Isdaan Floating Resto & Fun Park.

After my sister got married last December, the odds that my siblings and I dine together went from seldom to rare. You see, the three of us have separate houses, have jobs (me being the work-at-home kind), have weekend schedules that don't jive with each other... well, you know the drill.

But now that Mum's at home, we see to it that we dine together more often. Everyday, during dinner, if possible. Last week, Mum scheduled a Sunday lunch for the entire family. But instead of the usual home-cooked meal or fastfood delivery, we hied off to Calauan (not Bay, Laguna as most people think) for a late lunch at Isdaan.

Big fish. Isdaan! :)

The moment you set foot on Isdaan, you will be greeted by a wide parking space, a pond teeming with crocodiles, and the sight of sumptuous lechon de leche.

Man-made lake, where you can go boating. 

Don't worry, they're fake.

These ones are real. Really good. :)

Oh, and there are chickens hanging out at the entrance, too.

Once inside, you wouldn't fail to notice these life-size wax figures scattered all over the place.

Former Pres. Joseph Estrada, more popularly known to Pinoys as 'Erap'.

This Erap wax-figure sits comfortably at the lounge of the souvenir shop / pasalubong area located right beside the resto's entrance.

My Mum is pretty, isn't she? She's only 49 years old, btw. :)

There's an array of goodies you can buy, including these bags of yema bites.

Yema bites, Php 100/bag.

To get to the dining area, you have to cross this hanging bridge. They're safe to tread on, and pretty sturdy so no need to worry.

The statues add the 'zen' feel to the place.

This is how the dining area looks like. Ours is actually a cottage, spacious enough to fit a family of ten.

The cottage where we were seated.

Singing cooks and waiters, to my grandmother's delight.

Hammin' it up for the camera.

They have a pretty vast menu comprised mostly of Filipino dishes. The menu is pretty much complete, too, as they have everything from soups, appetizers, meat, fish, and vegetable entrees, rice, and desserts.

Kids get complementary balloons and lootbags filled with candies.

And because it'll take about an eternity for the food to be served, the little man and I killed time by taking photos at the play area.

When we came back to our cottage, the food still wasn't there. My grandmother was already complaining of famine, haha. So yeah, more photos while waiting.

A good thirty minutes later, the soup came.

Crab & Corn Soup, Php 297 for one huge bowl.

Followed by the little man's 'kiddie meal'.

1-piece Crispy Chicken Fry + Spaghetti, Php 224.

Then the rice came, served in small pots like this.

Sinaing na Kanin, Php 99.

Afterwards, the entrees arrived one after another.

Kalderetang Baka, Php 342.

Kare-kareng Baka, Php 342.

Calamares, Php 180/half kilo.

Crispy Pata, Php 396/half kilo.

For sides, we had this platter of green mangoes, onions, tomatoes, and bagoong.

Tinadtad na mangga, Php 76.

We had buko juice and iced tea as refreshments, but I managed to take a photo of the latter only. The buko juice was at the far end of the table, and the elders were already busy eating.

Iced tea, Php 120/pitcher.

We didn't order desserts as our tummies were filled to the point of bulging. There was no longer room for sweets, haha!

The food at Isdaan was good, but the taste isn't as mind-blowing as I had expected it to be. I still say that Mum does a better job when it comes to kare-kare. The place itself is gorgeous, and the kids will find the play area and magic/puppet show enjoyable, but they really need to improve on the cleanliness. Hello, oily placemats! Hello, black ants marching on our table!

Also, if they could expedite the serving time, that would be great. We all know people could get pretty grumpy when they're waiting - especially when you make them wait for too long. Thankfully, my grandmother was entertained by the Singing Cooks and Waiters. I wouldn't know what could happen otherwise, haha!

Oh, and make sure you have cash ready. They don't accept credit cards.

Isdaan Floating Resto & Fun Park
National Highway, Calauan, Laguna