Let Chef Thomas Take You on a Wild Ride in Wild Juan

April is a busy month for a good number of people in the food service industry as Madrid Fusion 2017 takes place.  From April 6 – 8, 2017 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, people from near and far places come together to share their passion for food.  Part of the delegation representing Calabarzon is the chef behind the placed tagged as “definitely not your ordinary food find among the rising places at Tagaytay Ridge”; this is Chef Thomas Murillo of Wild Juan.

As a food lover as well, We usually start young in appreciating food. His love for food started young and he took his first step towards it during his sophomore year as a Consular and Diplomatic Affairs student at the College of Saint Benilde.  He decided to take commercial cooking and culinary arts at First Gourmet Academy and had his apprenticeship at 2nds after.  This lead him further by becoming one of the pioneering member behind Paprika PH and years later his own restaurant at a family-owned place at Tagaytay Ridge.  Wild Juan is born.

Wild Juan bears the concept of East meets West and is delivered with the hospitality of Filipinos in the Southern part of Luzon.   His food creations are something that we are all familiar with but are delivered with a twist and flair.  Perfect sample are the Sisig Paksiw, Krispy Kasoy Kare-Kare (KKK) and Gumbulalo.  Three common dishes but comes with a new level of flavor and goodness due to techniques and passion.

Learning never ends for Chef Thomas as he earns his NCII Commercial Cooking and ServSafe:  Food Safety & Sanitation certificates.  He pushes himself to be the best and at par to the world, thus making his quality for food high and passion much higher.  He doesn’t stop there as he then shares his knowledge and passion this coming Madrid Fusion 2017 to foreign delegates and proudly represent Calabarzon.

Chef Thomas Murillo, stays humble yet proud of his craft thus from love of food it now is a burning passion.  Come at the biggest food event this season at the SMX in Pasay or visit Wild Juan located at KM 68 Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway and experience the comfort and passion that he shares at every plate served.

The Wild Juan is located at KM 68 Pinesville, Tagaytay- Nasugbu(National) Highway, Tagaytay City, 4120, Philippines

For Inquiries/reservation: +63 9154324196    +63 9178404211

Much Love! 

xx Alice

Weekend Comfort food at Chateau Hestia

Sundays are reserved for spending some time with our loved ones and also that includes eating a scrumptious meal with them. A better way to do that is to enjoy great company at Chateau Hestia. 

Besides from being a bed and breakfast place, Chateau Hestia also offers delectable food that is fit for the family. Here are some of the food that I tried with some blogger friends of mine. 

Food options at Chateau Hestia: Dinner Menu

And now my friends we have come to the part 99.9% of the time I would wish to be transported back where I ate because I want the experience to be as authentic and as unbiased as possible - The food! 

Chateau Hestia's food is more aligned to German cuisines due to its founder and owner. German food are traditionally rich and hearty. German food also incorporate potatoes and sauerkraut in their dishes.

I am really honored to meet the chef which is Ms. Natalia Moran that talked about the different dishes they serve their customers. 

One cool thing about Chateau Hestia's restaurant is they have a set menu to offer for those that have just visited Chateau Hestia for the first time. And also their set menu changes every month. 

Another thing that I discovered is that Chateau Hestia's goal is to serve the freshest food to its customers, or what we can call a farm to table setting since Chateau Hestia is surrounded by independently owned farms such as Malipayo Farms and they also grow some of the herbs used in Chateau Hestia's backyard you can expect that the produce is really fresh. 

This is going to be one of the longest food post I've written and there is sure going to be a LOT of food shots so I am warning you as soon as now - get a bag of pop corn! haha!

  

When we arrived at Chateau Hestia, we were served the set menu  

 

Chateau Hestia actually offers a different set menus every month. 

 

They also have a special cheese platter that showcases different kinds of cheeses from the tart to sweet kinds. 

 

 

 

They also served different kinds of bread that are all freshly made at Chateau Hestia. The Malunggay pesto that was served on the side isn't really my favorite because I expected it would taste like the regular kind - but it was very bitter for my liking. 

 

 

While munching on some bread, we were served with the thick and hearty squash soup.  This kind of soup would remind you of chilly days that you would just like to spend on your bed all day. 

