The place was always full specially at lunchtime. You eat using your hands. Sink with liquid soap was readily available. The ambiance matches with the name of the place which is Gubat. It was surrounded by plants. The tables and chairs were made of wood. It felt like you were eating in the middle of the forest. I ordered the Lechon Kawali, Pako with salted egg and Calamansi juice. I loved how crunchy is the skin of the Lechon Kawali. It was too oily and some part of the Lechon Kawali was dry.The Lechon Kawali meal was composed of a large portion of rice,Lechon Kawali, half salted egg and tomato. Calamansi juice was extraordinary. It was flavorful and had the right amount of sweetness. I loved the dressing of the Pako and its texture. Overall, my Gubat experience was excellent!
We had the lechon kawali, tapa flakes, calamansi juice, and iced tea, all of which are excellent especially the tapa flakes. The service is good. The interiors are ok and the restaurant is quite small. It's situated in a dim location so drive slowly to not miss it if you're going at evenings.
We dined here last night around 8 pm and most seats are already occupied.Their lechon kawali is soft yet crispy.Perfectly cooked if you ask me.Also love the unlimited chili garlic and that you have to eat with your bare hands since no utensils are allowed
Right by the entrance to the Diliman Bonsai Society along CP Garcia Avenue, this restaurant has a no-frills approach to food: self-service counter (limited but classic menu), sit at one of the make shift tables and stools, wash your hands, devour your order when it arrives sans plate or utensils.
The lechon kawali was perfectly tender, crispy and went perfectly with the pako (fern salad), tomatoes and salted egg. When I poured their homemade vinegar on top, that was it - the ultimate flavorfest in my mouth.
They have other dishes too, including fish options and unusual sides like burong kanin.
Service is also friendly, though food takes a while to arrive as it is cooked to order.
Wash it all down with their all natural drinks like calamansi juice and iced turmeric tea. I cannot wait to try their other dishes!
Albeit a bit hard to find, Gubat is worth every bit of effort! I love how they practice sustainability by serving their food on banana leaves, and it’s certainly an experience to eat with one’s hands again. Went here earlier today and here’s what we ordered:
Litsong Kawali - The pork was fried to perfection! Crunchy skin plus suuuuuper tender meat, as in it takes little effort to break apart the pieces. As with all the other rice meals, it’s served with a tomato, salted egg, and pako salad (which is another winner imo.)
Piniritong Manok - The chicken is well worth the price as it’s so big! It was also fried perfectly because it managed to be juicy and crunchy at the same time.
Tapa - The tapa here is cut up and served in small chunks. It’s very flavorful and a little goes a long way. What I loved about this is that the sauce alone can be mixed with the rice for a better dining experience.
Overall, would definitely come back! Good service and great food 👍🏻👍🏻
The place is quite difficult to find if it's your first time there. It's got Secret Garden vibes but the place is nice and homey. I love how they practice zero waste and encourage you to eat with your hands. The lechon kawali is delicious! Combine it with the pako and salted egg in one big bite you get an explosion of flavors.
If you're visiting this place for the first time, you need to keep your eyes wide open. It's on the right side with a bamboo door so you won't get lost.
Friendly staff. Satisfying food.
Ordered Tapa which is sweet kinda like Tocino and also Lechon Kawali which has a different taste than your usual ones. The side dish complemented those as well.
Eating with just your hands made it better. Gives you that classic Filipino experience.
Love everything about this place - the food, staff, and ambience.
Food - Great when you’re craving home cooking. Their food is so full of warmth - brings you back to your weekend lunch with the family by the beach or farm.
Staff - All the ates are so kind and friendly.
Ambience - Rustic yet romantic. It’s an open space with wooden tables and chairs, lights hanging beautifully, and books and photographs displayed.
Believe or not. I kept going back here with my friends. It’s so delicious and very flavorful! I always order one paco salad and longgaisa with rice. To be honest this is one of my favorite all the time. Hehehehe i want to try other menu next time.
Btw if you have a hard time parking, park inside in NIGS or Math building. And then walk to this resto. It’s not really that far. Strictly if you have UP stickers. There is no parking in that resto because it’s in the alley road. So it’s quite narrow. I suggest not to park there.
Fun, fresh, and forest-y for my first date! I would take us there again.
What I had: Lechon Kawali with Rice, Itlog na Maalat, and Pako (Fiddlehead Fern) Salad
We have already tried every dish here. Every dish is beyond perfect. The only thing that is quite bothering is the insects. But the staffs are very welcoming. We will definitely come back ❤
A must try place when you visit UP! Great for those who love a nature-ish vibe since the place is filled with bonsai. Food might be a bit pricey for students but its worth the price!
