Words by Vic S. Sevilla Photos by Gabriel Dela Cruz
We went back there at noon on a Sunday, our last stop on the way back to Manila after a few days of rediscovering the delights of Tagaytay. The first time we turned up at Farmer’s Table earlier during the week, the place was chock full of lunchtime diners eagerly partaking of their meals.
The restaurant is nowhere near the main highway on the Tagaytay ridge where most of the establishments capitalize on the stunning view of the famed Taal Lake and Volcano, but from the looks of it, Farmer’s Table has already captivated the fancy of many foodies.
Situated inside Nurture Wellness Village, Farmer’s Table enjoys the natural ambience and the refreshing quietude of this highly-regarded wellness retreat. Sheltering the restaurant are tall trees and gardens of tropical foliage and blooms. Here, the cool highland breeze helps fan the atmosphere and the slight sweet aroma of flowers lace the air.
Designed by Lori and Andi Borja, the restaurant exudes a casual and friendly appeal. “The restaurant is fully al fresco and surrounded by gardens on three sides. With its high ceilings and almost one hectare of garden, we decided to use nature as the defining design feature. We used recycled or upcycled furniture for every piece of furniture in the restaurant. We added big trees and ferns, dramatic lighting, an open air lounge, and a bakery and retail section to create a very comfortable place to spend time in,” describes Andrej Wisniewski, owner and brains behind Farmer’s Table. The restaurant can sit around 160 persons and has a newly renovated 50-person meeting space that affords a great view of the gardens.
The restaurant, which opened just in May of 2021, belongs to the Raintree Hospitality group, which has distinguished itself for creating innovative and highly conceptual hotels and restaurants in Manila, Boracay, and Tagaytay. For Farmer’s Table, the inspiration was clear-cut—to create an approachable al fresco farm-to-table restaurant in a beautiful location outside Metro Manila.
But why set it up away from the busy restaurant row along the ridge? “Our partner Cathy Turvill of Nurture Wellness Village got us interested in the idea. We really liked the spa and wellness focus of Nurture, and knew people would enjoy the beautiful forest setting, the cool weather, and the easy accessibility from Manila and the south,” explains Wisniewski.
Apart from the ambience, food, of course, is the other big draw that has kept diners—connoisseurs of healthy diet or not—flocking to Farmer’s Table. The sizable servings, appetizing flavors, and attractive presentation immediately got us hooked.
For starters, we feasted on the Big Bowl of Salad (a literal bouquet of fresh greens, fruits, grains, edible flowers, and crispy parmesan tuile) served with Mango-Passion Fruit vinaigrette and Dill Honey Ranch dressing, the Plant-Based Kale Caesar Salad (brimming with fresh basil, tofu croutons, crispy garbanzos with Garlic Lemon Tahini Caesar dressing), and the House-made Labneh and Fresh Tomato “Caprese.” Vegetarians will also love the Hothouse Crispy Cauliflower & Broccoli glistening in spicy buffalo sauce and served with bleu cheese dip.
“We were inspired by the farm of Nurture Wellness Village and the fresh ingredients that Tagaytay has always been known for,” Chef Kalel Chan explains the proliferation of fresh greens and plant-based dishes on the menu. He adds, “Our concept is farm to table so we make sure that 80% of our products are sourced 300 to 500 meters away from Farmer’s Table.”
It helps that the restaurant has allotted space for a few plots to plant an assortment of vegetables and herbs—what is better known as the “chef’s garden.” What exactly are planted there? “We grow our own basil, dill, kaffir, rosemary, oregano, thyme, mint, tarragon, and kale. We also grow our own edible flowers such as blue pea and cosmos,” Chef Kalel enumerates.
But avowed carnivores need not lose heart because the menu also lists a number of mouthwatering meat dishes. “We do offer a wide menu of farm-to-table food with a lot of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. We created a menu with a number of plant-based and healthy items as well as items for your cheat day,” assures Wisniewski.
So, the waiter brought us Giant Pork Belly “Lechon Kawali” served on a bed of kale, tomato, and onion salad with sweet pineapple gravy. We also tried the restaurant’s much-acclaimed Kalderetang “Osso Bucco”—a hearty stew of beef shanks in kaldereta sauce with bell peppers and carrots, malunggay basil pesto, fried potatoes and Malagos Pecorino.
Of course, we just had to try the restaurant’s other bestsellers such as the Smoked Tinapa Cream Croquettes, which was totally tasty, and the merienda favorite Pancit Hacienda, a huge serving bam-i noodles topped with Chinese chorizo, pork belly chips, scampi, chicken, squid, mushrooms and kale. To top it all, for dessert we had Ube Champorado (thick gooey purple yam topped with fried danggit and laced with coconut tres leches).
It’s easy enough to realize how Farmer’s Table has captured the hearts of gourmands and aficionados of great food in so short a time—the appetizing innovations on familiar and well-loved fares, the fresh produce that make for pure and lively flavors, the relaxing atmosphere that make dining such a gratifying experience, and the warmth of the service.
"The sizable servings, appetizing flavors, and attractive presentation has gourmands and foodies hooked on Farmer's Table."
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