EL COCINERO BY CHEF ARNALDO, TAGAYTAY

3 Saturdays ago, the husband and I discovered by faith a fine dining place ~ El Cocinero by Chef Arnaldo which is located inside La Bella Residences in Tagaytay City - (sending our special thank you to my long time friend/ schoolmate/ former colleague Apple for the recommendation. )

Here are some tips and our restaurant's review.

It was the grand opening of El Cocinero at the time of our visit.

The co-owner, Mr. Gino Palaca together with Chef Arnaldo’s wife, Ms. Mariecel Dampog and Chef Arnaldo Limeta himself was there.

Talk about Filipino Hospitality - they have showed it to us at the maximum level. We got so pampered that I told my husband I wanted to dine there everyday. :)

The restaurant’s co-owner, Gino Palaca was there to assist us. From the restaurant’s background, history and the menu, he was always there to share us the story- (my husband and Gino got along so well that they even talked about life, struggles and success of having a business, guy stuff and more...)

From the moment we set foot at the door, I fell in love with the place. It seems that it has transported me somewhere in Spain. 

The restaurant has a number of tables that could accommodate quite a handful of guests. Couples or even families could enjoy an intimate sojourn as you indulge El Cocinero's distinct specialties.

The restaurant also has an outdoor alfresco dining area.

The seats outside would give you a scenic fresh ambiance of lush greenery as you chill out while sharing your stories as you feel nature and the cool breeze of Tagaytay.

El Cocinero's specialties are mostly Spanish dishes like paellas and the like but you may also find pizza, pizcado, calzones etc. in the menu. Chef Arnold spent 14 years of his life living in the wonderful island of Ibiza, Spain. During those years he was able to master mediterranean menus and brought home his own take of the best Paella Valenciana.

photo via El Cocinero by Chef Arnaldo

What we had:
-Welcome drink (in citrus-y flavour)
-Pinchos (pica-pica)
-Cochinillo
-Pescado Al Horno con Al Lioli
-Paella Valenciana
-Homemade Cheesecake
-Calamansi Shake (specialty shake)

Welcome Drink

Pinchos

Specialty shake: Calamansi Shake

Cochinillo (Roast Piglet)

Pescado Al Horno con Al lioli (Baked Fish with Al lioli Sauce) 

Paella Valenciana

The Good:
From the pinchos that was served down to our last bite, everything was just delicious and tasty. You'll feel the personal touch of Chef Arnold on each dish. The veggies on the side - the greens were all fresh and so is the baked fish. As we savour everything, a group of trio musicians serenaded us which made our stay truly memorable. They really know how to make our dining experience enjoyable.

The Paella Valenciana was the best Paella we ever tasted in the Philippines.  We enjoyed eating it with Al Lioli sauce. It was a secret shared by Gino, he said we'll love eating it more and we did. What a better way to eat a Paella! Even the shake turned out to be outstanding. So outstanding that it got me curious about the dessert which is the homemade cheesecake. The cheesecake has proven the saying "first impressions last" wrong.  At a first glance, the cake would not give you the "I really want to eat you" feeling but the moment I had my first bite, everything has changed.  So it's up to you now to define if it's sinful or not, hah! :)

The Bad:
Turned out our stomach only has a limited capacity. If only we have an extra space, I could have featured some more of the menus.

The Verdict:
El Cocinero is a real gem of a restaurant. The husband and I felt that we have discovered a pearl on a beach. The restaurant menu was excellent as it offered a wide range of dishes at reasonable prices. The staff knows what they are doing, they have a good knowledge of their menu. Overall, Chef Arnaldo and the owners really know how their guests would enjoy each moment - Service was great, Food is more than superb, El Cocinero has exceeded our expectations. It really managed to shorten the distance between Manila and Spain. :) El Cocinero in my opinion can readily beat famous Manila restaurants.

Few more info about El Cocinero
El Cocinero in tagaytay is their second branch that soft-opened last Valentines Day. The first branch is located in Nasugbu in Batangas. El Cocinero, Nasugbu has been operating for over 2 years now but is currently expanding. They are currently constructing a new site for El Cocinero in Nasugbu, which is about 100m away from the old location. At the moment, the Nasugbu branch can only house in maximum of 20 persons (only 5 tables) so for those who have tried it there~ this is good news!

For those who are asking for the price range, here's El Cocinero's menu ~

Where to find it: 

Open daily 10.30am to 10.00pm For Reservations : 09163412489

El Cocinero Tagaytay - Inside La Bella Residences in Brgy. Neogan, Tagaytay City
El Cocinero Nasugbu - 164 J.P. Laurel Street, Nasugbu Batangas (across St. francis Xavier Parish Church)

Xoxo,

Jaimie 

xx THE MERMAID IN STILETTOS xx

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