Sink Your Teeth Into Something New

Everytime I see the serene Taal volcano, there is a nagging voice in my head reminding me that I should buy a lot and build my house in Tagaytay. And why not? Fantastic view, cool weather, an hour or two's drive from the city, an hour and two's drive to the nearest beach, but most of all EXCELLENT food choices.

Tagaytay is a popular international tourist destination for the wonder that is Taal Volcano. But for Manila's weary city dwellers (like me), it's an escape. Actually, the NEAREST escape from the smog, traffic, and stress.

As the city offers a lot of de-stressers such as small hotels, retreat houses, and spas, it also has a lot of quaint coffee shops and restaurants that you can "escape to" for awhile.

Everytime I come up here, I always eat at a different place everytime.

I had the (mis)fortune to spend three days in Tagaytay for reasons I'd rather not say. But then, I also decided to make the most of my stay to finally try the whole eating experience I've always wanted.

TAJ, is the first Indian restaurant I've tried - ever. I've always wondered what Indian food tastes like because it looks pretty interesting on TV. The Brits can't seem to get enough of it - and if they find it great, I'm sure I will to0. So, one night my stomach wanted to be a bit adventurous and with a friend, we ordered Beef Shawarma, Beef Kebabs, Chicken Vindalu and some type of Indian rice - which was spicily fragrant. The food was HOT! But, it was really good. It didn't do wonders to my worsening gastritis, but then I didn't mind having the taste of it (and not to mention the taste of my burp) in my mouth.

Along the road, we stopped by Bag of Beans. I buy pies and bread in this coffee shop when I'm up here, but I never got to sit in the cafe itself. It's a garden setting with a lot of tables in several areas scattered throughout the place. There are birds in cages and it's a lovely place at night for a date. We had the local brewed coffee and a blueberry cheesecake and had a nice time. Note to myself: bring a date here next time.

Rosso is one of the newest restaurant in the stretch of Aguinaldo Road. When we came in there, it was still their soft opening, so the menu was pretty limited. I ended up ordering a set menu with Baby Back Ribs as entree. The salad with berry sauce was good, mushroom soup was excellent - not from the can, ribs was delicious, and the dessert, which was like an ice cream sushi was okay. We came there dinner time, so we were not able to see the view of the volcano. I'm guessing it must've been spectacular as this place is perched near the edge of the cliff and is facing the volcano. The place is not bad itself. It's one of those date places you'd love to go. A little training on the staff though. Need to polish up on the waitressing style - out of place for the place.

My favorite food trip was Buon Giorno. Ooo, I love this place. We came in, dinner as usual, and was fortunate enough to get a table. It was New Year's eve and the tables were reserved 'til the closing hours. We ordered a very sumptuous pumpkin soup (yum, yum, yum - my stomach is getting excited with the thought of it), a salmon & asparagus risotto, and a deli platter which I nearly forgot to mention. All my taste buds can remember is the wonderful risotto. Excellent, excellent! Makes me want to seriously read all my cookbooks with risotto recipes. This is a place I will come back to when I go up again. It's excellent Italian fare with a reasonable price tag. Plus, a view and ambience to match. On busy days, you have to fight for parking though. My suggestion would park it somewhere else safe, and walk there. Trust me, it's worth it.

OTHER MENTIONABLES (restos I've tried in the past):

Antonio's - If you want to try something more different than the usual Filipino breakfast (they still have it though), try their pancakes and omelettes. And again, they have the view of Volcano, so it's a nice backdrop while sipping your morning coffee.

Gourmet Cafe - I went here once when I was still in medical school. It was an escape from the books and I was with a crazy friend of mine. We heard of this place in Manila a lot so we tried it. And we were not sorry. Different salads and pastas to choose from. Too bad we were not able to tour the farm. That is why I vow to come back there - if I can find it, again.

"The Greek Restaurant" - It's the only Greek restaurant in Tagaytay. The name eludes me that's why I put the name in quotes. Must try: Baclava. It's sweet and nutty. Lots of cinnamon and tastes good. I forgot name the potato-ish meat pie or pasta pie I ordered, but it was also okay. But the Baclava, I will not forget. Consume right away though, it goes bad after a day.

Tagaytay offers a lot for everyone. I suggest everytime one comes up there to sink their teeth into something new everytime, try everything. You'll get addicted coming up there ... or maybe think of living there for the rest of your life (sigh - AMEN to that.)