Barely two months in operation, Chito Miranda and Neri Naig’s new restaurant in DMCI Homes’ Outlook Ridge Residences along V. Delos Reyes St., Outlook Drive, Baguio City is already consistently attracting a crowd of diners, both tourists and locals.
The couple’s new business venture, a franchise of the popular Lime and Basil Thai Restaurant in Alfonso, Cavite, had its grand launch last May 22 after holding a soft opening for one month.
Apart from savoring good food and enjoying a scenic view, guests were treated to a mini-concert by Chito himself who performed timeless Parokya Ni Edgar’s hits during the restaurant’s grand launch.
Chito and Neri along with their business partners, chefs Orvin and Sigrid Sayos, were all elated to see the venue packed with customers eager to taste Lime and Basil’s delicious Thai dishes.
“Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang pero ipagmamayabang ko talaga na lagi kaming puno,” Chito chuckled in an interview.
Warm welcome
Orvin and Sigrid, the owners of the original Lime and Basil Thai Restaurant in Alfonso, Cavite, were overwhelmed with the warm welcome their new restaurant has been getting since its soft opening in Baguio City.
“Gusto naming mag-thank you sa Baguio for the warm welcome. Hindi namin inexpect na magiging ganito ang pagtanggap sa amin kaya maraming salamat talaga sa mga taga-Baguio,” Sigrid said.
What was supposed to be a “soft opening” in April turned out to be like a full operation already as guests continued to flock to the restaurant.
“We expected na more of tourists ‘yong magiging crowd pero mas malaking percentage ‘yong crowd na locals, so thank you Baguio,” Orvin shared.
Unlike Orvin and Sigrid, Chito and Neri already knew people in Baguio would troop to Outlook Ridge Residences to enjoy Pad Thai, Pomelo Salad, and Vegetarian Thai dishes, among other Lime and Basil favorites.
“As business partners, we were really confident na solid ang Lime and Basil dito kasi sa Alfonso laging puno ng tao even during weekdays,” Chito said.
“Kami ‘yong medyo ano, ‘hindi, solid ‘yan!’ Sa Lime and Basil Alfonso ang laki ng parking nila pero kapag dumadaan kami, puno rin,” Neri related.
Perfect location
With the Lime and Basil brand already famous among Tagaytay foodies, Neri said the challenge for them and their business partners was to find a place in Baguio with a similar ambiance, perfect to enjoy good food and appreciate the cool breeze and panoramic view of the Philippines’ Summer Capital.
Out of 30 properties they visited in the city, Neri said only DMCI Homes’ boutique leisure condominium fit their requirements for the location of their new restaurant.
“Ang ganda kasi ng view. Dito, parang akala mo walang view na tahimik lang kasi residential siya ‘di ba. So kapag pupunta ka naman dito sa alfresco area, makikita mo na foggy and pine trees. Perfect!” Neri exclaimed.
“At saka, ang tahimik, kahit ang daming tao, ang tahimik. So, di ba, parang perfect for parang dining experience,” she continued.
‘Match made in heaven’
For Chito, there is no better location for their restaurant than at Outlook Ridge Residences “which is still at the center of everything but away from the busy part of the city.”
This makes him all the more confident that more people will patronize Lime and Basil Thai Restaurant Baguio City.
“First of all, ang ganda kasi talaga sa Baguio. Pangalawa, ‘yong place na nakuha namin dito sa DMCI Homes is sobrang ganda rin. Talagang kumbaga, match made in heaven for us, the location in Baguio and then ‘yong place and dito kami nadala after searching so many properties,” Chito enthused.
“The location is perfect for the dining experience that we offer so sobrang thankful kami. Thank you DMCI for having us here and for allowing us to put up Lime and Basil. We’re so happy naging part kami rito kasi it’s perfect for the brand that we brought,” he beamed.
Outlook Ridge Residences is one of the developments of DMCI Homes, the country’s first Quadruple A real estate developer known for building quality resort-inspired communities in Mega Manila, Baguio City, Boracay, and Davao City. Each of its properties is built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.’s over 60 years of expertise in the construction and development industry.
To learn more about Outlook Ridge Residences and other DMCI Homes’ pre-selling and ready for occupancy projects, units for lease, and special promos, log on to www.dmcihomes.com or call (632) 5324-8888. You can also visit leasing.dmcihomes.com to know more about opportunities in leasing and rent-to-own programs of DMCI Homes. News and other updates are also posted on the company’s official website and its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.