For Manileños like myself, Tagaytay is full of memories. It’s where city folks drive to get a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of the Taal Volcano.
I have vivid memories of weekend drives, whether it’s eating Mushroomburger in the car or dining as a family at Josephine restaurant. Of course, there would also be the occasional lunch of lechon at Antonio’s, served with applesauce; my relatives would sneak in a tiny container of Mang Tomas. Or, it would be a nighttime drive to eat a bowl of bulalo with friends.
To this day, Tagaytay has a way of bringing people together. It’s a place where families, lovers and friends bond over good meals and conversation, away from their weekday obligations.
The landscape in Tagaytay has changed a lot in recent years. As a result, there are many more hotels, restaurants, cafes and real estate developments in the area today.
In the last two months, two establishments have opened in Tagaytay that bring the unexpected to a familiar place: Lula Café and Papa Bolo Brewery.
Lula Café, the sister of Burrow Café, adds a neighborhood feel to a village clubhouse
Lula Café got its name from its nakakalula view. The first impression is the gobsmacking view of the mountains. However, it is in an unlikely spot, as the cafe is tucked away in the Monte Vista Subdivision Clubhouse along Calamba-Tagaytay road.
The cafe is the second venture of four partners, both of which are husband and wife: Vitty and Marie Gutierrez and Andie and Gabby Gamboa. I spoke to Andie, the managing partner of Lula Café, to get an idea of what customers can expect from Lula Café.
Andie lived in Sydney during her university years, and it was that time that made her appreciate the produce. Her partners share the same love for high-quality food.
Because of this, good produce is at the center of this cafe. A unique element of the menu is the cafe’s support for Rural Rising PH, an organization that sells fruits and vegetables rescued from local farmers.
Recently, they rescued 20 kilos of tomatoes and 10 kilos of lemons, which they will make into pasta sauces, pies or a drink. Andie said, “It’s nice because we get to share the story with our staff and tell them, ‘Hey, this kamatis comes from farmers in Banaue, Ifugao,’ and it makes them appreciate our menu.”
Chef Danilo Botor Puga II, a CCA Manila graduate and head chef of both cafes, created the menu in collaboration with the entire team. His signature is Merlot-braised Short Ribs with Squash Orzo. But there’s also a hummus recipe from Andie. And, there’s ginger beer made by Z, Vitty and Marie’s daughter.
Some unique dishes to try are the Fresh Catch Ceviche and Calamansi Gastrique, No Meat Taco, Momsie’s Chicken Liver Pâté and Pineapple Chutney, Spiced Freshwater Shrimp and Adlai Corn Risotto, French Toast Brioche with Strawberry Compote. Andie shared, “When you eat at Lula, like at Burrow Café, even if you’re full, it digests really well.” It’s a menu that will leave people happy.
It’s no wonder that in their first week of opening, all sorts of people — from motorcyclists and cyclists and even loyalists of Burrow Café — dropped by for a meal.
Andie shared that once she saw a group of cyclists from Manila pull in. “I had to go to the table and ask them, ‘Did you truly bike here? And how did you bike all the way up?’” It’s true: the willingness to take the steep ride up is a sign that Lula Café is worth it.
At Papa Bolo Brewery, you can try pineapple beer on tap
Only a 15-minute drive from Lula Café is a craft beer brewery highlighting Tagaytay’s abundant fruit, pineapple. Aniela Tolentino, founder of Papa Bolo, shared that the brewery started with her father’s (Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino) idea of making pineapple beer.
While studying in Canada, she started looking for a master brewer to help her bring this idea to life. This is where Mike Wayne enters the picture, with two decades in chemistry and brewery experience, having worked in the United States and Canada. In Canada, he even worked with John Downing, the brains behind Niagara College’s brewmaster program.
The brewery, from conceptualizing to building, took three years. It officially opened last June 15, 2022. When I spoke to Aniela and Mike, they were both beaming with enthusiasm about the local craft brewery scene.
Mike shared, “It’s the most exciting time in human history because here’s the fourth-oldest beverage: water, wine, tea, and beer. But throughout human history, you would have chosen your parents’ beer, most likely your father’s. But this entire craft movement has just changed human behavior. Any parent can now drink their kids’ beer. A young drinker is also not tied to their father’s San Miguel.”
There’s more creativity in customers’ choices. This is why the most popular of Papa Bolo Beer’s six beers would be Piña Niña (Pineapple Ale) and Disco Biscuit (Caramel Ale). The other four beers are Twin Suns (Double IPA), Cowboy Classic (American Pale Ale), Barkada Bliss (Bohemian Pilsner), and Bad Pony (West Coast IPA). Each one has its unique tasting profile that you need to experience firsthand in the brewery. It makes for a good day or night out with a group of people.
Chefs RJ Ramos and Alphonse Sotero, the guys behind Lampara at Poblacion, designed the food menu. When I asked Aniela about the cuisine, she said, “It’s anti-cuisine. What we want is food that goes well with the six beers.” So on the day, they served dishes accompanying beers, such as Chicken Lollipop with hickory rub, spicy rub, mozzarella, and blue cheese and soft-shell crab with pineapple curry, sour cream, and mixed herbs.
When I asked what’s next after beers on tap, Aniela and Mike agreed that they would love to work closely with other local craft breweries, continue working with farmers (like making use of local rice) and keep instilling knowledge in their small team. And for the customer, one will be able to get a six-pack of canned beer to take home in the future.
Why cans? Mike said, “It’s just better for the environment. Nobody’s picking up broken glass. If you step on a broken bottle, you’re going to the hospital. If somebody is picking up aluminum cans, you can keep going to the beach. It’s just a completely better way of life.”
Besides the food and beers, Aniela shared that the two pillars of the brewery are “community and inclusivity. “Whoever walks in those doors, everyone greets them like their family. And even if you come here alone, you will feel like you could make friends. We’re proud of that culture, along with the products we have made. It’s our chance to empower the local community.” That mission is something to cheer for.
There’s a common saying that goes, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” But with Lula Café and Papa Bolo Brewery opening in Tagaytay, the destination can be just as good as that two-hour journey out of the city.
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Lula Café is open six days weekly, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Tuesdays). Visit Lula Café online at www.antipolobeehouse.com/lulacafeph or call 0917-1197696.
Papa Bolo Brewery is open Wednesday to Friday, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., Sunday to Monday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit www.papabolo.com or call 0953-4777734.