Independence Weekend at Tagaytay

June 12-14, 2009
Tagaytay City, Philippines

Food trip weekend with the family. Medyo splurge sya. But enjoyable. :)

Overnight
We stayed overnight at One Tagaytay Place, a relatively new hotel managed by Genesis hotels (they also manage Astoria Plaza in Ortigas). It was relatively new and had mixed reviews on the web...yun nga lang mana ang dad ko sa akin and nagpapadala rin sya sa advertising. I think they were just had some advertisements in the travel section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer --- ayun, dun na kami nag-stay!

Cons:
Located on the other side of the ridge, so there really isn't a view. Breakfast buffet was so-so. The theme song of the hotel seemed to be "bulilit...bulilit, sanay sa masikip, kung kumilos, ang sikip sikip!". Halos lahat masikip -- restroom, lobby, dining area, the slope towards the basement parking. Even the infinity pool at the rooftop was narrow! Plus, they require a non-refundable deposit when you make your reservation, which really irritated me.

Pros:
The bed and the pillows were nice and fluffy, very conducive for sleeping in! Ang sarap matulog! The rooms were clean and modern. May flat screen TV. The rooms weren't initially impressive but it does grow on you. Both the one bedroom suite and the normal deluxe room had sofas. There was one hour free wifi (you had to get the username/password from the front desk). Over-all it was a relaxing stay, and though I'm not raring to go back, I wouldn't mind going staying there again either. Especially if it's free. :)

Food Trips
Ok, this is a trip Bok would love. In fact, I think this was a trip Bok did love. So, no I wasn't able to eat Greek food at Manos. No Bag of Beans, no Moon Garden, no Residence Inn Zoo, not much sightseeing around Tagaytay. It was basically...eat, sleep, eat, sleep. And then eat, sleep, eat sleep again =)

Verbena at Discovery Country Suites
We arrived around 1pm for lunch, and we were the only ones there. Food was yummy. From other blogs, the cheese fondue was highly recommended, but obviously I would not want to eat cheese fondue all by myself. (Bok doesn't like cheese much). My lamb ravioli smothered with blue cheese was delicious and filling. They served the wrong dessert, but the panna cotta they served was delicious as well.

***Budget: 500 to 1000 per person.

Fire Lake Grill
Located in the Cliffhouse area, where Cafe Breton and Buon Giorno are. Serves steak. Well that's all I remember. Hehe. Steak, salad, soup, grilled seafood. The parents and I shared a cowgirl steak. Bok had grilled salmon. Afterwards, dessert was at the next-door Cafe Breton.

Carlos' Pizza
Surprisingly good pizza with a great view of Taal Volcano. They have branches around the Metro as well. Nothing beats good food and a really nice spot with a view.

Antonio's
Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay
0918-8992866 (among other numbers)

O.M.G. Haha. Yes, this was really a splurge. It was my first time to eat at Antonio's, and all the praise it gets is well deserved. We had steak (again). The salad, soup, entree and dessert was delicious. I had warm flourless chocolate cake. Panalo! The house is impressive, there's a koi pond and a big garden. Really nice and romantic as well. Suitable for special family dinners or very special occasions. Chef Antonio also makes it a point to greet the guests, so you feel that this really is a special dining experience.

Getting there is a mini-adventure itself. Medyo malayo sya from the main road. The signs are easy to follow but it can get lonely driving up to Antonio's. If coming from the rotonda, turn right when you see the sign for Antonio's. After that, it's around 2km of narrow well-paved road. Just follow the signs. Antonio's will be at your left side.

Reservations are a must. Also, be sure to wear presentable clothes. Slippers, sandos and shorts are not allowed. Credit cards are accepted.

***Food budget: 1500-2000 per person. Worth it!

Nurture Spa

nurture spa


We went to Nurture Spa last weekend...and it was really nice! We had a 1:30 PM massage appointment, but we left Manila only around 11:30 AM. By the time we managed to find Nurture Spa (it wasn't that hard to find though), it was almost 1:30 already. Time for the massage...even if we were really hungry!

The massage was okay. We both had the Payapa (Peace) Body Massage, and the only difference in terms of massage technique was the way that the therapist kept on spanking our bottoms and thighs. Oh, and the resort facilities were exquisite...you can really hear the birds chirping. The indoor massage rooms had room for two, so the place is really designed for couples. The architecture is a mixture of indigenous tribal accents and modern conveniences like great toilets and shower rooms.

After the 1 hour massage, we ate at the cafe. The food was part of the package. Initially my companion had the Pesto pasta, and I had the Bengal Chicken Curry, but he didn't like the taste of pesto, so we exchanged orders. It was delicious though. Both the curry and the pesto...the curry though was sweet, not the usual yellow curry, but it still tasted good.



"man of mystery"


After eating, it was almost 3:30PM, only an hour and a half left to spend resting at the Ifugao huts. The Ifugao huts were said to be imported directly from the Ifugao provinces, and the huts were nice. Ha, I'm using "nice" a lot. But it was. Nice. Although the huts used native materials like anahaw and posts that didn't use hammer and nails, there was still the convenience of modern city living. For one, the hut had electricity. It had lights, an electric fan, and a screen mesh to keep the mosquitoes out. And there was a luxurious bathroom located just outside the hut but within the compound of the hut. It was really great. Relaxing. And you'll really feel...nurtured. =)

Too bad we weren't able to see the coffee orchards. It was raining that day, the rains just stopping once in a while. But still that didn't hinder our enjoyment of the treatment. Despite the short stay, it really felt like paradise for a while.

On our way out, we saw a friend just about to check in. I guess a place like Nurture Spa couldn't be kept a secret from others.