BAWAI'S VIETNAMESE KITCHEN - an old favorite in Tagaytay

Chào mừng bạn đến với BAWAI'S VIETNAMESE KITCHEN !!

( Welcome to Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen )

After all the typhoons that passed this past week --- Today was a welcome relief!!!! It turned out to be a sunny Sunday--- I wanted to go out of town and drive up to Tagaytay, which has become one of my favorite food destinations..... I asked my son, Iggy, to call up BAWAI'S VIETNAMESE KITCHEN  ( Bawai for short ) to make reservations. Iggy texted me the dishes that were available --- I quickly chose and asked him if he can ask Phi Tatlonghari, the daughter of BAWAI if she can prepare for me a special dish -- Banh Xeo -- ( the famous Vietnamese pancakes which I wrote about in my previous blog )... Phi said she would ask her mom if she can prepare it for us today...Upon reading the text of Phi --- I started looking forward to my Vietnamese lunch at Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen.

For those who haven't gone to BAWAI'S KITCHEN in Tagaytay... you are missing a lot!!! There are lots of restaurants here in the  city --- but they do not  ( at least I have not tasted one yet )  offer " REAL AUTHENTIC VIETNAMESE COOKING " in the Metropolis... Yes, Bawai's Kitchen might be far from the city ---- IT IS WORTH IT!!! Her cooking reminded me of the Vietnamese cuisine I had a few months ago in Hanoi, Vietnam.  Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen is not a typical restaurant because it is situated purely in their home in Tagaytay. They converted their dining room into a  restaurant.

The name BAWAI is Vietnamese for grandmother. BAWAI'S VIETNAMESE KITCHEN officially opened April 2007 and they serve only LUNCH ( way back in 2007 ) from Fridays to Sundays by reservation only. The first time I went to BAWAI's Vietnamese Kitchen was when it opened. I together with the group of Anton Diaz and the OUR AWESOME PLANET group were one of the first foodies to invade Bawai's when it opened...... We all shared one verdict..... The food served to us that day was FANTABULOUS!! Luckily that day I was able to interview the owners of Bawai to get a little background of their restaurant. Let me share with you a little background of the Tatlongharis and their restaurant. Bawai's  Vietnamese Kitchen is essentially the life story of a pretty Vietnamese woman named Yong, who met a Filipino engineer, Virgilio Tatlonghari at the height of the Vietnam War and together, they got married and went back to the Philippines in the early 70's, raised a family and decided to retire in Tagaytay. As Virgilio learned how to speak Vietnamese for her, Bawai cooked the most delectable Vietnamese dishes for him. Because the original idea of settling down in Tagaytay was to retire, the family could afford only very limited seating. At the time we went to Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen --- they could accept only 25 persons at a time. 4 years after they formally introduced Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen to the public... they have grown leaps and bounds  -- they are opening a branch at Sandari Batulao, which will be more accessible to the locals and tourists.. It is located at Km. 77, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas,  an hour-and-a-half drive from Makati via the South Luzon Expressway through Santa Rosa. 

TAGAYTAY Revisited Dinner at the PAMANA RESTAURANT in Tagaytay

Pamana Restaurant was recommended to me by Rommel Diaz and Cha Pestano, since they have been there earlier and enjoyed the food. It's interiors are so nostalgic. I like how they placed the pictures on the walls, the arrangement of chairs and tables are also nice. I did not feel like I was in a restaurant but it felt like I was dining in an ancestral home somewhere in the province. It gives you a distinctly Filipino design flavor.

When we arrived around 7:30 pm , the place was already almost full and there were lots of reservations so we had to wait for 20 minutes in order to get a table for us. While waiting for the food to arrive, I decided to take some photos of the place. I found out that this place was actually a house that was converted into a restaurant.

Upon entering the place you will be greeted by a lot of homemade goodies for sale...

Pamana Restaurant is owned by Happy Ongpauco of the Barrio Fiesta Chain...a legacy of Filipino cuisine passed on thru generations. It was my first time to check out this restaurant and I was not disappointed. The food was good!!! the price was very affordable to anyone's budget.

Here is what we ordered:

ENSALADANG BAGNET ( 160 PHP )
mixed greens and tomatoes topped with crispy bagnet and served with bagoong Balayan. I loved this dish... I have been craving for the honest- to - goodness bagnet ( a dish from Norhern Luzon )... although it might not be the real mc coy but it was cooked the same way... it was GOOD!

DAGUPAN'S TIYAN NG BANGUS  ( 220 PHP )
tender , juicy Bonuan bangus from Dagupan cooked with tons of garlic.

PAMPANGA'S SIZZLING SISIG at ALIGUE   ( 250 PHP )
If you lived along the " riles " you have not tried this yet. It is served sizzling hot and with toasted aligue....  a new twist in this  dish... I think it was very innovative... although sisig however you take a photo of this dish.... never comes out pretty in other words... not photogenic at all!! .... but let me tell you.... their version of the sizzling sisig is one of the best I have tried so far.

