The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen in Tagaytay Launches New Menu Items
I first visited The Fatted Calf at their original branch in Silang, Cavite. This location was just a little bit off from the main Tagaytay ridge but foodies still trooped regularly to this hidden gem. Last year, I heard some sad news that they were about to permanently close their restaurant because of problems with the landlord and the rent. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they eventually found a new bigger and better location where even more new diners can discover their farm-to-table specialties.
The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen is proud to present its new home in Tagaytay, bringing with it old favorites together with some new dishes for its loyal clientele. The Hungry Kat was invited a few weeks ago to revisit this charming restaurant and it was much easier to find them at their new location right along the Tagaytay ridge, just after the street leading to Antonio's Restaurant and right before reaching the Residence Inn Zoo.
You really can't miss them with their big sign along the main highway. The Fatted Calf closed its doors last January 2023 to prepare for the big move and they reopened later that year. The Fatted Calf now stands poised to embark on an exciting new chapter in its culinary journey, and eagerly waiting to welcome loyal patrons and curious newcomers alike to its fresh abode in Tagaytay.
There's more than enough parking available at the street level and down below at the main parking lot, a much-needed commodity here in busy Tagaytay. I was excited to meet up with the owners of The Fatted Calf, the husband and wife team of Jayjay and Rhea SyCip who have been our friends since we met them a few years ago.
Entering the restaurant is like a breath of fresh air. Would you believe that this was all designed by the landlady herself, Senator Loren Legarda? This was previously just a farm lot owned by the Senator but a fateful meeting between her and the SyCips at their previous restaurant turned into a beautiful new development.
I was met by another long-time friend, PR specialist Gwen Jacinto. The new restaurant greets diners with the familiar warmth of hardwood tables, all sourced locally with some coming from its previous location. The ambiance is further accentuated by the soft glow of hanging rattan lamps from Cebu. This homey yet sophisticated atmosphere sets the stage for a dining experience that is both relaxed and refined, making The Fatted Calf the perfect "fine casual" destination.
Helmed by the husband and wife tandem of chefs Jayjay and Rhea SyCip, The Fatted Calf was founded in 2019 and built on pure heart. Its name draws inspiration from the biblical parable of The Prodigal Son, where a father celebrates the return of his wayward son by slaughtering a fatted calf. The touching story of forgiveness, redemption, and love is at the heart of The Fatted Calfs philosophy, which believes that every meal is an opportunity to bring people together and create a sense of community.
This sense of community goes far beyond the dining tables and extends to the local farms and markets where the chef-owners source their ingredients. Jayjay and Rhea have forged strong relationships with farmers and local suppliers who share their dedication to social impact and giving back to the community and to the environment. Its farm-to-table approach not only guarantees the finest and freshest produce served in meticulously concocted ways, but it is also able to foster a sustainable and fair community through gastronomy. Tatler Dining Philippines recently awarded The Fatted Calf again as one of the best restaurants in the country for the third year in a row for 2024.
The restaurant also comes with an al fresco dining area embracing the cool Tagaytay breeze. Sustainability isn't just a buzzword thrown around at The Fatted Calf - it's completely integrated. They use whatever is around them. This ethos permeates every aspect of the restaurant's operations. The flowers from the coffee tree, when in bloom, are ingeniously transformed into a drink. The tiles were repurposed from an old building and now find new life as decorative elements within the restaurant.
A thriving oasis of greenhouses also sit in the backyard where Jayjay and Rhea pick the most succulent tomatoes at the peak of ripeness and a medley of farm-fresh vegetables and herbs brimming with vibrant colors, ensuring that every dish bursts with unrivaled flavors and the goodness of nature's bounty.
Chefs Jay Jay and Rhea told us the long and happy story of how they ended up with a new restaurant at this property, but while the designs and even Senator Loren's paintings can be seen on the walls, the menu and restaurant operations are totally theirs alone. They were excited to share with us 14 new items on the menu along with old favorites.
We started with their house rolls which are some of the softest and most enjoyable rolls I have ever had. Adding a touch of homemade butter makes it even more delightful. The refreshing Tarragon Iced Tea was also served.
For our Stirrings or appetizers, Chef Jayjay brought out this Grilled Ox Tongue. This version is a different way of serving ox tongue which some people may be hesitant to eat. He cooked it in Gojuchang sauce, giving it a Korean element to enhance or actually mask the ox tongue flavor.
The dish is then topped with radish puree, carrot curry puree, and edamame. Chef Jayjay has tweaked his cuisine a bit from its original Thai influences to more Japanese and Korean flavors.
Our next appetizer is the Edamame Hummus with Feta. The edamame puree is combined with olive oil and topped with malagos feta cheese. This was a really surprising dish that I was not sure of at first, but I ended up really liking it. You can use the ciabatta bread to scoop up the hummus.
We also had the Crab Croquettes which uses mud crab meat, crab fat, and kesong puti as ingredients. There's no way you can go wrong with aligue so this was truly an explosion of flavors in my mouth.
Everything looks fresh and healthy at The Fatted Calf because they really are. The Kale and Potato Soup comes with farm fresh kale and highland potato then topped with lump fish caviar to give it a salty flavor.
The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen also takes pride in their salads, getting their ingredients from Lucciole Farms in Amadeo and Grandfarmer's Farm in Alfonso, Cavite which follow the natural way of farming methods. The Crab and Potato Salad is a great addition to the lineup with its mud crab meat, crab fat, potato, and pickled kangkong. I was really impressed with the kangkong which had a unique fermented taste.
The Fatted Calf offers some new main dishes as well. The Steak Sandwich is a exciting option as it comes with Black Onyx Angus Flank Steak topped with malagos borracho and grilled mushroom teryaki. These are all wrapped in their housemade ciabatta bread.
The Duck Confit Bao has EDL Farms Duck topped with hoisin sauce, cucumber, and wrapped inside a homemade mantou bun. It's a new way of enjoying duck meat.
The Spaghetti Uni was one of my favorites that afternoon with its fresh uni on top of a creamy malagos borracho spaghetti. I could eat this any time of the day.
I also loved the Grilled Prawns with Adlai and Mushroom Pilaf. These are huge pieces of Bataan prawns cooked with lemongrass chimichuri and served with roasted vegetables. The Adlai and mushroom pilaf then offers a healthier alternative compared to your usual garlic rice.
The highlight of the new menu would definitely be the Thick-Cut Pork Chop from Jodini Farms. This organically raised pork from Tarlac is cooked to perfection and served with braised red cabbage, seared corn, Cebu corn grits and apple curry sauce.
Our Culmination menu comes with desserts from Flour Pot Manila by Chef Rhea SyCip. This colorful combination comes with Ubi Kinampay Cake, Banana Tatin, PS ILY, Buko Pie, and Apple Cake.
We would like to thank chefs Jayjay and Rhea for hosting our refreshing Tagaytay lunch at The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen. It's been a while since our last visit to the restaurant but we enjoyed this so much that we actually came back just four days later for the benefit dinner for Spanky Enriquez which was also held here. I'm sure The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen will soon become the next dining hotspot in Tagaytay city.
The Fatted Calf
Tagaytay Nasugbu Road, Tagaytay City
(0917) 789-2352
www.facebook.com/fattedcalfph
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