T’Viand Specials: Bulalo on the Hill in Tagaytay was as random a find as can be.
After going to Gourmet Farms to buy coffee, we planned to eat at Farmer’s Table for lunch. But the wait time was two hours, so we left with sadness while our tummies grumbled. We were traversing the Tagaytay Bypass Road when we passed the sign for some “bulalo on the hill”. We stopped, drove up the hill and hubby went inside to ask if pets were allowed.
Only goes to show you – always leave room in your life for randomness. Stop planning every single thing and life will surprise you.
Thank goodness, T’viand Specials allowed our furbabies to sit with us in the outdoor seating area.
Here’s what we ate for lunch on that cool and drizzly Monday:
* Lechon Kawali – Check out this deep-fried pork belly with crispy skin!
* Pinoy Gulaman – I loved this colorful and refreshing drink!
* Vegetables with Dip – Perfect snack to munch on while waiting for our food!
* Bulalo – This one was a must-order, after all, bulalo is in their tagline. They described their bulalo as a “flavorful broth enriched with slow-cooked fibrous beef shanks, bone marrow and vegetables”. It’s true!
* Sinigang Salmon – It was not how I expected the sinigang to be. It was a tad too saucy for my taste.
Sharing here some pictures I took while we were at T’Viand Specials.
Verdict:
Spacious parking lot going up the hill. Indoor and outdoor seating. Wheelchair accessibility. Gracious and friendly servers. Play area for kids. Insta-worthy interiors and exteriors.
As for the food, the Sinigang Salmon was different from the Sinigang Salmon that I’m familiar with. I’m not sure what their souring ingredient was, but I was expecting tamarind. In addition, I was expecting salmon fillet or salmon steak. But they seemed to have used a bit of salmon belly, backbone and tail, which just seemed full of bones that I’m not a fan of. All the other dishes were pretty good though.
As for customer service, I give them a thumbs-up, especially with what happened to my Pinoy Gulaman. While I ate, I didn’t notice that a little insect jumped inside my glass until I was about to drink. I didn’t complain about it, just drank a glass of water instead. When it was time to pay, I told our server and showed him my glass. He apologized and said they’d replace it to-go. That won them brownie points from me. Other restaurants would merely say, “pasensiya na lang po” and charge you for something you didn’t get to consume. But at T’Viand, they did the right thing, even if neither they nor I am to blame. I brought it to their attention for their information. Yet they sought to fix the issue.
We haven’t tried a random restaurant in ages (random as in we didn’t look it up online – we just went), so trying this place was fun. We’re lucky that they served pretty good food and their outdoor seating really made the most of Tagaytay’s cool weather. Good thing they welcomed our fur babies too. What a good find!
Address:
T’Viand Specials
Alfonso Bypass Road, Brgy. Kaybagal North, Tagaytay City