Taktak Road, Antipolo* (+63 2 697 0396)
Type of Cuisine: Swiss
Average cost per person: Php 250 - Php 300 (US$6.25 - US$7.50)
Overall Rating:
Having trooped to Antipolo to work on our feature for Table For Three, Please, we decided to go ahead and hit two birds with one stone and make our way to Vieux Chalet, a wonderful Swiss restaurant tucked away in Taktak Road. And tucked away, it was! We almost got lost on the way there, but the search for this jewel of a place is part of the experience, as Miss Hassig would tell us later, grinning. Once you get there, though, famished and more than a little relieved that you weren't lost, after all, you'll find that the Vieux Chalet dining experience is definitely worth the trip.
Vieux Chalet is perfectly situated so that you have an unobstructed view of the city. The restaurant itself is a house with a very restful and homey feel to it.The service was very good, even if there was only one waiter attending to everyone when we had gone (there were only three occupied tables). And, like the place itself, there is a very homey feel to the food. The prices are rather steep, but we account this to the fact that they use only the best and freshest ingredients.
Vieux Chalet is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner, or even for a long, leisurely meal. The surroundings are tranquil and beautiful, almost leaving you without a sense of time, and the food is of the sort you imagine coming home to at the end of a long, hard day.
Vieux Chalet is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner, or even for a long, leisurely meal. The surroundings are tranquil and beautiful, almost leaving you without a sense of time, and the food is of the sort you imagine coming home to at the end of a long, hard day.
Rösti (S: Php 125, US$3.13, M: Php 185, US$4.50, L: Php225, US$5.63) Swiss-style potatoes; this tasted a whole lot like hash browns. It wasn't anything exceptional, in other words. If you're fond of hash browns or potatoes, you might enjoy this. If you're looking for something a bit more interesting as a side dish, however, we suggest you try something else.
Italian Soup (Medium: Php 265, US$6.63)This wasn't listed in the menu, but our waiter recommended it. The soup was creamy without being too heavy. You can tell that the bread topping the soup was homemade. This was, all in all, wonderful. It was very homey and comforting — perfect for a cool rainy day.
Osso Buco (Medium: Php 585, US$14.63, Large: Php625, US$15.63)The meat itself was very tender, easily falling off the bone. The taste of tomato was very distinct. It was good, but Bong says the one from Cyma is better.
Mango Flambe (Php 125, US$3.13)The mango flambe is supposed to be served with butterscotch ice cream but we had it changed to their homemade parfait au chocolat. The ice cream was wonderful: very thick and creamy, with a hint of rum.
* How to find it: Make your way through Ortigas Extension (you'll pass Ever Gotesco Ortigas, Junction, Brookside Hills, Valley Golf, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, etc) until you reach the fork at the end of the stretch. Head left (the path to the right ought to take you to SM Taytay) and follow the road until you reach Villa Christina. Drive through the narrow, slopey road. You'll be seeing signs pointing you to Vieux Chalet. Follow them and you'll get there without any trouble :)
Reviewed by Bong, Harrell, Joey, Kat, and Tiffy.
Photography by Joey.
See more photos on Joey's flickr.
Photography by Joey.
See more photos on Joey's flickr.
