlac branch was that there's no spitting monkeys and the obstacle had a slope.
Want to release you anger, then the Tacsiyapo Wall is for you. For a minimal fee, depending on what you want to throw and break on the wall, its your chance to shout and be heard!
Obama and his wife, complete with her pearls, was also present for picture-taking!
Kids and kids at heart won't need to worry because famous cartoon and comics statues were located at their children's corner.
At the children's corner, they offer free face painting, balloons and loot bags. They even have a store full of toys and candies. A magic and a ventriloquist show from Talentadong Pinoy contestants entertain the kids.
Another free attraction was the boat ride, either imagine that you were in Venice, Italy or at the floating market of Bangkok, Thailand. As a courtesy, the management asks you to give a tip to the boat man for at least Php 20.
Isn't it fun and kinda romantic?
This is where we had dinner. It was like their Thailand themed huts, complete with the huge golden Buddha, laughing Buddhas that surrounds the pond and bamboo trees. It was a different place indeed!
Isdaan is owned and operated by the same owners of The Barrio Fiesta, Singing Cooks and Waiters Atpb, Bento Box, World Topps, Kilo Kilo Grill Atbp and Bakahan at Manukan Chain of Restaurants. (Sorry, I forgot the other restaurant that ends with the word 'grill').
See this vast variety of menu on their list? They even offer the endangered shark, too bad! It's really hard to pick which to eat since I bet you want to try everything on this list unless you are allergic to some foods or you don't eat that kind of food but what ever you pick, hey its a feast for everyone!
While waiting for our food to be serve for 10 to 15 minutes, I strolled and loitered around the place to take more pictures and fin more interesting displays to see. I sneaked along the walkway at the side of the main kitchen and saw these outside. This is the way they cook our ordered rice, cute eh?
We were in a group of 5, so we got this 'Isang Bilaong Fried Seafoods' (Php 614), which is a combination platter of tahong, bangus, galunggong, tawilis, plaplitos, hito, tilapia, talong, kamatis, alimasag, hipon sipitsipitan. Have you seen what's missing but had replaced?
According to my officemate, who had been here before they got this 'Spareribs' (Php 267+) which is really good. It was like an adobo which is cooked until the sauce was dried up and absorbed by the meat. Yummy!
We were supposed to order 'Sinigang na Baboy' but it was out-of-stock, so we opted to get a vegetable instead, the Chopsuey. We also got a pitcher of mango juice and buko juice for more or less Php 200+.
For entertainment, these men would serenade you with one song while eating and the same with the boatman a Php 20 tip is encouraged. You may also request more songs but be good enough to shell out more tip.
There were even some festival street dancers, who dance to the festive beat of the drums together they wander the walkways of Isdaan.
If you want a more romantic secluded hut, you may want to request to be seated here at a solo hut located at the leftside of the property near the crocodile lagoon.
Different pasalubong stores like knickknacks, snacks, jewelries and toys were scattered within the vicinity.
Overall, the place was really great for family and friends bonding! It was so relaxing and feels like you are in a different country, so festive! It was something different for your eyes. The food was great and cheaper by the dozen. The more you order, the more you share, the less you pay. Our order was about Php 2000+, which includes the tax and it doesn't have any service charge at all. c",)
*They only accept cash for payment at the moment.
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Isdaan
Calauan, Laguna
(along the national highway)
T: (049) 566-0880 to 81
M: 0923-411-7793
HOW TO GET THERE FROM ALABANG?
You may ride a jeep going to Calamba and from Calamba crossing, ride a jeep going to Sta Cruz, inform the bus conductor to drop you off Isdaan. You may also ride a bus going to Sta Cruz.
Thank you for dropping by!
Mga Tsong at Tsang, pareparehas pala tayo ng experience dyan sa hinayupak na lugar na yan. My wife and I went there last night... Very frustrating indeed!!! We ordered some food, biro mo after almost 1 hour of waiting hindi pa rin dumadating yung main course namin na grilled liempo. I checked with the waitress (Kath) who took our order at nabigla pa sya at nagulat kasi di pa pala na se serve yung food namin. Kunwari umalis to check pero di na bumalik so I had to discuss the matter with the other waitresses and waiters. They said mukhang di talaga nai-order ng incompetent nilang kasama yung grilled liempo... I insisted to call her, I told them to cancel the order plus the rice they initially served.. This "Kath" even had the guts to say to me na di na pwedeng ipa-cancel yung rice... Bu$3@t! Parang gusto yatang kainin namin yung rice ng walang ulam, hahahaha!!! Abnoy! Dapat siguro pina kanta ko na lang yung abnoy na waitress na yun (Katherine - sininging waitress nakalagay sa ID nya) para kahit papaano nakabawi kami..
To the management of this "Isdaan" na lugar.. May screening process ba kayo? These type of incompetent people ang magpapasira lalo sa lugar nyo.. You should give her one big time disciplinary action yung tipong magtitino....
