This Week in Tagaytay (July 18 to 24, 2016)

Aquatech Philippines will hold their 7th Aquaculture Expo and Convention Philippines at the Summit Ridge Hotel from July 20 to 21. The event’s theme centers on latest innovations in aquatic food cultivation and market strategies.

Joining the event are suppliers and producers of equipment, supplies, and services related to seafood and aquatic products from all over Asia Pacific. The comprehensive trade show is open to the public and a livelihood seminar will be held for free, while pre-registration is required for the free seminar and technical conferences.

It is going to be bed weather in Tagaytay with a lot of rain showers and thunderstorms this week. With the lowest forecasted temperature of 22°C, it can get chilly in Tagaytay especially when it pours, so aside from a sturdy umbrella, packing extra sweatshirts or a jacket is advisable for travelers going to the city during the start and the end of the week. The sun will reveal itself as the cloud clears during the mid-week.

Bulalo or beef shank soup is the most popular food to try in Tagaytay. This soup made from beef shank with the bone marrow still inside the bone, cabbage, pechay, onions, and corn is very enjoyable to eat in a place with cool weather such as Tagaytay. Among the most famous restaurants that offer bulalo soup are Mer-Ben Tapsilogan at Mendez, Aguinaldo Highway, T-House at Calamba Road, Tower Ground Bulalohan at Sambong, and Mahogany Market at Brgy. Kaybagal South.

For a different kind of bulalo soup, Concha’s Garden Café located at Richland Hills, Silang offers Concha’s Laoya. Laoya is sweeter than the regular bulalo soups and has mashed sweet potao, eggplant, and banana. This Concha’s bestseller costs PhP420 good for 2 to 3 persons. Other popular food in their menu such as Spicy Beef Adobo and Morco are priced at PhP290 and PhP400 respectively. Recently, Filipino actor and one-half of the phenomenal AlDub love team, Alden Richards, opened his own Concha’s Garden Café located branch at Cliffhouse, Tagaytay.

Gaining popularity recently is Le Don’s Garden and Café located in Asuncion Subdivision in the town of Silang, near Tagaytay. They are known not only because of their menu using ingredients that are organically grown straight from their own garden, but also for the seminars related to gardening and organic food production that they regularly hold.

On July 30, Le Don’s Garden will be having an Organic Mushroom Production Seminar. Registration is ongoing this week.

Their popular dishes include Dinakdakan, Curried Coconut Mussels, and Le Don Chef Salad.

Tagaytay is known as the “Country’s 2nd Summer Capital” because of the cool climate there. But the city is also known for two more things: First is for the scenic views overlooking Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. Second, is for the leisurely travel that can be experienced as soon as one who is driving a car or commuting on a jeepney or bus reaches Silang, Cavite or Sta. Rosa, Laguna on the way to Tagaytay. The scenery going up Tagaytay is best enjoyed with the car air-conditioner turned off while the car windows are rolled down. The cool breeze that touches the skin of the traveler is an unmistakable sign that the Southern city of breeze and peace is near.