Hill Station Cafe: Talk of the Town

I am still dreaming of Hill Station's callos - the sinful fat is heavenly soft while the sauce has the most delicate taste making it the best callos I've had so far. Now, I am getting ahead of the entry. Over the weekend, I headed to Baguio with a number of friends to attend a wedding. Because we just had one major agenda and some time to spare, the next best thing to do is to eat. 

Yeah, I was with the right crowd: the "Drive all the way to Baguio and eat" kind. Once we realized that we have a spare night after the bridal shower, Person A (aka the Driver) searched for the best place to eat in town and  suggested Hill Station. 

It's the only restaurant in Baguio which made it to the Miele Guide. I wouldn't think for a second to reserve a table in the restaurant. 

The Place

Although situated in the crowded city center of Baguio, once you descend the stairs you will have an impression that it's a quaint and lovely converted old house with hardwood flooring, big windows and very warm and welcoming atmosphere. 

Reminds you of a well-preserved ancestral home. 

There are artworks, clay pots and home-made products. The pieces of furniture are hardwood and I love the staircase that we can't help but take our photos on the steps.

The Food

If you made it to the Miele Guide, I think it is safe to say that the Professional Foodies think you serve good food. That should give us regular foodies ( aka lamon lang ng lamon) some assurance that we are making a good decision. 

The complementary bread is fluffy and soft. The selling point is the herb that comes with the oil - unique but good.

Beef Salpicao (PhP 150)

The beef is soft and tender, it's not oily and very tasty. It is categorized as an appetizer but if you order rice with it, solve na! If you like salpicao, this is a good order.

Cambodian Coriander & Garlic Chicken (PhP 380)

Marinated overnight and charbroiled, this herb-y tasting dish is a good fare if you prefer chicken. Meat is very tender and its strength lies in the spices that were used to flavor the dish.

Spanish Callos (PhP 370)

On top of my opening line, I just wanna add that this callos is to die for. I almost finished a whole cup of rice because it tastes very delicate - just the right amount of everything. Another description would be: comfort food - perfect for the cold Baguio weather. 

Ice Cream Palette (~PhP 150)

Winner the presentation, right? It comes in 5 flavors but since we went at night, we were only able to have the vanilla with spice, mango and rum, mexican avocado with some spice and strawberry. The ice cream is very creamy with silky texture and has that authentic flavor of its source ingredient. What makes this dessert unique is the addition of spices - which add kick to your usual flavor. 

Our group loved it so much that we ordered another palette. It doesn't matter that it's less than 20C outside.

In Summary

1. The place has a great ambiance: with its old-world charm and classic furnishing. It is a great place for anything: family gathering, smart casual gathering with friends and you will impress your date if you take him/her there.

2. Food is its strongest suit. The way it's cooked, ingredients used and presentation are all winners. I think it earned its Miele Guide status.

3. I say price is value for money, given the food quality and ambiance.

Hill Station Cafe

Case Vallejo, Upper Session Road

Baguio

63.74.424.2734

info@hillstationbaguio.com

Mon - Sun 7AM - 11PM

Antonio's

Person A and I have a strange love affair with Antonio's . The past 3 years we've been trying to reserve a seat in this Miele Guide - listed restaurant and every time there's a good reason why we can't claim our reservation: the place is not available on our chosen date and the other time we don't have the time to drive to Tagaytay hence we had to cancel and book a table at Lolo Dad's instead. The latter is not bad at all, I tell you, it's still one of the best fine dining experience I ever had! So this time, we made sure that we get to enjoy Chef Tony Boy's creation and enjoy we did!

The Place

Antonio's is a quaint, fine dining restaurant in Tagaytay. The restaurant is unique because it is packaged as an estate-like experience wherein you are invited to the Chef's own weekend home. I love the huge gate, the intricately-designed wood works and especially the well-manicured garden. 

Upon entering the tiered-dining areas, you know that chic and elegance are its catch-phrase: the black, white and red palette on wood express it all.

According to the restaurant's website, "Antonio's is much more than a restaurant. It is an experience - an experience we encourage each and every guest to savor and share". What made us very curious with this place, which opened in 2002, it is consistently rated by Miele Guide to be the number 1 restaurant in the Philippines since it started publishing its list in 2008. 

Let me highlight its staff as well. I had the chance to coordinate with them and every time they have accommodated me and extremely well-versed with the place and food. Service is exceptional and to put more meat to this phrase, the waiter interchanged our order with the next table. Good thing, no one started eating or touching the plate hence there were no consequences. However, when Person A got the bill, he noticed his wine was not included. He asked the staff what's the reason and she answered, "Compliments from the waiter". 

The Food

Antonio's offer set menu, when you order the main course, it comes with salad, soup, dessert and coffee or tea. Since we are at Antonio's, we decided to go for the steak (good for 2 persons) but that's getting ahead of the story. 

Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Foie Gras 

The portobello mushroom was grilled nicely, very soft and has that nicely grilled taste. The consistency is similar to that of the foie gras! It can pass up as a filler. 

Now the foie gras is excellent. It's so soft - almost liquidy! Lastly, the sauce just amplifies the taste of the appetizer. 

It is safe to say that Person A and I can't get over this dish.

Antonio's Organic Mesclun Salad

Bleu d'Auvegne crumbled, glazed walnuts, dried currants and cranberries, with raspberry vinaigrette, drizzled with basil oil

Ang sarap! The salad tastes so fresh and healthy! The leaves are very crunchy while the berries and vinaigrette provide a sweet taste tempered by the saltiness of the blue cheese. Let me share also that the serving of blue cheese is humongous!

Cream of Kohlrabi with Pancetta Soup 

Kohlrabi is from the cabbage family while pancetta is Italian's version of bacon.

The soup is served warm, tastes mushroomy and is frothy on top. Pancetta provides texture and added saltiness to the soup. Serving size is generous. It's really good. 

Grilled Certified Angus Ribeye Steak (good for 2 persons!)

700g ribeye, rubbed with cardamom, with Antonio's sauce, chimichurri. 

It comes with a lot of choices of side dishes, I had truffled mashed potato 

while Person A ordered Antonio's Black and Green olive rice. 

The steak was nicely done, thick slabs and goes well with the sauces. It's really good. It is a 700g order and I tell you it's a lot for 2 individuals! We think it's good for 3 persons. Here are the sauces.

Poached Pear in Port Wine with Vanilla Ice Cream 

Anything cooked in wine is always good. Having said that, this half a pear is really good.

And the vanilla ice cream is divine. This is a winner.

Felchlin Maracaibo Chocolate Terrine w/ Double Cream and Roasted Pistachio

I am proud to share that I chose our desserts and both are winners.

This one tastes subtly creamy then the chocolate flavor just explodes. Add the cream and roasted pistachio, we love it. 

Wildrock Pinot

This is Person A's red wine. It's the first wine that he thinks is really good. 

Just sharing.

We ended the meal with a cup of coffee. I should have chosen the herbed tea as I was very full.

In Summary

1. All in all, Antonio's is worth it's Miele Guide status. The place is very quaint, elegant and chic. The ambiance is formal-casual hence perfect for romantic dates and sophisticated meals with family and friends.

2. Price point is expensive BUT looking at the quality of food and the number of courses, I say, it's still value for money. 

Antonio's

Tagaytay

Tuesday - Sunday, 11AM to 2PM, 5:30PM - 8:30PM

63.917.899.2866