This place has all the right ingredients, the must-haves when you wish to enjoy good food when visiting Tagaytay City. Fresh air. Cool temperature. Great view of Taal Volcano and Taal Lake. And, of course, the food. But there is something else that makes Taaleña Restaurant stand out from the rest of the Tagaytay City restaurant crowd.

But before we proceed to put finger on what “it” is, let’s start with the usual fare that Tagaytay City, and Taaleña Restaurant in particular, has to offer.

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear someone mention Tagaytay City? It’s most probably Taal Volcano or Taal Lake. The Picnic Grove, the zipline and the horseback riding are secondary. It’s primarily the Taal Volcano or Taal Lake, with the ridge offering a full view of the entire expanse.

There’s the really cool surroundings (literally speaking). We had lunch, naturally during high noon, yet it was never warm even if there’s no aircon at the Taaleña’s upper floor where lunch was served. “Where’s the aircon”, one of the few questions we asked when we arrived at Taaleña. No answer was needed because it became apparent that no aircon is necessary in this side of the earth.

The cool breeze continuously maintains a comfortable temperature outside and within the premises. The structure looks like the old Spanish houses in the Philippines, with sliding capiz windows all around for good ventilation (and great aesthetic effect).

Then there’s the food. Lots of good choices in Tagaytay. Taaleña is among the bunch of restaurants, including Leslie’s and RSM Lutong Bahay, that serve delectable Batangas-Filipino food. The crispy tawilis, a fish found only in Taal Lake. The rice choices, including Squid Rice and Binagoongan Rice, really need no other dish to be enjoyed.

There’s bulalo, the beef bone marrow dish that tastes simply different when in Batangas. When asked why I almost always order bulalo when in Tagaytay or Batangas, the answer comes easy — why not grab every chance to enjoy great bulalo?

The crispy pata is ok. Could not give Juday’s or JIFJ a run for their money, but better than most. Of course, we have to give our usual caveat that any crispy pata that would one day overthrow Juday’s or JIFJ would be a national culinary treasure, a caveat which should make the comparison with Taalena’s crispy pata less unfair. The sinigang, fried hito and the spicy Bicol Express are also good. I don’t particularly like hito in any dish, but Taalena’s crispy fried hito is one of the few that I’d willingly order again.

It’s tempting to think that Filipino food, by reason of its day-to-day consumption, would not be a choice when visiting Tagaytay. However, it’s easy to see that we’re comfortable with what we usually eat, which is Filipino food. It’s a source of comfort, part of the getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s a culinary feast, far from the usual fare in our daily dining table.

And, saving the best for last, allow us to put a finger on what makes this place, in our opinion, stand out from the rest of the Tagaytay City restaurant crowd.

It’s the breathing space possible with the open configuration of the restaurant. It does not feel crowded even if there are a lot of people. The sliding capiz windows open to the view of the Taal Volcano and Taal Lake.

The tables are spaced far apart, allowing guests and waiters to navigate between the tables with absolute ease. The chairs are arranged to allow ample elbow room among guests sitting in the same table. There’s a lot of parking areas which is not shared with other restaurants. Where is it found? It’s after the Tagaytay City rotunda, just before the cluster of restaurants with Starbucks.

The Taaleña Restaurant, unlike other restaurants clustered with each other, is completely insulated from the rest. It’s a nice place to stretch one’s legs numbed by the long travel, a good vantage point to admire the spectacular view. It has a wide lawn with manicured greens for kids to enjoy. Unlike other restaurants like Leslie’s and RSM Lutong Bahay, Taaleña seems to avoid packing guests like sardines, diminishing the full enjoyment of the Tagaytay experience. This is why Taaleña Restaurant is highly recommended when in Tagaytay City.