RESTAURANT VERBENA

In life, I believe in many things....

I believe that when there is a kid lining up at a fast food counter, you should give way to him/her.

I believe that you should always make time to have night outs with your significant other and not just have him as your "default" date when nobody is available.

I believe that if you're a mom you are entitled to take the first taste from your family's food to test if "may lason".

(Tee hee)

And I believe in hard work... That one should always be able to make a living for himself/herself.

Then along with that...

I STRONGLY believe that you are allowed to spoil yourself once in a while with all that hard earned cash!

Oh and yes... even if I'm so "kuripot" I will treat myself in RESTAURANT VERBENA whenever I'm in TAGAYTAY! 

It all started when my friends Ann, Gail, and I gabbed and daydreamed last February about dressing up to have dinner in a swanky place..... 

Then... ding ding ding!!! We thought of the award winning restaurant in the heart of Tagaytay City!!!

So after months of planning, we all packed our bags, grabbed our kids, and headed to Tagaytay city for a weekend getaway!

Then for dinner, the moment we have all been waiting and dreaming for....

(drumrolls...... with "ting"!)

RESTAURANT VERBENA!

Here we go... roll call!

Ericjaz Foodies!

Cuties Andrei and Mati...

Mareng Gail and Pareng Jun... 

Pareng Jonas and Mareng Ann!

P.S.... No that's not John Lloyd he he he he!!! Mr. Jonas Virrey is the Resident Manager of DISCOVERY COUNTRY SUITES (which houses RESTAURANT VERBENA) and he's also OUR PUGI FRIEND!!! 

How lucky could we get???

BUT, i did tell him that I'll be brutally honest with regards to their grub. If I did not like it, I would not insist on taking the leftovers home. See that's just the kind of friend that I am.... hehehe

UNFORTUNATELY, everything was wiped out clean!! Grrr! Not a cinch for my "dog". Teehee!

 Oh well.....,

, 

TEAM YAP!

 

The meynuh!

 

Meynuh too!

Meynuh once more....

Oh meynuh meynuh....

ENOUGH!

LET'S EAT!

We started off with their complimentary bread platter. And wow... This ain't your ordinary bread platter because it comes with three very flavorful spreads... the tangy Tomato Sofritto.... woodsy Chicken Liver Butter, ....  AND (my favorite) the Creamy White Bean with Dill!

All are yum if you ask me. If I was not embarassed to be labeled as PG (patay gutom heller) I would have wiped the whole thing off when they're not looking.

BUT! We are dressed to the nines here so that requires a little control on my part... 

Tee hee (For now...)

Next off is another one of their scrumptious appetizers... Flavored Asparagus encased in crusty parmesan bread....

If Mr. Virrey is reading this, I'm sorry but I forgot to take notes of what your appetizers are exactly called. Ha ha ha ha! All I know is that they were there one second then another minute it was all being munched, grinded inside my mouth.

Ain't you all lucky that I was still able to take a picture now? Ha ha ha ha!

By the way, the resident manager just called  on my hotline informing me that this appetizer is the Asparagus with Parma Ham Grissini and Parmesan.

He's also asking where's all the silver from the table.... 

24601??? But... but...

(Les Miserables : "But my friend you left so early... maybe something slipped your mind... You forgot I gave these also... would you leave the best behind???)

KIDDING! I'm just in my LES MISERABLES phase. Please don't ban me. Ha ha ha ha!

My friend Ann may not really fond of vegetables but she considerately ordered this for me and Gail. And by golly are we glad she did! The HERB-MARINATED MUSHROOMS AND ORGANIC ARUGULA (P395.00) was so delectable, crunchy and truly marvelous that we can't stop ooh-ing and aah-ing at every bite. Think of it as CYMA'S Roka Salata but MUCH, MUCH compact in flavors and really better!!!! I am so willing to travel 2 hours from Manila for this.

It's just boo that Ann, the non-veggie eater, loved this after a forkful that she got  my share. Boo... boo... boo...

Kidding! ha ha ha ha! 

If you have kids with you when you go to RESTAURANT VERBENA, I recommend that you get the ORGANIC MOZZARELLA CHEESE POT (P395.00). Even if this was marked as an appetizer, it was also a popular pot in our table.

It comes with warm foccacia bread for you to spread all of that cheesy, tomato-ey goodness!

Mati loved the dish because he felt it was an assemble your own pizza! Not only did this keep the kids busy, it kept them munching as well! 

