Amacena is derived from two Spanish words, “ama” or a conjugation of “amar” which means profound affection, and “cena” or supper. Simply put, Amacena means great love for food. And indeed, we can feel or rather taste the love of Chef Luigi to all things old and familiar – and in Amacena, he’d infused them all together to create something fresh, new, and uniquely his.
Prawn with Aligue
“Yeah, most of my favourite dishes here are bursting with full flavours,” he shared.
Dinuguang Bihon is a classic example of his playful version of old Filipino comfort food. He was inspired by the same dish from Ilocos and decided to include it in the restaurant’s menu which was officially launched in December. It’s a crazy mix of rice noodle drenched in pork blood soup topped with slices of boiled egg — and the result is a gastronomic indulgence. Also a standout – and my personal favourite – is Smoky Bistek which is made of thinly slices of tender beef in soymansi gravy topped with onion rings. The acridness of Ilocos vinegar in dinuguan and calamansi in bistek were amazingly captured in both dishes but they are only used to excite the palate and that made me wanting for more, more, and more.
And there’s no letting up on great food, laughter, and good company in Amacena. We were in complete awe and just allowed the young Chef to lead us to an intense gustatory expedition that began with the restaurant’s locally brewed beer called Joe’s Brew. It comes with quirky names: Rider Pale Ale, Sierra Madre Wheat Ale, and 34th Pursuit. I only have space for one bottle of the light and fresh smelling Wheat Ale and everything else had been taken over by Prawn with Aligue, Bulalo Steak, US Short Rib Beef Kare-Kare, Adobo Flakes Bruschetta and Dinakdakang Chicharon – badass concoctions of well-loved Filipino fiesta favorites made even richer in taste, fuller in flavours and texture that celebrate Chef Luigi’s flair for creating something new and extravagant out of the ordinary pleasures of Filipino comfort food.
Dinakdakang Chicharon
And that’s just about dining pleasure in One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites, a lovely sanctuary located along Tagaytay-Calamba Road in Barrio Sungay just a 90-minute drive from Manila via South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) or Aguinaldo Highway. The hotel boasts of 111 DeLuxe guestrooms and suites with 5 Penthouse Premiere Suites and all convenient amenities and facilities from Spa services, fitness center, swimming pool with a stunning view of the hotel’s neighborhood, business center to huge conference and meeting rooms.
We stayed in their one-bedroom premiere suite in the penthouse floor that has a spacious dining area, living room, and a spectacular view of Tagaytay, especially at sunrise when all things green turn into golden yellow – and if you look far and beyond there are cars or tiny dark specks of moving objects speeding aimlessly in different directions.
Each morning during our two-day stay, I’d curled up in the couch beside the bed and leisurely gaze outside by the beautiful wide window taking mental notes of the diversity of days that went by since we set foot in this sanctuary. Amacena is beyond exciting; Chef Luigi, Sir Joms (the hotel’s brilliant general manager), and the hotel staff exude a cheery disposition; the bedroom is filled with warmth and tenderness of two lovely little sleeping souls; and I’d be overwhelmed with feelings of finding life’s unexpected pleasures happening in unexpected places.
If you need more pampering other than food and splendid accommodation, head over to O Spa located at the hotel’s ground floor where a relaxing foot massage would only cost you P350.00 or choose from variety of services ranging from sports massage that goes deep into muscle tissues that is ideal for golfers to traditional hilot.
Rejuvenating facial cleansing using organic produce such as tomatoes, oats and honey is also available at affordable prices.
Tagaytay has gone beyond a mere weekend getaway destination with every corner offering variety of attractions and experiences that you need to go back every so often to fully enjoy. And to get a good headstart of the best, One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites has and gives much of everything you need in one place.
One Tagaytay Place Hotel Suites
Barangay Sungay, Tagaytay City, 4120, Philippines
Phone Numbers:+63–02–5844111, +63–02–4777111
Like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/onetagaytayplace
Written by: Jenny Bugarin-Tan
Photos by: Mae Ilagan
To read more of our WHEN IN MANILA adventures, click HERE
ALL photos Taken using NIKON D7000 with Tamron 16-300mm & 45mm f/1.8 prime lenses
