We had a reunion a few weeks ago with some friends whom we haven’t seen in a long while.  We met up in church in Sta. Rosa, had lunch at our favorite country market eating  joint  and rendezvoused in Tagaytay for coffee and fellowship. We ended up in Taal Vista Hotel’s coffee shop that afternoon. We got there before the rain started to pour. Soon after, the fog rolled in. The nice part about it was that they lit the fireplace. aaaaaah, nice and cozy…. Curious cat that I was, I wondered if they used an electric fireplace insert. So I asked the head waiter about it. He said that it wasn’t electric. Anyway, I didn’t bother much about it anymore. It was just a  great way to spend the afternoon with our friends…relaxing by the fireplace…catching up on where we left off… over a relaxing cup of tea and then some.

the view from where we sat

cafe on the ridge

hamming it up with friends

happy to be with good old friends

chillaxin’ : chika and relaxing (lol)

nope, i didn’t have that!

I had this…

there was a wedding while we were there…

sizzle… crackle…crackle

During the recent visit of my in-laws, we brought them to nearby Solenad at Nuvali to have lunch. We wanted them to see the place as there were new restaurants added since the last time they came for a visit. The kids also wanted them to see the hundreds of koi fish in the man-made lake at Nuvali. My in-laws are not as mobile as they used to be. I probably need to read more information on rheumatoid arthritis to find out what could help them as it has become increasingly difficult for them to walk far.

Crisostomo is one of the latest additions to Solenad, the commercial area of Nuvali along the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road. We weren’t quite sure about it because I haven’t seen or heard of it before but since that was the nearest we could find and that was all that two hungry and grumpy old folks could bear, we went in to have lunch. Entering the restaurant reminded me of Maria Clara and old Manila. It dawned on me that the name Crisostomo was probably taken from Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere of which Crisostomo Ibarra was one of the lead characters. I looked around and surveyed the interiors. It was nicely furnished and I particularly loved the old electric fan that you only see in your great great grandparents’ house. Their menu offered Filipino-Spanish cuisine with a twist. I glanced at the station where they had a computer and I saw the name Florabel. I had seen the chef/owner of Florabel being interviewed once on TV so I assumed it was part of a chain of restaurants. A little while later, I think I actually saw the chef/owner of Florabel gesturing to her staff to make sure our orders were taken care of. THAT is a good sign.

We ordered the monggo soup and a salad with green mangoes in it. Then we ordered the mixed platter that had everything on it – barbeque, pork chop, vegetables, oysters, fish etc. It was quite nice and just the right portion for a party of 7. I don’t remember any particular dish that stood out but for me it was enough to satisfy the old folks so it was fine. The service was good and the staff was attentive to our needs. It was a nice little discovery borne out of necessity. There are more new restaurants popping up here in Nuvali. So for all you foodies out there, I’ll try to post our food escapades as they happen.

Ciao or better yet, Chow!

We had dinner with my in-laws at Fire Lake Grill located at the exclusive Cliffhouse Tagaytay last night. We were already in the Alabang area earlier and had planned to have dinner at Melo’s but we had a change of plans because my FIL wanted to eat somewhere closer to home. They had an early flight the following day and he didn’t want to be caught in traffic on the way home. So off we trekked back to Sta. Rosa, Laguna. I told the husband that there was a restaurant I watched on ANC’s Shoptalk that they might want to try. I watched Chef Paul Huang being interviewed by Pia Hontiveros (a distant relative of the husband’s family according to my in-laws) and during the interview, it was mentioned that Fire Lake Grill was another one of those awarded restaurants much like our hometown fave Kanin Club. My MIL had a steak craving so I thought this might be a good place to try out.

We arrived at Cliffside Tagaytay a little over 8 pm. The sign said that parking cost P100 pesos. I was quite surprised cause that’s a little bit expensive for parking but they do waive that if you get your parking ticket validated at any of the restaurants inside. It was a bit rainy and windy because the storm was just blowing over and exiting the country but nevertheless who’s to stop you from having a good meal with the family.