To the rest of the world, go there at your own risk... Di advisable sa mga mataas ang presyon at may sakit sa puso.. baka atakihin lang kayo sa inis....
yesterday, nov 18, sunday, was a very memorable birthday for me when i was treated by my husband to eat lunch at Isdaan in Laguna. of course, we brought our 3 kids and my parents in law. at first, i was hesitant to eat there because it looks "mahal" for a middle class family like us.when we saw the menu, the price is "reasonable" naman since you have a lot of choices. and what i have experienced yesterday was totally fun and memorable. we went around Isdaan and i was amazed by the giant statues like female "sirenas" and the "giant" monkey. you can't find this anywhere else...my kids really enjoyed their stay because they where treated with lots of toys around like bicycles, pony toys, and small carts, may palabas pa ng iba't ibang talents like dancers, mga magicians, para kming nsa enchanted kingdom na maraming mapapanuod. my kids were also given balloons and candies for FREE. we had our table in the area of the waiters who are singing everybody there is singing we enjoyed their show and i was surprised when they sang to our table singing "happy birthday". nabusog talaga kmi kasi yung serving ng food hindi tinipid like we ordered mama chit special worth it talaga, and of course hindi ko talaga pinalagpas ang kanilang crispy pata na made pala ng sister company nila na barrio fiesta. kaya pla ganun kaganda ung lugar, and service is good, and superb yung food, owned pala ng barrio fiesta yun. umabot kmi ng 2 hours sa isdaan dahil inenjoy namin lahat ng gimmicks dun. congrats sa management and staff, you made my stay in isdaan truly memorable at happy pa a ng family ko. babalik ulit kami! mrs. lorelei from canlubang
Nov 19, 2012 1:02:42 PM
I am from Cebu and a restaurant owner. I happened to read comments regarding a certain restaurant called Isdaan in Calauan, Laguna which me and my family recently visited. A comment dated Jan 9 saying “the service was not quite good”, “lack of staff” “food is ordinary & expensive” and “you have to be there 3 hours before 12 so you can eat by 3pm”. Another comment dated Jan 10 stated that; “that’s the reason I transferred to a nearby fast-food resto”. And another saying that the staff needs training & seminar.
Now, as a restaurant-owner, I just can’t help but say my opinion; I, with my children and my apos also had the experience of waiting so long, about 2 hours to get in, but.. this restaurant is any restaurant-owner’s dream! According to their staff, it’s a 3-hectare area. Imagine that area full of customers and still, so many outside waiting like us, to get in. My point is, customers should understand (which I’m sure most of them don’t) that it’s not the restaurant’s fault kung puno ang lugar. And I can’t even imagine if that happens to my restaurant, serving and cooking for, I guess, 2,000-3,000 people at the same time, in a period of 1 hour. Naku, baka kung sa restaurant ko yan baka hindi na lumabas ang pagkain! Magtatago na lang ako sa loob ng kitchen!
About the “ordinary food & expensive” yan ang nakakainis sa ating mga Pilipino, pag ang si-neserve ay Filipino food, ang tingin natin sa pagkain natin ay ordinary and we expect it to be cheap. Whereas, if Japanese or Italian food, it’s ok to be expensive. When some of the ingredients, when you buy it, it has the same cost per ingredient. And you cannot compare this restaurant to the nearby restaurants or turo-turo. I’m sure this establishment pays their employees required by law, hindi suweldong domestic help. I do admit their price is higher than other restaurants in Laguna, which I also tried, because I stayed for 1 week at my daughter’s house in Pila, (by the way, thanks to my son-in-law for accommodating me..hehe). But it came out reasonable because of so many entertainers, like magicians, jugglers, dancers, acrobats, they even have this strongman trying to crack his head with the fresh buko, and you don’t have to pay Entrance Fee. And they even gave my apos baloons, candies and face-painting for free, how can one say that this is an expensive restaurant? You just don’t know the restaurant business.
And also, you cannot compare this to a turo-turo that can serve instand food, this is a dine-in restaurant, it will be freshly-cooked upon order, hindi naman ito niluluto 5 hours or 10 hours ago. I know that for a fact because this is my business also. Aside from having incompetent or untrained waiters, I asked one of the staff when they opened, it was sometime December 2011, the comments I read happened months of Jan and Feb. So it means they’ve only been in business for 2 months, so how can you expect a huge restaurant like this to be perfect in a short period of time? I’m sure they employed local people around even if they’re not qualified and took the risk to accommodate recommendations from officials in local municipalities, which is a practice in provinces, like also in Cebu, to help the community.
So those of you who doesn’t want to spend money, and don’t understand that businesses should recover their investment, why not just buy a Lechon Manok in a street corner, bring it home and treat your family and try to juggle and do some acrobat acts and try to break a buko on your head.
galing kami sa isdaan kahapon with my relatives, we enjoyed our lunch there. totoo palang masarap ang pagkain duon lalo na ung inihaw na liempo. sarap ng timpla. and their gatang hipon. wow! definitely babalik kmi, nxt week darating uncle namin from states and im sure magugustuhan nya ang food sa isdaan. hindi naman pala mahal kc ang serving maramihan. after eating, syempre picture picture around yun nalobat cam ko sa dami ng pagkukunan ng pic. see you next week isdaan…i love your place!
sino po sa inyo nakaka-alam kung anong title yung sinasayaw nung mga robot pag papasok palang sa restaurant?
It's called "The Bongo Song" by Safri Duo