Mystery Critic
The Best Restaurants Out There - And Much More!
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Sonya's Garden, Tagaytay City, Philippines Last Visit: Apr 2009
OVERALL
Tagaytay is an interesting place. You would typically expect one of the top Italian restaurants in a country to be in its financial district, not in some volcano lake town, but there it is - Antonio's in Tagaytay. There are also a number other restaurants and bakeries that would beat those Manila franchises anytime. Sonya's Garden is one of them. You will be completely surprised, not by its beautiful garden and dining setup, but by the quality and creative combination of its cuisine. This is definitely a do-not-miss in Philippines if you ask me! First of all, I need to clarify my earlier praise for their food. Sonya's by no means serves the best food in Philippines or even Tagaytays, but they clearly know how to use food to complete the experience of the visit. So food is just part of the garden visit, but a pleasant part of
This is one of those restaurants to with no menu - you sit down, they start serving. So why do they do that? It might be the fact that the chef only cook those things, but more likely is to allow you to relax and enjoy rather than figuring out what you'll order. The mix of dishes is intriguing, complete with italian and mexican flavors in bread spreads - and the bread here and in the bakery was AWESOME! - down to pineapple with American-style salad. Oh, the souffle cake and fried bananas at the end just completely threw me off the first time - is this french or filipino or frenipino??
Let's not forget the entree. The main entrees is a spaghetti with multiple sauces, chicken and salmon belly. Granted that not everyone likes broild salmon belly, I had to admire them by not serving any red meat in a place that is very, very likely to be visited by Americans. The desserts were actually MY highlight of the meal (shouldn't be a surprise to you by now, my loyal fan!) - served with a herbal tea that was super refreshing and, again, matches the atmosphere, but it helped digestion which means I had more fried sweet potatoes than I typically would. To be fair to other restaurants, I've had much better bread, salad, spaghetti and desserts elsewhere, but somehow what they served hit the right note. In the Philippines, you will get good service in the equivalent of Fisherman Wharf. At Sonya's Garden, everyone knows you are either tourists or lovers, neither which they need to pay too much attention to or try to please. Well, they still did a good job, deliver the usual Filipino hospitality and with the usual Filipino laid-back attitude. While such mix worked well most of the time, if you want to get some towels to cover spilled juice or need the bill quickly, you won't get that here. Then again, if you are really into professional and uptight service, you should consider Peninsula instead of Sonya's.  I can honestly say that there are very few restaurants I've been to that impressed me as much as Sonya's Garden. It's not because it's meticulously laid out or decorated, but because it has character that is beyond description by words. The whole garden setting, from the get-go, is a major attraction that'll get you absorbed in beauty. Everytime I visited there are different flowers blossoming, but not in the way tha Japanese pack their cherry flower or American overflow their lilies. It's a lot subtle and natural here.
Then there's the greenhouse, which is your dining room, with strange lights that are VERY Filipino and unique (to a foreigner anyways). Everything matches a natural and unpretentious theme - from table cloth to bathroom! DON'T expect 5-star luxury just because I gave ambience five stars - I loved it because it's IT, it's one-of-a-kind and boldly done to make a statement, "this is how I like it". Besides, it's just downright relaxing and comfortable, beats 5-star hotels anytime! VALUE Given that this is not a five-star establishment, it's priced to attract a wide range of customers, from local middle class to foreign visitors. While it's by no means cheap - you'll pay P700 without drinks other than the included fruit cocktail - but to pay that for the overall pleasant experience is quite reasonable even by Manila standards. Throw in all-you-can-eat into the picture and you get the picture - the value is pretty hard to beat. BOTTOMLINE How many times can you visit a restaurant that serves the same thing everytime you go there? Well, apparently many times. I 've become a repeat customer not because its spectacular food, but the great memories I had with the place and the dining experience -which obviously includes the food. Overall, Sonya's delivers an extremely pleasant dining experience that will sooth your taste bud and rest of your body and soul. BTW It's slightly tricky to find, so before the print out the map or make sure your driver knows where it is. If the Filipino driver says "I think I know where it is", it means he's never been there. Also, do make an effort to get there early so that you can walk around the garden, check out the setting for the events and spa, and buy some of their famous baked goods. YUM!
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