Welcome to Vieux Chalet!

Today we start this official blogsite that will keep you updated about Vieux Chalet in Antipolo.

Vieux Chalet is not just a restaurant--it's your Home Swiss Home in the Philippines. Although we have enjoyed decades (yes, nearly 24 years!) of being known as THE restaurant in Antipolo, we offer our guests much more than memorable meals served and enjoyed in a beautiful setting: it's the unbeatable combination of Continental cuisine and Filipino hospitality. Plus, magnificent sunsets and a breathtaking view of city lights come nightfall.

We will not say much for now, except to assure you that this blog will keep you posted on the latest offerings at Vieux Chalet. Meanwhile, do enjoy the photos of our promised fine-dining experience!

How to get to Vieux Chalet

If you're coming from Ortigas Center, you can take Ortigas Avenue going up to Antipolo. Ortigas Ave. Extension (from Robinson's Galleria) ends at the fork marked by an island across from Ynares Center, with statues of the Filipinos of olden days. (Trivia: This little island is locally known as hamaka--from the word "hammock". Years and years ago, the ascent to the Shrine of Our Lady of Antipolo had pilgrims walking uphill, and the women were borne on hammocks. Nice, no?)

Please take the left branch of the "hamaka" fork. Soon you'll see on your left a gas station, USA88. Turn left there and keep driving on and then keep right when the road forks once more. Drive down this road and you will see the arch with names of several resorts. Go through the arch and drive down keeping left until you reach Purok Sampaguita gate, which is always half-closed. Go in and keep moving on the road to turn right uphill at the second corner. You'll see Vieux Chalet directional arrows and signs along the way, don't worry.

Drive up this winding road passing by Cristina Villas resort/hotel and soon you will see Vieux Chalet's roadstand signboard on your left. We are at the first corner to your left. You won't miss it especially if you "follow your nose"--there's surely the smell of good food cooking! Hope to see you soon.

For more info, please call 697-0396 or 344-5056. You may also call my cellphone, 0917-856-5175. Or email me at srhassig@gmail.com or srhassig@yahoo.com.

If you prefer to take the Marcos Highway route: Say you're coming from C-5 or Cubao--take Marcos highway heading for Masinag Market (way past the Sta. Lucia Commercial Complex). Once you spot Masinag (on your left, it's a big big sign), turn right into Sumulong. The road winds up to Antipolo City passing through Valley Golf, Padi's Point, Good Shepherd Retreat House, Richdale, MMLDC Training Center, Assumption, Bankers' Village, until you hit the first corner--that's the circumferential road of Antipolo or Lorenzo Sumulong Memorial Circle. Turn right and then right again through the arch with resorts' names, and follow directions as above.

See you soon!

Susan R. Hassig

Design your own fun day at Vieux Chalet

Now you've had an "appetizer" for the unique dining experience you can have at Vieux Chalet. That's just a nibble of what you may enjoy at Vieux Chalet. Anytime you feel like it's time to create a day to remember, come to Vieux Chalet.

One thing nice about us is we don't tell you what to do. we can make suggestions but it's you who ultimately design your fun time with us. Our place is spacious enough for many kinds of gatherings. To name a few:

Children's parties: People have come to us wanting to stage very special children's parties. Just give us your budget and we'll work within it, creating a menu of kids' delights. (Believe it or not, they don't want fancy stuff. No matter how really special we want the menu to be, all kids want is spaghetti and fried chicken!) We can have balloons, games, pabitin and hatawan ng palayok, the works. You may bring your own clowns, or if that's way beyond your budget (clowns these days charge as much as DIs--Dance Instructors), we can cajole our Master Chef, my daughter Florence, into playing the part. Flo loves to give kids a good time. We can accommodate about 50-70 guests including mommies, daddies and yayas.

Wellness sessions: Groups of women friends have come around to have a quiet day or two pampering themselves in the sauna, having a bit of exercise in the pool, meditating, doing yoga or tai chi in the spacious loft, or just for plain old girl talk. We can call in our suki beautician for you, too, for manicure and pedicure, foot spa, hair trim, facial, etc. And if you feel like it, you can also have a body massage of your choice--shiatsu, Swedish, reflexology --especially if you're spending the weekend here. Of course, to complete this rejuvenating experience, we have designed a special menu to help you make the most of your health break.

Intimate wedding receptions: We've had one wedding held here--from the ceremony to the reception--but we have hosted many more receptions for couples wanting to have just a small group of family and friends. We love to stage these intimate affairs; couples-to-be first come here to inquire, usually about the cost, the food, etc. Then they choose the menu, discuss the decor, consult about the music and even the entertainment, and before our meeting is over we end up planning their wedding reception as though it were our own!

Seminars, meetings and similar gatherings: We can comfortably accommodate up to 30 participants--just the right number for your department perhaps--in the two-storey 'family room' we have beside the pool. Because You'll have to bring your own paraphernalia, though--projectors, flip charts, etc.; we do not bother to have such equipment around as we have no intention of becoming the conference capital (!) of Antipolo. Our advantage is we're so "away from it all" that the quiet becomes conducive to productive work. Our working day menu should energize you for such special activities.

Recollections and retreats: Now and then, people would ask to have a few days of silence at Vieux Chalet, thus we started to open our doors to recollections and retreats. These would be more fruitful with a smaller group--say, a maximum of 12, although we've also had individual retreatants who prefer solitude in our St. Moritz cottage. Such spiritual pursuits do not really pose great challenge to our restaurant since retreatants usually fast or abstain at such times, but we welcome them wholeheartedly because in our quiet surroundings we are able to "feed" their souls instead.

Family reunions: We seem to be a favorite for simple family reunions. Maybe it's because we offer primarily good food, privacy and a little swimming pool, their reunions do not become complicated events for them. Since our place is not that big, it's easier to keep an eye on the kids, and because we have enough space, people don't get on each other's nerves. While the kids are splashing about in the pool, the teens update one another in the loft; the young adults tinker with the piano in the main dining hall, and the 30-somethings play scrabble or mahjongg down at the family cottage. Sometimes they would bring along their karaoke kit and sing to their hearts' content while posing for photographs. Fun, fun, fun!