I admit that I'm adventurous when it comes to places to eat. I especially love roadside "carenderias". I find them charming in their banality. One such lucky find in Tagaytay would be Kambal. Kambal in Tagalog means twins, so I'm guessing either the owners are twins or they have twins. The name aside, the food upon first inspection showed promise. Looking into them from the glass case common to these roadside diners, they looked absolutely yummy.
I must confess, the adobo was a little too sweet for my tastes. It had more of an asado feel to it. The beef caldereta also left much to be desired. The house specialty though, the bulalo, was a revelation. Not needing much of the marrow's flavor to hide any imperfections, the stock itself was flavorful enough to carry the whole dish. Being situated in Tagaytay, they had no problems using Grade A beef and the freshest greens. The freshness of the greens added another dimension to the dish... crispness. Another favorite would be the tawilis. The availability of this fish in Lake Taal ensured its freshness as well. Lastly, there was the luchon kawali. Okay, okay. It takes vast ammounts of stupidity to bungle up this dish which is innately good, but the crispiness of the pork skin was absolutely sinful.
All in all, flying beetles diveboming onto the table notwithstanding, the whole Kambal experience was a treat for my palate... And P1,000++ for all 12 people, it was a welcome treat for my wallet as well.
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