Tagaytay Haven: LZM Restaurant

Knowing that Adrian and I love hanging out in Tagaytay, a colleague has mentioned to me twice a place where she and her husband love dining whenever they are in the area - LZM Restaurant. Her testimonials on the place were actually excellent and I also did my own research. I got to read some food blogs that have already reviewed LZM Restaurant and apparently, to my amazement, the reviews are even way better than the more famous bulalo restaurants in Tagaytay; so, in one of our recent Tagaytay trip where we had celebrated Adrian's 28th birthday, we decided to see for ourselves and give LZM Restaurant a try. And I must say my colleague has really superb taste when it comes to food.

LZM Restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of Magallanes Square, just right across the famous Leslie's Restaurant. One downside that I have noticed is the location. Yes, Magallanes Square is also along the road side; however, it's an establishment that holds different stores and restaurants, one of which is LZM. If it hadn't been for my colleague sharing her great dining experience at this resto and the food reviews, LZM Restaurant in Tagaytay would go quite hidden and unnoticed. (Yes they have branches. The more famous and original branch in Silang, Cavite, the one in Solenad in Nuvali, and the latest one in Serin Mall in Tagaytay). Moreover, the restaurant has no provisions for the magnificent, panoramic Taal volcano view since Magallanes Square is located on the other side.

However, the minor shortcomings were nothing compared to the food they serve. LZM Restaurant did not disappoint and in fact exceeded our expectations. Had it been built in a more premium location (just the other side of the road where Leslie's and RSM are presently located. LZM is just across them.), the place could have been nothing more than perfect. Still, the food can compensate for the lack of ambiance. That is why despite the resto's location, we were not surprised anymore that there were a lot of people dining when we went there, even though it was a weekday.

We ordered Tagaytay's perennial favorite and LZM's specialty, Bulalo. We also ordered another LZM favorite -  their big Boneless Bangus. We also wanted to order their big serving of Chicharong Bulaklak (my colleague and the food reviews have attested to its huge, plateful serving), however, it was already out of stock. (This part is going to be edited soon since we are already planning on going back to LZM. Haha.) Their Bulalo is actually a lot better, more delicious than the other bulalo we have tried in Tagaytay (Leslie's, Pamana, Mer-Ben's). Adrian is a food critique. He does not like salty food, but LZM Restaurant has passed his "bulalo standard". The Bulalo was very mouthwatering and delicious, you could also see the seeping bone marrow. It has a huge serving as well, plus you can have your unlimited soup refill. Their Boneless Bangus was indeed big. Extra bigger than we have actually expected and the taste was just plain perfect. Not salty and very tasty. Some would say it was marinated in milk. You could really taste the perfect combination of their secret marinade complementing the original bangus taste. Furthermore, with LZM's generous serving, it was even cheaper than the others. A perfect example of a restaurant that was able to maintain excellent quality without suffering quantity (the serving) and having its diners pay the high price.

A bowl of hot Bulalo, Boneless Bangus, and a platter of rice: A feast for 2

So huge and delicious

Bulalo: A perennial favorite

Too delicious. And yes we ate that much RICE!

One last statement. We are absolutely, without a doubt, going back. Perhaps this coming long weekends in August.

Ratings:

Food - 5/5

Place - 3/5

Price - 5/5

A Detour: Aviles Original Bulalo Restaurant

For many times, Tagaytay has always been our place when we crave for our favorite comfort food, a bowl of hot Bulalo. But according to Adrian, he has once dined in with his family somewhere in Calamba where he has eaten one of the best Bulalo he has ever tasted. Because of his testimonial, in one of our food slash road trip slash 4th anniversary of 1, I've asked him to bring me to the said place.

Aviles Restaurant is located in a roadside in Calamba, Laguna; thus, it can easily be spotted. The place has the typical canteen ambiance, nothing sort of spectacular. However, since Adrian attested that Aviles Restaurant served the best Bulalo he has ever tasted, I had my expectations high after having tried Leslie's Restaurant and Pamana Restaurant, both of which I have already blogged about and are located in Tagaytay. After all, it has been proven that some of the best cuisines are not only compartmentalized to aesthetically-pleasant restaurants.

Aviles Restaurant (Adrian with his stolen shot photobomb. Hehe)

As soon as we entered the humble restaurant, I could not imagine the number of people dining in there. There was actually a lot, let alone the fact that we came there on a weekday. I thought Adrian was indeed not exaggerated with his positive comment on this place. 

