Manos Greek Taverna

It was a rainy Sunday when we decided to try Manos Greek Taverna in Tagaytay. For sure, you've spotted  this blue and white restaurant  if you're coming from Sta. Rosa , located at the right side of the road but wasn't prepared to make a sudden pit stop because it might be a hassle and a hazard unless you're on the early look out..

We ordered most of the Greek favorites. Instead of the usual tzatziki dip alone, we got the vegetarian shawarma which already has a tzatziki dip , salad, feta cheese, fries  and pita bread. This is a very healthy and yummy dish. They said they use only Greek olive oil from Crete, I hope the fries were fried in them too coz they were good and crispy. 

Vegetarian Shawarma

For the main course, we had the souvlaki platter and the grilled beef patties. The platters were served with rice and fries. Double carbs! I guess I would have welcomed the fries if we ordered gyros sandwiches similar in Europe where they serve it with the frites  but rice and fries..hmmm....Maybe diners can have the option of changing the rice or the fries to a Greek salad instead. 

Pork Souvlaki platter

The pork souvlaki ( there seems to be no chicken version..) , three sticks of  pork chunks , sad to say weren't tender. It took a bit of effort to bite into it and though flavorful, you can't really taste the meat because it was too chewy. It had rice, fries and three roasted tomatoes. But one thing missing is the yogurt garlic sauce that you can mix with the tomatoes. I overheard other diners looking for it also..hmm...do they serve it with the gyros only? 

The grilled beef patties, though it looks boring, were good. They were homemade,  savory and most of all tender.  Again served with  rice and fries! C'mon, we had fries already with your shawarma platter (hehe..snicker snicker)  a Greek salad would be the perfect side dish and  that yogurt garlic sauce for that added zing. It had  a small serving of mixed vegetables which sad to say tasted old and one of those pre- mixed vegetables you buy in the grocery.

 We had baklava for dessert and it was good , though I personally prefer having more of that crust or pastry in between, their baklava is good as it is.  

Baklava 

It was a good and breezy lunch , with a few misses that a good baklava won't be able to solve. And it's worth a stop over if you happen to be in the area already , I'm sure they have other Greek goodies up their sleeves. Opa! : )

Hermanos Taco Shop

This unassuming taco shop along Granada Street shares the same space with Petron and sits beside Arny Dadings Peachy Peachy ( yumyum!) . The signage says authentic Mexican food.  With all the Mexican grills and kitchens we have in the metro, this is an interesting claim.

The first thing I noticed when we stepped inside is that the owner is Mexican. Señor Rene personally greets all  the customers and take your orders. He's very friendly too and asked where do I usually go for my Mexican fix because  I told him I love the cuisine of his home country. The menu board boasts of tacos, burritos, tamales , quesadillas and chimichangas. Gosh, I wanted to order everything but had to settle for the fish tacos ( I've heard so much about their fish tacos ) and the beef burrito.  We had chips and salsa also while waiting for our order. 

Chips and Salsa 

We love the chips, the texture and taste is different from the ones served in Ristra's and B & T Kitchen. I think its because their homemade masa is better. 

Fish Tacos 

The fish tacos.. hmmm.. they're good with the roasted tomato salsa and a squeeze of lemon but there's a missing element for me. Maybe I was missing the fresh tomatoes? But it was still a pleasant dish and the tortilla used is very good, it's not the typical pale version commonly used here. This is probably Señor Rene's personal rendition of the fish tacos. 

Beef Burrito 

The beef burrito was really good! The beef was flavorful , moist and tender wrapped with Mexican rice and other veggies. The rice alone is good. 

It was a great lunch and  I can't wait to be back to try their tamales and other goodies. Took a picture with Señor Rene for posterity. Ole! ; )