A lot has happened after the August 2022 La Union trip. There was Bohol and Cebu, HITC – Manila, then Mt. Batulao. Not too much, except if you realize that all those trips happened in just a span of three months.

It was a rollercoaster ride, so to speak.

What would be a more fitting way to celebrate Christmas and send the year off other than doing another first?

For our Christmas celebration dinner, we decided to go to Antipolo City. All that I wanted was to have dinner and to try something different in doing so. Ran, on the other hand, would not travel to Antipolo just to have dinner; something else must be in queue. Kailangan ng side trip.

Side trip it is. Before we went to our dinner reservation, we dropped by a scenic mountainside destination, Caza Peregrine.

Caza Peregrine is a resort and restaurant, ideal for quick getaways from the bustle of the metro. If one intends to dine, then the entrance fee is waived. Since we have a reservation somewhere else, we paid the minimal fee of PHP 50.00 for us to be able to get inside. Once inside, one would realize that the fee is negligible as the place is scenically beautiful.

After taking photos of the beautiful scenery, the mandatory proof that we were there.

We only got to realize that it was time to leave Caza Peregrine when we received a text message reminding us of our dinner reservation.

So what exactly are we trying for the first time in this Christmas dinner?

For our Christmas dinner, we decided to try Tahanan Bistro. It is a casual, reservation-only, fine dining restaurant which offers a five-course set, featuring a different take on otherwise already popular Filipino cuisine.

The place itself features a very homey ambience, featuring an al fresco dining in a balcony overlooking a well-landscaped verdant garden.

We had to remove our shoes before we were escorted to our reserved table. There, we were handed the menu, which only consists of three options interestingly named after famous peaks in the Philippines: Halcon, Mayon and Iraya .

I had the Mayon set while Ran opted for Iraya. We just had the appetizer, main course and dessert divided in half and shared so that we get to try as much as we could. Unfortunately, neither of us thought of taking photos of the food as they were served, save for the main courses, thankfully!

After our meals, we were served a glass each of red wine, which we only took a sip of. Pareho kaming hindi mahusay sa ingestible alcohol, but that was a good addition as we celebrate the Christmas season and look forward to a new year.

We spent a little more time in the garden of the Bistro and took some photos.

The exchange gift had to happen in the car, as my gift was too enormous to bring to the Bistro without being noticed. I got a bottle of red wine and some chocolates from Ran. I got him a framed scratch-off Philippine map. The latter would prove itself to be way too useful for us.

Who would have thought that a renegade juncture that started with La Union would lead to more adventures together?