GCQ Family Trip: December 30, 2020 - Deli de San Honoré

I actually didn't want to go to Tagaytay on this particular day to be honest but since this is a family trip I had no choice. The parentals wanted to go on a short trip outside and we ended up in Tagaytay. Since this was a holiday, we expected traffic to be bad and to keep it short expectations were met and unfortunately we were also late. But this place is still a bit far from the usual places to eat in Tagaytay but still accessible. We ate tons of food here and had a good bunch of laughs with our aunt and uncle coming along. 

Since my siblings and I took a separate car from our folks, we had a longer scenic route on the way home and we still beat our folks by a good 15 - 30 minutes despite that fact. Total travel time was roughly 3 hours to get to on from the restaurant depending on the gravity of traffic so factor this to your travel time unless you are staying in Tagaytay for a short vacation.

The Place:
1. Proximity: N/A - Since this was out of town, I'd rather not grade it at all but it is relatively far. Factor in Tagaytay being one of the more commercialized local tourist destinations, you have to factor in traffic especially during holidays.

2. Parking: 2/5 -  Street Parking is typical for homes converted to restaurants. Add the hilly terrain and smaller roads, parking might be a problem especially if you're bringing in a bigger vehicle. The only plus there is that they have a dedicated guard / parking attendant to assist.

3. Interior: N/A - The place looks really nice but to be fair, you are eating outside of the home. From the signs to the decent going to the dining area. Said dining area is also beside the kitchen. With the canopy-type covers and plants around the dining area, you will feel comfortable dining here. I'm just a big guy so clunky people like me might have some issues with the tables located near the edges. The dining area is also small for my taste but it is intimate. 

Sign by the entrance

Stairway down to the dining area

Canopy covers, plants, a fan and the 2nd floor

Take home items lined up in front of the doorway to their kitchen

I never did ask who is depicted in this sculpture. Seems nice though.

The Service
1. Crew: 4/5 - Apart from the parking attendant / guard upstairs, there are approximately 3 ladies who do the waitress and cashier work. We'd suggest to talk in the vernacular (i.e. Filipino) so that you won't confuse them with your orders. They might be running around the reception area, dining area and kitchen so prepare to be patient or be funny and catch their attention. I suggest the latter.

2. Service: 5/5 - All of the crew are really nice and can let you know what is good. We didn't a thorough test by so far their recommendations did not disappoint. 

3. Interior: N/A - The place looks really nice but to be fair, but we ate outside so I can't say much of the interior. The house looks nice and eating outside is great too. If you love dogs, you might spot the Great Danes on the lawn a level further down. From the signs to the decent going to the dining area, there is a slightly rustic vibe coming off them. With the canopy-type covers and plants around the dining area, you will feel comfortable dining here. I'm just a big guy so clunky people like me might have some issues with the tables located near the edges nonetheless, the intimate and cool setting is great for family meals.

The Food:

1. Selection: 4/5 - Their menu is quite limited but they are good. The "seasonal menu" is a bit off-setting but the simplicity is effective if you are sitting facing towards the kitchen / kitchen door. You also get some bread to start off your dining experience with the restaurant.

Soup and Cake of the Day?

We had plenty to order but we all ordered for ourselves except for the appetizers and pizza that we shared. I'll just share the items we ordered below:

• House Salad (P350)

Seems okay. 

• Appetizer Plate (P350) - they told us that they didn't have wild boar that day so their tapa was different than the usual. We just couldn't imaging what's different from what we are eating. We also ordered 2 of this because 1 was just not enough 😂Ours had dried tomato, pitted olives, chorizo, 2 different kinds of cured meat, a cheese dip and slices of their bread.

Great with wine, I was just curious on how wild boar would've tasted though

• Pizzas (P580) - While on the pricier side of things, these 14-inch handmade pizzas have been given a generous amount of cheese and toppings. We were kind of full already after finishing all these.

D' Deli's Pizza - very yummy

A slice of D' Deli's. On a side note, you can ask for extra arugula.

Bianca - very creamy

A slice of Bianca. Note to self: leave more room for more stuff next time as I had 3 of these.

• Pumpkin Soup (?) - I wasn't able to see how much the soup was but watching ate pour them on the bowls of my uncle as well as my own was amusing. While it was too watery for me, it still tasted fine. 

Apart from the amusing pour over, my uncle also jokes around a bit while my sister is guessing what the red powder on the bowl was.

• Herb de Provence Porkchop (P420) - This was a specialty item that my sister ordered. The serving size is huge (for her) and it was tasty (daw 😅). It comes with pickles, garlic rice and string beans.

Comes with rice and vegetables

• Classic Callos with their house-cured Chorizo (P380)  - This was my order and it was delicious. It comes with a cup of white rice. I would've ordered a extra cup of rice if I wasn't that full. My uncle also wanted (later joked about it) to get some of it.

Be careful of the hot plate on which the bowl of Callos is placed on top of.

• Baked Cheese Aglio Olio with Crisp Wild Boar Ham (P380)  - This was the order of my uncle. It was the delicious though it might have been too rich for his taste. "Mabilis daw siya naumay" according to my uncle.

Looks good but we wondered what it would taste like if it had wild boar ham.

• Indian Buttered Chicken (P380)  - This was the order of my baby sister and was a bit spicy. She avoided eating beef and pork because she saw a cow head when we passed through a wet market in Tagaytay. Chicken was an exception though but I didn't hear what the reason was but my family was laughing about it.

Looks and tastes spicy 😅

• Steak Frites - U.S. Hanging Tenderloin Steak (P595)  - My aunt's order was on of the recommendations of our waitress when asked. Portion size was huge and cooked medium rare, very juicy and delicious. Comes with fries and lettuce.

• Smoked Mahi-Mahi (P330)  - My mom chose the most conservative meat of us all, fish. She offered no comment except that she finished it really quickly and looked satisfied after. It comes with rice, salted egg, and a tomato + onion salad of sorts.

Healthy option anyone?

• Chocnut Beef Belly Barbecue (P450)  - My dad was feeling adventurous he tried the barbecue. It comes with garlic rice. Since my dad was last to eat, he just wolfed it down after while my uncle and sisters were having their coffee.

Interesting, chocnut and beef.

2. Taste: 4/5 - Overall, the taste of our food was good. Other than the few things out of our preference, we were satisfied with our orders. My aunt also bought a bunch of their sourdough bread.

3. Price: 2/5 - The price is really on the high side so I would only go here on special occasions or when visiting Tagaytay. If you're going under a particular budget, also account for the gas and toll to get here and maybe a little extra. For two you'd spend around P1,000 - P1,500. Menu prices are subject to 10% service charge.

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Deli de San Honoré is located at 9060 Zambal Road, Barangay, Tagaytay, Cavite
Telephone Number: 0915-959-1675

Website: https://delidesanhonore.business.site/
Operating Hours: Fridays to Sundays 10AM to 9PM
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A Friendly Reminder: The restaurant is following health protocol procedures so please remember to bring your face shields along with your face masks. They have a QR code ready for contact tracing. They also have a small notice by the entrance that they can refuse the most vulnerable to the COVID pandemic (children, and senior citizens 65 and over). If you plan to go after January 31, 2021, consider waiting for the new quarantine to be issued by the national government as travel restrictions in select areas might make your trip unfeasible.

Earl