📍 Malen’s Restaurant
9025 Magdiwang Highway, Noveleta, Cavite
Sometimes, all you need is good Filipino food, a little family time, and a place you didn’t even know had been around since 1994.
Weekend family dates lately have been pretty simple. Madalas, nasa bahay na lang kami. My senior parents are not always in the mood for our usual routine of eating out, watching a movie, doing groceries, and then heading home.
But every now and then, kapag sinipag sila, mas gusto na lang naming kumain somewhere. And when I say kumain, I mean Filipino food. That’s pretty much the non-negotiable requirement in our family. Hahaha!
Last weekend, we tried a new-to-us restaurant in Cavite: Malen’s Restaurant, recommended by my friend Jasmin Pallera, who’s also from Cavite. Akala ko bagong restaurant lang siya, but I later found out that it was established in 1994 pa pala. So, technically, kami lang ang late sa discovery. 😂
First impressions—and a little parking adventure
When we arrived, we didn’t immediately spot the restaurant’s parking area. The entrance is along the highway, so we ended up parking on the other side of the street, sa open parking ng Puregold. Only later did we realize that there was actually a parking area and another entrance farther down, about 50 meters siguro past the main facade. Halatang di nag-research eh. Next time, alam na namin. Hahaha.
Once we got inside, picture muna agad because, hello, may Christmas tree na! Ber months na nga pala. 🎄
Before reaching the dining area, you’ll pass by counters selling different Filipino pasalubong goodies. A nice little stop if you want to bring something home after your meal.
What we ordered
I didn’t manage to take note of every single menu price—which is a lesson learned, especially now that I’m turning these food trips into blog posts. Hahaha!
We played it safe and ordered dishes we knew the family would enjoy:
- Gambas
- Daing na bangus
- Crispy pata
- Cajun seafood
- Ube balls
- Halo-halo
- Four buko shakes
- One pink lemonade
And of course, rice!
One bandehado of rice was enough for the four of us, with Mom having her own cup of garlic rice. Sakto lang talaga. I didn’t even order extra rice—kasi that day I was on my nth time of Diet-Day1. 😂
The food: What we enjoyed
Let’s start with the crispy pata.
Unang kagat pa lang ng balat, alam mo na. Ang sarap! Very flavorful, and most importantly, crispy without being so hard that you have to worry about your veneers. Eme! 😂
The daing na bangus was your familiar, comforting bangus—nothing too surprising, but a welcome addition to the spread. Actually for mommy ito, kasi hindi na siya kumakain ng pork and beef. Everyday bangus, paminsan chicken or GG. Pero sorry diet din siya, napa-crispy pata ng bongga si madir! Which I said okay lang naman kung once a month or in two months na nga lang niya ginagawa.
The gambas had just the right flavor, and the shrimp tasted fresh.
As for the Cajun seafood, it had tahong, squid, shrimp, salmon, and another kind of fish meat na hindi ko na ma-identify. Hahaha! I found it tasty, especially if you enjoy that cumin-forward flavor. It’s a little different from the usual Filipino dishes we ordered, so it was nice to have something with a different flavor profile on the table.
Dessert, because of course
We also ordered ube balls, topped with caramel. I personally think it would be even better if the caramel came on the side, so you could adjust how much you want. And for Mom, I ordered halo-halo—kahit ayaw niya kuno. I know my mother. Mahilig talaga siya sa halo-halo. 😂
The bill—and would we come back?
Our total came to a little over ₱3,000, with the senior and PWD discounts already deducted. For our family of five, considering the dishes and drinks we ordered, the experience felt sulit naman. The staff were also very friendly and welcoming, which always makes a difference when you’re dining out with family.
Would we come back? Yes, especially when traffic isn’t too bad. I also realized that I didn’t pay enough attention to the soup dishes on the menu—so next time, those are definitely on my list. And remember the entrance to their parking I mentioned? It leads to their garden and the silong of the restaurant pala. Mas maganda sana ang pictures kung nakababa kami hahaha!
After lunch, diretso na kami sa grocery run at S&R Kawit, which is just about 8 minutes away from the restaurant. Perfect pang-complete ng family weekend errands! Hahaha.
So, Malen’s Restaurant, see you again—hopefully with less traffic, better parking knowledge, and room for soup. 😂
More family food trips, restaurant finds, and little discoveries coming to Darlaverse. 🤍
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