Tagaytay

Harvest time!

Farming and Gardening Food Sustainable Living,

GIANT Langka from our Tagaytay garden:

Don’t they just make you smile? 🙂

Harvested 3 huge ones just last week, and another one over the weekend.

When it came to cutting them open, didn\’t want to stain my fingers with the smell, so took a knife and fork and sliced away methodically.  Was surprisingly therapeutic, felt as if I was carving meat.

Also very happy to harvest so many bananas and papayas:

Great for breakfast smoothies.  They\’re all very delicious, and taste ever the sweetest because they\’re homegrown.

🙂

Will need to decide on what to plant in my Nuvali garden soon.  Space is small so need to plan properly.   Care to share what you\’ve planted in yours?

High on a hill was a…

Life in Nuvali Philippines, , , ,

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…Nuvali goat herd — Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo!

Taken in Avida Parkway Settings Nuvali on January 2, 2012.

A slight turn to the left, and here\’s the view (towards the West).   That\’s the perimeter wall of Venare, with trees from the Green Zone already showing.

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Any guesses what those two towers are at the rightmost peak?  How about that line of buildings in the middle of the mountain?  🙂

guyabano seedlings

Farming and Gardening Sustainable Living

I love guyabano, I can eat one whole fruit for breakfast everyday!

Whenever we chance upon an especially sweet fruit (we love it when it\’s also soft, literally like cotton), we set the seeds aside and try to sprout them for planting:

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The other week, we were excited to see these small guyabano seedlings (seen below on the left) ready for transferring to their own spot!

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Among the fruit trees in our Tagaytay garden, the avocado, langka and mango trees are the only ones still standing– the guyabano died from the strong winds. 🙁   Will make sure to plant these in a less windy area, maybe next to a protective wall.

Too bad in Avida Settings we\’re not allowed to plant fruit trees in our tiny gardens– maybe I\’ll grow them in big pots so their roots don\’t bother anyone.  Anyone knows how long it takes for a guyabano to bloom?

 

Banggerahan-inspired window

Green Design and Architecture

My dad is the rah-rah boy for the banggerahan, a window and sink extension common in traditional Pinoy kitchens, and he asked for a banggerahan-inspired window to be installed in our Tagaytay house:

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It comes in handy for displaying planters, or just for good old ventilation, similar to horizontal ventanillas we saw in Treveia\’s green home:

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These vents let air through from the outside:

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Ingenious modernization of tried and tested Pinoy architecture!

back to tagaytay favorites– bawais and chateau hestia

Slow Travel,

For my dad’s 65th and my kuya’s 31st birthdays, we trooped to our favorite places in Tagaytay– Bawai’s and next door Chateau Hestia, deep in the residential rows of Lagusan Drive.

Bawai’s is a Vietnamese restaurant, lutong-bahay style, and is owned by the Tatlonghari family. The word “Bawai” is actually grandmother in Vietnamese, and whenever we come here, we do feel like we’re just dining in a friend’s home!

They set up our table for 26 quite nicely.. \':)\'

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After all the appetizers, I had this dry noodle bowl with beef slivers… really yummy, and only costs P195!

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They also introduced rice dishes to the menu, here’s one with pork chops and omelet:

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We took a stroll to Chateau Hestia next door…

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…where they have a spanky new function room ready for use!

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Nice high ceiling with lots of light coming in… beautiful modern garden kubo!

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The cozy garden still enchants, and still makes me want to have my own garden someday…

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It leads to the main restaurant on the ground floor…

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Where they sell homemade limoncello (it’s good! and strong!) for around P800 a bottle I think..

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…and dense freshly baked bread…

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Happy birthday Papa and Kuy!  Was a lovely weekend with you and our happy noisy family! \':)\'

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Escape to this Tagaytay mountain vacation house

Slow Travel

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With quiet views of the Tagaytay hillside, this charming four-bedroom home can well be your private enclave in one of the most visited cities in the Philippines.