Their pako salad is especially good and it comes as a side dish with all the meals. Best to eat with your hands to feel the full gubat experience 😁
What a find! This restaurant was in a secluded place, beside the Diliman Bonsai Society.
Hungarian sandwich - 85 php
• flavorful
• filling
Paco salad - 70 php
• sweet and tasty!
What a vibe. Kamayan siya though so you'll have to eat with your hands! I thoroughly enjoyed my meal with my friend over merienda. I'm sure to come back next time for a proper meal (rice meal naman)!
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Unexpected find! A friend saw a posting on Facebook regarding the place and wanted to try it. This (literally) hidden gem is tucked behind a wall of shrubs and bonsai and is located beside a rather sketchy neighborhood. We were hesitant to enter the place because the access point was an inconspicuous bamboo door with overgrown plants and it looked like an abandoned place.
The restaurant is like a secret hideout inside a forest. Diners are expected to eat using their hands (kamayan) since they don't have utensils. Food is served on banana leaf (as in, no plate or anything underneath).
Food was great. We ordered lechon kawali, adobo, and fried fish (Fish for the day was blue marlin. Pleasantly surprised that it was actually just seared and not deep fried). Meat was very flavorful, and it was so tender that we had no trouble tearing it apart with our bare hands. Serving size of the viands were very generous. Just a bit underwhelmed with the Paco side dish because the menu indicated "Paco salad" and I expected that the serving would be big, didn't realize it was just a side dish/garnish. It was enjoyable, nonetheless.
Service time was rather long (almost 30min?), and we were the only customers when we ordered. They have books and some games stored in the suspended bookshelf, so we had stuff to keep us busy while we waited for the food.
Overall it was a good experience. We noticed that the restaurant had a lot of series lights, so we're gonna try to visit again on a late afternoon / evening.
Other notes :
- Staff are limited, but they are very friendly and accommodating.
- No proper parking place, and also no direct mode of commute (no jeeps, take a trike or just walk)
- Consider bringing insect repellent since there are a lot of bugs because of the set up of the place.
Definitely a must try experience to eat here!! The food was delicious especially the seaweed and salted egg combination thats included in every meal. Going here is like being in a beach like vibe restaurant! You’d be eating with your bare hands and food is placed in banana leaf.
The downside here would be its location since its not accessible and in quite sketchy place. Theres also no parking available unless you park along c.p. garcia. When we went there we thought it was closed bc the gate is closed but its open anyway.
Overall, if you want to try a new eating experience, this is surely a place for that!!
If you’re familiar with Kusina Luntian from Baler — then this place is a treat! It’s their first branch outside Baler so get ready to satisfy that Pako salad & wapang liempo craving.
The only difference with their famous wapang liempo is it is NOT grilled, — it is fried but it is still a WIN. Their pako salad is included in every set meals.
Btw like in Baler, they don’t offer any utensils so be ready to eat with your bare hands!
Gubat QC is tucked near Diliman Bonsai Society and is a bit hideous so be sure to be patient in searching for this place lol.
Hidden from the hustle and bustle of Quezon City commercial district is this gem Gubat.
They offer affordable pinoy meals served in a banana leaf just like the food served in Kusina Luntian in Baler Aurora.
Staff is insanely helpful and welcoming. A visit wouldnt be complete without getting a shot of the infamous Banayad Whiskey promoted by the King of Comedy himself Dolphy.
4 Star because we're victims of the fake news article. We read that this was the same small resto operating in Baler, Aurora called Kusina Luntian. We're huge fans of their BBQ Pork liempo and chilled vibe.
Long story short, the article said that they've now opened a branch in U.P Diliman and it's called "Gubat". Well the owner confirmed with us that this article was fake and that they too were shocked when one day people started to arrive in truck loads asking if this was Kusina Luntian. Props to the owner for not self claiming the fame.
Anyway despite that we still had a good experience, the staff was friendly, food was good! we enjoyed their Lechon Kawali and Pork Adobo. They still had the similar chilled beach/garden/bahay kubo vibe.
Ps. The food is served on banana leaf and there is no utensils. Kamayan! :)
Also medyo mahirap sila hanapin.
The place was already swamped by the time we got in this evening that we had to wait for a table for almost 2hrs - thank goodness my mother was in the mood for waiting game and that there were still some items left for us to order. Even though we weren't able to try their most recommended dishes, none of the items that we ordered fell short of satisfaction - from the pako salad, to the calamansi juice and to the mains! Kuya was true to his promise while we almost lost our patience in waiting that "hindi kami magsisisi". I highly recommend that you be up for the waiting game as well because they really are worth it. We were the last guests and their menu being sold out as early as 8pm (they open at 11am), which is a true testament about their awesome dishes! Certainly coming back for the greatest hits! 👏👏👏
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes