Mr. Moo's Milk Planet

I love cheese. Who doesn't? So discovering Mr. Moo's Milk Planet is happiness! 

Mr. Moo is on Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay. At the right side when you're Manila bound. It's a few meters after Gourmet Cafe. 

The shop basically sells milk and milk products. They have three milk sources - cows, goats and carabaos. Aside from freshness, the don't use preservatives and additives on any of their products.

My personal favorites are the goat feta cheese, jumbo pastillas made of carabao's milk and fresh goat's milk. Goat's milk, I learned from a Mr. Moo staff, is naturally low in fat. Although, they also have low fat cow's milk, if you're not into goat's milk. I just love the feta cheese in olive oil. They have feta cheese in brine too. My kids particularly like the chocolate and strawberry milk drinks. 

Mr. Moo offers so many products. Dips, shakes, yogurt and even soy milk. As they say, there's something for everyone.

Aside from everything edible, they have soap too. Also made from milk.

Checkout the bulletin board for information about their products, proper storage and more. 

Aside from all natural ingredients, their 'squeezing' process is also all natural, as this sign says :)

Bawai's - Another Cavite's Best

I first read about Bawai's on inquirer.net. The main reason why I got so curios is its location - Silang, Cavite. Until the discovery of Bawai's, we knew of Silang only because of its rows and rows of gardens along Aguinaldo Highway (which we also frequent by the way).

Last Friday night, Erwin had a craving for another breakfast in Tagaytay. We slept on the idea. The next morning, I decided to read again the inquirer.net article about Bawai's. I googled it too hoping to find its site or at least a review and I found Anton Diaz's July 2007 blog which did the final push to satisfy the Tagaytay breakfast craving.

It was one of the best, if not the best so far, breakfast experience. The food was awesome but the people behind it were exceptional. From the very warm welcome we got from Mr. Ver Tatlonghari at the garden, the privilege of meeting Bawai (Mrs. Tatlonghari) and Paul (this is actually just an assumption because we were not formally introduced but I'm very sure he's the one mentioned on the inquirer article and one of the children because he looks so much like Bawai), and the very accommodating staff.

Mr. Tatlonghari gave us a quick introduction of the restaurant and even provided us with reading materials. As he gave us the menu he warned us that they didn't have any specific breakfast menu and all dishes are authentic Vietnamese cuisines. In case we didn't like anything, he said it's ok if we decide to leave but he would give us coffee first. So nice. Of course, we decided to stay.

Decisions... decisions... decisions... If only we could try everything in one meal.

The complimentary tea to warm our tummies as we decide what to order.

Pho Bo (P195). Not so spicy but enough to keep you warm.

Bung Bo Hue (P195). Like beef mami but way way better. The fresh vegetables, herbs, lime, and noodles give this dish it's character.

Cha Gio (P130). Irvin is a lumpia lover and he specifically ordered this dish. He loved it!

Goi Cuon (P145). Very refreshing! Light, crunchy and tasty.

Ca Phe Sua Nong (P45). Brewed Coffee with sweet milk.

Ban Da Lon. I don't think I will be able to describe how this dessert tastes like. All I can say is it's a perfect finale for a wonderful meal.

The interior was straightforward and elegant.

The view outside was also refreshing.

Teaching Irvin how to use the chopsticks.

Irvin has not stopped telling his Kuya Ren (who decided not to come with us because he made other plans) how delicious his breakfast was. He hasn't stopped asking us also when are we going back. That would be soon, definitely!

Coffee, Cookies and Cherry Tomatoes

After the heavy lunch of bulalo and fried tawilis, we were off to Silang. We made a quick stop at Gourmet's Cafe to try their coffee. Also, we heard that they had organic herbs being sold.


Erwin had a cup of brewed coffee, while I had latte (less than P100 per cup)


We also tried the Gourmet's Dark Chocolate Cookies. Yummy and so cheap at around P100-P130 (can't remember the price anymore) for a 10-piece pack.

Service was also good. I asked one of the servers if it was ok to pick the cherry tomatoes that had already fallen on the ground (there are cherry tomato trees at the parking lot), he said it was ok. Before we left, the server handed to me a small bag with some cherry tomatoes and said that I didn't have to pick anymore. So nice!

Steamy, Hot Bulalo - Perfect on a Rainy Day!

Erwin and I had another impromptu trip to OUR favorite Tagaytay. The plan really was to go to Silang to do some plant shopping - that will be a totally different story later on. We reached Silang by 11am. We decided to have lunch at Tagaytay, which was just 10 minutes away. It was a cold and rainy afternoon so we decided to have Bulalo.

We've been eyeing a bulaluhan along the road going to Mendez. However, we missed the place by a few meters so we ended up eating at a place called La Trobada -the one just beside the other buhaluhan we wanted to try out.

At first glance, I found the price of the Bulalo pricy at P350.00. The waiter said it was good for 2 only so I thought it was a bit on the expensive side. Anyway, as i said before, price is relative. We ordered Bulalo and fried Tawilis (another favorite of mine! When in Tagaytay have Tawilis!). We wanted to have Sizzling Sisig but I was afraid we'd over order. Since there was just two of us so we didn't order it anymore.



I like the way the Bubalo was served. With the fire under, it kept the soup warm. More importantly, the heat kept the sebo from forming. I've had Bulalo at 3-5 different restaurants in Tagaytay and so far it's only La Trobada that serves it this way. There were 3 really big chucks of meat and a few veggies. At P350.00 it was worth it after all. It's not, however, good for 2 only, as the waiter said. I think it could feed 4-5. Just one comment though - I found the broth salty. With my Bulalo, I want to have "room" for my toyo-calamansi-sili sauce. Since the soup was salty I had to improvise by just squeezing the calamansi directly onto the soup. The meat was just right - not tough but right to the bite. The other problem with Bulalo sometimes is it gets over cooked and the meat falls apart. I like my Bulalo with visible meat, like chucks, and not just fibers of the meat found at the bottom of the bowl.


Bulalo is not Bulalo without the marrow.


I just love Tawilis. The more popular preparation is fried. Inihaw na Tawalis is also good, they just don't have it in the menu. With fried, though, it's easier to eat the whole fish because it's cruncky. When I say whole that's from head to tail.


I also love veggies in my bulalo. This had a few leaves of chinese cabbage and some baguio beans. Our homemade bulalo/nilaga has corn, potatos and saba.



The place is spacious and the view of the Taal was not bad. They have treehouses, too.


They also have a roving band. Something I just don't really generally appreciate.


On the menu, the other specialty is Paella. I'll definitely return to try that. Next time, will bring the kids with us.

So-So Father’s Day All Because of Breakfast

Come Father’s Day, it was my turn to treat Erwin. I decided to start the day early. So how do you start a good day? With a good breakfast of course! So off we went to my favorite place – no other than Tagaytay. I wanted it special that’s why we went all the way to Tagaytay looking forward to great breakfast and a great day. Since I read so much about it, we went to Breakfast at Antonio’s. Looking at the menu, the food was on the pricey side, but we’re the type that feel that price is relative, so long as you’re getting your money’s worth, then there shouldn’t be any problem.

I had Eggs Florentine and Erwin ordered Italian Omelet. Both of us had a cup of coffee.
Eggs Florentine

Italian Omelet

We paid close to P1k. As I said, price is relative. This time, I was relatively disappointed. Why?
• Coffee was not refillable. You’d expect at least one refill if the price is P105 per cup. There was nothing spectacular with the coffee, by the way.
• The servers/waiters do not smile and are not very friendly. They’re not rude but you don’t feel any warmth at all. In fact, they seem very cold. No “welcomy” atmosphere at all. The guard at the parking space seemed more approachable.
• It was not warm or hot that morning but the waiters were perspiring profusely. It could have been excusable or understandable if we also felt warm (it’s temperature this time) but we didn’t. The weather then was just right. The sights of profusely perspiring food servers make you worry about the food. It’s a good thing food is served covered.
• Service was slow. Since the servers do not look at you, it's so hard to get their attention. When you finally have it, there's another waiting time for whatever you requested - the menu, a glass of water, the bill, or your change.

My verdict? The food was ok but everything else is disappointing. If we just talk about the quality of the food versus the price, it’s forgivable. But in its entirety, overrated. Nothing compels me to come back to try the other dishes in the menu. When I like a restaurant, I make it a point to come back for two reasons – first, to check if they consistently do have good food and good service; and second, now that I have a reason to come back, I have a reason to try the other dishes. With Breakfast at Antonio’s, well, maybe I will try again; I just have to find a reason to do so. Right now, I don’t.

Because of the not-so-exciting breakfast, we were not able to jump-start the day properly. The original plan was to go around till noon and try another restaurant for lunch. Since the energy went pfft we just went to Good Shepherd to buy some pasalubong and then to Mahogany Market (another disappointing experience), then by noon, we were already home.

Oh, well. I know my next Tagaytay breakfast will be better.

Mother's Day Treat

My husband, Erwin, made plans to celebrate mother’s day. The kids begged off saying that we should just go on a date and not tag them along. Of course, we knew that they just preferred to spend the day in front of the PC and the Playstation without us nagging them to stop. We didn't argue considering they only had a few days left in their summer break.

Lunch at Taj of Tagaytay
Erwin and I are fond of Asian food – our very own Filipino cuisines, Singaporean, Thai and Indian. Indian seems to be more accessible nowadays. So far we’ve tried Bollywood at Greenbelt 3, Kashmir at Pasay Road, Queen’s at Jupiter, and a few smaller eateries within Makati.
On this special day, we had lunch at Taj of Tagaytay. Loved the food, liked the place. Maybe I’ll like the place even more when it’s totally finished – some parts look like its still being constructed.

We had…

Beef Samosa, P120.00. It’s like empanada served with tamarind sauce.


Mutton Kebab, P220.00.


Chicken Masala, P330.00. Love this. The chicken was very tender and the curry was not too overpowering. The waiter recommended that we have it with Plain Naan (P90.00). This dish would also go well with rice.



Since the servings were relatively small, we made additional orders of Chicken Tikka, P240.00, and Roti Chanai (P130.00). I think Roti Chanai is better with the Chicken Masala.


We ended up ordering too much. Despite the not-so-big portions, the food was so delicious, thus, satisfying regardless of the size. Aside from the food, Taj has WiFi and is open 24 hours. It also has a small spa and I think an inn. We wanted to try the spa but the area was not enclosed. Relaxation needs some privacy, right?

There's Always Room For Dessert

After the very heavy and very satisfying lunch, we had to drive around a bit to make room for dessert. It was easy to just jump right away to dessert but I wanted to enjoy it. As they say - patience is a virtue. We had Strawberry Cheesecake and coffee at Bag of Beans. I've tried their products before but this was my first time to dine in.



The enclosed area, where we had our coffee, was so cozy some patrons couldn't help but doze off. It was a perfect siesta place. Good thing the coffee was strong enough to keep us up, and refillable too. I always think that's how coffee should be - good and with free refill.



Erwin had a blast taking pictures of the greenery and an insect or two.

Same Spot

I mentioned in my previous blog that whenever the family would go to Leslie’s at Tagaytay, my sons would always sit at the same spot and just gaze at the Taal. This photo was taken December 26, 2006. That’s me on the left, cuddling up with my two boys for warmth that cold December night.

I Live in Cavite

I get different reactions when I say where my residence is. Three out of 5 are negative – mostly distance and traffic related. As far as traffic is concerned, yes, the traffic can get really ugly (especially on Saturdays) at times but normally it’s just an hour ride from Makati to Imus. So how is it different from Makati to Quezon City?

We, Erwin (my husband) and myself, decided on Cavite because:

1. We could afford the lot size we wanted – not less than 200 sq.m. In other words, Cavite was within our budget.

The 216 sq. m. lot we got sometime 2004…

The home we built. We call it the green house for obvious reasons. We had the exterior of the house painted just last month.

2. Fresher air – my eldest, Renmund, is asthmatic and I have allergic rhinitis. When we lived in Metro Manila, a year never passed without Renmund getting hospitalized because of asthma.
   
3. For a change – for me at least. I grew up in the North – Nueva Vizcaya and Balintawak are my hometowns. So why not try the south?

My Lola Aning’s (we fondly call her Lola A) garden in Bayombong. Lola A is my paternal grandmother - Dadufalza side. Bayombong is very close to my heart. I studied in St. Mary's College from Nursery to Grade 3. Till today, we try our best to least go home every Holy Week or October - my Lola A's birthday. She's now 86.

The 45-minute Advantage

One of the two positive reactions is the fact that Tagaytay is just a 45-minute drive from our place - our advantage. Tagaytay is a lovely place. I pray that it stays that way. I hope that modernization and urbanization will not spoil it.

Last Mother’s Day, Erwin treated me to lunch at Taj of Tagaytay, an Indian Restaurant. Then we had coffee at Bag of Beans and drove around. It was then that I realized that Tagaytay indeed has so much to offer. The 45-minute drive was really something to be envied. When others would have to plan a major out-of-town gimik, with overnight stay, reservations, lodging, and all the fuss that go with a major road-trip, we could just easily hop in the car and drive to Tagaytay without much effort and planning.

My Vow

I always count my blessings and living in Cavite is one of them. I know the place has so much to offer and it would be my obligation (to myself) to discover each one of them (thanks to my Net-ferences). I'm starting with Tagaytay. I vow to conquer the “Probably The Most Pleasant City In Asia” and share it through this blog.

So join me in my journey!

Lunch at Leslie’s sometime April 2007.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to have lunch at Leslie's. That day we saw Renmund's doctor, whose clinic is in Dasmarinas, Cavite, and after the appointment, we all decided we wanted to have lunch in Tagaytay!

We had Sisig, Crispy Pata and Laing. That day we didn't order Leslie's famous Sizzling Bulalo because we had that during our last visit.

My sons, Irvin (in orange) and Renmund (in blue), enjoying the magnificent view of the Taal Volcano. They never get tired of it. After every lunch at Leslie's they'd both sit almost at the same spot and just gaze.