It Never Gets Old

On our Fridate last week I found myself biyahilo on our way to Tagaytay: traffic was bad and I was operating the music player hence most of the time we were accelerating or decelerating and my eyes were not on the road. Don't worry, I was not driving.

However, when we reached our destination, my unease was easily lifted off by the beauty of the place. The pathway to the restaurant. 

The view from our table for 2, which was set with quaint, shabby, chic dinner pieces.

White carnations in a dainty water jug.

Mums, mums and voluminous mums.

Cherry tomatoes in a bowl.

Another bunch of carnations by the window.

White roses, anyone?

And this purple, yellow and white statice arrangement.

The sweltering heat in Manila is nowhere to be found in Tagaytay. In fact, when we arrived at the place, a choir of kuligligs greeted us and the temperature is about 3 degrees C lower. Lounging by this garden set is very tempting. 

Imagine yourself sipping a cup of Tarragon tea in this pretty, little teacup. 

Aaaahhhh..... living the life. I should have not lifted the saucer - para more sowsyal.

If the place looks very familiar, it is Marcia Adams - one of our all-time favorite places. The floral arrangement never fail to blow me away. I had a short discussion with Neil, aka Mr. Adams/Marcia's husband, and he mentioned that the flowers are Marcia's thing and we all know that the food is personally prepared by Marcia. Not bad, not bad at all.

I can't help but request for some photos to be taken. Presenting my jeje moment for the night. 

So on our way back to the metro, I was so inspired by the flowers that we stopped at the junction flower shops to get some flowers. I found out that the flowers are darn expensive, very expensive... so I did not get any.

It's still best to get flowers in Dangwa.

I should ask Neil next time where he gets the flowers.

Flowers of the Night

I and a group of 16 friends capped off the work-week with a dinner at Marcia Adams. The place is exactly how I remember it.



Neil Adams is very gracious, the garden is blooming with flowers, the restaurant still takes my breath away with its rustic charm and oh, the flowers are gorgeous.



Oh, so gorgeous bursting in different colors



There's a huge bundle of baby's breath and another white flower in a wicker basket



White and yellow mums on the table top



A burst of yellow on a steel stand



Alstroemerias all over the hallway



And a bunch of white roses in a tin can by the window. My favorite.



It was a lovely, cold, fun evening to start the year. Thanks for having me.

Marcia Adams: A Slice of Tuscany or Something

When a place has no signboard, yet majority of the online community is raving about it, then it must be worth the trip up the highlands of Tagaytay.

One can easily miss this wooden gate with a door knocker that hints you've reached the beautiful abode of Neil and Marcia Adams.

The wild garden with brick walkway is just so pretty.

Is it Tuscan enough?

I have no idea. I've never been to Tuscany but the ambiance of the place is just lovely that I am at a lost for words to describe it.

We were seated at the rustic restaurant with pretty wild floral arrangement here and there. Neil Adams warmly welcomed us and gave a rundown on the menu. Filipino hosts should learn a thing or two from this man.



The set menu is a straightforward 3-course meal which is priced at PhP 700 - 900 a person.

I wasn't able to take a photo of the appetizer but the thick pumpkin soup and amalfi prawns (prawn with breading on thin wafer) are worth the try.

The tanigue kebab is light and tasty, good with couscous.



While the aromatic grilled pork is a gourmet rendition of the classic inihaw na liempo.



We shared dessert and started off with the fried banana with dark chocolate dip. The dip is nutella and my mind keeps mistaking the banana for french fries.



The seared orange with vanilla ice cream is surprisingly a light touch to end a tasty meal.



I generally get by with water but Neil is right, the drinks are not overpowering and pair well with any of the dishes.

Person A had Ginger beer. It is brewed ginger hence it doesn't taste like beer at all. I suspect this will be up and running as my drink of choice.




Their house Lemon-Lime-Bitter concoction is also a good choice since it's made of dalandan (my guess) and soda water.




In Summary
1. The price is value for money given the portion size and nice ambiance of the place. The food could do a little more so that you can write home about it. Still, I'd choose Marcia Adams any given day.

2. They don't accept credit card. Since we had no cash between us, we had to drive back 4 km in heavy traffic because the nearest ATM is at the Mendez junction. Don't make the mistake of driving to Nasugbu - it's 30 km away!

3. The place is good for a romantic dinner, catching up with friends and a hearty meal with family. The rustic restaurant would feel more complete if there are kids running around.

4. I'd like to come back late afternoon to witness the famed sunset at the lounge and enjoy the wild garden.


P.S. There's no intent to make this entry a food review. I am bad at it.

Marcia Adams

J.P.Rizal St.

Sikat, Alfonso 

Cavite

63.917.801.1456