Our dessert was .... PINOY PANDU....  ( fondue )... there is a funny story behind this dish.. let me share it with you... I asked the waiter what he would recommend for  dessert... and he said.. " MAM, mayroon kami mga halo halo, mais con hielo " ... but I wanted something different.... so he said.. " try ho  ninyo yung aming PINOY PANDU..... masarap yun... may suman, espasol, cuchinta, puto at TSOKOLATE... so.... I said...  " try natin yun...SIGE isang PANDU ".... then the waiter disappeared. Luckily I had the menu beside me so I started to look for the dessert he just recommended a while ago.... I could not find it... Hmm.... i thought... " Baka bagong dessert... wala pa sa menu....".. I told the kids... we were going to have... PINOY PANDU..... then... after 10 minutes ... the waiter was back with..... our PINOY PANDU....

It was PINOY FONDUE all along ... Geez!!!! we all had a good laugh.... so... when you go over to Pamana Restaurant... do not forget to order..... PINOY PANDU ( pronounced fondue--- he he he ) !!!!!! ( 250 PHP ). It is the answer to your sweet tooth's craving.  It has slices of puto, cuchinta, espasol and suman served with hot chocolate.... you can call that PINOY FUSION!!!

Overall the Pamana restaurant experience is something any Filipino food lover should try. The delectable array of food items would bring back memories of our grandmother's cooking. The memorabilia on the resto's wall is a blast - from - the - past that would bring back the older generation to the good old days of the Sampaguita and LVN pictures while giving the younger generation a glimpse of how life was in the past. ...It's cozy ambiance is very relaxing to any traveler who has just reached Tagaytay after battling Manila's traffic.

so.... would I recommend this place??? DEFINITELY!!!!!!!! I am giving an 8 points to the food because of its traditional delicious taste and a 9 for the ambience of the place, value for money and our overall experience..

Try to visit the place if you happen to be in Tagaytay! Remember the name .... PAMANA Restaurant!


Pamana Restaurant
( beside THE BOUTIQUE bed & breakfast HOTEL )
Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City, Cavite

Tel. nos. ( 046 ) 413 - 1885

TAGAYTAY Revisited.... Day 1... part 1...... Amoroma Restaurant

Today I drove to Tagaytay together with Ernie Kamatoy ( my houseguest from the States ) and Iggy and his family for the weekend. A much needed break for both of us. Iggy had planned this trip a few weeks back with his friends and  I wanted to go with them... The agenda??? GOLF at the Evercrest Golf and Country Club ( formerly known as the Batulao Golf and Country Club)... and GOOD FOOD!!... One of Iggy's friends, Pen Mulingbayan ( another photographer ) had some restaurants lined up for us to try. All we needed was a HUGE APPETITE to see us thru the weekend....

Our first stop.... Amoroma Restaurant

I love Italian food and this was going to be my third time going back to this restaurant. Everytime I am in Tagaytay  I make sure... I drop by. The last time I was here was when Una was barely 2 months old.

Here is what we ordered ......

Fresh green salad with special balsamic dressing...

Amoroma Special Pizza with Truffles... every time I would order... this pizza was always included in my order. I loved the truffle shavings on the pizza.. usually when you order truffles in other restaurants they just put truffle oil. You should try this pizza!!!!!

a combination pizza that is 1/2 prosciutto and 1/2  five-cheese.... both pizzas we ordered were very good.  You should this one also!! In the 5 cheese pizza - they use gorgonzola cheese....  YUMMYYY!!

I think i was a foodie from day one... I have always enjoyed great food and good dining experiences. The pizzas/ pastas at Amoroma are truly authentic tasting dishes and will not set you back for an arm and a leg. I personally would love to have my own place at some point in my life, somewhere out  at the end of the day, drink a glass of wine and listen to my favorite music ( which is the  60's and 70's ).

After lunch we headed to Evercrest Golf and Country Club.... to check- in  our baggages.

The view from my room.......

The good thing about the hotel is.... all the rooms have a nice view of the golf course... Evercrest is nestled along a ridge of rolling hills and deep valleys and is refreshed by the scent of evergreen trees. It is enhanced by a cool mountain climate throughout the year...

The only thing I did not like with the EVERCREST GOLF and Country Club was... they do not have any internet service. When I asked them how come they were saying in all their brochures and handouts... they had " internet service " as an "added benefit "... I call that a misinterpretation on their part ... the lady at the front desk said... they were going to move me to a room on the second floor ( ROOM 201 )... which could access the internet... so... I agreed to be in that room. Can you imagine... such a big hotel... they only had ONE ROOM.. that could access an internet???? and the lady at the front desk told me that it was not a DELUXE room but a JUNIOR SUITE... so!!... I was waiting to hear her tell me... I had to ADD MORE MONEY for my room ( which I was not going to do anyway! )... SO... in case you are planning a weekend in EVERCREST... and you are planning to bring your laptop with you... REMEMBER to book ROOM 201--- " the ONLY ROOM in the hotel that has access to the internet ".

After checking into our rooms.... we all drove down to the junction of Nasugbu and Tuy, Batangas to meet up with the rest of the group...

Amoroma Restaurant
Barangay Tolentino
Tagaytay City, Cavite

Tel. nos. ( 046 )  696 3582