My Share for #BeautifulSunday initiated by @ace108

Spending time with family is one of the things that we should not take for granted. In this occasion one of my cousins from abroad came home, spent a little time with us and treated us out for lunch. They wanted to eat local dishes as I guess they missed the taste of Filipino food being away from the country for quite some time. Let me share with you today a lunch time with the family.

Lunch, Family and Happiness

Josephine's Restaurant

We went up the highlands in Tagaytay City Philippines where the air was cooler and the view is amazing. A lot of restaurants line up the place and lunch is the busiest where waiting time would take an hour or more to get a table. Same goes for all the restaurants here when it comes to the wait time. A very popular location to dine in which explains the restaurant business booming all over the place.

Josephine's restaurant has been operating for quite some time now and I still recall coming here with the family when I was very young. There were three branches but I think this is the only branch left that is still operating. Their specialty is Philippine cuisine which local and foreigners would definitely enjoy. From what I know there are no reservations during lunch time. First come first serve basis and I suggest to come a bit earlier if you want a good table with the best view in the house.

We came in a little late for lunch and the expected wait time is an hour. We were expecting that during this time so no worries. Perfect time to catch up and also check out the place to keep us busy while waiting.

This is the back part of the restaurant where you could let the kids play and enjoy the spectacular view. The mountain air is very cool and refreshing compared to the city.

@bearkid does not seem to be getting bored of the wait and definitely needs the fresh air.

A lot of foreigners can be seen in the restaurant and seems to be enjoying the food that is served here. The best tables in the house are at the back part of the restaurant where you get front row seats to the amazing view.

Taal Lake

One of the largest lakes in the country and also including an active volcano. Another tourist destination if you are into adventure. This lake also is the home of the only fresh water sardine in the world called the "Tawilis". Quite a tasty fish which is best deep fried. If you are wondering about the volcano and how it looks like from the inside. Six months ago I shared our trip inside the volcano also on #beautifulsunday feel free to check it out
Into the Mouth of a Volcano

Finally we got our table on the outside and my aunts are thrilled to be able to finally get a seat. It pleases me to see my aunt this happy being around with family is one of the best things in life. But I guess what pleases us the most is the free lunch lol.

My cousin in pink getting ready to order from the menu and by the way it is also her birthday. The waiter came to take our order and to our surprise she ordered a lot of food. The waiter jokingly said, "Madam it think you ordered one from every category on the menu".

Here are some of the food that my cousin ordered for us.

Crispy Kangkong

Water spinach which is battered and deep fried to a crisp. The kids absolutely loved this appetizer and the two bowls were immediately consumed.

Camaron Rebosado

The local version of the Tempura which every shrimp lover would enjoy. Not to mention the special sweet and sour sauce.

This is a different version but if interested in the recipe please check below
Camaron Rebosado

Grilled Tuna Belly

One of the favorites of beer drinkers on a night out drinking spree with your buddies. No drinking today with the family.

Fried Chicken

A favorite of the kids especially my son. I just wish he would eat the other food on the menu other than fried chicken.

Pancit Canton

Pancit which is noodles which has been brought to us by the Chinese settlers in our country. This dish includes pork, vegetables, liver and shrimp. The best Pancit Canton should always be with sauce.

Lumot Inihaw

There are a lot of local recipes when it comes to squid. For this occasion they wanted grilled squid which is a favorite of my wife.

Mutya ng Cavite

Now I bring you the signature soup dish in this restaurant. The "Mutya ng Cavite (Charm of Cavite). This soup is like seafood chowder which is very creamy and loaded with tons of seafood including prawns, squid, fish and mussels. This soup is a meal on its own and it has been awhile since I last tasted it.

Kare-Kareng Crispy Pata

Another very popular Filipino dish and this version includes a deep fried pork leg with peanut sauce and vegetables. Normally the sauce should be more but this version has lesser sauce than usual but it was pretty good. Don't forget to ask for the shrimp paste which serves as a dipping for the meat.

Those were just some of the food that were served. I unable to take photos of the other dishes as I was starving like a bear. All thanks to my cousin and her husband we had a beautiful family lunch together.

Seeing everyone enjoying the food and laughing during conversations is genuine happiness in a simple way. Time goes by so fast and we must enjoy every moment of it with our family and friends.

Did I make you hungry? I hope you enjoyed my share for today and feel free to share some comments.

Have a Beautiful Sunday Steemians and Steem on!

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All photos are original and taken with

Lumix GX85 and 12-32 mm