A Taste of TAZA Fresh Table in TAGAYTAY CITY

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TAGAYTAY CITY | For many locals and tourists to Manila, Tagaytay is the automatic choice for views, an escape from the busy city and the touch of cool mountain air. A traditional stop has always been the Taal Vista Hotel, one of the oldest hotels to grace Tagaytay ridge overlooking the crater lake and its volcanoes. Now Taal Vista has something even more to offer and this time it has a gastronomic treat in store for its clientele.

Read more: TAAL VISTA HOTEL STAYCATION

Taza Fresh Table is a fairly new edition to the plethora of restaurants and eateries that can be found in Tagaytay. But certainly, Taza serves an added attraction to the delights of Taal Vista Hotel. The restaurant can be found nestled just below the main hotel building and closer to Mountain Wing. It has commanding views over the attractively manicured gardens of the hotel as well as Taal Lake itself.

A view of the outside of the restaurant which features seating for al fresco dining.

The evening views of the restaurant show the inviting and cozy interior of Taza.

The interior of the restaurant is designed in such a fashion as to provide a suitable atmosphere for a romantic evening for two, a cozy setting for a family get together or a venue to celebrate that special occasion.

The upper area of the restaurant, seen above, provides ample spacious seating for smaller groups, whilst the lower level provides seating for both larger and smaller groups.

For the discerning diner it’s always comforting to be able to see exactly where and by whom your food is being prepared and Taza Fresh Table provides, as can be seen in the image below, a clear view into the busy but pristine kitchen area where your meal is being prepared.

As it was our first time to experience the food prepared at Taza Fresh Table, my friend and I decided to opt for a variety of dishes so that we could leave with a good idea of the gastronomic delights that Taza had to offer. The detailed restaurant assures diners that the vegetables are freshly sourced, either locally or from Baguio; seafood is sourced from their partner suppliers in IloIlo and beef comes from Bukidnon. The menu also assure us that the chicken and pork is naturally raised and free of antibiotics and hormones. These details are becoming more and more important to the truly discerning diner who is as concerned about the source of the food as much as the taste.

Our first course came from the Mezze or appetizers. We opted for the hummus and the spinach with bacon jam. Bacon “jam” you may well ask – but it was delicious! Both appetizers were served with home-made flat breads and the restaurant Taza (which is Arabic for fresh) certainly lived up to its name. Both dishes were tasty and fresh – a suitable introduction to the dishes yet to come.

This was followed by two delectable soups: a delicious concoction with four varieties of locally sourced mushrooms and a ribolita with market vegetables, kale and beans as its base. Once again both had such a depth of flavour but the fresh ingredients were certainly the highlight.

Of course the true test for truly fresh ingredients are the salads and these certainly did not disappoint. The watermelon salad featured below was beautifully fresh and complemented with a zesty calamansi dressing.

Our other choice was the Taza salad with a delicious tarragon-white wine vinaigrette.

The time had come for the entrees! Of course these are always the stars of any meal and after the delicious introduction we new that we were not going to be disappointed. The New York strip, featured below, was succulent and tender Australian Angus Beef served with beer battered onion rings and a herb butter. Bon apetit!

Our other choice of entree was the Grilled Turmeric Chicken which was served on a bed of tzatziki. Again a wonderful symphony of flavors!

Of course no meal is truly complete without satisfying that sweet tooth and here we were not disappointed with the desserts, also depending on local fresh supplies as their base. Here we were delighted with our banana ricotta tart and fried sweet cannelloni. Truly a sweet ending to a memorable meal.