We recently ate at Antonio's at Brgy Neogan, Tagaytay. Dining here was truly an experience in itself. The furnishing, paintings and fixtures were very contemporary 'Pinoy.' And Chef Tony Boy obviously gives a very personal touch. As I entered the resto, Chef Tony was right there, offering his hand and introducing himself. When we were all seated, he came to our table and started talking about his menu and we could see that this place and his menu was his "baby." His face just lit up and the way he described his dishes left us very hungry and eager to order...The weather was perfect. Antonio's is open air so it would be a good idea to dine here during dinner when it is cooler. The ambiance was just right...it wasn't one of those formal dining restos where one might feel stiff and awkward...it was exactly the opposite...yes, it was fine dining but it was relaxing with the right amount of light illuminating the place...the way they seated the customers was obviously well thought off...spaces between the tables were just enough so that we can observe and appreciate the people around us but far enough so that each table has their own privacy...even the designs of the restrooms were different...it was very spacious and "open"...like, literally open!...there were 2 windows in the bathroom and they were huge and I felt really weird cuz I had this nagging suspicion in the back of my head that people can see me from outside but the staff claim that it's not possible...anyway, it's something you have to see to understand what I mean.
Here's some pictures taken during the daytime. It's to give you an idea of how 'open' the place is. We were lucky because it was December so the air was cool and there was a nice breeze.
As for the food, I'm totally speechless! Really, really and truly yummy!!! They first served bread with a unique blend of olive spread on top that was truly scrumptious! Each entree came with house salad (only thing I didn't like about the salad was the arugula...not very fond of bitter, leafy veggies but surprisingly, the raisins and the dressing that accompanied the arugula made my salad plate spotlessly clean), soup (which was cream of mongo beans...when I first heard what the soup was, let's just say I had my doubts but when I took my first spoonful of the soup, all doubts washed away and it's a house hit!), choice of dessert, and coffee/tea...so anyway, I ordered the mixed seafood thermidore which came with sea bass, prawns, mussels and scallops served on puff pastry...it was just too good..the seafood was very fresh and was served with the right amount of creaminess and the crunch from the pastry really complimented the seafood...and the cream, my gosh...i don't know where to begin...the cream had a hint of cheese, butter, herbs....basically, it was divine!...Here's a picture of the Mixed Seafood Thermidore:
It may appear quite small but the serving size didn't leave me feeling too full or craving for more...Rather, I felt completely and totally satisfied after the meal (and this rarely happens to me).
My companions ordered the steak, which is the resto's signature dish. I took a bite out of it and the meat was very tender and juicy. Just the way steak should be.
Below is the rack of lamb. I'm not much of a lamb person but I didn't hear any complaints about it and the plate was spotlessly clean after just 10 minutes so I'm assuming it was good as well.
We also ordered the Duck Confit and Foie Gras. The duck liver just melts in your mouth!
As I mentioned earlier, each entree comes with dessert. Here's some of the sweets we ordered.
Mango Mascarpone Ice Cream
Mint Parfait
Dark Chocolate Souffles with Cardamom Creme Anglaise
Eating here may burn a whole in our pockets but I think it was definitely worth it and Congrats to Chef Tony Boy for being recognized by the Miele Guide (launched last October 31, Friday in the Miele Guide Gala Dinner held at Grand Hyatt Singapore) as one of the Top 10 restaurants of Asia!!
You can call Antonio's at this number for directions and reservations: +63918-899-2866