There were two dining rooms - airconditioned and non-aircon room. We opted for the aircon room because it was hot outside (we would have dined al fresco had the place been in Tagaytay). We ordered what the restaurant has been famous for - Bulalo (it comes with the unlimited soup) and Tawilis combo, paired with a hot cup of rice and patis, calamansi, siling labuyo sawsawan. The restaurant also serves other dishes (meat and other vegetables dishes). The serving time was just right, we did not wait long for our orders to come.

As soon as our orders arrived, we could really smell how good the food smelled. It was mouthwatering-good. I have to also admit I admire the minimalist presentation that almost resembles that of a lutong-bahay meals. The Bulalo has a big, generous serving, similar to that of Tagaytay's version of Bulalo serving and it was served very simple - no petchay or beans, or corn it it, just chopped green onions (if I'm not mistaken). However, our Bulalo serving has no bone marrow in it. We later learned that diners have the option to specify whether they would want their Bulalo with or without the bone marrow. I think there are diners who are not just fond with the bone marrow. The Tawilis, on the other hand, looked very crispy and served in a stick.

Minimalist Bulalo and Tawilis combo

When I had my first sip of the Bulalo, I instantly knew Adrian was right with his judgment. It was indeed very delicious. The taste alone would compensate our order's lack of bone marrow. In fact, you won't even need the bone marrow to make the Bulalo tastier. It was simply perfect the way it is. Pair it with a steaming hot rice and fish sauce with calamansi and hot chili, it was even more divine. The Tawilis was also great. It was fresh, tasty, crispy, and indeed a perfect match for the Bulalo. The refillable soup was an added plus. Originally, we ordered 2 cups of rice but ended up ordering 3 more. Before we even noticed it, the two of us have finished everything. Yes everything, even the entire Bulalo. There was no left-overs. It was a first time for us to finish everything. When we dine it at a bulalo restaurant in Tagaytay, we would usually have take-outs with us. It is just a more tangible proof that it was really that delicious.

After dining in at Aviles Restaurant, I knew it will never be the last and we were already planning on returning. Lastly, after the excellent dining experience, I can say that best things really come in small (and simple) packages.

Ratings:

Food - 5/5

Place - 3/5

Price - 5/5

Tagaytay Haven: Pamana Restaurant

When it comes to authentic Filipino food, who wouldn't know the iconic Barrio Fiesta Chain of Restaurant? In another food trip we had in Tagaytay, we discovered Pamana Restaurant, a Barrio Fiesta chain. We personally liked Barrio Fiesta so we decided to try on Pamana Restaurant. Much to our relief, it has met and exceeded our "Barrio Fiesta" expectations.

Strategically located in Tagaytay road side, the place is very hard to miss. One drawback is that Pamana Restaurant does not give its diners the provision for the most-sought for panoramic and majestic Taal Volcano ambience. Good thing their food was able to compensate for the missing piece. The interior of the restaurant is also commendable. It would give you a nostalgic feel of grandparents' well-kept ancestral houses and a family legacy. I personally love the rustic picture frames hung on the wall. The place would remind you of home. The place is indeed a pamana (treasure).

Could have been more beautiful if the place has the panoramic view of Taal volcano

The rustic beauty of a history, family, and legacy

Since the food passed our standard, we dined here twice, one during our fourth anniversary of 13 and during my 25th birthday. We have tried Tagaytay's famous Bulalo and Crispy Tawilis combo, Lechong Manok sa Gata, Baked Sugpo in Crab Fat, and Beef Sinigang,

On our first dining experience, we opted for their Beef Sinigang and Lechong Manok sa Gata. Their Beef Sinigang is exemplary delicious. It has the perfect combination of the Filipino favorite asim anghang and the savory taste of the beef; partner it with the Filipino staple kanin (rice) and  patis (fish sauce) as one of the Pinoy's universal sawsawan (dip). The Lechong Manok sa Gata also resembles that of a roasted chicken done the traditional way. Curious about how this particular dish is cooked, we asked our server. According to him, it's not a roasted chicken with gata, rather, a chicken marinated in gata then roasted to perfection. You would definitely love how the flavors seeped into the chicken. The two dishes we have tasted were already good enough to tell us that we are indeed going back.

