We’ve tried Pizzeria Saletta Tagaytay before, and we had a better-than-okay experience. So… to check if that was a fluke, baka tsamba lang, we returned to this off-the-main road pizza place in Tagaytay.

So, kumusta naman ang experience namin?

@outragemag Craving Italian #pizza in #Tagaytay? We #LGBT checked Pizzeria Saletta Tagaytay #PizzeriaSaletta ♬ original sound Outrage Magazine

Una, this place is – as stated in their name – in Tagaytay. So for those who do not dwell in Tagaytay or nearby Batangas and Cavite areas, this isn’t exactly near. Meaning, you should be willing to allocate more time and more money to visit this place.

Ikalawa, the actual resto will remind you of homes turned into eateries… like those you’d find in residential places in Bangkok (though this one offers Italian food, obviously). With an open-air setting, don’t expect fine dining level set-up.

Ikatlo, the staff’s quite good – e.g. we had an issue with parking, no thanks to the resto’s neighbor, and the care given while dealing with the issue was good. Now and then, you’d see the young owners here, too, engaging with customers. This is like a communal kainan.

Ika-apat, the food’s not bad… generally speaking.

With pizza, one of the best decisions this resto made was to offer Pizza Four Flavor (₱650), so you can try more for cheaper (usual pizzas cost from ₱300 to over ₱600). So we’ve tasted Hawaiian, Pizza Salsiccia, Quattro Formaggi, and Pizza Peperoni… all in one go. And we can say that:

1. You can tell the pizzas were freshly made; served straight out of the oven, mainit-init pa, so tugma when eating in the cool temp of Tagaytay.
2. Di tinipid sa sahog, so you actually get enough ingredients… not just bread.
3. Hindi mamantika, so if you’re used to eating oily or greasy pizza, the version here isn’t that.
4. The bread of the pizza we got had burnt parts (like: itim level burns); we just scraped them and they did not, overall, affect the taste naman, but we’re mentioning all the same.

We also ordered:

1. Cotoletta alla Pizzaiola with Pasta Meatballs (₱260), basically chicken with pasta with meatballs. With this one, we’re sort of not impressed (sorry). True, the meatballs were better-than-okay. But the sauce was quite sweet; parang tinugma lang sa panlasang Pinoy.
2. Cotoletta alla Pizzaiola with Pesto (₱220), basically chicken with pesto spaghetti. The chicken wasn’t bad… but it’s not something you’d remember. With the pasta naman, it was too creamy for us; it needed more pesto taste than cream (sorry).

While I won’t necessarily say that you should go out of your way to dayo this place, this place is a better-than-okay pizzeria if you’re in Tagaytay. Particularly if you’re looking for a homey, not necessarily classy venue.

Drop by… or join us as we look for more lafang venues.

Pizzeria Saletta Tagaytay is located at 1575 Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Maitim II East, Tagaytay City.

On the way to Nasugbu in Batangas from the Municipality of Los Baños in Laguna, we passed through Lipa City; and – craving for something “local” – we were led to Liam’s Lomi House.

Okay, this is a must-know: Liam’s Lomi House is a two-time champion of Lipa’s Lomi Festival. So yeah… having high expectations is to be expected.

@outragemag #Lomi in #Batangas? For this #lgbtq trip, we tried #liamslomihouse in #LipaCity and had doubts if turning it into #fastfood ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

But – removing the food vlogger BS – how was it for us, sa totoo lang?

Una, this is an extremely popular place. Nagkakaubusan ng parking, hindi enough ang seats so nag-aagawan ng tables ang mga tao, the queue to order can get really – really – long, and so on. For an open-air resto, siksikan pa rin dito.

Ikalawa, if I think of lomi as fastfood, this is what comes to mind. You know the “system” – i.e. queue to order, look for a seat, order will be delivered to you, and so on. Because of this, the place can get impersonal; don’t expect to experience the Batangueño warmth here, trabaho lang all in this place.

And now… ikatlo, how was the food?

1. The “style” of Liam’s Lomi House is similar to lugaw. That is, they have a “base”, the basic noodle soup. This is then added with the topping you order. For instance, if you ordered lechon lomi (₱135), you get the same-tasting lomi as beef lomi (₱135) or liver lomi (₱125)… except for the topping.
2. Aside from the toppings, this one has no other sahog. No gulay or lamas or whatever.
3. Batangas lomi has malapot – or thick or viscous – sabaw. Almost laway-like. If you’re not into something like this, avoid na lang. Although the sabaw becomes runny naman over time.
4. There are other offerings – e.g. various types of silog (from ₱45 for silog to ₱140 for lechonsilog, liemsilog, chicksilog and so on). Those toppings for the lomi are what you get here, too.
5. Saving grace nila is the pork BBQ on stick. If you’re a fan of Amber’s BBQ, you’d get the appeal here. You get a properly cooked still-juicy and manamis-namis na BBQ.

Liam’s Lomi House is now a tourist trap; too many drop by this place because it has made a name na. Good for those who liked what they got. We’re happy for them.

But kami? It’s back on the road for us… as we look for more – and much better – lafang venues.

Liam’s Lomi House is located at Gen. Luna St., Sabang, Lipa City, Batangas. For more information, contact 0917 208 9535 or email liamslomihouse@gmail.com.

One of the biggest surprises I’ve had is the lack of proper – let’s emphasize that: proper – accommodation for those heading to many parts of Laguna. Often, you are forced to stay at tacky hot spring resorts, or are forced to book entire private houses if you’re spending some nights there.

But then in sleepy San Pablo, there’s a surprise waiting – that’s Sulyap, which had already been extensively covered by mainstream media as a must-check hotel that brings you back to the olden times. Bet mo mag-stay sa hotel na Spanish era ang vibe? This one is for you.

But also deserving of coverage is Sulyap’s resto, where we headed to have breakfast.

@outragemag #LGBT traveling to #sanpablolaguna and looking for #breakfast #brekkie? Try the not-cheap but yummy #silog ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the venue is picturesque. Kung sana marunong mag-alaga ng historical buildings ang nasa government natin, sana buildings like this still abound in the country. You get well-preserved wooden structures, classic artworks, and so on.

Ikalawa, the people working here are attentive naman; though this is to be expected because this is not exactly a cheap place.

Ikatlo, the place actually has an extensive menu, usually catering to groups. Ang breakfast menu, in particular, has items from ₱395 to ₱420. And oo, must-try ito. We got the beef tapa and fried bangus.

Ika-apat, taste-wise, wala kang irereklamo. Using their original recipe, the beef strips are really tasty; hindi lasang de lata. The ¼ bangus, meanwhile, was crunchy… and garlicky, so masarap din. The accompanying atchara and suka were also good, and could be ulam on their own. With food, if there’s one complaint, it’s the size; medyo small ang servings considering the asking price.

Is it worth heading to San Pablo just to check out Sulyap and its breakfast offerings? Not naman, since this is quite far din. But if you’re already in the area – and if you have spare budget for what may just be an expensive version of silog – then by all means, drop by.

But off we go again, as we look for more lafang venues.

Sulyap is located at the Cocoland Compound, Del Remedio, San Pablo City, Laguna. For more information, call (049) 260-0560 (Globe landline), (049) 300-4508 (Globe landline), or 0917-182-1483; or email sulyap.net@gmail.com.