Marcia Adams: Charming Garden Restaurant in Tagaytay

Marcia Adams is one of those places in Tagaytay that you hear being talked about but people seldom get to visit. One, because it is a bit expensive and two, because the food they serve is not something a lot of Filipinos are familiar with - Greek/Mediterranean - or would probably enjoy.

Admittedly, I was wrong on both counts.

It starts with a simple wooden door at an
unimposing lot in Alfonso, Cavite

There is no one to greet you or point out where the entrance is to the restaurant. Although, there's a small house across with people inside who will helpfully guide you and sell you Espasol at the same time :D

You follow a small path in the midst of what I can only describe as a wild garden. 

small fountain welcomes you

entrance to the restaurant

The main restaurant is small which can fit about 20-25 people. Very cozy and the windows were open to let the nice breeze in. I've never been to Tuscany or anywhere in Europe for that matter which is where the inspiration for the building came from. However, I can certainly appreciate the stone walls, timber ceiling and wide open windows that made me feel that I'm not in the Philippines anymore. 

main dining space

Outside the main building is an open dining space.

lots of light created by transparent ceilings and glass wall windows

One side of the open dining area can be opened to let more view in. It could be closed if the breeze becomes to chilly. 

We opted to have our lunch inside another room what I believe they call the sunset room. A smaller space but with nice open windows on both sides.

I don't know what is it with white embroidered tableclothes/napkins but I always associated it being "sosyal". Maybe because it's so impractical but pristine at the same time that I feel only rich people would use it. Loved the white charger plates as well.

On to the food!  Basically, they have a minimum cover charge of P700/head with 10% service charge added on. The minimum cover charge is consumable, don't worry. You choose a main course and the price will include an appetizer and dessert of your choice. For the complete list and price of the dishes, please click here.

Appetizer

With my main course, I chose Amalfi Prawns. The prawns was a little bit on a small side. But the taste is absolutely spot on. Nice, crunchy, not too salty and perfectly bite sized. With a bit of lemon squeezed in, it was the perfect appetizer and could probably have eaten a dozen with no problem.

Crispy and succulent prawns marinated in salt, pepper, olive oil,
parsley, coated with bread crumbs and fried

My friend chose the Soup of the Day. The clear broth was really good and very hot which was perfect on a cold day. Very flavorful, perfect amount of seasoning and plenty of bacon cubes. I appreciate that they don't scrimp on the ingredients. I asked the waiter to split it into two so I can also have a taste. Good thing too since my friend said she couldn't finish the entire bowl if it was only served to her.

Clear broth soup with vegetables and bacon

Main 

Whenever I go to a restaurant, I always get the best dish of the house or the one recommended by the waiter (you can't go wrong). For Marcia Adams, this was the Aromatic Pork. They described this as pork belly massaged with aromatic spices & herbs. My take is that this is one heck of a very good grilled pork liempo.

The size is big. Good enough for two or one hungry customer. The meat is tender enough that you don't need to use a knife but not too tender that it falls apart on you. The flavor has just that right amount of sweet/salty combination. No overwhelming spice that leaves an aftertaste in your mouth. The best part? No fat (no kidding) but it is still moist and juicy. That for me is amazing.

I know the food is Mediterranean and all but man, what I wouldn't have given for a a saucer of Ilocos or even Tagaytay vinegar with a bit of garlic! Hay naku ...... but I had to restrain myself and eat it plain as how the owner intended.

My friend had their Corsican Beef Stew. Initially, it was a letdown because when you think of stew you usually have this image of chunks of meat in a bowl of tomato based thick sauce. Yes, they have the chunks of meat which was not exactly fall of the bones but was still very tender. The meat was good and tasted fresh in the true tradition of Tagaytay beef. But the sauce was a bit watery and reminded me more of Nilaga, another Filipino dish. However, the stew does have nice combination of spices (which I couldn't identify). After the initial disappointed, we did enjoy the dish. Wish there were more sauce, though. 

Described in the menu as a hearty rich stew

Dessert

After that good appetizer and main course, I was more than ready for dessert. For myself, I had the Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce. Eventhough I hate anything sour, I still ordered this because it's one of their recommended dish.

My first thought is that anything that green can't be good. Well, I was wrong again. By itself the Panna Cotta was firm enough and creamy. With the lemon sauce, it elevated it into a whole new level and all I can say is WOW. Not too sour, not too sweet and like what Goldilocks said, just right. The sauce blended perfectly well with the Panna Cotta and even without. It was that good. We scraped the plate and licked our spoon and could have called it a day :D

lemony goodness

Glad we had the Panna Cotta first because the other dessert was just okay: Grilled Orange with Vanilla Ice Cream. My friend said it would have been better if it was grilled pineapple but I guess that won't make it Mediterranean. Ice cream was Selecta and the entire dish was drizzled with honey.

Between the main dining hall and the sunset room where we were seated is the small kitchen. It's open and you can see your food being prepared.

Flowers were everywhere and I liked that. It adds a nice touch and made me smile.

