Where do we eat? Nobody ever knows. It’s a question that’s brought the bravest citizens of this country on their knees. The variety of choices can be paralyzing, and the idea of risking a bad meal with a new food joint could hurt both palate and pocket. The question remains unanswered.
In the first edition of Where We Eat, the CNN Philippines Life team lists down restaurants, casual joints, and even takeaway brands that fill our stomachs and keep us happy. From a Tagaytay getaway, late night Poblacion grub spot, to delivery-only gems, here’s a roundup of where to eat this month.
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My Country House Tagaytay
This former vacation home was recently transformed into an al fresco restaurant that preserves much of the original house’s features. Raintree Hospitality, the team behind Chotto Matte, Saboten, and Coast Hotel in Boracay,, was already operating Farmer’s Table when they were offered the spot next door. Not much of the house’s original beauty changed, and guests can walk around the wide garden while waiting for their food.
Much like the best lazy lunches with family on vacation, the food at My Country House Tagaytay feels like classic Pinoy takes on global cuisine: indulgent but simple, with a distinct twist to each dish. The restaurant also features baked goods and pastries that you can bring home — their sourdough bread makes a good base for an easy, homemade toast. The best part is that it’s only an hour-and-a-half’s drive away from Manila, so you can either stay overnight in Tagaytay or stay for a long afternoon. Either way, a visit to My Country House feels like time well-spent.
The highlights: The seared foie gras canapes as a starter, the tableside caesar salad (an experience worth having for a minimum of two people), and the tender cochinillo that requires an advance order of two days.
Perfect for: Short getaways that feel like a world away
My Country House Tagaytay is at 115 Pulong Sagingan Street, Maitim 2nd West, Tagaytay. For more information, visit them on Facebook.
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Nolita Joe’s
My favorite food connoisseurs are drunk people because a drunk will never lie. Late night beer/pizza joint Nolita Joe’s is a brilliant marriage of minds — a pizza and a dive bar combined. The name is a portmanteau of two existing dining concepts: casual Italian restaurant Nolita and beer brewery Joe’s Brew.
The result is a no-frills experience that keeps you focused on the truly good stuff: New York-style pizza served on paper plates and a wide selection of locally brewed beer and hard liquor. The space is decked like a typical dive bar — there’s seating right by the pizza bar, so you can sip on a beer while watching pies get made; there are TV screens streaming sports by the door and the bar. Situated on one of the busiest streets in Poblacion, Nolita Joe’s seems designed for folks coming and going who’ll either have some beer to pre-game then come back hours later, in search of a pizza to devour. Though the food menu is currently limited to pizzas, co-owners Pat Santos (Nolita) and Marco Viray (Joe’s Brew) promise that there’s more to come soon. In the meantime, they plan on hosting karaoke nights and watch parties for sporting events that will, of course, be made better with good food and brews.
The highlights: The Joe’s Brew Beer Flight (the Blonde Ale is a personal pick) and the Spinach and Artichoke Pizza.
Perfect for: Ending your night on a high note
Nolita Joe’s is located at 5666, Don Pedro St. Poblacion. They are also available via delivery on GrabFood.
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Musha
I once saw a TikTok video of a woman who orders catered food every week and repackages them into a meal prep menu for herself. People came for her excessiveness (“Why don’t you cook??”), but geniuses are never recognized during their lifetimes, are they? It’s a brilliant set-up for many of us living alone or without much time to do groceries and cook our food. One way of adopting this concept is to order food trays for yourself at the start of each week, and portion them for your daily baon.
A recent rediscovery is the shawarma food tray selection by the delivery-only brand Musha. Made by the same minds behind Kodawari, Musha currently offers three different shawarma trays: beef, chicken, and lamb. Every order comes with a generous pack of the Musha sauce, a yogurt-based sauce that you’ ll want to drizzle all over each bite.
The highlights: The beef and chicken tray is perfectly divided between the two proteins, so you can switch it up throughout the week.
Perfect for: Meal-prepping, big brain edition
Musha is available in Manila and Cebu. DM them to order on their official Instagram page.
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Chido
My new favorite party trick is bringing a box of Chido whenever I see friends, because it never fails to evoke a sense of marvel upon the first bite. It’s a donut, it’s a mochi, it’s both. Homegrown in Marikina, these Hawaiian-inspired mochi donuts feature an interesting mouthfeel. The dough is made with glutinous rice flour to give it a bouncy texture, then formed into a scalloped shape that makes it look like a bracelet of tiny mochi balls. The curves of the donut also make it ideal for slicing, so you can taste a little bit of everything.
The highlights: The Mixed Box of 12 is a good mix of their classic and premium flavors.
Perfect for: Cheering yourself up after a two-hour meeting