Vlad Bunoan

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TAG 4120

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<div><br/><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:633px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751075954811385d5541-8628-4431-8347-097e434b791f.jpg" style="width:633px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="TAG 4120 is located along Lagusan Drive, Tagaytay City. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">TAG 4120 is located along Lagusan Drive, Tagaytay City. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span></div><p>TAGAYTAY -- When long-time public-relations practitioner Philip Abadicio packed up his bags for the cool ridges of Tagaytay, he imagined a quiet semi-retirement, with perhaps a modest Airbnb gig on the side.</p><p>“But after a few months I realized I can’t be fully retired,” he recalls with a laugh. “I still needed to do something.”</p><p>That itch for purposeful work — and a lifelong passion for art — soon blossomed into TAG 4120, an art gallery–cum-restaurant tucked along Lagusan Drive, just minutes from the city’s main road.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A gallery and a gathering place</strong></div><p>Abadicio’s original plan was simple: open a small gallery where he could continue the art activities he had begun in Manila. “I wanted to set up an art gallery because that was one of the last things I was doing before leaving the city,” he says. “I was dealing with art, selling art, I was promoting artists. So I really intended to just set up an art gallery.”</p><p>But when his partner floated the idea of adding a coffee shop, the concept snowballed. Today TAG 4120 is equal parts exhibition space and 40-seat restaurant — “a restaurant with an art gallery, or an art gallery with a restaurant,” Abadicio jokes.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751076063572508846125_1791245551424806_8901942372166496845_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="This used to be a pineapple plantation. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This used to be a pineapple plantation. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>The name is an acronym for “Tagaytay Art Gallery,” paired with the local ZIP code; its pineapple logo nods to the area’s former plantations. Inside, white walls and linens provide a neutral canvas for the artworks.</p><p>The gallery rotates its exhibitions every three to four weeks and is already booked until November. At the time of our visit, the featured artist was Michi Calica, who was still working in the fashion industry when she met Abadicio years ago. Abadicio actively scouts talent across Cavite and Manila, often attending group shows or openings.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751076259730512614155_1381867133070385_5439090890855728810_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Exhibits change monthly. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Exhibits change monthly. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>“Some of the artists are from Tagaytay, but many are from nearby towns or I meet them in Manila,” he says, citing the local artists collective Alitaptap Artists’ Community in Amadeo. “If I see potential, I talk to them and invite them to show here.”</p><p>That curatorial eye has already yielded discoveries. Rising painter Rainer Duhaylungsod sold out his first solo show at TAG 4120, prompting interest from Manila galleries. “That show really took off. We had to do a part two,” Abadicio shares. “Some galleries in Manila found out about it and now he’s exhibiting there and he’s doing well.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751076386208508913272_713425244663158_133842546186429728_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Art and countryside views. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN NewsArt and countryside views. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Art and countryside views. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>While Tagaytay doesn’t have that artsy vibe or reputation as, say, Baguio, Abadicio notes that many potential art buyers have weekend homes there. “You can get something here unexpectedly at a better price, or you can find a new artist here that has not been discovered yet by Manila. So you can start a collection,” he says.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Country-club comfort food</strong></div><p>If the art changes monthly, the menu remains a nostalgic constant.</p><p>Abadicio calls it “country-club cuisine,” the catch-all fare served in Manila’s exclusive sports and social enclaves like chicken à la Kiev, beef stroganoff, shrimp tempura, even the classic banana split.</p><p>“We can&#x27;t be a bulalo restaurant because there&#x27;s so many of those already. And we can&#x27;t serve Filipino food because again there’s so many establishments already doiing that. We&#x27;re not Japanese, we&#x27;re not Thai, we&#x27;re not continental,” he explains.</p><p>An experienced local cook leads a kitchen staffed entirely by Tagaytay residents, an important nod to community employment in a town where transport costs are steep.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751077042621508459126_1731284774143748_5921617045108030145_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="TAG 4120 Batangas Porterhouse Steak. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">TAG 4120 Batangas Porterhouse Steak. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751076832007thumb2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Tempura and Caesar Salad. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Tempura and Caesar Salad. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>The result is unfussy, comforting food that feels both retro and refreshing. Batangas prime-rib steak arrives with two sauces and your choice of two sides (from rice and mashed potato to mushrooms); tempura is battered light and crisp; and the Caesar salad is as fresh as you’d expect with additional props for the croutons and bacon bits.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751076908667thumb3.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Prawn Thermidor and Beef Stroganoff. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Prawn Thermidor and Beef Stroganoff. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>Another traditional dish is Prawn Thermidor with its cheesy, creaminess perfectly complementing the aglia olio pasta. For a heavier pasta option, there&#x27;s the Beef Stroganoff.</p><p>The menu has a Japanese section, pasta and even something for kids.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751077199405509879445_1036724281880362_905747491739905251_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Chicken a la Kiev. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chicken a la Kiev. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751077299046510326992_582560354912726_5023308008451662196_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Chicken Teriyaki. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chicken Teriyaki. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>Dessert is simple: banana split, coffee jelly, and the Balikbayan’s Dream, ube ice cream topped with macapuno and leche flan.</p><p>Prices stay friendlier than Manila’s, thanks to proximity to vegetable farms, Batangas beef suppliers, and coastal seafood markets. For instance, the 1,000g Batangas porterhouse steak is priced at only P1,190, which is good for two already. (The 800g prime rib is cheaper at P990, also meant for sharing.)</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751077389384512862740_1911552992961533_7237306436798802198_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Balikbayan&#x27;s Dream and Banana Split. Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Balikbayan&#x27;s Dream and Banana Split. <em>Vlad Bunoan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>One thing diners won’t find is alcohol — TAG 4120 sits across the street from a school, so Abadicio opted to keep the bar dry. Instead, fruit-forward iced teas and French-press coffee fuel the long weekend drive.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A quieter life, but never idle</strong></div><p>Running a hospitality venture in Tagaytay isn’t without challenges. TAG 4120 is located in a spot originally intended as a dry market serving Tagaytay’s main palengke down the hill. This plan fizzled out and while there are a few occupied stalls catering to students, many are still waiting for tenants — although there is a soon-to-open Chinese restaurant that could help bring more traffic to the area.</p><p>Yet Abadicio is determined to keep the operation going. For him, TAG 4120 is both occupation and oasis.</p><p>“The climate is nicer, there&#x27;s less traffic, the people are friendlier because there&#x27;s less stress. It&#x27;s nice to live here,” he reflects. And he gets to merge his love for art and food — and share that with others.</p><p>In doing so, TAG 4120 may be rewriting Tagaytay’s tourist script: beyond panoramic ridge views and steaming bulalo, there’s now a cozy lane where canvases mingle with comfort fare, offering city-weary weekenders a dose of calm and nostalgia.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>TAG 4120 is open daily along Lagusan Drive, Tagaytay City.</em></div>

<p>Tucked along a quiet stretch of Lagusan Drive, TAG 4120 is a hidden gem in Tagaytay that offers monthly exhibits and home-style comfort food with a strong local sensibility.</p>

Tucked along a quiet stretch of Lagusan Drive, TAG 4120 is a hidden gem in Tagaytay that offers monthly exhibits and home-style comfort food with a strong local sensibility.

TAG 4120 serves art and comfort food in a quiet corner of Tagaytay

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TAG 4120 serves art and comfort food in a quiet corner of Tagaytay

Vlad Bunoan,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 28, 2025 10:55 AM PHT

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restaurant

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TAG 4120

comfort food

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