With fork and knife in both hands, freshly picked garden salad—so colorful Instagram filter’s unnecessary—on the table, and the sound of chirping birds in the background, it’s so easy to lose track of time at Mother’s Garden.
That’s the point of this quaint restaurant sitting on top of Quezon Hill in Baguio City, really, to offer guests a quiet, relaxing spot where they can enjoy the cool breeze of the City of Pines while partaking of fresh, organic food, not worrying about time or problems or responsibilities.
Mother’s Garden is garden-cum-restaurant founded by executive chef Therese Jison in 2009 on the 2,000-square meter land she inherited from her parents. But before she started offering food in the property, it first served as a place for her hobby: planting.
“The climate in Baguio is very good for planting. Temporarily it just became sort of a garden for me,” Jison, who comes from a family of planters, shares.
She put up a little day cottage, grew different kinds of vegetables, and raised farm animals such as pigs, chickens, and ducks. “It was my little piece of paradise on earth,” muses Jison.
A few months and several curious visitors later, Jison finally decided to put up a restaurant where she could show off skills she learned from taking special courses at the Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and using, of course, the produce and meats sourced from her garden, and some from the farm of her gardener Roy in upper Benguet.
Mother’s Garden serves dishes made of organic produce (vegetables, fruits, and herbs) and meats (except for the beef) grown and raised using biodynamic techniques such as permaculture. Dr. Jose Balaoing is the main man who helped Jison with organic farming.
The garden uses natural ways to clean and control pests. And it also practices zero-waste policy: kitchen water and rainwater are used to water plants and clean animal pens, any vegetables and fruits not consumed are either composted or fed to the animals. Hence, diners are assured that the Garden Salad or Lentil Soup they order is truly fresh, the sausages are made from organically grown pig, and no amount of pesticide and preservatives come on their plate.
“[By] growing it slowly, I’m sure I’m not killing my customers. I’m helping my customers be healthy,” enthuses Jison.
Mother’s Garden specializes in Asian, Italian, and French cuisines, based from the executive chef/proprietress’s 39 years of experience, which includes cooking on boats she owned. Dishes are served in the casual dining area and in the reservation-only formal dining area on the second floor.
Diners can order set menus of imported seafood, homegrown poultry, lamb, and Angus beef. Main courses are served with appetizers, organic salad, soup, and a dessert of homemade ice cream, cake or fresh fruits. Wines, which are organic too, may be served upon request.
The thing about organic and slow-cooked food, Jison points out, is that they are bursting with flavor. The vegetables have a distinct crunch in them; the fruits are sweet; and the meats, which are aged, are tender and juicy.
The restaurant changes its menu three times a year according to what’s locally available during the cold and wet season (July to October), cold and dry season (November to February) and summer season (March to June).
As part of her advocacy to help the hospitality industry in Baguio City, Jison trains underprivileged youth to become fine cooks and service-oriented waiters and butlers, as well as organic farmers. Retired hotelier, Heinrich Maulbecker, helps in training the restaurant staff.
Jison is a mother in every sense of the word: to her customers, 78 percent of which are repeats who come back “again and again looking for an excuse to get the relaxed atmosphere,” and to her trainees who bloom into confident hospitality professionals.
And the place itself is like a mother waiting for her weary children, ready with a big hug of sumptuous food and relaxing surroundings filled with roses and birds and friendly dogs.
Mother’s Garden is located on Upper Fairview Road, Quezon Hill Proper, Baguio City. For inquiries and reservations, call (074) 424-3702, 0917-8693623 or 0921-9776027. For more information, go to Mother’s Garden and Restaurant on Facebook.