Before they wore the hat of restaurateur, they were already engineers, educators and inventors. Caido del Cielo was not in their immediate plan but as the name suggests, it’s a blessing in disguise sent from heaven for a purpose.
The space at Sta. Isabel Bldg. in Yakal St. was initially rented by a friend of Engr. Dioscoro “Nonoy” Marañon under his name. However, the friend backed out and now he was left with a space which he has to pay whether he will use it or not. He consulted his colleague and “partner in crime” Engr. Paolo Petalver on what to do with it and the rest is history.
It wasn’t hard for them to think of a restaurant specializing in organic and healthy foods. They are both advocates of organic and healthy lifestyle and they have been developing products in support of the industry. I know them both professionally since Engr. Petalver is also a Chemical Engineer and Engr. Marañon is the Dean of the College of Engineering of West Negros University. My colleague and I were invited by Engr. Marañon for a meeting and I took it as an opportune time to review Caido del Cielo.
The ambience was very cozy and it could be a nice meeting place for a small group who needs a quiet venue. You could even bring your date here. The red tables and the interior lighting can make the place ideal for an intimate dinner. The building has plenty of parking space and it’s far from the crowd of downtown Bacolod.
I was impressed by the sophisticated and expensive looking floor lamp. But upon closer inspection, I realized they were made from garbage can and PVC pipe. It’s the owners and their innovations at work.
Caido del Cielo has a wide variety of Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies. I’m not very adventurous so I chose Broccoli Strawberry Delight. I was pleasantly surprised that they serve it on a tall glass which makes it really affordable at P50.
It’s really refreshing with the taste of raw broccoli and a hint of peanuts. I happen to love broccoli so if you’re not into this vegetable, you may want to choose a fruit smoothie. But remember, broccoli is high in vitamin C and has anti-cancer properties.
For our main dish, we had Steamed Tilapia and Tangigue in Mango Salsa. These are all priced at P150 per serving which is already good for two. It also comes with a free laswa (vegetable stew).
The salsa was simply mango, tomatoes and onions and a good flavor enhancer of fish. We tried the fried tangigue instead of tilapia for variety. It was good but I would prefer the salsa for steamed fish for a healthier option. You can actually give instructions how you want your fish to be cooked.
The Steamed Tilapia was topped with an escabeche sauce with lots of ginger and spring onions. Any steamed fish would be perfect for the sauce specially if it’s fresh. The sweet and sour flavors blend well with the steamed fish.
Caido del Cielo was really heaven sent not only for the owners but also for customers who are looking for affordable and healthier food options. They also serve pasta, breakfast combo meals and brewed organic coffee.
Visit Caido del Cielo’s Facebook Page for their menu and prices.
How to get there:
From downtown Bacolod, take the Shopping (La Salle or San Agustin) jeepney and get off at corner Yakal-Lopez Jaena near Circle Inn Hotel. Take a trike to Sta. Isabel Bldg. or you may walk since it’s close enough.
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