This tasted great and its a great starter for you meal. 

 

There was actually two options for our main course and I chose the braised Lamb ravioli with mint sauce, feta cheese and tomato lamb au jus. the ravioli actually is thick for my liking but the lamb was really nice and soft to chew. The sauce was thick and has a deep flavor.

For Dessert we had Apple Streudel. I remember my friend once told me that a Streudel is similar to a pie, but honestly I don't know the difference is that the streudel does not overwhelm the palette with its sweetness. 

Okay guys I will have to cut this article for now because if I continue with every thing that I've tried at Chateau Hestia you might hate me for killing you diet. LOL!

watch out for the next post that will be about the breakfast and lunch options. 

Much Love!  

xx Alice

Quick Getaway From the City At Chateau Hestia: The Place

Hey guys! I am back with a new post about Chateau Hestia. 

This time it will be all about the rooms you can choose to stay and also what activities are in store for you at Chateau Hestia. 

Quick Getaway From the City At Chateau Hestia: The Stay

Hey Guys! 

The weather nowadays is giving me the vibe to just go to bed and rest all day. And usually with my packed schedule sleep has become a luxury so I am very thankful to be part of the group of bloggers that were invited to experience Chateau Hestia last May 10 and 11 for an overnight stay.

This will be a 3 part series. So today's post will be all about my experience. 

Founded by Austrian national, Johannes Zehethofer in 2008, Chateau Hestia is a haven for those that are looking for some rest, relaxation and privacy without going far from the city. Located at Silang, Cavite and is off the beaten track, it gives the place a much sought after look because it would make you think that you are far from civilization with its surroundings. 

There are actually different rooms that are unique and will transport you to a different place once you enter.

I was really lucky to stay at Sampaguita Casita which has a jacuzzi! 

the room has no air conditioning but because of the trees that surrounds the casita and also the roof made out of Anahaw leaves, you won't have to worry about the heat. 

 

It has a very old yet modern but homey feel to it which is really nice because you will feel at home easily here. 

The bed in our room is a four poster bed that reminds me a bit of the old beds from the Spanish era. 

The bed was super comfortable that all I wanted to do is lay there and let time pass. 

Yes I just want to do this with the bed all day! Don't Judge me!!

The only problem though is that they don't have a clear 3G connection which is hard pertaining that I kinda live online 24/7. Its a little thing I will forget if the return is a soft bed that I wish I can take home. 

Over all my experience staying at the Sampaguita Casita was A-MA-ZING. I would definitely recommend this room to stay in when you book your stay at Chateau Hestia. 

Speaking of booking, You can book a room thru their website www.chateauhestia.com 

Check out the part 2 which is all about the other rooms and also a whole tour of Chateau Hestia and their rates. 

Much Love!

xx Alice

Wednesday Humpday Picks at Rue Bourbon

Its the middle of the week! 

I am pretty sure you are excited because there would just be 2 more days before the weekend arrives again. I am pretty stoked as well because I will out for a whole day of events and I am so excited for it! 

But if you are not having the same weekend as me then I think this place will cheer your up. Rue Bourbon Eastwood is one of the four restaurants that serve American cuisine. The interior is like a mardi gras setting with all the leather and also beer mugs in its interior. 

Spicy Seafood Agli Olio - 390PHP

Here's one of my recommendations: Spicy Seafood Agli Olio.

Of course before drinking make sure to eat some dinner and I think this is a great one to eat. It has some prawns, calamari, and mussels. 

Its like carbonara without the creaminess and was replaced with more of a seafood taste to it. 

After that of course you will be needing your pulutan or pica pica and Mango Barbeque Chicken Nachos would be great to pair up with your beer. 

The taste is very different from the usual nachos. Besides from the different colored nachos the variety of taste from the barbeque sauce, mango sauce and the chicken bit will make you reach out for it more. 

Cucumber beer for 260php

And of course I won't forget the drinks! 

If you are feeling heavy and you want to really clear your head go for a flavored beer. 

They have 6 flavors available: Caramel, Apple, Cucumber, Lychee, Roasted Hazelnut, and Cervesa Clara. 

You can have a glass for about 120php but if you really want to release that tension go for the Big Ass for 260php. 

