Zomato Tagaytay Food Crawl First Stop: Mozu at Ming’s Garden

On the way to Tagaytay proper from Sta. Rosa, you would come across this beautiful oasis of blooms and greenery. Ming’s Garden began as the private plant collection of the former Philippine First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos, whom the locals call Lola Ming. It has since grown into a thriving business that sells ornamental plants, herbs, vegetables and other gardening essentials.

With 3 hectares of sprawling and verdant space, the place also serves as a venue for events ranging from intimate get-togethers to weddings, ceremonies and full-scale celebrations, with many possible backdrops for that Instagram shot or wedding photo.

Driving the place’s gustatory endeavors is Chef Enzo of its award-winning restaurant and in-house caterer, Mozu at Ming’s. His philosophy when it comes to the Filipino food that his restaurant serves is to not deviate too much from the classic dishes, letting the comfort food remind the diners of home.

Mozu at Ming’s was the first stop in the Zomato Food Crawl in Tagaytay. While surrounded by the lush beauty of the restaurant’s garden setting, my fellow foodies and I were treated to a delectable array of home-grown dishes, which include:

Gambas Al Ajillo (Php310)

In this seafood dish originating from Spain, fresh market shrimps are sauteed in olive oil, garlic and paprika.

Gising Gising (Php240)

Apparently, the origin of this dish is still not clear with some claims placing it in Pampanga while others in Nueva Ecija. In this dish, crisp wing beans are sauteed in coconut milk, bagoong (shrimp paste) and labuyo (small chili peppers).

Bagnet Salad (Php300)

Air-dried pork belly, a popular delicacy in North Luzon, is sliced and served with slivers of green mango, tomato and homemade

Bangus Ala Pobre (Php340)

Boneless milkfish belly, cooked in butter, garlic and aligue (crab fat).

Ox Tail Kare Kare (Php290)

A stew of oxtail, tripe and beef short ribs in a rich peanut sauce and served with bagoong.

Frozen Brasso de Mercedes (Php165)

Meringue, yema (sweet custard candy) and mantecado ice cream layered on top of each other and served frozen.

Turon Ala Mode (Php200)

Saba bananas, jackfruit and mango rolled in crispy lumpia wrapper and served with a sweet apple sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Our meal was accompanied by refreshments such as local kapeng barako and fresh fruit juice.

Our sumptious meal at Mozu at Ming’s made for a memorable time with both old friends and new.

By the way, Mozu at Ming’s also considers sustainability and support for its local community. All ingredients used are locally sourced (from nearby Tagaytay and Mahogany Markets) and staff are housed in dwellings right on the property.

Mozu at Ming’s is located along Santa Rosa – Tagaytay Road, Silang, Cavite. For reservations and queries, email mingsgarden@gmail.com or call +63 927 6957077 or +63 921 7295462.

Disclosure: Together with other Zomato foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants: