Tagaytay Weekend: Pigging Out

After visiting the famous Caleruega Church, we were more than excited to stuff ourselves with good food (it was already lunchtime and going around Caleruega meant a lot of walking ad trekking).

We originally wanted to try out Bawais Vietnamese Kusina in Silang, Cavite. We researched the location and directions, read reviews, even checked the price list to make sure it's well within our budget. What we forgot to look up was whether they accept walk ins. Which, they apparently don't. Good job. Haha.

Wanting to make up for that major disappointment (not mention hunger), we checked our handy-dandy food map and set to look for Moon Gardens. Heads up, the map's pretty outdated. Moon Gardens is now called Lily Pond, and they no longer have a restaurant, just a bed and breakfast ideal for weekend dates, other women and secret affairs. Oh, and they're also just by reservations too. Strike two. Hahaha.

And then we found, Mano's Hellenic Taverna.:) It's a Greek restaurant and bed & breakfast along the highway going to Nasugbu.

Taverna means "cafe" or "small restaurant in Greek. 

We knew the disappointment and hours of delay was well worth it when we got in. The place was really neat, in a Greek-ish sort of way. Plus the crew was really, really nice.

You have to go down these steps that they made on the side of the hill to get to the tables.

One of the perks of having lunch at past 2pm is you get to avoid the lunch crowd. We were able to get the table outside for the great view.

Tables outside.

Of course, it all boils down to the food. Which we say is really good, and that's not because we were starving.

They have pretty hefty servings too.:)

Their best selling moussaka. I never thought eggplant could taste this good. :) P250-ish.

Love their shawarma. P140-ish.

Pork souvlaki with generous fries, side salad, pita and dip. Yum! P250-ish.

The food was really sulit. :) My only issue is that they didn't have yoghurt that day. Boo.


We were able to try out another fine restaurant for dinner - Buon Giorno! It's an Italian caffe and bistro at The Cliffside (which is also just along the highway going to Nasugbu).

You'll definitely have a "good day!" in this resto. :)

If you want hearty meals with al fresco dining, you should really try Buon Giorno! (no, I'm not screaming here). The place is cozy, perfect for family lunch and dinners. Their price is also friendly, cheaper than Italliani's, with just as, if not even more, delicious food. :)

L-R: Their really cool  balsamic vinegar-olive oil bottle; menu; complimentary bread while waiting for your meal. 

Chicken risotto. P300-ish.

This I really loved. :) || Shrimp ravioli. P300-ish. 

Their serving is pretty average but you'd be surprised how filling the dishes are. I bet the other dishes are as good as these two we ordered. Oh, but don't order their "home-made" iced tea, though- lasa lang siyang Nestea.


Now a Tagaytay trip would not be complete without trying their famous brews. Stuffed after dinner, we decided to go for coffee. I heard Java Jazz is a pretty neat place, but since we didn't want to drive that far at night (Java Jazz is along the highway going to People's Palace in the Sky and we were on the opposite end), we went for Filibeans instead. It's a little coffee shop hidden behind Leslie's. The place is quite small, with just three tables inside. But they have a really big space outdoors which makes hot coffee + cool Tagaytay air = perfection.

Filibeans boasts of different local flavors, including the famous Coffee Alamid or Civet Coffee.

L-R: Kuya brewin' it up; cakes & pastries; Filibeans' signature Pinoy Latte. 

For breakfast the following we headed to Bag of Beans  for their famous buffet. 'Nuf said. :)

Too hungry/enjoying the food so much that I didn't bother to take pictures. I did get a snapshot of my all-time favorite in the Bag of Beans menu.

My second cup. I could drink this all day. :) || Bag of Beans hot choco.

We we're pretty glad we loaded up on a lot of good food for the rest of our adventure. 

Life proved to be real delicious that weekend. :)

Stuffed,
Roanni


*Thanks to Ivan Henares' Tagaytay Culinary Tour itinerary and Anton Diaz' Awesome Journey Tagaytay Food Trip for the resto ideas. :)