Bag of Beans Tagaytay: Not just an Ordinary Bread Shop

After our expensive, but hearty meal in RSM, we decided to drink coffee. Not just in Starbucks or Figaro, but in a coffee shop worth the travel. I have heard of a place in Tagaytay recommended by one of my former officemates. She said the breads and cinnamon rolls are freshly baked daily and the cheesecake was to die for. So, we rode an ordinary bus going to Alfonso and told the conductor to make a stop for Bag of Beans for us to get down and surprisingly, they know the place and they even told us many people usually go down on that bread shop and restaurant.

When we arrived at the place, we first went inside the bread shop. Inside we saw loaves of breads with different flavors. We also saw, and smelled, the welcoming aroma of cinnamon rolls and ensaymadas. The lady in the counter said we need to go down the stairs at the side of the bread shop to reach the restaurant.

The restaurant is as cozy as ever! It was only screened so the warm sun was the main source of light and breeze for the place. There were tables and chairs as well as sofa's and a comfy sala set where me and my Doms sat and ordered our dessert and coffee. The ceiling was covered with white drapes and the presence of plants and nature was all over the place. There were lots of people dining there: families, friend, lovers. Everybody has a relaxed aura inside the restaurant.

The happy waiter of Bag of Beans gave us the menu so we can choose. The menu had a variety of pastas, sandwiches, meals, desserts and coffee and juices. Doms and I choose the best seller among the choices, that is, brewed coffee and blueberry cheesecake.

When our oder came, I had to stop myself from taking a part of the cheesecake and tasting it already because Doms needs ta take a picture of the ensemble. The look of the dessert was heavenly and very tempting. When Doms was done doing his thing of taking pictures first of what we eat, I took a piece of the cheesecake and shoved it inside my mouth as fast as I can. Hehehehehe, it's a good thing Doms was not able to take a picture of that. =) The cheesecake tasted how I imagined cheesecake will taste. I was homemade and not yet commercialized that is why it has its "homey" taste. The sweetness was just right and and the blueberry topping was very right with it.

Then came our coffee. It came with fresh milk and brown sugar. Doms was the one who added them to his taste he was the one who made the stir. When I tasted his finished product, huh?, it tasted very good and unique. The combination of the cheesecake and the coffee was very nice! After that wonderful dessert and coffee, Doms took pictures of the place and we headed of to our next adventure.

So, next time you visit Tagaytay city, make sure to make a stop in Bag of Beans to feel and taste the experience. It's just along Alfonso. =)

RSM Tagaytay: Lutong Bahay with a price of a hotel

During our recent adventure in Tagaytay last October 6 and 7, 2007, Doms and I decided to try restos, coffee shops and Inns in that city. Our first stop of dining was RSM Lutong Bahay. It is just across our hotel and all we need to do is to cross the road.
The exterior of the restaurant was very inviting, just like all the other restos in Tagaytay. The motif of RSM is a combination of country and the ambiance of a turo-turo or canteen here in Manila, a "sosyal" turo-turo for short. With a Taal Lake view and ambiance, making it sosyal.

We were there around 11am, too early for lunch, so there were only a few people eating there. We were greeted by warm smiles and nice hospitality by the staff. They led us to a row of food where Doms and I just couldn't focus on one dish to another. There were all kinds of grilled cuisines, from Tilapia, Bangus, Labahita to Liempo, pork chops, BBQs and Pusit. There were also a lot of ulams with aromas that made our stomachs grumble from hunger. among those include: Laing, Bulalo, Sweet and Sour Pork, Paksiw, Pinakbet, Chopsuey and many, many more, I already forgot. What caught our attention more are the food that we ordered, Inihaw na Tilapia (pinaputok), Pork Binagoongan and Saba con Yelo. Add 3 servings of garlic rice and 2 iced teas.

The grilled Tilapia was so tender and there were a lot of garnish stuffed inside the fish, which made it more lovely to eat. The Pork Binagoongan tasted how exactly I imagined it, pati sauce ulam na! Then came the saba con yelo. It was soo huge, a family of 4 would be full to finish it up. Doms and I were so full and stuffed by all the food we had to take in. We were satisfied by what we had that lunch, but crashed when we saw our bill.

Pinaputok na Tilapia = P225
Pork Binagoongan = P250
Saba Con Yelo = P150
Garlic Rice = P120 (P40ea)
Iced Tea (not bottomless) = P120 (P60ea)

All in all, our total bill was around P950. We were a little, no actually, we were confused by how expensive the food was, considering we just ate 2 variants of food and a dessert. But, all has been said and done and we were just laughing about that experience. At least, we were able to share it to you guys how the food was, the "price" you need to pay for it.

After that shocking "bill-paying", Doms took pictures of the area and the vicinity. It was hard for him to take pictures of Taal because it was soo foggy and it kept on raining.

Here are some information about RSM Lutong Bahay:
Contact number: (046) 8602297
It is located along the Highway from Rotonda going to Nasugbu (Sorry, forgot the whole address)