If you ever find yourself stuck in traffic along the long stretch of Marcos Highway, consider stopping at this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it café in Marikina City.

Kamalig Garden Café is tucked away past the LRT-2’s Marikina Station, next to a Burger King branch. You’ll find a small doorway leading you into a little garden space, before entering the homely establishment.

Once inside, you’ll find a cozy, intimate setting where various trinkets adorn the walls, plus some vintage items to marvel over. There are also a few friendly felines that are ready to make your acquaintance. It makes for a nice space to relax and enjoy the company of your friends.

Looking into the menu, you’ll find a variety of dishes with a Filipino touch to dig in. Most dishes are meant for sharing, although the solo servings are generous enough to share with others.

For starters, we recommend the Beef Tapa Nachos, a crunchy mix of nachos, beef tapa, lettuce, fresh salsa, and a great dollop of cheese sauce. There are also some flatbreads to choose from, each with enticing toppings, each best paired with any of the café’s pasta and noodle dishes.

For main dishes, there are plenty of all-day breakfast dishes for those who love their morning meals. There’s a good mix of silog-style dishes or Belgian waffle dishes to try. Or, if you’re looking to warm up this rainy season, try the sweet Triple Choco Champorado or the savory Arroz Caldo.

For non-breakfast meals, go for sisig, kare-kare, caldereta, or sinigang. The Pork and Chicken Sisig does not disappoint, with just the right amount of spice. What stands out from the menu, though, is the Beef Sinigang sa Pakwan. It’s your usual beef sinigang dish, but cooked in watermelon juice . As strange as it sounds, the taste is immaculate. Something about the watermelon’s sweetness balances the signature sourness of the sinigang. For drinks, the options and coffee types are aplenty. The mocktails are highly recommended.

Finally, for sweet treats, choose from the many Filipino desserts and Belgian waffle. Or wrap up your meal with the Fried Halo-Halo ala Mode. It’s an interesting take on the classic dish as the halo-halo ingredients are fried in lumpia wrapper and topped with ube ice cream.