Farm fatale

Five main reasons why you should visit Antonio’s Farm in Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay City:

• It gives you one more compelling reason to visit Tagaytay City (tell me, unless you’ve got a resthouse or a golf club there, what else is there to do in Tagaytay after you’ve seen Taal Lake 101 times and had your fill of pineapples?)

• It’s the perfect place to elicit a much-awaited proposal from your dream boat

• It’s a place conducive to getting a "yes" from your girl

• It’s a place to enjoy food that looks sinful but is an angel to one’s health.

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But the magnet that draws people to Antonio’s Farm is its refreshing beauty and serenity. A 13,000-sq. meter farm in Barangay Neogan, Antonio’s Farm, for now, consists of two airy pavilions of old wood that are nestled in gentle slopes. Although landscaped to allow easy access to visitors, Antonio’s Farm does not have that manicured look. The lush foliage makes it easy for you to imagine Tarzan swinging in on a vine to have a drink.

Located well into one of the city’s side roads–I don’t think a Manila girl can get to it without a map– Antonio’s Farm is thus a destination akin to the pot of gold at the end of a weary traveler’s rainbow. I could imagine how Michael York felt when he finally reached Shangri-la in the ’70s movie, Lost Horizon. ("Have you ever dreamed of a place far away from it all?")

From the main Tagaytay highway leading to Nasugbu, just after the giant satellite dish, you have to watch out for an inconspicuous bend on the road and a small sign that sort of whispers–not announces–that this is the way to Antonio’s Farm. It’s like a treasure hunt. There are clues (actually, signs on tree trunks and posts) that nudge you towards the right direction, that assure you you’re on the right track, just be patient. Patient!

The road is so narrow, you wonder where you will pull over if there is a car coming from the opposite direction. Just when you think you’re lost you see a nondescript gate that leads to Antonio’s. A sea of gravel awaits you and it is only when your eyes rest on temple-like structure that you realize you’re not just in any roadside inn. Wooden traviesas are the steps that take you up to two massive centuries-old doors set against red concrete walls. The build-up continues because even on this threshold, you have absolutely no idea what lies beyond the door.

These doors, I learn from Antonio "Tonyboy" Escalante, a dentist by profession with a passion for cooking, are from an old Binondo mansion.

The doors open up to a pavilion with only two walls, the better for the diner to see the greens beyond.

From this pavilion, you go down rough stone steps to another pavilion, this time screened. The entrance to this second pavilion is the door that led to the master bedroom of the same Binondo mansion. Both the upper and lower pavilions are made of old wood collected by Tonyboy through the years from his many forays around the country. There is harmony in the finished structure, even if the pieces of wood were salvaged from different structures and furniture. There is rustic beauty in its unvarnished splendor. The main kitchen is attached to the second pavilion, and it is painted in bright apple green. There is another door that leads to a restroom, which from the outside looks like it is standing on stilts, the way toilets were constructed in rural houses. In here, sliding capiz windows open up to reveal verdant fields. Just don’t mind the birds peeping from the window sill.

The second pavilion leads down to a lanai. The stairs leading down to this area was spotted by Tonyboy in an antique shop in Nueva Ecija.

There are tables for two strewn all over the garden–under a tree, near a pond, or tucked in a secret garden several steps below. The terraced landscape makes it possible to have picture-perfect spots in different dimples in the grassy earth. There is no view of Taal Lake, but then this absence makes you focus on the lush garden–with touches of Zen, Thai Buddhism and Filipino Roman Catholicism (there are antique santos co-existing with the Buddha figures).

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All produce served in the restaurant, even the German-inspired lechon (Spanferckel) that is the house’s specialty, are grown in the farm. The vegetables (including Romaine lettuce and arugula) are grown organically in a field clearly visible from the balcony of the second pavilion. Tonyboy, who spent some years in Australia, serves lechon the German way. Boneless, and stuffed with fennel and potatoes, served with sauerkraut and horseradish.

What particularly caught my eye in the table settings were the centerpieces–instead of flowers, the ruffled leaves of various lettuce varieties formed an eye-catching bouquet on each table.

There are not many choices on the menu, but each item served looks like it is ready to be photographed for a glossy.

The imported prime rib was to die for, and the lechon was an experience.

Tonyboy says the reason his garden has so many sitting and lounging areas is that people never really eat and run.

"They linger well after lunch," says Tonyboy, who is married to the former Agnes Hechanova of Iloilo City. (What a small world–Agnes’ family and mine were neighbors during the years we stayed in Iloilo. Her parents Tony and Nadia’s blown-up wedding photo taken in sepia was displayed in one pavilion, and it caught my eye.)

Since Antonio’s Farm opened in November last year, thousands have already have come to, seen and were conquered by the place.

"No advertisements, just word of mouth," says Tonyboy, who once worked as a cook at the Tivoli of the Mandarin Oriental.

About 60 people come up to Antonio’s Farm for lunch and about 40 for dinner. So far, Tonyboy has resisted proposals to hold big parties in the garden, as he wants to retain the cozy ambiance and the hands-on service.

In fact, the servers are girls who live in neighboring villages. They wear white, so they look more like househelp rather than waitresses.

Antonio’s is booked solid for Valentine’s Day, but don’t worry. Any day is Valentine’s Day in Antonio’s Farm.

(For inquiries and reservations, please call 0917-8992866 or 0917-8191022.)

You may e-mail me at: [email protected]