Tagaytay serves up new finds

TAZA Fresh Table Seafood Stew

As our balikbayans come home, ‘tis the season to again make that smooth drive to cool Tagaytay.

One of the better additions to the bustling Tagaytay restaurant scene is Taza Fresh Table in Taal Vista Hotel.

The hotel arguably has the best view of Taal Lake and the famous volcano, thereby becoming a top choice for many a wedding and a must-see for tourists.

It was sad to see the hotel deteriorate some time back, when there was no longer anything to rave about but the view.

Thankfully, a few years ago, the Sys started to make some serious changes.

TAZA Fresh Table’s colorful pizza assortment with salsa verde, homemade pancetta and grilled vegetables

Today, Taal Vista is back in great shape under the leadership of general manager James Bevans.

But the greatest addition to the hotel is Taza Fresh Table, which opened just this 2015.

It is now the hotel’s signature restaurant, run by former New Yorker (or is it once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker?) Chef Jayme Natividad.

I have known Chef Jayme since his days as lead line cook at hip New York brasserie, Balthazar.

I always credit him and another friend, Philippe Agustin, for introducing me to foie gras at this Soho favorite where I wrinkled my nose and said, “I think it’s an acquired taste!” (Perfectly acquired by this time, thank you very much!)

Afraid of being biased by friendship, I held off visiting Taza for a year and brought the country’s best chefs when I finally drove over to inspect Chef Jayme’s menu.

To my delight and relief, my roster of critics was all praises for the food.

Chef Glenda Barretto, the unparalleled doyenne of Philippine cuisine, loved Chef Jayme’s alugbati salad, saying that she even preferred it over what she had at a fine dining restaurant in Manila.

Of course, Taza has the advantage of being located in Tagaytay, where the greens are most fresh.

But this salad was not just about the alugbati. It was also about all the little details added into it: a dalandan and lemon vinaigrette, onions, jicama, tomatoes, and Chef Jayme’s own salted egg dressing.

“At Raymond’s in New Jersey, my first executive chef job nine years ago, I had to make a lot of salads for their menu,” Chef Jayme shared. Clearly, he has mastered the job.

But it wasn’t only the salad that was appreciated.

The kababuyan on the menu also drew raves—the pork offerings, that is.

Chef Sandy Daza raved about the homemade bacon, which was beautifully smoked, while Chef Myrna Segismundo appreciated the tenderness and flavor of the Tomahawk pork.

Again, these dishes seem easy peasy to create.

But the chef revealed to us how laborious in fact it is: “The bacon is marinated and cured for at least 12 days before being smoked for 4 to 6 hours depending on the thickness. The pancetta is air dried for a month,” Chef Jayme explained. Meanwhile, the Tomahawk pork chop is brined before being grilled. And the chef makes sure to use only roasted sea salt. He does his homework!

Other items on the menu are standard cafe fare, such as a pizza sampler and pasta.

But Chef Jayme takes advantage of the seasonal produce by incorporating these everywhere he can.

One of the pizzas, for instance, has grilled vegetables topping the sourdough.

“I am really inspired by the availability of local produce in the area,” he says.

Best on the menu is the cake served to punctuate the meal: Chef Jayme’s Coconut Cake.

It is essentially a sponge cake topped with coconut cream and then generously drizzled—more like covered—with fresh coconut shavings.

It is a beautifully executed dessert whose elegance lies in how the chef allowed the natural sweetness of coconut to shine. Just perfect with barako in the cool Tagaytay weather!

It’s great to see that after learning the ropes and paying his dues in restaurants of highly-acclaimed chefs (Keith McNally’s Balthazar, Tom Colicchio’s Gramercy Tavern, Mario Batali’s Otto and Lupa, Michael White’s Fiamma and Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio), Chef Jayme Natividad chose to come home and spread his wings here.

As his friend, I am proud. And I think his mentors, including the name droppables Mario Batali and Wolfgang Puck, would be proud, as well.

Do bring your family to this classic spot over the holidays. And when you hear someone noisy from the kitchen, take comfort in the fact that at least, the chef isn’t absent. As decorated as his curriculum vitae is, he hasn’t lost his loud and proud Pinoy roots, after all.

Taza Fresh Table. Taal Vista Hotel, Kilometer 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City. Call +6329178225 for reservations. Wheelchair accessible. No reservations required. Open for dinner from 6 p.m. daily except Tuesday and Saturday. Open for lunch 12nn to 3 p.m. Friday to Sunday. Open for breakfast 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Major credit cards accepted. Visit taalvistahotel.com or Facebook.com/TaalVistaHotel.

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