Our bill was given in a nice purse which added to the experience. The bill for 2 appetizer, 2 main course, 2 desserts and 2 drinks with 10% service charge is about P1,900. It may be a bit more than what my usual budget is but all things considered, I think it's well worth it.

The Verdict?

Do not expect too much - the place is simple and not professionally decorated, the garden is not that well taken care of, the view was not that good since there were a lot of trees or plants blocking what should have been a fantastic view of the rolling hills behind the place and the food was executed well but rustic. However, for some reason, everything just melded together to create this charming place. That, I believe, is the magic of Marcia Adams.

A nice place to visit and enjoy the food and company.

Marcia Adams
JP Rizal St
Brgy Sikat
Alfonso, Cavite
0917 801-1456 (text only)

Directions is ridiculously simple: from Olivarez Rotanda in Tagaytay, turn right and go straight until you reach Residence Inn. Turn right on the road immediately after the arch with the pineapple. Look for the wooden door to the left about 150 meters. 

Reserve to make sure you have a table, cash only. 

Project Pie : Artisan What?

I admit I'm a reverse snob. Just the word "artisan" automatically causes my eyebrow to rise. However I love my mother who is a pizza fanatic and I wanted her to experience something new. So after she had her medical check-up today, I thought it would be the perfect time to take her to Project Pie, a new restaurant that just opened near Mall of Asia.

The restaurant is part of the newly constructed complex called Bluebay Walk along Edsa-Macapagal which is located just before reaching Mall of Asia. The area is so new that all of the other spaces are still closed.

surprising number of people on a Monday afternoon

sounds like a mantra :p

The concept is simple. You have the option to order 1) one of their 7 basic pizza or 2) create your own. You can add as much toppings as you like without extra charge! Yes, seriously.

plenty to choose from

If you're like me and find it difficult to make a decision, you can choose one of the basic pizzas and just either add/subtract the toppings. I ordered two basic pizza ... #2 (all meat, red sauce) and #5 (cheese).

more toppings please!

For # 2, I requested they add prosciutto because face it, more meat is goooood.

For #5, I requested they add feta cheese, mushroom and caramelized onions.

pretty colors

Tadaaaaa! My cheeezy pizza with mushroom and caramelized onion. Love the super cheezy flavor and the feta cheese adds just the right amount of saltiness. Caramelized onion was just enough that it adds that sweetness to compliment the cheese.

I really liked it even though it was a bit oily.

Mom loved her meaty pizza. The red sauce was just perfect (not too sour), it had plenty of meat toppings and the pizza was just cooked enough to have that bubbling cheese effect without having a burnt pizza bottom.

Normally, I don't eat the edge of the pizza but for this I happily made an exception. Nice, not-too-thin crust that is really flavorful by itself. Each pizza is about 9 (?) inches - not really that sure. All I know is that it's the perfect size for one hungry person :D

happy, happy, happy :D

Final Verdict?

The above caption says it all. I like the fact that I can create my own pizza and add on numerous toppings without additional cost. The pizza tastes good .... nice thin crust, flavorful toppings, different kinds of cheese to choose from. Best of all, the price is very affordable (P350 for a pizza and drink). Mom, who is a pizza snob, gives it an enthusiastic thumbs up!

Just some minor concerns: 

-  Sloppy cut on both our pizzas. Had a bit of difficulty cutting the pizza with a plastic knife. Not take out friendly.

- There is only one size for the pizza (about 9 inches) so each person needs to order their own (which makes the line and waiting time longer). Not sure what you do if you want to order take out for the entire family. Buy 6 pizzas?

- Even though there was a flyer at the entrance telling you what to do, the kinds of pizzas available and toppings, people would still ask the server, ""What is available?" Believe me, I understand since I also asked the same thing. However, if you're already hungry and  if there is a long line being held up by a person who can't make a decision if he/she really likes mushroom with her pizza, it can get a bit annoying. I hope they make a big sign before the start of the line which shows the instruction and basic pizza and toppings available.

PROJECT PIE
Blue Bay Walk
Edsa - Macapagal Ave
Pasay 
https://www.facebook.com/projectpiephilippines
hours: 10am - 10pm
credit card accepted

Direction: Coming from Edsa, go towards Mall of Asia. Once you cross Roxas Boulevard, keep your eyes open on the right and you will see the store from the street. They are located before the first intersection light.

Thai Cooking: Pad Thai

After my cooking lesson last November in Thailand, I resolved to "re-create" the Pad Thai recipe for my family this Christmas.

all important recipe guide

preparing everything - had to use chicken instead of prawn

I know, I know - cheating a little bit with a prepackaged Pad Thai sauce

The original recipe (good for 1):

70 gram thin rice noodle
4-6 prawns
1 egg
1 tbsp hard Tofu
1 tbsp dried shrimp
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp chopped shallot
1/2 cup bean sprout
1/2 cup garlic chives
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp chopped roasted peanut
4 tbsp Pad Thai sauce **

** Pad Thai sauce (for 4 tbsp) - mix all together

1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tbsp palm sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp tamarind paste or vinegar
1 tbsp oyster sauce

1) Soak noodle in tap water for 20 minutes.

