When I got an invite from Joy of Gastronomybyjoy.com to spend an afternoon at Chef Laudico Guevarra’s for the launch of Philip Lifestyle Guy! Season 2, I justΒ felt ecstatic. I would not not only get to meet Philip Abadicio, but I would also have the chance to dine in at one of the most wonderful house-turned-restaurants in the city right now! πΒ Some might call me luckyβand they’re right.
Chef Laudico Guevarra’s in P. Guerra Street, San Juan is a buffet restaurant showcasing Filipino food with a twist. This place was once a heritage house built in the 1920s and was transformed into an elegant restaurant which opened to the public last July 16, 2013.
Chefs Roland and Jackie Laudico thought that Guevarra’s would be known as an upscale buffet restaurant where diners can feel like they’re dining in a five-star hotel without the expensive bill afterwards. And yup, they’re successful at that. My foodie experience here has been great enough for me to want to tell the world about it. π
Chef Laudico and Me : )
Review of Chef Laudico Guevarra’s (San Juan City)
Ambiance: β β β β β
Since Valentine’s Day is fast coming, Chef Laudico Guevarra’s was decorated with hearts all around.Β Inside the restaurant, several private dining areas that serve as function rooms can be found. They are named after famous personalities that made mark in the history of the Philippines, namely: Guevarra (main hall), Recto, Ortega, Mabini, Abad Santos and Pilar.
Small gatherings, important meetings and celebrations can all be held in these rooms. If you’d notice, the walls are decorated with signed plates by celebrities and known people as well as paintings by local artists.
The heritage house’s layout was retained as in the original, and the overall design may just leave one feeling oddly nostalgic. The lights? Oh wow, they’re enchanting.Β Hats off to the Laudicos for theΒ spectacular theme.
Guevarra’s also offers an outdoor setting suitable for having a nice cocktail in a serene ambiance. This garden in front of the restaurant looked perfectly romantic for a couple’s pictorial. This is the kind of place you can bring a date without worrying about anything.
Service: β β β β β
Staffs were warm, hospitable and responsive, embodying a platonic icon of a neighborhood restaurant’s good customer service team. They took out our used plates and refilled our glasses with water quickly.
Food: β β β β β
We came at 3PM just in time for “afternoon snacks,” so note that these food below are not those served similarly in lunch and dinner. Nevertheless, they were filling and quite satisfying.
On the appetizers section were Fresh Ubod, Salad Greens and also [not on the picture] Radish Cucumber Salad, Creamy Salted Egg, Kuya Caesar Dressing, Spicy Sardines and Freshly Baked Pan De Sal. Pile them on your plate without shame, as nobody should come to a buffet restaurant to judge. π
My favorite has to be theΒ Fresh Ubod. Each piece was crafted beautifully with a consistent number of pleats. After dipping one in peanut sauce, the flavors of fresh veggies in the remarkably delicate lumpia skin burst in my mouth.Β Mmmm!
The next round is about getting the lay of the land: a little of Pork Sisig Baskets, a taste of Camote Croquettes (I can’t hardly pass up these), and Pork Shanghai with sauces: Vinegar, Toyomansi and Pinakurat. My sister had grown an obsession with the sweet potatoes croquettes (Croquetas de Batata) and it’s easy to understand why. Each ball was likeΒ a fancy hash brown withΒ crispy crumbs on the outside and moist in the inside.
Three pizza flavors were available: Seafood Pizza, Karnievorous Pizza and Vegetarian Pizza. Their pizzas are not the best. With thin and light crust, the pizzas didn’t appeal much to me. The toppings were scarce and the sauce was not flavorful. PresentationΒ was as well mediocre. You can skip these and moveΒ on to the mains.
Satisfy your love of meat and poultry with Liempo, Grilled Chicken and Fried Chicken or “Filipino pasta” with Pancit Canton, Spaghetti andΒ Palabok.Β While IΒ can’t comment much on the meaty choices, I can attest that the texture and flavors of the three different pancit/noodles were good. They reminded me of my mom’s cooking!
At this point, my tummy was full and I was not particularly hungry to try the other food. Then again, having a small bite of each won’t hurt. Next on the line for the taste test were: Lechon on the Carvery, Chicken Ham, Squid Law, Ginataang Bilo-bilo and Roasted Chicken. It’s not an unpublished secret in this blog that I’m not a fan of any of these meat in general. All I can say is that their flavors were rich in their own humble way but not exciting as they dared to be. The complementary sauces for the lechon and chicken can make up for the shortcoming.