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This home was built on sloping terrain, and overlooks a lovely terraced flower garden that faces the Tagaytay mountainside.   The house is spacious and refreshing, with four large rooms, a den/entertainment room, 5 toilet and baths, maid’s room, a wide roof deck and a charming garden that’s now in bloom! A few mature trees bear guyabano and avocado fruits when in season. The area is windy and refreshing, making it an ideal sanctuary away from the noise and heavy air of the city.

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Location is the ridge area before the rotonda, making it accessible and away from the congestion along the restaurant row of Tagaytay. Nearby landmarks are Iglesia ni Kristo church and Aroma Apartelle.

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The two adjoining lots are also available for sale, making room for a bigger garden or pool.

Please contact Mr. Jose Pilar at +63920-9624873 or our office +632 6337601 for price information or to schedule an appointment.

Also for sale in the same area are the following residential lots:
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Come visit the house and experience for yourself the beautiful Tagaytay mountains that you could be waking up to every morning!

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Click here for more information about this lovely Tagaytay home for sale.

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our tagaytay garden in bloom!

Slow Travel

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Only two months ago, these bushes were low and mostly flowerless.. What a surprise to see them in overgrown mode! There must be something about Tagaytay rain– ang lulusog ng halaman!

Taken by my brother, Pete on Sept. 23, 2008.

More pics here.

Other Tagaytay pics:
Hardwood Furniture in Tagaytay
On the Way to Tagaytay, March 13, 2008
Meet my Lions!

Breakfast at Antonio’s
Tagaytay QT with Mom and Dad at Breakfast at Anotnio’s, January 31, 2008

Sonya’s Garden
Midweek Tagaytay recharge, June 26, 2007, Tuesday
Flower Power
Inspiration for Tagaytay House

Our house for sale

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Click here for more info on our house

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Manos Greek Taverna

Slow Travel,

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I first visited Manos Greek Taverna with two girl friends over a year ago. Always with a soft spot for anything homemade (i.e. made with love), I’ve since listed it as a Tagaytay favorite.

A greek-style carinderia, Manos is a roadside restaurant along the main Tagaytay road (on the opposite side of the ridge) about a minute away from the rotonda.

I really did feel very My Big Fat Greek Wedding-ish the first time I saw those blue and white curtains and tablecloths, not to mention the matching music and paintings of Greek beaches and houses. Add to the scene Manos himself, the place’s most Grecian import, who is such a cheerful and hands-on owner! He’s usually seen grilling meats and preparing dishes in the kitchen himself.

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The only disappointment I’ve ever had here is they don’t serve hummus, but just last month I discovered the perfect alternative: fish roe dip, also served with pita.

Other musts: Dolmades (steamed rice in grape leaves with yogurt dip), Gyros, Grilled chicken, yogurt with fresh honey (from Ilog Maria)

Why the place is charming: The menu offers, before anything about the food, a detailed romp through food history and the place of Greek cuisine in it. Talk about pride and passion for one’s work (told you I’m a sucker for “heart”)!

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Grilled chicken with real smoked flavor

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Yogurt with fresh honey and pistachio bits

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Baklava

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Bill for 5 full stomachs \':)\'



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Yumm fresh milk at Mr. Moo’s

Slow Travel,

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I first heard of Mr. Moo’s when a friend pointed it out on the way to Punta Fuego last year. She said her dad just looooves their fresh carabao’s milk.

Early this year, finally decided to give it a shot– and I regret not having given in sooner! The chocolate carabao’s milk was exactly like the one we used to buy at the gas station near UP Los Banos as kids. Totally had a ratatouille moment when I had my first sip. Haaaaayyy.

Packaging is cute in rounded plastic containers, which the salesboy will cover with ice and newspaper if you’re ordering for take out.

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Available are fresh cow, carabao, and goat products: (milk in 200ml and 1L), pastillas, kesong puti, ricotta cheese, yoghurt, soap. Also soy milk, tiny pan de sal. Wholesale prices available for orders of 10 pieces or more.
Mr. Moo’s can be found on either side of the Sta.Rosa-Tagaytay road. If going to Tagaytay, you’ll see it on your right after the road access to Lagusan Drive and before Casa Marcosa and the Tagaytay City Palengke. If Manila-bound, you’ll see it on your right a few meters past Leslie’s Too. See map.

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