Tucked away inside Cliffside Tagaytay, we were greeted with cool, modern interiors inside the restaurant with a view of Taal Lake outside. Of course it was dark so we didn’t get to see the lake but I can, from memory, imagine seeing it even in the dark. I love the chairs! Mine was sooooo comfortable I couldn’t help but comment to the head waiter David about it. My MIL stepped outside to enjoy the cool wind. Chef Paul, owner and executive chef of Fire Lake, was outside as well and he and my MIL started talking. Soon, my 9-yr old son joined their conversation which is not unusual. LOL  They came in and MIL introduced me to Chef Paul. I mentioned to him that I had watched him on Shoptalk and that’s what brought us to his restaurant. He started out as a corporate guy who left the corporate world and pursued his passion for food. Reminds me of  that saying “Do what you love doing and you’ll never work a day in your life.” In my opinion, one of the best business insurance for your business is to love what you do and enjoy doing it because if you do, success is just a by-product. You can find out more about him on his website Fire Lake Grill.

Okay, okay I’m sure you are curious about the food so here’s the tell-all. This is what we tried on the menu:

1. For starters we had nicely warmed bread and butter. I like the bread because it was sort of crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside. You can ask for more if you want. Great way to start a meal.
2. Cappuccino of pumpkin with cinnamon froth and rare beef slivers served in little espresso cups  - reminded me so much of those Iron Chef creations; very creative use of the pumpkin; my MIL loved the idea!  I think I’ll give it :   **** stars
3. Fresh salad of assorted Tagaytay greens, julienne carrots and capsicum, sliced cucumber and tomato wedges with your choice of dressing - we chose the raspberry vinaigrette. For me salads are mostly the same but what makes it stand out is the dressing. I love how he used the raspberries in the dressing and the greens were crisp and fresh… no brown spots! The husband and I split the salad and we both give this refreshing dish : *** stars
4. Grilled C.A.B. rib eye steak served with the cutest little Bugs Bunny carrots and french beans sauteéd in butter and with a side dish of your choice – we chose the roasted garlic mashed potatoes upon recommendation of head waiter David and it was sooooo good. I’ll give it : **** stars
5. Citrus-lemongrass marinated Australian lamb chops (3 pcs) served with those cute little veggies again and with french fries on the side for the kids –  the lamb was tender and juicy (sounds like a hotdog commercial lol), a little fatty though but that’s lamb so… the kids loved it anyway. My son couldn’t help but smile and in the middle of all that yummy goodness he said to me “Mom, this is so heavenly!” So for making my son smile from ear to ear alone I’ll give it : **** stars
6. BBQ pork loin with fresh cilantro and tomato-jalapeno relish served with rice for Yaya. She was quiet the whole time she was eating and so concentrated on her food. So for making Yaya speechless I’ll give it : **** stars
7. For drinks, the husband and I had the Fire Lake Grill Iced Tea which is their own house blend of iced tea and local fruits, pineapple being the most abundant in the area. For using local resources and helping reduce carbon footprint I give it : **** stars
8. Finally, pineapple carpaccio poached in Malibu rum and served with pink peppercorn, candied lime peel and home-made coconut ice cream in a brandy snap basket was our dessert highly recommended by head waiter David. I took a bite and I was surprised to taste something familiar in the dessert that I  normally use in regular cooking. It had peppercorns! I asked David if they were real peppercorns in the ice cream and he said they were pink peppercorns… not as spicy as the black ones but it added that little something to the dessert. Awesome and unique! For being creative I’ll give it : **** stars

Service was awesome. My FIL was happy to meet Chef Paul. Head waiter David was cheerful and attended to our needs and little requests. Our tummies were quite happy. How much did the whole meal cost – approximately 5k++ for 7 people. So it’s roughly around P700 to P900 per pax.  Overall, it was a pleasant and delightful experience to dine at Fire Lake Grill. No wonder it’s consistently been on the Philippine Tatler’s best restaurants list. Check out this little secret and find out for yourself!