For desserts, we had the Vegetable Platter, Banana Cake, Suman Balls, Palitaw, Chocolate Crinkles and Maruya that were all pleasing to the eyes and taste buds. We also tried sticking some of them to the Latik Fountain, aΒ cool “Pinoy” version of the chocolate fondue. Everything in this section was awesome.
At the two opposite ends of the buffet were the vendo machines for ice cream (vanilla and chocolate flavors with toppings)Β and different kinds of beverages (sodas and iced tea). I had the red iced tea which was not too sweet for my liking.
Price for Value: β β β β β
If thereβs one thing that’s perpetually true about Filipino restaurants, itβs the one about how hard it is to find a decent buffet restaurant serving Filipino food that you can confidently bring your foreigner friends for them to get a glimpse and appreciate our local cuisine. Chef Laudico Guevarra’s can be an ideal spot to spend happy moments with your loved ones. Considering the selection and quality of food, buffetΒ rates are affordable. Rest assured, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. (We’ll be back for the lunch and dinner proper next time.)
Buffet Rates:
Weekday lunch (Monday to Friday) 11AM – 2PM: PHp 399 + 12% VAT
Weekday dinner (Monday to Thursday) 7:30PM – 10:30PM: PHp 499 + 12% VAT
Weekends and HolidaysΒ (Friday dinner, Satuday andΒ Sunday lunch and dinner): PHp 599 + 12% VAT
Operating hours: 11:00am – 2:00pm, 7:30pm – 10:30pm
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
I simply adore Guevarra’s and their buffet. You might want to try their lunch and dinner buffet next time. Great review, btw.
Thanks, Joy. I can’t wait to bring my parents here! They’ve been expressing “wow’s” and “sarap’s” just as when they saw the pictures of the food. π I wonder what their reaction would be when they’re actually in the venue.
We will be going on JUNE 22, 2024 after 10 years from your post! hehehe
That place is looking nice,clean and well arranged.Hope their food will be also great,anyway you’re looking cute in blue and black π
Thanks, Debarpan! π
i literally said “whoa” out loud when i saw your 3rd photo! i love it! the place really looks amazing and historic and elegant! awesome post love! the food looks amazing as well! this is definitely going to my list of “to go places” hehe
The lovely ambiance will make you fall in love. I also said whoa when we were there. And yup, literally with matching clap! π
Wow the ambiance is so elegant and romantic! The dishes look really delicious, especially the desserts! I’m drooling! Haha
I wish it’s more accessible though. I live far from San Juan.
If you have anything to celebrate, this place is worth visiting anyway. π Be guided with the map or take a safe taxicab drive to Chef Laudico Guevarra’s. The dining experience is gotta be awesome!
Now I know where we’ll eat later for our Valentine’s day dinner date <3
I hope you’d still have seats because I’ve heard the place is full today until late night! π
Hope to try Chef Laudico’s famous dishes someday. I’ve heard the food is good there at Guevarra’s
This has been featured in Kris TV. You can check out the episode on YouTube. π
I like the old house set up of Chef Laudico as it feels having lunch at an old house.
The ambiance itself makes this restaurant as a decent lunch spot. Almost like a hidden gem, it’s also considered as one of the safest and cleanest squares in San Juan.
I also like their Food offering which is mostly Filipino dishes.
The food was undeniably good. Prices were very fair for the amount of tastiness you get, and I have nothing bad to say at all.
The ambiance of this restaurant was so cool andcbeautiful…and so relaxing…this place so perfect to any event and to celebrating any occassions…the food was so perfect and so delicious….
Yup, in a place beaming with character, everything here contributes as a reminiscent of a home of a once prosperous aunt that is now living in more straightened circumstances. π Give their highly recommended food a try.
I am going to bookmark this blog post of yours! I want to try this restaurant for a long time and I want to try it more after reading your post. At mura ang buffet nya π
Yeah I’m surprised that the rates did not reach PHp 1000 when in other restaurants, ganun talaga kataas ang price.
Chef laudico Guevarra’s is one of the places I’d love to try! Hope we can drop by there soon.
Besides offering traditional Filipino dishes, Guevarra’s also serve salads, seafood, and meats fine-tuned to delight the other palettes.
In Celebrity Plaza, they’re weekend buffet costs 900 pesos, but complete with appetizers, desserts, main course, etc…unlimited. But, also, It seems that the variety of foods at Chef Laudico Guevarra’s Restaurant are more suitable for Filipino cuisine. Great review!
