tahanan bistro

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we were able to taste the following:
- rellenong pusit - covered in orange batter, this rellenong pusit is a bomb with all the bursting flavors inside.
- gising gising - i thought this was a dimsum, but yeah a dimsum like dishes with gising gising inside.
- danggit - this refreshing healthy green salad is a must try.
- pininyahang manok - that beautifully plated chicken dish with a twist.
- binagoongan - crispy pork belly indulged in tomato and shrimp paste plus all the other secret ingredients made this one a dish to come back to.
- bistek tagalog - this super tender braised beef shank is delicately made and plated nicely to make a simple dish a top notch.
- fruit salad - it is my first time to eat a salad with chia pudding in it and it was so good! and so healthy!
- ube - thisdessertplating would make you say wow! the ube white chocolate lava cake plus the cheese ice cream is just the perfect combination to finish this experience.
- lemongrass iced tea - i don't know but i find this iced tea taste like an old drink which the elders would probably drink while chillaxing, but it do taste good though i thought this was a sago't gulaman at first sip. haha.
oh if i only have so much time, i would spend the whole day here or everyday.
tahanan bistro
22 loresville drive, lores farm subd,
san roque, upper antipolo, rizal
open hours:
11am - 4pm
6pm - 10pm
notes: - make sure to have a reservation (check their account in zomato app) - wear your fansiest pair of socks or walk barefooted. - they have lots of wood arts which you can also purchase, and other art works, so better have extra money? - they have mini museum which composes of wood sculptures, paintings, vintage things, and lots of artworks. so better have your cameras on hand. - relax and enjoy the moment. - taste and savor the fusion of food they offer.
tahanan bistro is a home away from home!
@tahananbistro @zomatoph
#tahananbistro #zomatoph
#kwenthoughtelling #pauoiefoodandlife #foodandlife #takamtikimrepeat #pinoyfoodiegram #welovetoeatph #wlteplus #tagaantipoloako #antipoloblogger #antipolonian #antipolonianfoodie #antipolofoodie .

booked a reservation for our anniversary dinner. sasadyain mo talaga! it's so easy to get lost while finding the place but as soon as we walked into the gate, my girlfriend was awed by the picturesque compound, the cactus collection, and of course, the woodwork! the whole experience was so fulfilling :)

first course:
i chose the iraya set menu so my starter was the gising-gising dumpling. i wish the sauce had more flavor, but the dumpling itself was good for such a light fare. tine's was the rellenong pusit where everything tasted good together - the arugula, the lemon, the soft baby squid! (i liked this more than my starter hehe)

second course: danggit salad (common to all sets) - you can barely see any danggit but the taste was so prominent in a good way. it was a good balance with the quinoa and lime vinaigrette.

main course: tine's was the pork binagoongan with greek yogurt, baba ganoush, and a side of crispy flat bread. she/we enjoyed it so much she even joked she'll never eat my binagoongan again :( mine was the beef shank bistek which, honestly, wasn't as flavorful as i hoped it would be. plus, the marrow was missing! (biggest disappointment over the dish)

fourth course: palate-cleanser sorbets - we were given calamansi juice, guyabano, melon dew, and mint sorbets. we loved this!

dessert: tine'sdessertwas the loaf slice-looking cornbread bibingka with carabao milk ice cream. i was expecting it would taste sweet because it looked like french toast but it was very bibingka-y. it was salty and crumbly and went great with the ice cream!
mydessertwas the chia seed fruit salad with cashew biscuit. the biscuit was the best part of the dish! it tasted like a really delicate butter cookie. while i get that any sweetness was to be provided by the fresh fruits and the biscuit, it could've been better if the cream was a bit sweet too because i barely noticed the chia and cream layer.

bonus: because it was our anniversary dinner, we were served an extradesserton the house! it was a really fluffy banana care with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. this was better than my fruit salad imho.

verdict: if you have to personally choose between the iraya and mayon menus, choose mayon! its appetizer, main dish, anddessertwere more smile-inducing than iraya's.

overall, 10/10 come back every time the menu will change quarterly! highly-recommended! good value for money :)

ps: our bill was p3,300 (2700 for two set menus, 330 for the drink, and another 330 for service charge).

it was our 2nd time here. celebrated our anniversary again because we had a good dining experience during our 1st visit last year. this time around, food was still exceptionally great. only missing was the same good service. we were not asked if there was any occasion we are celebrating so there was no greeting (which they did when we first visited). they served the popsicle anddesserttogether so we needed to hurry eating our popsicle while the ice cream for thedessertis melting. upon receiving the payment, there was no acknowledgment of the amount and no “thank you”. while leaving, no one assisted us going to the gate. thinking if we will still go back for the 3rd time. the place and food are tops while service could be better.

celebrated my birthday here and props to the owner of the house and restaurant! the place is sooo beautiful, very clean. you need to take off your shoes before entering the main restaurant. a bit warm though coz it's not air conditioned. so best to go at night :)

we enjoyed the food especially the humba and the pares pasta. and the lava cake is sooo delicious. bestdesserti've tasted.

servers were very nice and polite. i really love the interiors plus the gallery. will definitely go back!

🐽 food: banahaw and kanlaon meal sets were equally delicious! serving per set is good for 2 persons. we were so full!

🍹 drinks: we ordered wine during our first visit and tried their lemongrass iced tea when we came back. the lemongrass iced tea was refreshing.

🍴ambiance: it was really romantic and peaceful. it seemed like we were not in manila. it’s also owned by an artist. you can see the wooden interiors made by him — each uniquely designed. there’s no aircon, although the place was well ventilated. that means fresh air everywhere too!

👫 service: staff were friendly and accommodating. they also follow up once in awhile to make your visit more pleasant.

💸 price: each set is about php1,200 and each per person needs to order 1 set. that includes salad, appetizer, main course, anddessertalready — with generous servings.

when i entered the restaurant, i was blown away by how private and cozy this place was. i loved the wooden furniture and the numerous lamps that brightened up the place. this is perfect for romantic dates or intimate gatherings. 

there were three options for the set menu, all priced at php1,200. i ordered the tindalo set menu which included potato soup, mixed vegetables (pinakbet), chicken risotto (tinola), a homemade watermelon popsicle, and purple yam (ube) and cheese for dessert. they tried to do their own take of traditional filipino dishes by adding unexpected twists which was great, but there was too much going on in the dishes to the point that it was confusing. the chicken risotto was also too salty, i couldn't finish the entire dish. thedessertthough was an entirely different story. the combination of ube and cheese was totally unexpected but they worked perfectly together. 

lastly, i'd like to commend the restaurant staff. all of them were great-- cheerful, polite, fast, efficient. i had an enjoyable dinner, thanks to them.

the place is very cool, cleab, it so homey & you can even hear gushing of water. 👍
the personnel here is so nice & friendly too bad i'm too shy to ask their names but they are so accommodating & they also took us for a tour of their gallery. uuh 😍
the food i love the soup,dessert& everything. 😍

today, i had the most amazing pre-birthday lunch in tahanan bistro. this garden-home restaurant is one of the most beautiful casual fine dining place i've ever been. they're located in the hills of antipolo, overlooking an expansive garden and forestry with a view of laguna de bay. the dining area is set with floor to ceiling sliding doors, bringing the outdoors closer to you.

tahanan bistro is the home of artist benjie reyes. after studying in melbourne, his daughter keesha and her partner chef kevin tuason came back home and opened tahanan bistro. they offer three set menus for 1,200php which you can choose from: kamagong, ipil and lauan. oh, and the names of their set menus are inspired by the surrounding trees that can be found in tahanan, and their menu changes every quarter! 👌🏻

the set menus is a 5-course meal which pays homage to philippine produce, it consists of an appetizer, salad, the main, a palate cleanser, and dessert. the boyfie opted for the kamagong and i chose the ipil:

kamagong set menu
🌿 dinuguan - pork blood stew, steamed rice cakes, crispy pig ears, beer-battered quail eggs
🌿 ukoy - crispy shrimp cakes, green mango, jicama, carrots, cashew, house-blend vinegar dressing, anchovy extract
🌿 kaldereta - slow-cooked beef rib, kaldereta sauce, gremolata, gnocchi fritti, carrots and olives
🌿 narangha - orange slices, roasted pistachios, house-made ricotta with mint leaves
🌿 ube - purple yam and white chocolate lava cake, cheese ice cream and sweet pastry crumbs

ipil set menu:
🌿 quezo de bola - edam, gouda, focaccia, vegetable batonettes, crispy gnocchi alla romana
🌿 ukoy - crispy shrimp cakes, green mango, jicama, carrots, cashew, house-blend vinegar dressing, anchovy extract
🌿 valenciana - chicken ballotine, red bulgur, roasted garlic, longganisa, capsicum, quail eggs and mango salsa
🌿 narangha - orange slices, roasted pistachios, house-made ricotta with mint leaves
🌿 champorado - pinipig, cacao sauce, candied sun dried herring, italian meringue

naturally, being the foodie that we are. we tasted each other's food. everything was amazing! i loved the kaldereta, the beef was cooked to perfection, it was so tender and full of flavor. watching the beef easily separates from the bone was so satisfying. the gnocchi fritti went well with it.

