Why Everyone Loves Ted’s By Monday Chefs: Celebrating A Wedding Anniversary

Photo of Ted’s by MonDay Chefs in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

       Wedding anniversaries are celebrated world-wide, usually with a bouquet of flowers for the wife and, later, candle light dinner for two. Ours is not an unusual marriage, but we celebrated, not with dinner but lunch for two (except that the flowers were missing) at nearby Ted’s by MonDay Chefs in Sta.Cruz, Laguna. Locals have been going to this restaurant, so we tried to find out why everyone loves Ted’s by Monday Chefs.

Elmer and Tisa enjoying their food.

     This was not my first time at Ted’s. I went with my daughter Tisa and her husband, Elmer, a few months ago to check out the place. I liked the cozy, American ambiance and the food. So, this time I brought my husband to celebrate our special occasion.

Leo and me.

      According to their website, MonDay Chefs “is a group of culinarians and consultants who love to teach what they know. They provide creative solutions and management consulting to both new and established restaurant operators (http://mondaychefs.com/welcome/).” The branch in Sta.Cruz is one of their “babies”.  Ted’s was not ‘humble’ about their restaurant. Upon entry, you will be greeted with this:

Sign above reads "Welcome to the best restaurant in the world."

     Ted’s tried to provide a 50’s ‘American country’ ambiance. Inside were wood tables and chairs,

knick-knacks, a play area for kids, and a pretty window view of the ‘Philippine countryside’. 

However, their menu was a combination of American, Italian, and Filipino.

Top: L-counter; R-dining area; Bottom: L-play area; R- window view.

     We did not wait long for our order to arrive. First, were the drinks. One of their attempts at being 

an American restaurant was serving their drinks in mason jars (below). One friend did not like it 

because the rim of the jar hampered her drinking from the jar. The drinks were freshly blended with 

real fruits inside. The price was cheap considering that they did not ‘cheat’ on the ingredients.

L: Apple Basil Smoothie (₱70); R: Peach Mango Smoothie (₱70).

     A very popular entry in their menu was the Buffalo Wings (₱165). Inspite of the sauce, it 

retained the crispiness of the skin. The sauce was a combination of salty, sour, sweet and not very 

‘hot’, which surprised me because other buffalo wings that I have tasted were hotter; maybe because 

we ordered the ‘original’ and not the ‘suicidal’ flavor. The inside is bland, so if you want a strong 

flavor, make sure that your wings are smothered with the sauce. Their special dip balanced the flavor.

Buffalo Wings.

     The Meat Balls Pasta (₱165) was served next. It came with the garlic stick and topped with basil and parmesan cheese. The pasta was al dente, not soggy and it veered on the sweet side, just how Filipinos love their pasta sauce.

Meat Balls Pasta.

     We also ordered the Pesto Pork Chop (₱195). This was my second time to order this dish because I liked it the first time, thinking that the pesto was the life-saver for this dish. The magic was the condiment, the smoky and savory seasoning that we ordinarily use in the Philippines. We also used some imported chili sauce that made the taste perfect. 

 Pesto Pork Chop.

     On this trip, though, I did not find the seasoning among their condiments. I just used the ordinary soy sauce. So I was not happy with my pork chop. Besides, the meat was not cooked well, it was soft and pinkish inside.

       For dessert, we had the Blue Berry Cheesecake (₱90). I had to ‘find’ the cheese flavor in the cake, unlike other American cheese cakes that have oodles of cheese inside. With the price, I think this is the best amount of cheese that they could come up with.

Blueberry Cheesecake.

      The bill amounted to more than ₱700. This is quite expensive for a restaurant in the province. But for this special occasion, the husband didn’t complain. We had not gone back because we are exploring other restaurants in the area. If you’re curious about what the fuss is all about, try Ted’s and bring more cash than you would ordinarily spend in your favorite fast food. Overall, this restaurant is unique in the area,  trying to bring the cosmopolitan quality of foods to a quaint town like Sta.Cruz. Because of its effort to provide out-of-the- ordinary fares, Ted’s by Monday Chefs deserve a visit.

Cakes and pastries are also available. 

     Ted’s by MonDay Chefs may be found at the National Highway, Brgy. Duhat, Sta.Cruz, Laguna, with telephone nos. (049) 501 6858.  Their facebook account is: https://www.facebook.com/teds.santacruzlaguna