SUMMIT RIDGE TAGAYTAY'S BULALO LANDS ON THE TOP 3 IN FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL!

The well-loved Bulalo dish from Tagatay  took center stage in the recently concluded  Food and Wine Festival  organized by  the Department of Tourism-City of Tagaytay and  the Tagaytay  Tourism Council where Summit Ridge Tagaytay emerged as 3^rd  Placer in the Creative Bulalo  Challenge and the People’s Choice Awards.  

At the helm of this culinary team  is SRT’s Executive Chef Ernie Baculio who led the team during a 15 minute live cooking demo.  The team bested 15 other entries.  

Chef Ernie,  together with his team mates  Chef Angelo Joseph Garica and Chef Arcy Banez was able to concoct  a secret recipe that rendered the winning entry as most appetizing endearing to the panel of judges.  “The taste is in  the marinate of garlic,  aioli and onion of the bone marrow-a the base ingredient for Bulalo,” says Chef Ernie.   The result -is an explosion of  all the flavors that one will expect from Tagaytay’s most popular and signature dish.   

The winning dish will be available in the Café Summit Tagaytay Menu.  

PAMANA RESTAURANT, REVISITED

        As I was looking back on our first visit to Pamana, I just couldn't believe seeing how small Rain was the last time we wrote about Pamana! Four years has passed since then, yet Pamana is still known as one of the most loved family places to dine in when you're in Tagaytay. We were reminded of how good the food was when we went there a few weeks ago. After our lovely overnight stay in The Boutique Bed and Breakfast, everyone was looking forward to having lunch there before heading back down to reality.

ALOHA, FROM THE ORIGINAL HAWAIIAN BBQ IN TAGAYTAY!

           Like I mentioned in my previous post about The Boutique Bed and Breakfast, Tagaytay is a favorite "Out of Town" spot for barkadas and families. It's far enough so that you're away from the pollution of the metro, but not too far that it becomes an exhausting drive just to get there. 

      Now, lets say you do go to Tagaytay for a quick vacation.. Where would you eat? I have a few suggestions that I'd like to share with you, these coming weeks, but the first place that comes to mind is this awesome place located within The Boutique Bed and Breakfast.. The Original Hawaiian BBQ!

BEAUTIFUL MORNINGS AT THE BOUTIQUE BED AND BREAKFAST

      Admit it.. When someone asks where they can go for a nice out of town date, the first place that comes to your mind is Tagaytay. If it's not the first place that pops up into your head, then presumably it's the second. However, it isn't hard to see why. With the cool air, spectacular view of the lake, and the manageable distance from Metro Manila, Tagaytay is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

     I've stayed in Taal Vista Hotel quite a few times, and it is undoubtedly among the best hotels in Tagaytay. There's no denying that the place is one of the most- if not the most popular hotels in Tagaytay. Almost too popular, to the point that it's often quite crowded. With its facilities and activities, not to mention that its situated near Sky Ranch, it makes it a great place to stay with your family. 

       However, what if you're just a couple that is looking for a Romantic getaway? You're looking for a little solitude where you can run away from everything together, even just for a weekend. 

     Then my friend, I've got the place for you.  Let me tell you all about Boutique Bed and Breakfast in Tagaytay,

THE HIGH LIFE AT TAGAYTAY HIGHLANDS: THE HIGHLANDER STEAKHOUSE

     I recently got a hard drive working that was previously believed to be dead. I managed to transfer many file folders containing pictures that I could before it conked out on me again. Those folders contained pictures that I was to use for future blog posts. 

     One of those posts was our family trip to Tagaytay Highlands, and the famous Highlander Steakhouse.  

TAAL VISTA HOTEL: OUT OF TOWN, YET CLOSE TO HOME

            Some time in 2011, I went on a road trip to Tagaytay. One of my stops was Taal Vista Hotel, just to check out the view of Taal Volcano. I walked into the hotel, and truth be told, there was nothing that gave me the inkling it was an actual hotel. I've had an extensive experience with hotels in my life, so think I have a basic knowledge of how hotel staff should be in terms of hospitality and demeanor.

       Sadly, my first impression was that I felt Taal Vista Hotel was being run by robots. When I walked in, no one really noticed me, to the point that I didn't even get so much as a "Good Morning" from the front desk or Bell hops. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting them to roll out the red carpet or throw rose petals in front of my every step, but it's pretty customary for a hotel to treat every guest like they were the most important person in the world. Unfortunately for me, I walked into to Taal Vista Hotel and walked out their doors contemplating whether to use my new found powers of invisibility to fight crime or for world domination. 

        I honestly wasn't expecting a whole lot during a trip back to Taal Vista Hotel in 2012, but instead I was dazzled by the hospitality and graciousness that I had been expecting from a hotel. The difference between now and the previous year was night and day. 

        I knew I was in for an amazing weekend with my family.

       

PAMANA: FAMILY TIME AT TAGAYTAY

      I'm sure everyone has heard horror stories about having terrible in laws.. Well, I'm very blessed because mine are awesome. As you may have noticed, my sister in law Chaikka and her boyfriend Don, appear a lot in my blog because we love spending time with them. And ever since she and my dad in law moved into our village, we make it a point that Rain visits him as much as she can. Rina's dad is really cool, and has the most infectious laugh. We get along great because he's really easy to talk to and you feel you can tell him anything. 

     The very second Rina's dad found out the doctor gave Baby Rain the Go Signal to take Rain on out of town trips, he immediately scheduled a day for him to take all of us to Tagaytay. He wasn't going to miss the chance to be the one to take Rain on her first out of town excursion! 

      Basically, "Daddy Cool" as he wants Baby Rain to call him when she grows up (I told you he was pretty awesome), just wanted something simple.. Find a place to hang and enjoy the view of Taal Volcano, and afterwards, have a great meal. Naturally all of them looked at me for the best place to eat, so I had to do a little research, with Tagaytay being an unfamiliar area to me. I asked Rina's dad if he had a certain cuisine in mind, and he said, "Anywhere... just as long as there's Bulalo!".

     Bulalo. Of course. A Tagaytay staple. 

      So I was thinking, when you're in Tagaytay, and you're looking for a unique dining experience with your family, where should you go? 

      "Pamana" became the obvious answer.