Lechong Manok sa Gata

hot Beef Sinigang perfect for the cold weather

Where you put your bills

Taragon Tea

Love is sweeter the second time around

Since the first stop was not enough for us to taste more of the dishes, we planned a second dining at Pamana for my 25th birthday. For our next visit, we decided to order Tagaytay's Bulalo and Tawilis combo. The Bulalo tastes very delicious although it has smaller serving compared to other Bulaluhan house in the area and the bone marrow has not much in it. Their Tawilis was actually good as well, but nothing sort of special. It is served the traditional way - fresh, crispy, and perfectly matched with garlic-vinegar-chili sawsawan. I think all tawilis have the same taste. We loved the Lechong Manok sa Gata the first time we tried it so we decided to have a second round of it again. It has the same delicious taste. However, the highlight of our meal was their Baked Sugpo sa Taba ng Aligue (Baked Prawns in Crab Fat). The 4 big prawns baked and mixed with crab fat were very tempting and irresistibly good. Sinful but it's worth the guilt. Everybody would love how the mixed up flavors of prawns and crab fat turned out to be. It was a heavenly sin.

Bulalo

Crispy Tawilis

Highlight of the show - Baked Sugpo sa Taba ng Aligue

Feast for two

Second time around - Lechong Manok sa Gata

Pamana Restaurant is indeed a treasure in Tagaytay. Everyone who stops by at Tagaytay should make sure to stop by and find the treasures and legacy of Pamana Restaurant.

Ratings:

Food - 5/5

Place - 4/5

Price - 4/5

Tagaytay Haven: Leslie's Restaurant

It has been years since I actually opened my blog, let alone writing, and now I am slowly getting back to the blogosphere. To begin with, allow me to write about the first thing that comes to mind, our happy place - Tagaytay!

With the cool and calming effect of the place, Tagaytay has become our main "go-to" haven whenever Adrian and I plan a quick getaway to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. We dubbed it as our happy place. And our happy place would not be completely happy without, of course, food! Food was never out of the picture.

As they say, a trip to Tagaytay would not be totally complete and satisfying if one fails to try one of their famous food - a bowl of hot and heartwarming Bulalo. With beef shank and oozing bone marrow boiled for hours to achieve a tender, mouthwatering perfection and a mix of vegetables paired with a cup of steaming rice, this dish is a surefire way to satisfy a hungry stomach. So when we first had our getaway at Tagaytay, we have decided to try one of the famous and well-talked and blogged about bulaluhan in the area - Leslie's Restaurant.  I have been wanting to try it because people say it is the best and premium bulalo restaurant in Tagaytay, strategically situated at the road side where diners can enjoy the magnificent and panoramic view of the Taal Volcano. As soon as I get my taste buds on their famous bulalo, I couldn't agree more with the excellent testimonials people gave the restaurant. Their Bulalo is served hot and you can commend their big serving, whether you opt to order for the regular or special. When we asked them the difference of the two, regular bulalo (P500) has pechay as the only vegetable compared to the special bulalo (P550) which has pechay, beans, and corn. Moreover, their bulalo has the original Pinoy, mouthwatering flavor that is sure to satiate one's craving and hungry tummy. The bone marrow was also big and "brainy".

For the countless times my boyfriend and I had been to Tagaytay, Leslie's Restaurant has always been our main pick (not until we have decided to venture and try out other famous bulalo restaurants in the area, which I will be blogging about soon).

Aside from Bulalo, we have also tried their Lechong Kawali, Crispy Kangkong, Fried Chicken, and Sisig. The pictures below were collected from the series of food trip we had at Leslie's. I have tried their Lechong Kawali twice. The first experience was good, the second one unfortunately disappoints. The pork did not taste fresh anymore, it actually tastes like how a truck carrying live pigs smells. Yes disgusting. The fried chicken was just fine, nothing extraordinary. The Crispy Kangkong was good, similar to that of Cabalen, just with an added twist of topped lechong kawali. Overall, the Leslie's experience was a superb one.

Lechong Kawali

Leslie's bowl of heartwarming Bulalo

crispy kangkong with lechon

sisig

Next time you go to Tagaytay, do not forget to pass by and eat at the iconic Leslie's Restaurant. You can never go wrong with a bowl of steaming hot Bulalo perfectly complemented by Tagaytay's cold weather.