Whether you’re on a spontaneous getaway or a planned vacay, Tagaytay has always been one of the go-to escape havens from the busy streets and buzzy lifestyle of the metro. It’s as if Tagaytay is the perfect place to lay your restless soul with it being a splendid scenery and every whiff of the cool breeze makes your heavy shoulders lighter. Aside from the reason that Tagaytay is such a breather, there are a lot of things to do and one of which is to explore their food.
What’s the one food that Tagaytay is known for? You guessed it right, Bulalo; that piping hot stew with beef shanks and marrow bones that is perfect for the lively gust that Tagaytay is known for as well. However, this one restaurant in Tagaytay offers not only Bulalo; in fact it doesn’t only offer Tagaytay as it prides itself of serving three Filipino Cuisines on one sartin plate.
Lo and behold, Sartin is a Filipino Restaurant inspired by three generations of life, love, and family from three distinct hometowns – Quezon, Tarlac, and Bacolod. They offer world class experience not only through traditional Filipino recipes with a modern twist, but also a space abundant in texture and color that gives off a homey, comforting vibe. The quaint details of the atmosphere in Sartin emanates nostalgic feelings as if it is telling you a story which will entice you even more to return not only for the place, but definitely for the experience as well.
To begin this Sartin story, we first had Sartin Salad (Php 425). It’s the perfect light meal with mixed lettuce, red raddish, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, and dried squid, tossed in pineapple vinaigrette and kesong puti. This one is the right blend of sweet, sour, and salty that comes with a crunch in every bite.
If you’re one for the slurp, Batchoy (Php 305) is perfect for you. It’s the classic Ilonggo dish of rich broth with guinamos, egg noodles, pork and beef slices, and shredded chicken, topped with pork chicharon and roasted bone marrow. It’s a hearty bowl of more than just soup that would help ease you out of any trouble you are feeling.
Of course, rice being a Filipino staple, it’s no surprise that this next dish is one of Sartin’s Signature Dishes, the Valenciana (Php 495) – a principal food in every fiesta in Negros; with its glutinous rice cooked with broth and turmeric, topped with Chinese chorizo, pork mussels, shrimps, squid, pepper pears, and egg. This dish is one to surely satisfy your huge appetite, but hold up because we are just starting out.
Another rice meal we have for you is the Taba ng Talangka at Hipon Fried Rice (Php 225). It’s the right meal for sharing as this one is fried rice with crab fat, luscious shrimps, and lots of garlic that makes the meal more flavorful.
If you’re looking for a little bit of spice and crunch, don’t worry because you can have the Laing with Pork and Shrimps (Php 305). It’s taro leaves cooked in coconut milk and pork and shrimps. It’s a creamy meal altogether, with the taro leaves cooked to perfection and with the pork and shrimp both tender.
As Sartin delights in being able to provide three different cuisines on one plate, you can also have a taste of Tarlac even though you’re in Tagaytay. Pindang Damulag (Php 249) is actually a new addition to the already wow-reaction-worthy menu of Sartin. It’s a crispy fried tapang kalabaw dish known in Tarlac, served with vinegar and pickles.
There’s nothing fishy happening in Sartin because not only are their food splendid, their place amazing, and their service outstanding, but – oh wait, there is. It’s one of their dishes that a fish is the main ingredient; Hito (Php 445) which you can get fried or grilled – we got ours grilled with a side of mustasa and served with burong isda and sampaloc sauce which you can both dip in for that extra sweet and sour taste.
Be sure to have a chair next to you for this next dish, as it would certainly make you sit because of its deliciousness; Pinaupong Manok (Php 635) is served in whole chicken cutlets, slow cooked in salt, garlic, oyster sauce, lemon soda, bayleaf, and peppercorn. This one would make your mouth water even just by looking at it.
Although, if you’re one to go crazy over veggies, other than the Sartin Salad, we recommend the Vegetable Platter (Php 359) for you. It’s steamed native vegetables such as ampalaya, talong, okra, mustasa, kamatis, served with burong isda and house made bagoong alamang in which you can dip your vegetables for more punch of flavor.
With the cool wind embracing you in Tagaytay, you might start looking for a bowl of lugaw; don’t fret because Sartin has the perfect alternative for you that is no less than lugaw. Suwam na Mais (Php 319) is shredded white corn, shrimps, dahon ng sili, topped with pork chicharon. Every spoon you feed yourself of this is more than just to taste, particularly the crunch from the ever Pinoy favorite pork chicharon.
Sartin is certainly more than just Bulalo, but being in Tagaytay and not having Bulalo is as if being in a beach and not even seeing a sea or an ocean, so you surely have to get that complete Tagaytay experience and order Sartin’s Bulalo (Php 655) – tender beef shank simmered in oh so good broth with vegetables, saging na saba, and leeks.
If you can’t stop yourself from having more of that Tagaytay’s must try Bulalo, then you have to try Bacolod’s version of it, which is Kansi (Php 655). This one is bull beef shank simmered in broth flavored with batwan, langka, and tanglad. It’s definitely a different take on what we’ve known as Bulalo because of its pinch of sour taste, and you absolutely don’t want to miss this!
Don’t get up from your seat yet because another Sartin Signature Dish is about to be revealed. It’s no doubt a Pinoy fiesta when lechon is on the table so Sartin’s answer to that is their Lechon na Ulo ng Baboy (Php 949). It’s roasted pig’s head served with homemade thin breads, salsa, mustard leaves, and burong isda. The pork is the perfect combination of crispy and tender that would make you forget about your diet.
With all this savory flavor in your mouth, you might want to add some sweetness to it. Sartin has desserts that would make you reminisce of your childhood summer stays with your grandparents at your hometown. Lucky for us we got to try two and lucky for you we get to share both with you.
Tibok-Tibok (Php 245) is a Kapampangan flan made of carabao’s milk and topped with latik. You can share this dessert as it is served in a lanera, but you can also have it all to yourself if you want to have all that melt-in-your-mouth-goodness, smoothness, and creaminess.
Another is a signature cooler during summer fiestas, Sartin’s Guinumis (Php 169) highlights the creaminess of fresh milk, the refreshing coldness of shaved ice, the silky smoothness of layers of gelatine, the delightful toasted flavor of pinipig, and the pleasant crunch of cornflakes.
Sartin undeniably is not one to disappoint with their food, but they also have tons of beverages to offer which you can get from their bar. They have soda, fruit shakes, cold drinks, coffee – both hot and cold, cocktails, mocktails, beer, and liquor – which you can get per bottle or per shot.
It was going to be a long drive back home so we opted for one of Sartin’s fruit shakes; the Green Mango Shake (Php 150). It’s a zesty, invigorating drink made of real, fresh mangoes that would liven you up.
With Sartin being in Tagaytay and offering a unique family history from three different hometowns, it is indeed not only an experience of Tagaytay anymore, because you get to have a taste of the authentic flavors from the Visayan isles, Kapampangan plains and the Southern Tagalog as well.
And so why go to Tagaytay and get to only explore Tagaytay when Sartin can bring three Filipino cuisines on your table that is from a long guarded secret recipe of the family who owns Josiah’s Catering – one of the top wedding caterers here in the Philippines?Experience Sartin; experience life, love, and family at the Ground Floor of Summit Ridge Hotel, Tagaytay – Nasugbu Highway, Tagaytay, Cavite.