Bites of Asia Series: dining along the edge of a volcano
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Karen Hamilton
January 2, 2009
This post is part of the Bites of Asia series – a set of posts I wrote in December before we left for 27 days of exploring the Philippines, Macau, and Hong Kong. If you’d like updates of our trip as it happens in real time, subscribe to my Twitter feed or better yet, follow me on Twitter.
Taal View HDR, originally uploaded by Sir Mervs
This week, Kurt and I ventured a few hours south of Metro Manila to a breathtaking ridge overlooking Taal Lake. What could be more adventuresome than 2 days touring an active volcano and its fulvous lake of sulphur?
The other reason we chose this destination was for the food. The nearby town of Tagaytay harbours many a wealthy Filipino, contributing to the region’s reputation as a culinary mecca. Here are a few of the places that books and friends have given the thumbs up:
Sonya’s Garden (+63 0917 532 9097)
RoughGuides: “Romantic cottage accommodation in a mermarkable garden nurtured by the eponymous Sonya. Rooms are wonderful and the rate includes a delicious breakfast, prepared with mostly home-grown, organic ingredients. If you’re not staying the night, drop by for lunch or dinner. Daily set menus cost P500 (P250 for children) and include delights such as home-grown organic salad with mango, pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and anchovies, and banana fritters for dessert. It’s very popular, so book ahead.”
Lonely Planet: “The restaurant at the famous B&B serves up exquisite vegetarian dishes and other fare using ingredients from the eponymous gardens.”
Our visit on Dec 30: Saying this place is “a little out of the way” is an understatement. It’s situated deep within the town of Alfonso, Cavite, which neighbours Tagaytay to its west. If you plan to visit Taal, make sure to arrange transport (taxi if you can afford it; a private driver is best) in advance through your hotel.
It’s worth the visit, but I wouldn’t call it a must-see. The estate is lush with the fragrance of flowers and freshly baked bread from their in-house panderia. The main restaurant is an enormous greenhouse that has been converted into a dining area that looks fit for an upper-classman’s wedding. We didn’t get a menu; all tables are served the same 3-course lunch, consisting of whatever is in season and usually showcasing whatever is growing well in their gardens. Our particular dining experience included freshly squeezed dalandan juice, a salad with umpteen fruits and local vegetables as toppings, house-made bread with 6 types of spreads, linguini with a half-dozen bowls of ingredients and sauces, and for dessert, chocolate ube cake, mini-turon, and caramelized camote. We washed the last bit down with refreshing tarragon tea.
Dining at Sonya’s is expensive by local standards: P610 a head inclusive of taxes and gratuity. For us, that equated to about $50 for a table of 3.
If you’ve been eating Filipino food non-stop like we have in the past week, Sonya’s would be a lovely change of pace. Otherwise, do try Leslie’s Restaurant on the main highway in Tagaytay. From our quick stop to pick up postcards, it was beautifully adorned, spacious, with wonderfully smelling Filipino dishes and *spectacular* views of the volcano and lake in the underlying valley. (see futher guide book details on Leslie’s below).
Antonio’s (+63 0917 899 2866)
Lonely Planet: “This upscale continental resturant offers the chance to rub elbows with politicians and oligarchs over full-course seafood meals – if you can get a reservation. Book months ahead for weekends. The decor is a mix of Filipino and Mexican, and seating areas include some lovely tables overlooking lotus ponds.”
Leslie’s (+63 413 4271)
Lonely Planet: “This Tagaytay institution is known for fried tawili (small fish), kare-kare (oxtail with peanut sauce), sinigang (tamarind soup) and other Philippine delicacies. Its large outdoor dining area overlooks the lake and is dotted with folksy open-air huts for a private dining.”
Josephine Restaurant & Resort (+63 2842 9851)
RoughGuides: “200m east of the Taal Vista Lodge Hotel, on the main road that runs along the ridge to Tagaytay, is Josephine’s an institution among Filipinos, serving good home-style Filipino dishes with mounds of steamed rice.”
Categories: Asia, Beyond Vancouver, Food, Philippines, Restaurants, Travel
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This sounds soooo amazing… a volcano!
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