Samira by Chele: A Continuing Testament to the Greatness of Chef Chele Gonzales

When Chef Chele started opening branches in popular tourist destinations such as Boracay and Tagaytay – I couldn’t help but be wary that Chef Chele was merely just stamping his famous name on these concepts to generate hype – but, I’m happy to report that this is far from the truth in the case of Samira by Chele.

Situated inside the picturesque Anya Resort in Tagaytay, you’re guaranteed to have a gorgeous backdrop to your meal.

CHARRED GRILLED OCTOPUS (P960)

My family has a penchant for Grilled Octopus (ever since we fell in love with Chef Boutwood’s take on the Grilled Octopus in Savage, my family has been ordering grilled octopus dishes every time we see it on the menu). Each plate comes with perfectly-cooked and sizeable octopus limbs which were amazingly tender, and boast of the perfect smoky char. The octopus is paired with a creamy paprika-forward sauce and delicious dollops of aioli – both were so good, you’d definitely be wiping both these sauces clean. The dish is finished off with sprinkles of black ink breadcrumbs. This dish can comfortably be shared up to 4 to 5 diners – if you’d be pairing it up with other dishes!

OCTOPUS AND BLACK INK PAELLA (P1400)

We also got the Octopus and Black Ink Paella (as a further proof of how much we’re into grilled octopus) and it was glorious! Samira upgrades the usual squid pieces with a large octopus leg to pair with their gorgeous black ink paella. The aioli was the same creamy and delicious one served with our Charred Grilled Octopus. This was pretty straightforward – but honestly, if you’re as confident with the quality of ingredients you use in cooking (as they are), you don’t need a lot of fluff to make this dish shine.

JAMON AND SQUID PAELLA (P1350)

We were curious about the Jamon and Squid Paella so we also ordered one for the table – I love the contrast its vibrant orange hue gave to the sleek black ink paella. It was my first time eating paella topped with teeny tiny jamon serrano slices and perfectly crisp deep-fried baby squid – and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

CHURRASCO (P2590)

Our first main dish would be its Churrasco – 350g of Grilled Beef Skirt – gorgeously cooked and served with a delightfully fresh chimichurri. This is accompanied by marbled potatoes – simply cooked in olive oil and topped with rosemary; a side salad.

FLAME GRILLED IBERICO PORK RIBS (P3630)

The Flame Grilled Iberico Pork Ribs comes at a hefty size of 650g; carved tableside by Chef Roxanne; it was a spectacle seeing the smoke that came from the fresh-off-the-grill pork ribs and the juices that oozed from it as Chef was carving through it.

Perfectly succulent, the Pork Ribs were a delight to devour – served with herb roasted potatoes and mixed salad leaves; this is a must-try for group dining. The meat is paired with a delicious red wine jus.

CHEESE ICE CREAM, GRILLED STRAWBERRIES (P490)

To end our meal, we opted for the Cheese Ice Cream with Grilled Strawberries – the ice cream is on the fluffy and airy side – that it’s closer to whipped cream’s consistency than that of traditional ice cream –this was a delight to devour.

BUKO PIE IN TEXTURES (P290)

However, it’s the Buko Pie in Textures that completely won me over – the deconstructed buko pie boasts of tender fresh young coconut with a delightfully nutty granola base – it incorporates everything we love about the buko pie sans the heaviness of the ‘pie’ itself.

Samira by Chele

Anya Resort Tagaytay, Cavite City

Date of Visit: July 16, 2023 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Elizabeth Chua, Susan Tan, Tiffany Tan, Jared Chua, and Jem Chua