I called Café Verbena to reserve a table for two on January 5, 2008. It was my birthday dinner treat for Bubba. Saturday traffic at the South Expressway almost dampened our mood, but a relaxing vibe embraces you as you walk in the 80-seat restaurant of Café Verbena. Decorated in soft Tuscan tones and elegant drapery, Café Verbena maintained that Discovery Suites’ sophisticated look. Our reserved table was located at their enclosed veranda, where one can feel the soft whimper of the night breeze.
Bread, Butter and In-house Salsa -Free
A good opening to what was going to be a very delightful dinner.
Soup of the Day PHP 110++
The soup of that night was pumpkin soup, which is one of our favorite flavors of liquefied starter course. We had to ask the waiter to split into two, which he courteously obliged to. The pumpkin flavor was evident in the soup with a dollop of cream to enhance the flavor.
Organic Mozzarella Cheese Pot PHP 240++
Since we are such cheese lovers, we had to order this. Served ‘fondue-style” in an earthy pot, the cheese serving wasn’t bad at all. Spicy tomato relish and fresh Tagaytay herbs were added to the cheese mixture. It was served with warm focaccia. We had to ask for extra since we finished the bread first before the cheese.
Verbena’s Sampler Plate PHP 650++
We are so ecstatic to try everything on the menu since we traveled all the way from Manila just for dinner. Instead of ordering too many dishes that we might just not finish, we ordered the sampler plate with three small samplings of Verbena’s top entrées. We shared the dish and the price was well worth it.
BBQ Lamb Baby Back Ribs
Nothing too extraordinary. Lamb ribs basted with sweet and spicy barbeque paste. This was served with Polenta fries. I think Polenta is some type of corn mush, which was also eaten as staple by Survivor Africa contestants. Polenta is also used in cornbreads as partner to Chili Con Carne.
Grilled Norwegian Salmon with Arugula-Mushroom Salad
I personally enjoyed the salmon among the rest because the salmon was tasty and juicy. Plus the crispy skin of the salmon is unforgettable –I want to order this again if only for the salty crackling skin. I wanted to steal Bubba’s share of the salmon skin but restrained myself.
U.S. Beef Short Ribs “Goulash”
Short ribs slowly cooked with roasted onion and caraway sauce. This was served with potato puree, which is something similar to mashed potato.
Black Pepper Fettuccini PHP 260++
This was the dish we were least happy about. It almost ruined the whole experience. Since I love black pepper (Bubba even teases me that my food looks like it has sand on it every time I put fresh ground pepper –yes, I put that much pepper), I was intrigued by how this dish will turn out. This pasta dish was served with smoked bacon, roasted garlic and portabello mushrooms. However, the other ingredients failed to integrate and the pasta didn’t have a unified taste.
Overall, the dinner was exquisitely enjoyed. Café Verbena is one of the classiest restaurants in the hills of Tagaytay, which is a definite place for romantic ambience. Hats off to Executive Chef David Pardo de Ayala for bringing his cooking expertise learned from the Culinary Institute of America to Discovery Country Suites
Café Verbena
Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay
300 Calamba Road, San Jose, Tagaytay
683 8222
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