I needed a change of scenery for at least a day, the city was driving me insane. You just have one of those days where you can't stand being in a place with so many people, and you just want to run for the hills and hide for a day.
So, instead of mentally shutting down, I headed up to Tagaytay with Jericho to relax, enjoy the drive, and clear our heads. Braving the heavy Saturday downpour, we visited a naturopath that had a wellness clinic near the Tagaytay flower market, had brunch at Antonio's, and then stopped by everyone's favorite Tagaytay pitstop, Bag of Beans. before buying our obligatory buko pie pasalubong for the friends and folks we left in the city.
Growing up, my family would only head up to Tagaytay whenever one of our balikbayan relatives would come by to visit. We'd take them to the boring tourist-y spots like the Palace in the Sky, picnic grove, and that spot with the best view of Taal volcano for pictures of the not-so-memorable occasion. Now that I'm all grown up, I'd usually go there for one of three things: Mushroom Burger, bulalo, and/or Bag of Beans.
It was around 3 o'colck in the afternoon when we got to Bag of Beans, and the weather was finally cooperating! We ended up going there to pass the time, the nostalgia, and mainly because I was having the most insatiable craving for Sheppard's Pie.
The weather was perfect, the view of the lake and the volcano was utterly breathtaking, and the coffee was strong, just the way I liked it.
We ordered a couple of old favorites, and spent over two hours just eating and chatting about our week and catching up on what was going on with our lives. I initially wanted to order Sheppard's Pie (P125), but after seeing that their pies were frozen and not made from scratch, the Steak and Mushroom (P130) looked a lot more appealing. I didn't want to be biting into a half-thawed potato!
If you're thinking about getting your pie on, but aren't too fond of the beef and mushroom combination, they also have other savory pies like the Beef and Vegetable (P120), Chicken and Mushroom (P125), and Vegetarian Pie (P110). If you can't imagine having pie for anything but dessert, Bag of Beans also serves Apple (P120), Pineapple (P115), and Mixed Fruit Pies (P115).
The crust was a bit too hard for my taste, but it was expected, seeing how the pies came from the freezer. I would've preferred it to have a gravy of some sort, it was really dry when cut open, but it was packed with meat, so I have no real complaints for the price I paid. I'm still craving for good old English Sheppard's Pie though!
Jericho didn't know what to get, so I ordered the Chicken A La Kiev (P380) for him. The chicken and fries came out piping hot, and tasted so good before the cold Tagaytay weather got to it. It was a bit tough to crack open at first (we would've preferred a steak knife to cut that baby open), but once we did, all the creamy, buttery goodness started oozing out of the chicken pocket and onto the plate, and we would quickly sop it up bits of chicken and ham. I seriously their kitchen just consists of a freezer, a microwave, and a deep fryer.
I have a weakness for fries, but was sorely disappointed they didn't have any decent ketchup. I hate that banana ketchup crap! No wonder they served it with mayonnaise instead.
It was chilly that afternoon, with the rains and all, so I kept myself warm with my bottomless Kapeng Barako (P120). Each sip gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling that tickled the middle of my tummy.
We spent the rest of the afternoon deep in conversation, eventually got a bit jealous of the other table having dessert, and ordered a Blueberry Cheesecake (P150) to go with our coffees.
Jericho and I attacked that little slice of heaven! We liked how the cheesecake tasted like it was homemade. They weren't stingy with the cream cheese or the blueberry toppings, and we didn't have to pay an exorbitant price for it either.
Jericho ordered a Caramel Cappuccino (P110). He was pretty happy with it until he took a big sip, and accidentally slurped up all the caramel syrup at the bottom. It was hilarious!
Before we left, we couldn't help but stop by their little bakery corner and see what we could take home. Jericho's favorite are their Cinnamon Rolls - they're as big as French baguettes!
I took home a big container of Lengua De Gato. These are my hands down favorites! They aren't annoyingly delicate that they break apart when touched, but they melt in your mouth once you pop one in. They also go great with coffee!
Jericho wanted to get me a mug to take home, but you have to admit, they look kind of tacky once you take them out of the coffee shop. I passed on his offer. I hadn't been to Bag of Beans in a few years, but I'm glad that not much has changed. Next time you find yourself mucking around Tagaytay, take a breather and stop by Bag of Beans!
Bag of Beans
+63 46 413 4356
115 Aguinaldo Highway,
Mendez Crossing West, Tagaytay City
