I couldn't remember the last time we were complete. This only means one thing, it's been really a while since we've been all together. Despite seeing Jelo and Kath every now and then, I've been looking forward to that day when all of us will be gathered in one place and talk like we've never been apart for months. My wish came true a few weeks back.
Maerose, who's based in Tacloban City, went to Cebu about three weeks ago. She's been coming to Cebu more often in the last few months; she recently decided to make a relationship official. I was happy about this knowing I'll be seeing her more frequently than usual. As the group's mom, it's an unspoken task to gather everyone every now and then. After confirming Maerose's flight to Cebu, message the rest right away and got confirmation of everyone's schedule. It wasn't hard to get a common schedule this time: Saturday, 7 PM onwards. Now the next equally important task was to look for a restaurant where we could spend some quality time. Our group's favorite restaurant is undeniably Pukot Kitchen in Banilad. It has always been the default meeting place for birthdays and other gatherings, but there's one thing we don't like about the place: it could get too noisy. For those who's been there, you'll agree that because of their limited space when conversations spice up, the noise could blow up and at times, it ain't ideal to spark intimate dialog with friends or family.
That's when I decided to find another one nearby. I've heard great feedback about Oakridge Horizons Cafe in AS Fortuna from an ex-colleague. "It's not a matter of life and death, it should be just fine," I told myself but when my boyfriend and I arrived there two (2) hours before our meet-up time, I was sure they'd be more than grateful that I chose this place.
It's a spacious, high-ceiling cafe located at Oakridge Business Park that's pretty accessible from Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Cebu City. Since my friends live in those cities, I had to ensure the venue is accessible to everyone, or else I might be scolded by one or two of them. Aside from being a regular cafe, it could also be rented out for events such as weddings, birthdays, and the like. If you'll check out this Instagram, they usually post fully booked when a customer reserves the entire place for a private event. It's best to check out their social media accounts before heading there for lunch or dinner.
Remember my disappointment about Handuraw Pizza? Well, it was a good thing we visited Oakridge Horizons Cafe a day after the terrible night at Handuraw. Oakridge Horizons Cafe served nothing but greatness from the well-ventilated, well-curated space to the large serving food, I could spend an entire afternoon here enjoying the slow life.