We went to Tahanan Bistro earlier today for a Valentine’s lunch celebration. Reservations were made a month ago and I am really glad we secured a slot because it allowed us to fully experience the place without stress.
We arrived about 45 minutes earlier than our reserved time since we were expecting heavy traffic, but surprisingly there was none. Upon arrival, we were not allowed to enter the dining hall yet because the earlier batch of guests were still being served. Instead, we took the time to roam around the garden, which turned out to be a great decision. The space is beautiful and relaxing, with koi ponds that I personally enjoyed watching.
Once it was our turn, we were asked to leave our shoes at the doorstep and wear their slippers inside, which added to the homey and intimate vibe of the place.
The menu format was interesting. The starter, salad, and dessert were fixed, while we were asked to choose our appetizers and main dishes.
For appetizers, we chose the sinigang croquette and the gising gising dumpling. Both tasted great. The sinigang croquette was a bit too sour for my liking, but still well executed. The gising gising dumpling was delicious. Flavor wise, you would not immediately associate it with traditional gising gising, but it still tasted really good.
The salad was simple cabbage. It tasted good since I love cabbage, but nothing extraordinary.
For the mains, we opted for the lechon belly tuna, pineapple chicken, and bistek. These Filipino dishes were served with a twist. The tuna was hands down my favorite among the three and was very well done. The bistek was cooked perfectly like a proper steak, soft and medium, which I absolutely loved. The pineapple chicken was okay. It was good, but nothing particularly memorable compared to the others.
For dessert, I loved their ice cream made from carabao milk. It reminded me of the creamy ice cream I had in Hokkaido. The cassava was just okay, but the pastillas made from Gorgonzola cheese was something special and unique.
Overall, it was a great experience. It is quite far from Manila, but the food and the ambiance make it worth the trip. I would not hesitate to return. Parking along the roadside is allowed, so it is not an issue.
Note that there were lots of small ants around. Unless you are afraid of them, it is not really a big issue. You can also hear a loud noise from time to time, which we later learned was from a peacock.
Great ambiance, great service. I loved how the crew was very direct and accommodating.
