Charito by Bag of Beans: Cheesecake, Coffee, and Really Good Food
Bag of Beans remains to be a destination restaurant/coffee shop in Tagaytay. Aside from establishing itself in the city years prior to the influx of chains and franchises, it also aims to be top of mind by being (a tad bit too) visible to residents and visitors by boasting of multiple branches within Tagaytay.
GAMBAS AL AJILLO (P450)
Of its concepts, Charito would be one of its newest. The restaurant is homey, offers a beautiful view of the Taal Lake and the Taal Volcano, and houses a small pasalubong shop which showcases the restaurant's famous coffee beans. To be honest, my family decided to dine here for the sole reason of having a bite of its killer frozen Blueberry Cheesecake. My only recollection of Bag of Beans’s food selection would be its massively sized, reasonably priced, mediocre tasting breakfast platters so I wasn’t really too keen on ordering from its hot dishes. Its menu also listed typical comfort food favorites that failed to excite me.
VIEW FROM CHARITO
However, the moment we were served its Gambas Al Ajillo dish, my stomach immediately growled in delight. We were served with plump juicy prawns delectably cooked in a killer garlic sauce. In contrast to most restaurants, Charito serves this Spanish appetizer as a main dish of its own, with a cup of rice and side vegetables. This makes perfect sense as you’ll definitely want to soak up all its sauce with the rice it comes with.
ROAST BEEF (P495)
Another surprise was the Roast Beef. I expected slices of beef drowning in a sea of mushroom gravy; but we were fortunately served with a gorgeous slice of charred beef; similar to those you’d get from carving stations of hotels, with just the right amount of gravy. I loved how the beef had a nice fat to meat ratio, and a melt-in-your mouth texture. Definitely, this is another winning dish from the restaurant.
CRISPY PATA (P650)
I’ve always been open about my love for this crazily unhealthy dish. Admittedly, my standards for Crispy Pata are easily attainable. Give me tender meat, crispy skin, and a really good dipping sauce, and I’m sold. Charito effortlessly meets my criteria so the dish is an instant thumbs up for me!
BABY BACK RIBS (P495)
My mom can cook up a really delicious rack of ribs that friends and family beg for it during reunion dinners, and are even willing to pay for it. It’s because of that I developed a slight aversion to this dish as I see it served on dinner tables (a lot) and end up on doing deliveries of this dish to hungry buyers. Thus, it was no surprise that I enjoyed this dish the least. I do have to attest though that despite its lack of sauce and smoky flavor, the meat was really tender.
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE
Of course, the sole reason why we ended up in this place would be to order a slice of their Blueberry Cheesecake. Served frozen, this creamy delight boasts of a full-bodied cream cheese flavor and a generous serving of canned blueberries. Just a tip: bring an ice chest or a freezer bag to make sure your slices of cheesecake will survive the traffic on your way home because you’d definitely find yourself craving for another slice (or two) of it. Another tip: keep an eye out for its equally delicious Strawberry Cheesecake!
Charito by Bag of Beans
Maharlika East, Tagaytay Nasugbu Highway, Tagaytay
Date of Visit: November 14, 2017 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua, and Jem Chua