let's admit it. no filipino meal would be complete without rice. enter the valenciana, this one is wonderful play on the tastebuds! i think they used brown rice, and it was perfect with the chicken, longganisa and quail eggs! i haven't even finished half of this yet and i was so full already. it was just a bit of a struggle to separate the capsicum (a.k.a. bell pepper, lol!).

also, i am not a fan of salad. period. but their ukoy salad is delicious! the shredded jicama, green mango and carrots topped with cashews complemented the fried ukoy really well. it's not a complicated salad which i liked. and it made me eat healthy for once. 😂

now the dessert, i cannot choose what i liked the most between the champorado and the ube. both were just sinful and amazing! the ube white chocolate lava cake with cheese ice cream was the 💣! it's an interesting play on your classic lava cake. this was the boyfie'sdessertbut i was so sooo tempted to switch desserts with him! haha! but then i tasted the champorado, and i was torn. i think it was the best version of champorado i have ever tasted. not too sweet and you can taste the cacao perfectly. the candied tuyo added a nice kick to it!

the set menus doesn't come with a drink so we ordered for a pitcher of their lemongrass iced tea. the pitcher was served warm because it was freshly made. service here is impeccable! there were only two of them serving an estimate of 18 people, including us. they were very friendly and attentive, you don't need to call out their attention if you need anything, they anticipate it perfectly. annnnnd, they gave me freedessertto celebrate my birthday! hehe. it's banana fritters with vanilla ice cream, too bad i wasn't able to take a picture 'coz the ice cream melted too fast! ☺️

overall, it was a very intimate and relaxing afternoon. away from the hustle and bustle of the city, tahanan bistro provides a quick escape with a wonderful fine-casual home dining ambiance. they're a 32-seat bistro with a breathtaking view and amazing art surrounding the place. very laidback and chill. it's perfect for people who just wants a break from the city. oh, and their seats are special benjie chairs! ❤

they are by appointment only. if you decide to visit them, make sure to book a table 2 weeks in advance. also, use waze to get there. they're up in the hills of antipolo that you'd easily lose your way, but we got there with the help of waze just fine.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ amazing stars!

it was my first time at tahanan bistro. it's bali indonesia-inspired wooden door welcomes you to the restaurant which upon entry will give you such a breathtaking scenic view. the said establishment reminded me of two things: my grandma's ancestral in the province and kalui restaurant in puerto process city, palawan.

upon entry you'd be obliged to leave your shoes and walk barefoot on the shiny wooden floor. i only have good words for the ambiance and the interiors. as for the food, it's not entirely filipino fare. rather, it's a fusion of western and asian dishes with twists.

i love their version of caldereta. so enticing to look at, yet so deliciously good as well. i also liked the fact that they're using blue ternate flowers which research says could help improve memory. the ube lava and cheese ice cream fordessertwas also such a hit. the warm ube lava + cold cheese ice cream scoop perfectly complements each other.

the ukoy was also given with a different twist. crisp and deep fried, it's given a unique treatment with lemongrass, turnip and shredded unripe mangoes in vinaigrette. it gives off a refreshing taste on one's palate.

the champorado was a bit sticky but tastes good just the same. the fresh seafood pasta wasn't bad at all. it tastes just right, leaving an umami flavor.

overall, i would highly recommend tahanan bistro to friends who'd like to celebrate a special occasion and looking for a really nice place to try, especially if you're going to "pop the question" to your significant other. it's got one of the best view and relaxing resto i've ever been to. it's got huge koi fish and even has a rattan/wooden bed which makes one want to lie down after eating much. there's also an art gallery so your eyes can also feast with all the exhibits downstairs.

one thing i am sure of, tahanan bistro will not only please your eyes but your tummies too.

eat here and your family will thank you for it. going up to tahanan bistro is definitely worth it.