sonya's garden

i'd like to think that sonya's is a tagaytay institution of some sort. it's one of those tagaytay destinations that i have never been to. so it was really a must for me during my last tagaytay trip.

sonya's doesn't really have a menu, by default you are served with a bottomless full course meal. if i'm not mistaken it's now pegged at PHP680 610 per person.

first you are served with a do it yourself salad.

sonya's creamy dressing and other condiments. a "vinaigrette" is also available. i deem it's a balsamic based dressing but also has a thick consistency not similar to the vinegar-olive oil dressings i'm used to.

a bowl of greens, egg, cucumber, jicama, mangoes, melon, nuts and pineapple. all refillable upon request.

my creation.

freshly baked bread - soft and warm. several spreads - tomato, basil and olive oil (checca?); pesto; kesong puti (white cheese); an olive tapanade of some sort and an anchovy based spread. i only liked the checca, pesto and cheese. again all refillable.

pasta with all the condiments, refillable as well. linguine with 2 sauces one is creamy chicken mango? i forgot if it has mangoes and the other one is sundried tomato based sauce. condiments include mushrooms, capers, ratatouille and fried salmon belly.

thought the tomato based sauce and the salmon belly were a perfect match. the sauce was sweet...it was like eating sarciado well my family's version of sarciado is a tad sweet. there was no tart or salty hints from the "sundried tomato" based sauce. the salmon belly was overcooked and tasteless as well.

the creamy chicken pasta was no winner as well. it was just normal pasta nothing special.

they served several desserts.

a moist chocolate cake that is not too sweet. it's good but i am not really a choco fan to begin with.

turon!!! my favorite filipino snack. spring rolls stuffed with bananas and has caramelized sugar as a coating. i like the small serving sizes would have been perfect if it had jackfruit inside too.

sweetened sweet potato...kinda redundant. wouldn't have noticed this until this lady i am not sure if she's sonya or a supervisor advised us to eat it with the mint leaves. and yes, they were really good....surprisingly good. desserts were served with tarragon tea, while the rest of the meal was served with dalandan juice.

was it worth it? it's difficult to answer. i honestly wanted to be impressed and be blown out of my mind with the dishes since it always get great reviews. but i was really disappointed especially with the pasta. i think the pasta broke the deal. but the ambiance and the entire dining experience was really pleasurable. i liked the dining area...i dunno how to describe it...indoor garden dining with a kitschy feel of some sort. the dining experience i guess is what you pay for. it is still a must for me.

sonya's garden

buck estate

alfonso cavite

www.sonyasgarden.com