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Tagaytay eats: Mrs. Saldo's Bangkok-inspired tasting menu is worth the drive

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Mrs. Saldo's Bangkok-inspired tasting menu is worth the drive

Jeeves De Veyra

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316341101DOORWAY.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mrs. Saldo&#x27;s is surrounded by greenery. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>It does take some effort navigating to Mrs. Saldo’s as it&#x27;s off the beaten path going up to Tagaytay. Getting lost in Silang is half the fun as once you get there, the nagging of “are we there yet?” is guaranteed to be replaced by “Let’s stay a little bit longer.”</p><p>While the food is the main draw, guests really should come early to get the most out of the long drive. One can just breathe in the greenery and get lost in the corners of calm around the property.</p><p>Those who do have the time to spare can get a cup of coffee from Little Sourdough or try out the a la carte menu upstairs at Little Miss Saldo’s.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316358082mural.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Take a selfie with the restaurant&#x27;s mural. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Have a picture at the iconic mural towards the back right by the dedicated temperature-controlled wine cellar. They do take their wine seriously as the restaurant is named after one of their favorite wineries in Napa Valley.</p><p>When you settle in for the main event, come in to bask in the rustic charm of the main dining room or the smaller plant-filled dining salas.</p><p>Chef Rhea Rizzo does have a storied culinary resume. The career highlight which she is known for is having worked at Gaggan in Thailand, acclaimed as the best restaurant in Asia several times. On reflection, the most valuable takeaway wasn&#x27;t just the techniques she brought home, but also the resilience and perspective she gained from working in a high-pressure kitchen alongside chefs from more than 30 nationalities.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316369601chef rhea izzo 6.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chef Rhea Rizzo. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Tasting menus are the main draw at Mrs. Saldo’s. When they first opened, they changed the menus daily to give reasons to wander back. But these days, the menus are around much longer.</p><p>With the current Bang Bang tasting menu, Chef Rhea was inspired by the city setting of Bangkok. She recounts frequent visits to Or Tor Kor market during her days off to taste elevated street food with the best produce and ingredients Thailand had to offer.</p><p>Chef Rhea notes that her repeat visitors are mostly seniors who aren’t into the extreme heat and spice Thai food can be notorious for. Thus, the punchiness is pulled back in favor of the subtler flavors from the herbs and spices used in the cuisine.</p><p>She starts out with snacks that double as an amuse-bouche, offering diners a first taste of the bold Thai-inspired flavors that define the rest of the menu. The servings are generous for snacks so one is advised to come with a big appetite and an empty stomach.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785317979178APP -  mieng kham (1 of 1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mieng kahm. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Much of the herbs and greens in the menu come from the gardens like betel leaf in the Iberico pork mieng kahm. Fold everything into the leaf then consume with one bite.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785317994657APP -  laarb (1 of 1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Laarb. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>The laarb delivers crunch on crunch, with papaya salad piled on top of the chicken skin chicharon. I thought they could add a bit more of the laarb powder and vinegar to balance out the oily chicken skin.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785318014961APP -  salmonnahm jim (1 of 1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Nahm jim. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Crack off pieces of the tapioca crackers and scoop up the nahm jim, a mixture of minced salmon, coconut cream, garlic and mint.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785318033997APP -  thai fried chicken (1 of 1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Thai fried chicken. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>The Thai fried chicken reminded me of Japanese tebasaki stuffed chicken wing. Chef Rhea&#x27;s version is filled with Thai flavors in the form of ginger rice, combining the caramel sweetness, sriracha spice, and fish sauce saltiness in one complex, but pleasant bite.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316723703crying tiger beef.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Crying Tiger. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>The Crying Tiger features beef so tender it could make a tiger cry, paired with the bold, vinegary kick of nam jim jaew dipping sauce.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316760844BREAD AND SOUP - tom kha and curry bun.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Tom kha with curry bun. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>I personally prefer creamy coconut ginger lemongrass tom kha over the spicy sour tom yum. This one, with minced shrimp and mushrooms, has a slight fermenty note to it that makes it a bit different.</p><p>The soup is served alongside a milk bun with curry garlic butter pandan as a nod to Chef Rhea’s French bread making techniques. Diners are advised to take a bite just to taste but leave some for later. The people who didn’t follow instructions regretted it as that bit of leftover bread could have been used to slop of the curries in the following main dishes.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316525722MAINS - duck pineapple curry.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Duck with pineapple curry sauce. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Rice accompanies the main courses, starting with duck and a pineapple red curry sauce. The fruity flavors of the curry and the duck’s crispy skin were the best part of this entrée. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316552061MAINS - massaman curry.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Massaman. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>As is, the Massaman is already a premium curry that takes hours to cook down the cloves, cumin, Thai cardamom and other spices. I thought the chocolate made this an Asian version of Mexican mole sauce. With a tender beef cheek, this was an exotic hearty meat course.</p><p>Bites of the salty sweet fried cabbage and fish floss balanced out the richness of the two curries.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316616623MAINS - Khao Ka Moo - Add on.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Khao kha moo. Jeeves de Veyra</span></span></span></div><p>For those looking for more food, guests can get a solo plate of khao kha moo as an add-on. Chef Rhea saw this on the streets of Bangkok with pots braising pork legs all day to get meat that’s almost gelatinous. For her version, thin slices of that geltatinous pork are dressed up with refreshing slightly spicy tangy notes from her nahm jim sauce, fermented mustard greens and cilantro.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316677663dessert - thai milk tea popsicle 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Thai milk tea ice cream popsicle. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>Thai milk tea is a must-have in a Thai meal. This first of two desserts is served as a popsicle on a bed of Kalinga Apayao unoy rice crispies to add a smokey crunch. To their credit, the ice cream is tea-forward and not as sweet as one would expect from milk tea.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785316690944dessert - sticky mangio rruce.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mango sticky rice. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>To close the meal is Chef Rhea’s variation of Sticky Mango Rice. But this one is leveled up with coconut cream, white chocolate and mango compote.</p><p>Taken together, the journey, the estate, and the Chef Rhea’s Bang Bang tasting menu tmake Mrs. Saldo&#x27;s a must-visit destination on Cavite&#x27;s dining map. The limited-time tasting menu will be available until the end of the year and is priced at P4,200++ per person. Three-day advance reservations are required. </p><p>Mrs. Saldo’s is located in Pansol, Silang, Cavite. For bookings and more information, please visit their <a href="http://www.mrssaldos.com">website</a><em></em>. </p>

<p>Chef Rhea Rizzo draws from her years in Thailand for Bang Bang, a new Bangkok-inspired tasting menu at Mrs. Saldo's. </p>

Chef Rhea Rizzo draws from her years in Thailand for Bang Bang, a new Bangkok-inspired tasting menu at Mrs. Saldo's.