Clear Peach for 250php per glass.

But if you are with your girl friends and you just want to chill go for a cocktail like Clear Peach for 250php. Its sweet and smooth. 

Those are just my night out picks if you are heading out tonight and would like to try Rue Bourbon. 

Rue Bourbon is located at Eastwood City walk 1 in Libis; Sky Ranch, Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay; Forbeswood Heights, Burgos Circle in BGC; and Ground Flr, Aguirre Bldg, 108 HV Dela Costa Cor Tordesillas St. Salcedo Village in Makati. 

Go forth and chill your Wednesday night at Rue Bourbon! 

Much Love! 

Alice 

Road To Tagaytay with my girlfriends!

This is a food and travel blog, but the only thing is.. I rarely travel which makes this blog more of a food blog. I know. I have failed as a travel blogger... BUT that doesn't mean I have to give up right? 

Luckily I was able to go to Tagaytay a couple of weeks ago with my friends. This post is a little late because I was terribly busy with a lot of things but all the memories are still fresh in my mind.. wow may ganun talaga? LOL 

Okay lets begin. To start off I traveled to Tagaytay on a private vehicle so I'm not sure how much money you have to shell out to get there but you can easily ride some buses. I suggest going to Tagaytay before the weekend starts, around Thursday to Saturday? Traffic is less hassle and going around is much easier - Trust me enjoying the view without other tourists will be a much blissful experience. 

We went there Sunday morning and we stopped over Nuvali which I heard has a wave park. Unfortunately we weren't able to see that. the only one that we saw is their clubhouse which actually looks more of like a convention center.

Of course in the tradition of me and my friends, we had a jumpshot.. but almost all the pictures are FAIL. either my face is not ok or their faces are not ok. Oh well.. 

Then of course we went to Tagaytay! We went first to the overlooking.. the weather was not really cooperating with us since it was drizzling but still we were able to take pictures. We also went on a hike from the overlooking to the picnic grove. Originally we were planning to eat there. But then all the cottages were occupied.. and we were not in the mood to wait for a cottage to eat.. 

And now on to the food porn! haha! 

We ate at ATS Green restaurant. I will do another post for this but for now.. 

FOOD PORN!

 

 

Next we went to Calaruega. Calaruega is a church in Nasugbu, Batangas.. around at least an hours worth of drive from Tagaytay. This was my first time to be there and I was in awe of it. You can also visit the church which is small but is exquisite. It will remind you of those small chapels in Italy.. if only you have been there..

Over all I had a great time having this road trip with my girlfriends. It was a bit tiring but it was all worth it. Quite honestly I fell asleep on the way home because the trip was super tiring so better bring your travel pillow so you can take a nap in between.

So.. when was the last time you went on a road trip?

I'd like to know! Comment below ^0^

Much Love!

xx Alice 

Itching for Tagaytay and Baguio! :D

a lot of people I know have been telling me to go to tagaytay or baguio with them this summer.

I am a girl that loves the sun in the summer. I am very fair and the effects can be weird. I actually turn red like a lobster..haha!

So talking about tagaytay and baguio, I am planning a trip to either two.

Why tagaytay and baguio you ask? for one thing, both places are cold which I have not experienced spending a weekend there. I have experienced the food of tagaytay about a year or two ago and all I can say is eating bulalo while viewing the taal volcano is such a refreshing experience...and I wanna go back for more! haha!

I have honestly not been in Baguio in my 22 years of existence in this earth. Can you believe it? LOL that is why I am making it one of the things I have to accomplish this year! :D

Tagaytay and Baguio are mostly the places that I have only heard stories from. Baguio is well known for being the summer capital of the Philippines because of its climate. My brother once told me that they rented a room in Baguio for 2 nights and 2 days, they didn't even used the air conditioning because it was sooo cold! I wanna experience that too! hehe

I have been curious what Baguio looks like. I have seen pictures and heard stories about great places to visit. And what I really like is the fact that you can experience of wearing your scarf in a cold climate rather than looking like a fool wearing one in 32 degrees of heat in manila! haha!

So wish me luck! I plan to go there by this June so it will be less crowded :)

any tips or ideas? comment below! :D

much love!

-- Photoescape