Restaurant Review: Pamana Restaurant

Joie and I planned an overnight trip to Tagaytay. All of our recent vacations have very jam-packed schedules. During our SG trip, we were lucky to at least have five hours of sleep. We got the chance to explore the places as much as we could but there wasn’t enough time for us to relax and unwind. So for this particular trip, all of us agreed that we’d do nothing but eat, sleep and watch TV! Hayaaayaaayyyy!!!

We arrived at Tagaytay almost three hours earlier than our hotel check-in time so we got plenty of time to look for a place to have our first official food trip. Jeff came prepared and had a list of recommended restaurants from online foodies. We were supposed to go to Cliffhouse but we gave up fearing that we were already lost. With some twist of fate, I saw the sign of Pamana Restaurant which was also included in Jeff’s list.

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The receptionist asked us if we made a reservation. We didn’t make one. I asked myself why we are in a restaurant that requires reservation. Oh My Gas Abelgas, mahal yata dito!

After learning that we’re only a group of four, the receptionist asked us to proceed to the third floor.

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The second floor has a quaint and cozy interior. It reminds me of an old mansion that holds special gatherings for the elites. Every table has a RESERVED sign on top of it. That alone scared me for our wallets may end up empty after our meal. But it also made me think that the food is probably great that’s why so many people flock to Pamana.

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When we reached the third floor, we passed by two tables with the RESERVED sign. Luck was definitely on our side because there was only one available table!

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To top it all, the third floor is overlooking the very beautiful Taal Lake. I will never get tired of this view. The cool Tagaytay breeze was also a very nice addition to our dining experience, such a nice escape from the humidity of Manila.

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With My Favorite People ^_^

When the waiter handed us the menu, I found out that Pamana is owned by the Ongpauco family, the same owners of the famous Barrio Fiesta. Known for bringing the best Filipino dishes, I made my tummy ready for a gastronomic feast.

The waiters served us cold water with pandan leaves which made an ordinary drink more refreshing. So adding such in a plain rice is obviously a bigger treat.

DSC_0389 Plain Rice Cooked in Bamboo with Pandan Flavor PHP100

Bulalo is a staple food when you’re in Tagaytay. But Pamana’s bulalo is a bit pricey so we settled for Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baka. Prior to serving, the waiter approached our table and gave us a small serving of the soup. They let us decide whether we wanted to adjust the acidity of the soup. It was actually perfect, both the sourness and saltiness.

The soup is thick, viscous and has the exact texture I like for sinigang. The beef is so tender that you can even easily spoon it out and swallow it without chewing. It’s one of the tastiest sinigang I’ve ever had.

DSC_0376 Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baka PHP325

A couple of years ago, I heard of news regarding the shortage of tawilis because of the number of restaurants in Tagaytay serving it. Next to bulalo, fried tawilis is another dish that makes Tagaytay famous for food lovers. I was mistaken when I thought that the local government prohibited restaurants from serving tawilis because of its scarcity.

It was supposed to be Taal’s Spicy Tawilis but Boyet asked the waiter to make it milder. Boooooooooooo!!! Though I would have wanted it to be really spicy,  I still enjoyed the dish. 

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When I saw Bicol Express on the menu, I immediately suggested it to the group. Saying it’s Inihaw na Bicol Express made me more intrigued.

Just an anecdote on the side, my father explained why I love spicy food. According to him, when my mom decided to stop breastfeeding me, she used to put chili around her you-know-where. But instead of being scared away, I started to develop tolerance with chili at a very young age. Hahaha!!!

Anyway, I am not from Bicol but anything with coconut milk brings delight to my taste buds. As expected, the Bicol Express is succulent. Since the pork was grilled, the smoky flavor enhanced the taste even more. I think I ended up eating half of it!

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Another dish with coconut milk was our choice for lunch that day. Pamana’s Tinuktok reminded me so much of Gerry’s Grill’s Tinomok. But the Tinuktok is just sweeter probably because shredded coconut instead of meat was wrapped in taro leaves.

The dish would have been perfect had I not started feeling my throat itch. I tried to wash it with as much water as I could but to no avail. I had the same experience before with laing so I was pretty sure that it was because of the taro leaves. Jeff also said that his throat started to itch so we decided not to touch the dish anymore.

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With every dish probably passed on from generation to generation, Pamana didn’t leave out even the smallest detail. Our bill actually arrived inside a small wooden chest.

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Despite the issue we had with their Tinuktok, I still highly recommend Pamana Restaurant. Food is good although the price is a bit steep. The location is perfect with the serene view of the Taal Lake at the background.

We arrived half an hour before lunch and the place was still empty. Ours was the only car parked in front of the restaurant. When we left an hour later, the place was already crowded and there was no spot left even for a bicycle to be parked. I guess Pamana Restaurant was indeed a good way to jumpstart our short Tagaytay vacation.


Pamana Restaurant
1315 Aguinaldo Highway,
Silang Crossing East
Tagaytay, Cavite

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