Orven’s Cafe
Purok 6 No. 182 Sta. Rita Karsada, Batangas City
Contact number: 0942 563 2818
>> Facebook page <<
I have posted about some popular coffee shops here in Batangas before. My list is but the tip of the iceberg, as new ones pop up more and more frequently all over the province. I am all for trying these new places, and I do every now and then. So it’s a bit rare for me to keep coming back to any one particular place unless (1) I really do like the food, (2) the price is reasonable and (3) there’s parking space (fast-food chains don’t count as my daughter defaults to those whenever I ask her where to eat). I have been to Orven’s Cafe several times (for both dine-in and takeout orders), so that right there should tell you something.
I came across this cafe while in my usual haunt for new places to dine in. What I usually do when bored is look for FB pages of new coffee shops or restaurants within the vicinity. Orven’s Cafe was still pretty new when I saw their page. I looked at the photos of their food offerings, saw that they have pasta, and decided to try.
And the rest, as they say, is history. 🙂
Location & Ambiance
Orven’s Cafe is located along the highway at Sta. Rita, near the boundary to San Pascual. There’s space in front where you could park; it could accommodate 2 cars, or maybe 3 if all are parked properly. The place itself is a converted part of the owners’ home and therefore looks chic and a bit posh. At first glance, it looks like an expensive place to eat, which is why it’s pretty underrated at the moment. In fact, the owner told me there was even a customer (from within the vicinity) who took off his/her slippers before entering the place!
When you first enter the premises, you’ll be treated to a view of the kitchen from the big glass window. It’s reassuring to see that the place where they prepare your food is clean and well-lit. The dining area is cozy, with wooden tables and chairs, and a large flat screen TV dominating one wall. As far as I know, you can request to sing videoke there.
Menu
See, the place’s expensive-looking exterior belies its affordable and yummy food offerings. Compared to other similar establishments, their’s are priced pretty competitively. They will also be offering new items for the menu soon, like pancit canton, palabok and rice meals. I will just update this if they’re available during my next visit.
Aside from the in-house menu, they also sell an assortment of freshly-baked bread and pastries. I’ve tried some of them and they’re pretty good. Sosyalen ang datingan pero presyong panaderya, san ka pa?
Food I have tried so far
My daughter’s favorite. And no wonder, this is by far the best potato wedges we’ve tried here in the province! Soft, almost mash-like inside, and flavorful, crunchy outside. Plus, the cheese dip is yummy as well–definitely not ordinary Cheez Wiz here!
Fresh pasta, anyone? Yup, you heard that right. They make their own pasta! See the difference in how white and almost translucent their pasta looks? Definitely a step up from commercially bought ones. The sauce has a little extra flavor which I couldn’t quite place, but which makes this dish stand out from the rest. This carbonara is one of my comfort food, and my daughter likes this as well. The garlic bread are pretty good too, with just enough garlic flavor and a nice crunch.
Lasagna (photo from their FB page)
Like the carbonara, this lasagna was made fresh as well. The sauce in between layers is meaty, and as you can see, they didn’t skimp out on the bechamel(?) sauce on top either. I really like this too, I just happen to be partial to carbonara by default.
Though you may not see it because of the lettuce, the patty underneath is pretty thick and mabigat sa tyan. This is Mama’s order and she commented that there was a bit too much ketchup for her liking. Otherwise, it was pretty good. This can be a bit hard to handle and eat like you would eat burgers usually since it’s pretty juicy and you’ll likely make a mess. You may ask them for a plate and utensils if don’t wanna get your hand all sticky.
This is supposed to have onions, but me being me, I opted to forego them. What I was left with was this juicy burger oozing with cheese and mushrooms. Like the Cheesy Burger, this was pretty messy to eat as well but totally worth the sticky fingers after. Oh, and did I say they make their own buns and patties for their burgers? Damn nice.
Cheesy Hungarian Sausage Sandwich (photo from their FB page)
When I ordered this, it was for takeout so I had no decent picture. Also, by my request, there were no pickles, lettuce and mayo. I guess I shouldn’t have skipped the mayo because without it, this sandwich tasted a bit salty. I scarfed it down just the same, and it was pretty filling.
Beverages I have ordered
Lotsa chocolate chips there. Nice, right? This tastes all nice and chocolatey. However, it is a bit too blended and liquid-y for my taste. It’s a matter of preference though, since I like my frappes and shakes nice and thick (like DQ’s ice-cream based Frappes).