I'm HUNGRY! This plate will be full in no time!

Do you guys like my "biceps" by the way?

For the kids we ordered some CHICKEN FINGERS AND FRIES with extra rice. For our 3 little ones, this truly filled their tummy. Mati, my adventurous foodie said this was very yummy. Still, he was curious to what the grown-ups were eating.... He he he he!

That's my boy!!!

RESTAURANT VERBENA'S RISOTTO ALA PESCATORA (P695.00)! If you think that this is a "light" order, well you are SO WRONG. Us adults (with Mati) each took a petite portion of this and was blown away with how delectable it is... Seafoods were fresh and risotto was creamy as it should be. 

And wow... It almost filled me up! Even if I'm such a heavy eater, I don't think I could finish this on my own. 

RESTAURANT VERBENA'S PAN ROASTED SEAFOOD (895.00) was another surprising delight for me. Of course I enjoyed the clean but divine bite of the seafood but I did not expect that a pureed pumpkin to be a such a delish accompaniment! It was creamy, tart, and the spiced pine nuts added an extra crunch to it.YUM! I'm drooling right now just thinking of it.

I was successful in making a perfect bite here... I put a bit of fish, alfalfa sprouts, pumpkin puree with pine nuts on my fork.

I swear that after putting it in my mouth nobody could talk to me. I was savoring each morsel and it became the MOST important thing to do at the moment. ha ha ha ha ha!

No husband... no friends... heck even no kids.... 

KIDDING... (okay but only with the "no kids" part ha ha ha ha!)

I apologize for taking a poor picture of RESTAURANT VERBENA'S S ANGUS BEEF GHOULASH (P795.00) but do you really need a sharp picture of slow cooked US Angus Beef in Onion and hearty sauce?

Some may describe this as a next level mechado but believe me, it is more than that. 

Honestly, I am not overly fond of beef stews, but their ghoulash was very meaty and robust! VERY yum! And, after red wine was served, everything just became perfect. I'm not really a wine drinker but you will get what I mean after you shovel a spoonful of beef with lots of sauce into your mouth and drink wine when you're choking. Ha ha ha ha ha!

RESTAURANT VERBENA'S SURF AND TURF (P1,400.00)!  The red meat was exceptionally tender and flavorful that I did not notice there was herb butter to add another layer of taste to it.

Did not need it anywhoooo... it was heavenly as it is!

Ericjaz foodies (TEAM YAP) with the Virreys and Campos at RESTAURANT VERBENA!

My plate!!! YUM!

Mareng Gail making chika while little Sasha and little Andrei (at the far end) are making eye to eye! Yihiiii!

The spread... (empty?)

Because everything is at MY side! HAR DE HAR HAR! 

Kidding ladies!

It's now time for some HEARTY red wine!!!!

Me and Mareng Ann, my friend since College in the school that sells the tusok tusok the fishballs... he he he he he!

This went so well with the meats!

A toast to our great dinner for the year!!!

Bottom's up!

Kids were very behaved all throughout the formal dinner!

Of course because if they were naughty they won't get dessert!

Come to think of it.... OH THEY WERE SO NAUGHTY so they won't get ANY of the dessert! 

(Tee hee!)

DESSERT TIME!

RESTAURANT VERBENA'S Panna Cotta medley!

Plus my favorite... RESTAURANT VERBENA'S THE CHOCOLATE MARQUISE!!!!

It was so good that I can't help but hug the lady who made this wonderful heaven on a plate... Chef Marites Lopez!!!

If you were running in this year's elections I would DEFINITELY vote for you! Tee hee!!! Then please pass the MARQUISE bill! YOHOOO!

My hearty and loving compliments to the chef! Thank you SO much for such a wonderful dinner Chef Celmar Ambida! You da man!

Bida ka ng puso ko! (Sorry can't help the cliche on his name... ha ha ha ha)

Op op... check out where's my arm... tee hee!!! 

Truly a wonderful dinner with great friends, delicious food, and TEAM YAP!!! I can't wait to share this goodness to the other peeps that I love! Some items may be pricey but the quality, service, and TASTE makes it all worth it (believe a kuripot gal like me)! We WILL definitely go back to RESTAURANT VERBENA!!!

LET'S EAT!

RESTAURANT VERBENA

Discovery Country Suites, 

300 Calamba Road, San Jose, Tagaytay City

+632.529.8172 / +6346.413.4567