Entrepreneur John Lacanlale Danao found an opportunity to promote and use local farmers’ harvests at the same time, thereby putting more value in vegetables produced in Nueva Vizcaya province and providing diners with fresh and healthy food.
Tomatoes, camote, eggplants, squash, onions, mushrooms, berries, fruits and herbs are among the local produce that Danao sources directly from farmers in the area for use in his Italian-inspired restaurant. These crops are organically grown at the backyard of the resort-restaurant established by Danao on a three-hectare ancestral farmland.
Danao is the co-founder and managing partner of Green Oasis of Dupax–a preferred tourist and dining destination in Dupax del Sur, a hilly town in Nueva Vizcaya province. The main feature of Green Oasis of Dupax is the restaurant that offers Italian and local cuisine using fresh ingredients that grew from the area’s fertile soil.
The restaurant offers a unique dining experience as it combines the freshness of farm-to-table cuisine with Italian inspiration. Its top food picks are all-veggies pizza, pasta, special ribs, Teriyaki chicken, Paella, vegetable soups, Mulberry smoothie and Tarragon tea.
It is situated in the inner part of the town, which is famous for the 18th Century St. Vincent Ferrer Church, the Spanish era Dampol Bridge, Sea of Clouds and the oldest Acacia tree in Northern Luzon.
“We hope to create an ecosystem for sustainable farming here in Nueva Vizcaya,” said Danao.
Many of the ingredients, fruits and vegetables used in the restaurant are sourced from its own garden and from surrounding farms. This supports and puts into action Republic Act No. 20816, or the Farm Tourism Development Act, authored by Senator Cynthia Villar.
It is also in line with the program of Nueva Vizcaya Governor Jose Gambito to establish a tourism and agriculture roadmap for the province.
Danao said Green Oasis of Dupax serves as a creative kitchen where they explore and develop dishes using vegetables grown in Dupax del Sur and other towns of the province.
Among the local vegetables and produce regularly used in their menu are squash for soup and other delicacies; tomatoes for pizza ingredients and ice cream; eggplant for pinakbet tempura; onions for staple rings and pizza/salad toppings; mushroom for pizza and soup, pasta and chips; camote for cheesecakes and chips; and different berries and fruits for ice cream.
“This is our own little way of providing good and healthy cuisine and unique food experience to our guests and at the same time helping our farmers sustain their growth and development,” Danao said.
“We get most of our ingredients from the farm, especially the herbs and vegetables,” he said.
The restaurant is open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11 am to 730 pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 9am to 730pm.
Aside from the restaurant, diners and visitors can go around the greenhouse, herbal and medicinal plants area and lush garden with colorful flowers.
“We hope to help Dupax del Sur and Nueva Vizcaya become a sustainable agri-tourism destination,” said Danao.
