Balay Dako by Antonio’s: Is It Worth the Drive (and the Queue)?
In recent years, the congestion of Metro Manila’s traffic has extended through the stretch of Tagaytay; that it makes traveling to that destination restaurant long and arduous. A family favorite would always be Breakfast at Antonio’s, which still attracts a waiting time of 45 minutes. However, it slowly loses its appeal when you can easily drop by Old Swiss Inn for your dose of Fresh Corned Beef, and Single Origin for a serving of its crisp waffles.
However, as the recently concluded ASEAN Summit paved the way for a 5 day weekend; my family had time to spend a night in Tagaytay. One of the restaurants in my Tagaytay bucket list would be Antonio’s classic Filipino concept, Balay Dako.
The waiting time was long but was made more bearable due to its interesting pasalubong shop, and cozy couches to lounge on. Apart from this, its dining capacity is significantly larger than that of Breakfast at Antonio’s, which allows for a faster turnover.
The setting of most of the photos is on the dim side as we dined on a rainy evening, and we were seated in the restaurant’s bar area, named Comedor ng Balay Dako. Its interiors immediately transport you to a different era; which definitely elevates your entire dining experience.
BULALO NA BAKA (P1170)
One of its signature dishes include a Tagaytay staple, Bulalo. Its Bulalo na Baka comes at a hefty serving of 1 to 1.2kg of beef. Unfortunately, Balay Dako’s Bulalo fails to impress. Although its beef chunks were tender, its beef broth was simply mediocre. It also failed to come with a heater of its own; thus, the entire bowl became cold after 10 minutes of being exposed to the chilly weather. The only thing which made it interesting was that it was served with Blackened Onions, which were delightfully sweet to eat on its own and added pizzazz to whatever dish it tops.
INIHAW NA LIEMPO (P365)
Its menu contains a wide range of classic Filipino dishes such as the Inihaw na Liempo. Simple as this dish may be, each slice of pork was perfectly marinated and grilled to perfection. Pair it up with a warm bowl of its Monggo (P265), and it’s a beautiful harmony of flavors.
CRISPY TAWILIS (P245)
Its Crispy Tawilis offers a huge serving of these crispy wonders. There’s really not much you can do with tawilis except to pair it with a killer spiced vinegar. It’s noteworthy that their choice of vinegar definitely did not disappoint.
TAHO ICE CREAM (P60)
As soon as I read it on the menu, I already knew I would be ordering this ice cream flavor, as I am obsessed with this street food favorite. Unfortunately, this was such a bad decision. Its only resemblance to Taho is that it’s served with tapioca; but its ice cream tasted like Nido in cream form. Fortunately, my dad opted for the more sensible Barako Ice Cream, which was easily the best coffee flavored ice cream I’ve ever tasted.
COCO PANUTSA FONDUE (P150)
If you want a dessert to remember, make sure to order its Coco Panutsa Fondue. Glutinous bilu-bilo are soaked in piping hot panutsa, guaranteed to win anyone over (even if most of us burnt our tongues in the process)! It also comes with a plate turon sticks for dipping.
Overall, I’d say that to dine in Balay Dako was definitely a memorable experience because of its beautiful architecture and interiors; although one can get tastier Filipino food from cheaper joints in Tagaytay, at shorter waiting times. I won’t cross it off from my list just yet though as I’m still eager to try its breakfast buffets!
Balay Dako
Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay
Date of Visit: November 13, 2017 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua, and Jem Chua
