This weekend home-restaurant might just be Tagaytay’s best hidden gem

Tucked within the winding roads and sprawling pineapple fields within Barangay Bucal in Tagaytay is The Fatted Calf, the latest addition to the city’s thriving culinary scene. But unlike others, this home-turned-restaurant is only open on weekends.

Created by husband and wife chef duo Jayjay and Rhea Sycip, The Fatted Calf is the culmination of their dream of having their own restaurant. Their journey deserves another story, but what they have today is a combination of hard work and good ol’ fashioned destiny.

Their passion for honestly good food is deep and it shows in every dish we ate — no, experienced — at The Fatted Calf. The chefs pride themselves in championing local produce from nearby farmers, sustainably caught seafood, and even ethically sourced livestock — claiming that even the pigs from their partner-suppliers are raised happy and well-fed.

Surrounded by the cold and tranquil Tagaytay weather, we savored a meal with the chef-owners of what is perhaps the city’s best hidden gem today. Here’s a taste of what it’s like to experience The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen.

Chicken Liver Paté (P295)

Our meal started with a platter of scrumptious paté from free-range chickens, only made even better when eaten with their ridiculously soft home-baked brioche rolls. The top of the paté is sealed with butter locally made in Bukidnon (now in short supply due to high demand from bakers following their lead). It was served with their homemade raisin relish and pickled Pipinito, tiny cucumbers that grow on wild vines around the area, still crunchy but made sweet and tangy by their own concoction of pickling brine.

Terrine Board (P365)

Together with the paté, we enjoyed a trio of house-made terrines: Ham Hock, Smoked Fish, and Sisig. It was also served with pickled Pipinito, raisin relish, and toasted rustic bread. Of the three, this author is partial to the sisig, but all three complement each other beautifully.

Vegan Glow Salad (P420)

For the next course, we enjoyed two kinds of salad. The Vegan Glow Salad contains naturally farmed mixed greens from Tagaytay, zucchini, asparagus, raisins, grapes, oranges, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and chunks of spice-roasted squash. The fresh ingredients are tossed in a sumptuous maple sesame black vinaigrette. Chef Jayjay said this is his favorite from their selection.

Kale Salad (P395)

This salad is proof that their homemade calamansi vinaigrette is pure magic. They managed to turn kale into a delight, removing its bitterness, making it more palatable with tarragon, fennel, apples, local feta cheese for some saltiness, and pili nuts for texture.

Pan-fried Barramundi (P520)

Using sustainable line-caught local Apahal (or the best fish that’s in season), Chef Jayjay elevates a simple pan-fried fish into a gourmet treat with the help of Spanish chorizo, patani beans (if they’re in season), the creamiest corn puree you’ll ever have, and more of their calamansi vinaigrette.

Sausage-stuffed Free Range Chicken Roulade (P410)

It looks like contemporary art, but trust us when we say it tastes even better than it looks. They use free-range local chicken and cooked it sous vide to maintain juicy tenderness, then stuffed it with house-made Chiang Mai sausage for a savory filling. The chicken roulade is accentuated with random yet beautiful scatterings of snow peas, squash, sweet potato, assorted mushrooms, Thai yellow curry sauce, and coconut lime emulsion (it spreads out after a few minutes so take photos quickly and eat up). Everything comes together with the addition of paper-thin crispy chicken skin.

Braised Pork Belly (P395)

If you look up “love at first bite”, you’ll probably see The Fatted Calf’s Braised Pork Belly. The tender pork (coming from naturally farmed happy pigs) is slow cooked with a thick sauce (almost like a syrup) of soy sauce laced with locally made tablea for added depth. To balance the richness of the sauce, the pork is served on top of freshly steamed white rice with bok choy, salted egg and roasted garlic puree and crumbled Imus longganisa on the side. With all the work that goes into this dish, it’s an absolute steal at P395.

Whole Roasted Leg of Beef (P1,900)

This is the star of The Fatted Calf. Chef Jayjay’s Whole Roasted Leg of Beef must be ordered in advance because not only do they use ethically sourced livestock for the beef shank, but it also takes at least 10 hours to cook the beef until it’s falling-off-the-bone tender. No effort required, just peel off the meat using a spoon and plop it on to your eagerly awaiting plate. It’s cooked with aromatic spices and the broth is reduced into a jus (with a bit of rum) to make sure no ounce of flavor is wasted. It’s served with roasted root vegetables of carrots and potatoes, so it’s up to you if you want to order rice to enjoy with the beef.

Flour Pot’s Signature Rum Cake (P340)

As much as Chef Jayjay shined with the savory dishes, Chef Rhea’s desserts are equally unforgettable. Her award-winning signature Rum Cake is perfectly moist and spiked with locally made Don Papa Rum. It’s sweet, buttery, and all kinds of comforting. To combat the sweetness, it’s served with seasonal fruits. This time of the year, you will definitely get strawberries with your rum cake.

Strawberry Doughnuts (P175 each)

Speaking of strawberries, Chef Rhea’s doughnuts are overloaded with fresh Baguio strawberries mixed with homemade strawberry jam. The pastry is light and fluffy, thanks to the old school method of using yeast. The strawberries are juicy and tangy and sweet, making you crave for more after every bite. The best part? You can also get these babies delivered to Manila, just make sure you place your orders in advance and get a minimum of six doughnuts.

—JCB, GMA News