This does taste like strawberry, but is a tiny bit too sweet for my taste. I would have preferred a bit more creaminess, but that’s just my preference; we all have different tastes after all.
To sum it up…
In terms of food quality vs. price, you really do get your money’s worth of good food here. I would definitely recommend Orven’s Cafe as a bang-for-your-buck place to get your fill of pasta, burgers and frappes!
Disclaimer:
This is a sponsored post. However, the feedback and opinions are all mine and in no way influenced by the sponsor.
Looks like a very homey place to have barako in! And from the looks of it, the prices are pretty affordable. What was the top pick overall? And are you planning a return trip?
Ironically, they don’t serve kapeng barako (yet). 😀 But yes, a homey place to have a cuppa indeed! Definitely coming back too, if for the carbonara and/or potato wedges alone. I’m keen to try the new menu items as well.
Thanks for this! We don’t travel to the south as much as we travel to the north so I’m definitely clueless about restaurants in Batangas. This coffee shop piqued my interest because I’m a sucker for comfort food. Potato wedges are definitely a favorite so might be worth wazing this place when I’m in the area. 🙂
Napa-check ako ng Waze, and I’m glad to inform you that Orven’s Place is already marked there. 😀 Haha. Can’t miss it though, as it’s right on the highway going to Bauan from Batangas City. If you ever do find yourself here in our humble slice of Luzon, you may hit me up for directions or recommendations. 🙂
it’s a pleasure to stumble upon your blog post here, because of this i actually googled where exactly batangas is. turns out it’s not really far from manila, i’ve only been there for a very short layover. 🙂
and thank you so much that it’s almost midnight and your photos are mouth watering in a way i’m not sure whether i’m hungry or it’s just the picture so tempting. i particularly love the look of carbonara and lasagna there. and from the menu, the price looks affordable too. gotta look at some other places around that who knows, maybe will trick me to visit batangas next. 😀
Our province of Batangas has a lot to offer for travelers, especially being only a coupla hours away from Manila and the airport there. From beaches to churches to quaint vintage towns, there’s gotta be something to cater to most everyone’s tastes. 🙂 Let me know if you ever get tempted enough to visit Batangas, I’m open to meeting up with fellow bloggers. 🙂
Ah ito pala yun! I’ve been seeing this whenever i pass by going to Bauan.. i have several attempts of checking out the place and food pero always in a hurry! Their breads looks delish! I should try this over the weekend!
Do try their food, I don’t think you’ll regret it. 🙂
Great cover of this nice restaurant in Batangas! I can definitely see how the carbonara is different from others, homemade is always best 🙂 The burgers also look great too! Have you had burgers in Manila? Would you say this is comparable?
I’ve only tried Zark’s. I would love to sample 8cuts too though. Anywho, compared to Zark’s, these are a bit smaller but no less hebigat sa tyan. Messier to eat too, pero masarap naman so keri lang. 🙂
Those look like a steal! If they are really good and with that price, that’s amazing! These are all my favorite comfort food and I would go in a heartbeat to try this cafe. My only issue is my lactose intolerance I developed in the last 2 years ugh.
Ouch. That’s too bad. 🙁 The owner told me that they were able to offer good food for a low price since they’re not paying for their location. No rental fees since it’s part of their home, so that helped lower the costs down. 🙂
I love to visit new cafes too esp weekends to chill & blogging. This cafe is really nice especially the tempting delicious foods served. Am so so tempting to try its mushrooms burger 😉 Hope to visit it during my trip to your country in the future. Cheers, Siennylovesdrawing
Wow, knowing that you can see the view of the kitchen from the big glass window, it is something great, since you are being assured about the quality of food and how they prepare it. . I truly love this review of yours, it is not just complete, but you seemed to have toured us around. The food looks really tempting and luscious. I will definitely try the mushroom burger If I get the chance to visit here soon. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I like it that they make their own pasta. Truly shows they are serious being in the food business. Would want to sample their bread too. I love to munch on bread while workinf and theirs isnt expensive nga ha. Would surely visit the place when we travel to Batangas
I love places like this that are not as popular as one might think. But usually, they offer super delicious food for a reasonable price. They are cheaper than those fancy places plus they prepare the food better than them. They got my attention with that homemade pasta. So I will definitively be checking them out.
Ewww, the image of the toilet just above the Menu section))))
Jokes apart, I am wondering why did you take the pics from this Company’s Facebook page?
The food looks interesting though and going by your post, I am sure this cafe will attract a lot of customers.
A suggestion; for readers like me who use thick spectacles, kindly use bigger fonts )))