Fine dining with a farm ambience

TACLOBAN CITY—In the middle of a farmland in Batbangon town in Leyte is a cozy place that has become a favorite weekend destination because of its ambience and delectable food.

Rafael’s Farm in Barangay Pagsulhugon, a 40-minute ride from Tacloban City, does not only have a restaurant in a thatched-roofed building but also native cottages and kiosks. It has a tree house, a lagoon for boating, a wishing well in a landscaped garden, an old calesa and manmade waterfalls.

But it didn’t look this heavenly when Rene Tampil, who is in his 50s, bought the 16-hectare property about 10 years ago. In fact, it was in disarray: most of the rice field was covered with shrubs, bushes and trash.

Food business

Tampil was then successful in his food business, which he started in 1990.

“I was orphaned with no source of income so I opened a carinderia (eatery) so I can continue my schooling,” he says. He eventually graduated from college with a commerce degree.

With only P500, Tampil put up “Join Us” in Tacloban. The eatery later became popular mainly through his hard work and determination.

Tampil opened several “Join Us” branches in the city and expanded into meat shops. Then he found the property in Babatngon.

At first, he planned to put up a farm there. He had wanted to develop the rice field and vegetable garden, as well as build a small hut where he could rest and relax after a hard day’s work.

Visitors

He changed his plans. About five years ago, he thought of a farm resort, and he would design the whole place, including the garden. Rafael’s Farm, which was named after his grandson, was created. As construction was about to  be completed, people started visiting the place to admire its garden. They would ask later ask if the farm would sell food.

Tampil decided to open a restaurant, different from his fastfood eateries. This time, it would offer fine dining and set meals for customers with tight budget.

“We did not expect that many people would like our place because this is far from the city … I think ambience and the food are what keep them coming here,” Tampil says.

The restaurant has 15 employees who are all Hotel and Restaurant Management graduates. Eleven workers tend the rice field and vegetable garden.

Projects

Tampil declines to tell how much had been spent in developing the farm. But he says he had allotted at least P100 million for future projects, including a dormitory and a swimming pool.

Rafael’s Farm offers a variety of cuisine at affordable prices, among them Classic Baby Back Ribs, Grilled Herb Chicken, Kare-Kare, Coco Chicken Stew, Crispy Chicken Kawali and Farmer’s Salad.

The restaurant’s terrace—with sofas and coffee tables and overlooking the lagoon and garden—is a good conversation area. Old jars and lamps, sculpture pieces and some paintings adorn it. A koi pond lines the perimeter.

At night, the place becomes romantic as fireflies swarm at a nearby tree and serenity steps in.

Tampil says he may close down his other businesses in the city and just concentrate on running Rafael’s Farm with his son.

He still has many ideas to develop his new baby, though.