Skip to main content

Soft Luxe Travels: Taal, Batangas - Cuchara y Tenedor

 


There’s something magnetic about old stone walls and wooden beams — the kind that whisper stories the moment you step inside. At first glance, Cuchara y Tenedor looks like a postcard from Taal’s heritage past: cobblestone streets, blue windows framed by capiz, and a striped awning that invites you closer. But it isn’t until you cross the threshold that the magic unfolds.

This isn’t just a stop for a meal. It’s an experience, a pause in your journey where the atmosphere itself nourishes you as much as the food.



After shopping at the market, we went for a short drive to Cuchara y Tenedor (spoon and fork).

Here are some Snapshots from the Road:



There's BDO in the old building. Very Calle Crisologo where you can find modern shops housed in old buildings.





Cuchara y Tenedor

Walking on the cobblestone path made me sigh and miss Calle Crisologo.


Taal Tees, a souvenir shop, was just next door






Inside, art fills the walls, each piece telling its own story, while the rustic warmth of the interiors sets the stage for a dining experience that feels both nostalgic and new. The air carries the charm of tradition, yet there’s a quiet elegance that makes you want to linger.








The main dining area was almost full, and seeing that my sister was walking with crutches, our lady server asked if we wanted to transfer to the function area next door. We said yes. 








We primarily had the place all to ourselves and I couldn't resist a photo. 😊 





I only noticed the pretty plate now!




My bag from Calle Crisologo

After we ordered, mom and I went to the restroom. Of course, I took pictures! This place was full of art! 
















Here's what we ordered. Waiting time for the food was 30 minutes. 

Iced tea

Complimentary bread and butter. I didn't taste the butter, but the bread was crusty and delicious.

Gambas


Croquetas de Jamon



Deconstructed Bagnet Kare-Kare

We asked for the bagnet to be separated so that it wouldn't turn soggy. That's bagoong in the black bowl. Kare-kare is a peanut sauce based dish that includes all those vegetables and some protein. It can be beef innards, beef, pork, or seafood. 


Tapang Taal



Parmesan truffle sweet potato chips

Turon - there's bananas inside the wrapper. This is served as a dessert or merienda (snack)


Churros

Bibingka



Cuchara y Tenedor wasn’t exactly what we expected — and sometimes, that’s part of the story too. Not every stop on a journey turns out to be a favorite, but each one leaves lessons and little details worth sharing.

I’ll be posting the full review soon on Lady E Eats — the highlights, the letdowns, and whether it’s worth trying if you ever find yourself in Batangas. Stay tuned if you’d like the honest lowdown before planning your own visit. 🍴

Next up: Taal Tees and the road to Tagaytay.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Soul Notes: For Your Journal Tonight

Come sit with me for a while. I have my journal open, and tonight I’ve been thinking about something I suspect I do more often than I realize. I turn healing into another thing I need to accomplish. I want to know when I’ll be over something. When I’ll stop thinking about it. When something that hurt will finally stop hurting. When I’ll feel like myself again. And somewhere along the way, healing quietly becomes another deadline. Another invisible date on a calendar. Another thing I can somehow be late for. But maybe healing doesn’t work particularly well under project management. Maybe there are things I will understand quickly and things I’ll have to revisit again and again. Maybe I’ll feel completely fine one day and unexpectedly tender the next. That doesn’t mean I’ve gone backwards. It means I’m still moving through it. I remember one day, many years ago, when I had fibromyalgia. I lived in constant pain. I just couldn’t get a good day. And then one day, in the office...

Used to the Last Drop: The Ones I’d Already Told You About

  There’s something particularly satisfying about finishing a product you’ve already written about. Not testing it. Not forming first impressions. Not wondering whether I’ll still like it three weeks from now. Finished. My Molang Honey sheet masks and this body scrub both made it all the way to the end. (Finally for the Molang sheet masks, right?) I’ve reviewed both before, so I won’t review them all over again here. But perhaps using something until there is nothing left to use is its own kind of review. Beauty products come through my bathroom rather frequently. Some are lovely for a week. Some get pushed to the back of a shelf. Some simply stop working for me. And then there are the ones that quietly disappear because I kept reaching for them. Maybe an empty container is the shortest review of all. I liked it enough to finish it. If you want to read my thought about these products, just type them on my search bar. —- With elegance and quiet fire, Lady E Founder, Glow by Lady E...

Part 1: I Finally Had Enough of My Dry Feet and Did Something About It

  I have been annoyed with my feet for months. Not because there was anything particularly wrong with them. They were just dry . Really dry. And you know I have a problem with dryness (hello skin, lips). And somehow, despite noticing this constantly, I kept doing absolutely nothing about it. The moment that gets me every time is when I’m waiting for my son at piano class. I’ll sit down, cross my legs, look down at my slip-ons or sandals and there they are. My dry, flaky feet. Then I become painfully aware that there are other people sitting beside me who can probably see them too. 😂 Every time, I think, I really need to do something about this. And then piano class ends, life resumes, and apparently my feet are no longer part of my jurisdiction. Eventually, I had enough. I found this Mond’Sub Chamomile Foot Peeling Spray at KKV and decided that my poor neglected feet were finally getting some attention. The process wasn’t glamorous. There was peeling skin involved. There were bits...