Anniversary Special Part 2: Good Afternoon, Buon Giorno

I first knew about Buon Giorno when my boss' wife treated us engineers for a dinner on her birthday last September. I instantly fell in love  with the place the moment I set foot on it. The lighting, the lasdsacaped garden, trees and plants, the weather, and the serenity of the place was just so romantic. It also is perfectly situated on a cliff with a great view of the Taal Lake but since it was night time, we only saw flickering lights coming from fishing boats in the lake, adding a bit of a feel of mystery. Oh, they serve great Italian dishes too!

I made a mental note of taking RT there for a date in the future which, turned out to be the day of our anniversary celebration.

Fast forward three months and we are doing an 80 kmph on SLEX going to Tagaytay but contrary to my plan months ago, we'll be having a lunch date. It was a letdown that RT won't experience the romantic ambiance that only happens at night but I decided that it would be breathtaking for him, and for me too, to have lunch in front of a great view of the lake. Besides, we could always come back and have a dinner date there in the future, but for the time being, a lunch date is what's gonna work.

Buon Giorno is located inside Cliffhouse, a retail complex located along the Tagaytay ridge. It's is easily missed (which happened to us) since it only has a small sign and a gate covered with plants. You'll have more luck if you just look for the Yellow Cab sign, Cliffhouse is just next to it.

We dined al fresco and picked the best table with the best view of the lake from the restaurant. Well, it was a little off the restaurant's boundaries, near the viewing deck with all those noisy tourists wanting to get a pic for their Face Book profiles, which is the the only place where plants and trees won't get in our way of the lake's view. 

It was sunny when we got there and with the roof covering only half the table, one of us was bound to get toasted but RT was sweet enough to volunteer to take the "sunny" side and let me sit on the covered part (*blush*). It wasn't that all hot (well, just a little) and he insisted he needed the sunlight so I didn't put up a fight there haha! It was good that the clouds came down when we were about to order otherwise I'd feel bad for letting RT roast.

RT's pick: Ripe Mango Shake, P120

They do not scrimp on their mango shake and serve it in big, tall drinking glasses which gave RT a big smile. It was definitely what his money's worth :D

My pick: Tarragon Tea, P54 

My favorite tea of all! Sweet and aromatic! I call tarragon a super herb because of its various health benefits from insomnia to toothaches!

On the House: Freshly Baked Focaccia Bread

Since all dishes are only cooked when ordered, they give these out for free so we could munch on something while waiting to be served. Oh, that mixture over there that looks like instant pancit canton seasoning (as a friend calls it) is a combination of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and parmesan cheese... something that I picked from my boss' wife.

 

RT's pick: Prosciutto a Funghi, P265

Now, doesn't that photo look like something from a print ad? As their menu says, it's got "deep flavors of ham, mushrooms and oregano" which RT and I both agree! The serving was too much for the two of us (yes, there is a thing as too much serving for me :D) that we could only finish half the pizza. We had the other half wrapped for take out for our meryenda later but with the abundance of food on our next destination, we only had the chance, and space in our tummies, to eat it when we returned home. We were surprised it didn't get spoiled. :D

 

My pick: Pescatore alla Puttanesca, P308

An assortment of seafood on spicy and peppery tomato sauce. Seafood... peppery.. spicy. Now, this dish is definitely made for me! It doesn't look much on the photo but the serving was big enough for RT and I to share.

It was tough finishing our meals and getting off of our seats because with the cold winds blowing in our faces, the breathtaking view of the Taal Lake/Volcano and the serenity of the place, we could stay there the whole day and just relax and be at a peaceful state of mind.

On our way out, I grabbed some lychee flavored  frozen yogurt form Fling Frozen Yougurt just to know what all the rave is all about with froyos. It turned out, it is just what it is. A frozen yogurt, which is too overpriced by the way, P85. There is another dessert shop inside Cliffhouse which a  took a mental note to try next time, Fruits in Ice Cream.

Next stop, Sonya's Secret Garden!

**How to get to Cliffhouse? From the Tagaytay Rotonda, turn right and just watch for this sign along the main highway. Once you get past the Antonio's grill, Mile hi Diner, Carlos Pizza, etc., this is along the same row of restaurants before you reach the fork road of Petron Station. Remember, lookout for the Yellow Cab sign. Also, there's a 10% SC on all dishes.