Thanks, Fernando. π I don’t know where Celebrity Plaza is. Is it in QC? (thinking of Celebrity Sports Plaza). All restos by Chef Laudico offer true Pinoy comfort food with a homey touch, good quality and delicious.
whoooah! the place is like the one that should be renovated to the movie of Toni and Papa P! wahahah. #hangover Well at least, they would go there not only for the food but for the experience of the beautiful place as well. π
I haven’t watched the movie but I heard that it’s really good. π In Guevarra’s, not only is the food good, but the customer service was off the charts.
ang sarap ng guava chocolate niya. the one i got from alyanna fitness party.
Guava chocolate?! Whoa. It sounds so yummy! I hope I’d be able to taste it soon. π
I’ve been hearing a lot of good feedback from this resto but until now, I haven’t been here , it’s too far from my place! You’re so lucky! The place looks really like a hotel and there’s a variety of Filipino dishes. I wish to go here soon π
Bring your date and slowly savor every spoonful of great food. π
Your photos look absolutely great! I’ve always been curious about it, and now I might actually suggest it to my parents if we ever pass by San Juan! π
Thanks, Jason! Search the location’s address first on the map because you might find it hard to get into Guevarra’s as it’s like inside a compound side by side with residential properties.
So many beautiful pictures!
Thanks, Sofie! They are actually more beautiful in real life. π
Wow! The place looks really nice and the photos you took are great! I’ve been hearing about this place and I really want to give it a try but I live quite far. π
Chef Laudico has other branches of restaurants that may be nearer to your place. I’m sure the food they serve is consistently good. π
The restaurant and food both look stunning, Chef Laudico needs to come over to the UK
Haha one day that just might be possible. π
I’m not sure but I think this has been featured in KrisTV before. π Anyway, I’m thinking of inviting my friends for a food trip soon and although we’re all from the South, we’d love to try this out. Good food with a reasonable price range. Bookmarking this right now! π
Yay! Yup, it has been featured in KrisTV. I like that episode. You can view it on YouTube. π
matagal ko na gusto kumain dito!!! lagi lang walang time π may bayad ba ang kids?
Ohh sorry di ko natanong. You can call them before going to make sure. π
I haven’t tried it yet! But reading reviews and looking at your photos, nakakagutom! (^_^)
With all the gist of everything Chef Laudico offers, its neighbors have some serious competition to face. Solid food, awesome prices!
whoa. amazing! I’ve seen Chefs Roland in tv. Anyway the foods really made me hungry!
This is just the tip of the iceberg. They have more food selections for lunch and dinner. π
Erika says…
The house reminds me of Breakfast at Antonio’s. I’ve been getting invites to dine here too! I guess we better head on up there! π
I haven’t been to Breakfast at Antonio’s but I’ve also heard a lot of raves about their food. Want to come visit soon! π
The place looks expensive! so when I looked at the rates at the last part of your post, I was shocked that it’s like most buffet restaurants in malls. Ang ganda pa nung place. When I saw your profile pic on Facebook and found out it was at Guevarra’s, I was super inggit I didn’t go. Hopefully, I can visit it sometime.
Yup haha onga sayang you weren’t able to go last time. π
Can’t wait to go the food is affordable and really good.. Great combination if I may say so myself.
We are in a constant lookout for restaurants like this in the metro. Guevarra’s is really a good find. π
This is one of the places we plan to try next. Chef Laudico is one of my favorites. And he has been coming up with restaurants that serve really good food at reasonable prices.
Yup, that’s the reason why his restaurants score high as always. π He already knows the formula and the magic that will make patrons be delighted.
Chef Laudico is one of my favorite mentor in Master Chef Pinoy Edition. You can see on his face the passion and professionalism the you won’t see in any other chefs.
Wow I didn’t know that he’s a mentor on that show. Sorry, I don’t watch TV programs often. π Good to know!
wow the place is really beautiful , specially the foods hoping someday we can visit the place.. π
If you’re based in Manila area, 1-1.5 hours tops is all it takes for you to easily find the way into Guevarra’s. π
Looks so nice and food looks yummy too. I didn’t know somewhere in San Juan is a great buffet place like this.
Yup, it’s like hidden between residential homes.
Love reading your blog roch! π lucky you, may picture kayo ni chef!
Hi Isha! Thanks for dropping by and commenting. π Yup, I’m so lucky whahaha.