Amacena Restaurant at One Tagaytay Place Hotel and Suites

Filipino food, in its varying origins, tastes, colors, and textures will always be a household favorite. Needless to say, nothing compares to the comfort of home-cooked cuisines — reminding you of the familiar traditions which our Filipino culture is popularly known for. While I grew up learning to appreciate Filipino culinary delights at home through cooking and dining, I would always admire those who can innovate and recreate Filipino dishes at a different level, making it even more appetizing.

Amacena restaurant in Tagaytay is known for that. In the age where Modern Filipino cuisine is well-patronized in the food scene, Amacena keeps up with the game. Executive Chef and restaurant consultant Luigi Muhlach takes a different spin on famous Filipino dishes, using local ingredients with a twist. Amacena is a Spanish word which roughly translates to “ama” or father and cena means supper. When combined, AMACENA is “The love of a father and family bonding over good food.”

Ambiance

Amacena is located on the ground floor of One Tagaytay Hotel Suites. The table set-up looks more of fine dining with its sophisticated tableware, including a round slab of wood that serves as a plate holder.

There is a private function area that can accommodate 10 people, ideal for occasions or group dining. It looks all the more elegant with its wooden furniture, paintings, and lighting fixtures. The huge mirror creates the illusion of a bigger space.

The Food

We enjoyed Amacena’s hearty Filipino breakfasts. Breakfast staples such as Pork Tapa, Adobo, and Tinapa were served in hefty portions. You may request how do you want your egg to be cooked. We had scrambled eggs and sunny-side up eggs. Each breakfast meal comes with fresh fruits, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or fresh fruit juice. The Pork Tapa and Chicken Adobo were seasoned and cooked to perfect tenderness.

For our lunch the following day, we had Sizzling Bulalo Steak, Camaron Rebosado, Dinakdakang Chicaron, and Pizza Negra. Each dish was good for 3-4 people.

The Pizza Negra was made of squid ink hence its crust is black. It was topped with fresh herbs like basil and tomatoes and generously laid with melted cheese. I love the thin crust which makes it easy to eat.

What I like about their Camaron Rebosado was the special sauce.

The meat of the Sizzling Bulalo was also fork-tender. The gravy was delicious too. It was accompanied with baked potatoes as sides, making it a complete, filling meal.

Although I’m not a fan of pork, the Dinakdakang Chicharon was good according to my family. It was sprinkled with chicharon for that added crunch, and was topped with raw egg. Toss it all together and you’re good to go.

For dessert, we had the Chocolate Lava Cake. It was moist and sweet, and the ice cream and mangoes somewhat balanced the sweetness.

Excellent Customer Service

The waiters were attentive and quick to grant our simple requests. I commend their professionalism. If you will dine here, you’ll be treated as if you’re a VIP.

Amacena Taking it to the Next Level

Although it’s a bit pricey, it doesn’t hurt to try their food even once. Filipino food taken to the next level — that’s what Amacena is all about.

Amacena
One Tagaytay Place Hotel, 445 Tagaytay-Calamba Road, Sungay West, Tagaytay City
Phone: +63 9178173045/ 02 5844111
Opening Hours: 7 AM to 10 PM daily
Facebook: Amacena
Instagram: @amacenatagaytay