2) Heat wok. Put oil in pan and sautee garlic and shallots. Add prawns , dried shrimp, tofu. Stir fry until prawn is cooked. Set aside on pan.

3. Break egg into pan and stir until cooked. Set aside on pan.

4. Add noodles and water. Stir until noodle is soft.

5. Add Pad Thai sauce in the noodle and stir until noodle is cooked and dried. 

6. Add bean sprouts and chives. Stir everything together until cooked.

7. Put in a bowl, sprinkle roast peanut, add one slice of lime and top with coriander leaves. 

Ta-daaaaa!!!!

Since there were 4 of us, I just tripled the recipe. Overall, the dish was flavorful. Right combination of salty, sweet and sour. However, I think next time I would add some salt while stir frying the chicken. I would also cook the noodles a bit more since mine was a little chewy. All in all, not bad :) Can't wait to cook the curry!

Bangkok: Cook for A Day

I love Thai food. So when I saw that attending a half-day cooking class as one of the recommended activities to do in Bangkok, I did not hesitate to sign up and dragged my friends along on our recent trip to Thailand.

Sompong Thai Cooking School is located in a quiet neighborhood just near Bangkok's business district. The owner, Ms. Nancy, used to own a restaurant but then decided to open a cooking school at her home. Reservation is made through their website and you can check the dishes that would be taught depending on the day you choose. Normally, you get to prepare, cook and eat 4-5 dishes for 1000 Baht/per person. 

:D

We had no problem going to the place because their representative met us at the exit of BTS Chong Nonsi station wearing a red apron with the logo of the cooking school. We took a short ride to the venue which was actually an apartment with a covered garage.

Cooking area which was very clean and organized. No aircon
but plenty of electric fan to cool us off. 

It is a small cooking school which can accommodate up to 12 people. At that time, there were 12 of us but mostly Asians (Filipino, Chinese) and 1 German guy.

Each person has a cooking station

Inside the house is an air conditioned area where
we will eat our "masterpieces"

While waiting for the other students, you are free to
munch on some cookies or biscuits and drink some Thai tea

clean utensils and apron while chopping board is covered 

They offer morning and afternoon classes. We opted for the morning class which is 9am-1pm  and includes a market tour. 

ready friends?

ready to buy curries

Teacher Ann showing us the different vegetables

almost ready!

Back at the school, we were taught the basic spices and ingredients of Thai cooking. Although they gave us each a folder with print outs of the recipes, I will strongly advise you to jot down notes. Most of the advice of the instructor is not shown on the print out and your notes will prove helpful later on.

spices, spices, spices

Some of the ingredients are prepared beforehand but we did the prep work of the vegetables ourselves. 

First, the instructor will demonstrate how each dish will be cooked. 

After each demonstration, it will be our turn to prep and cook the dish. The instructor made it looks so easy but once she says, "Okay, your turn!", my mind immediately goes blank - lol. Good thing that while we're cooking the dishes, the instructor would give out the step by step instruction :)

Here is what we prepared:

Kao Phat Kai (Chicken Fried Rice)

Tom Yum Kung  (Spicy Prawn Soup)

Kang Mussaman (Chicken Mussaman Curry with horse radish)
- we prepared the curry from scratch (!)

We made the dessert (golden pumpkin in coconut milk) 

while the Mango was free

After cooking everything, our dishes are brought into the dining room so we can enjoy them. I don't know if its because I'm a genius at cooking (hehe) or because the dishes was still hot when we ate it or the recipes have been tried and tested but ..... everything tasted really really good!

Since Pad Thai was not included in the course for that day and we really wanted to know how this is done, we paid an extra Baht 300/per peson to prepare this. No regrets - this was really good as well. I tried to recreate this when I went home. For the complete recipe, go here.

Bottled water, Ice, Coke and Thai tea is served. 

If you cannot eat all of the food you prepared, the school offers to pack them in individual containers. Of course, glutton that we are, the only left over we had was the Pad Thai. This we took back to the B&B which became our snack in the afternoon :D 

Final Verdict 

The teacher gave very simple instructions that were easy to follow. The cooking and eating area were very clean. No flies even if it was an open space. The helpers would immediately clean up while you were cooking and prepare the next ingredients. However, the instruction on the recipe print outs could use a bit of a tweaking since some of the instructions printed were not that clearly written. 

All in all, one of the best experiences we had in Bangkok. Highly recommended even if you're not going to prepare the dishes again. Going to the local market, seeing how our favorite Thai food are being prepared, having a sense of accomplishment in preparing the dishes AND eating such delicious food at such an affordable price is well worth it!

Note: Wear light clothing, don't eat a heavy breakfast, be prepared to remove your shoes inside the school. No credit card so prepare to pay in cash after the class.

happy cooking!

Sompong Original Thai Cooking School 

31/11 Silom Soi 13 , Silom Road,

Bangrak Bangkok 10500  

Tel 662-233-2128

www.SompongThaiCookingSchool.com