While we know that one of the first things Filipinos based abroad plan to do upon returning to the Philippines this homecoming season is eat all the delicious Filipino food they miss while living abroad, we know there are some days you’d want to eat something else, too. If you happen to be craving authentic Vietnamese cuisine while vacationing in the Philippines, then you have to make that trip to Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen, the best-kept secret of Silang, Cavite and Tagaytay. Include it in your itinerary if you already have plans to go to this popular Philippine tourist spot.
If you live in the US or Canada, you likely have your favorite neighborhood Vietnamese joint for your pho or banh mi fix. When vacationing in Metro Manila or its surrounding areas, the closest you can get to authentic Vietnamese cuisine is at Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen, a beloved weekend dining destination.
Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen is the brainchild of Filipino Virgilio “Ver” Tatlonghari and his Vietnamese-French wife My Duyen, fondly called Bawai Dung (“bawai” means “grandmother” in Vietnamese), after whom the restaurant is named. They opened their first restaurant at their retirement home in Tagaytay back in 2007, after family and friends for whom she cooked clamored for her to open her own Vietnamese restaurant. And that’s where the main restaurant still stands, remaining a cult-favorite among fans of Vietnamese cuisine in the Metro 16 years later.
Bawai may have passed on a few years ago, but her legacy lives on in the familiar home-style Vietnamese dishes that continue to leave a lasting impression while filling and warming up diners’ tummies, as they have been doing so for the past 16 years. Bawai herself trained and demonstrated to her staff how to make each of the dishes they serve, instead of simply sharing the recipes.
Dining at Bawai’s does feel like you’re dining at your grandmother’s home. It’s located at a quiet area of Silang, indicated only by a sign simply saying “Bawais” on its wooden gate.
Once you open the gate, you’re welcomed by a cozy garden with a staircase that leads up to the main dining area—which is actually the living and dining areas of Ver and Bawai’s home, complete with a couch, wooden décor and furniture, rustic interiors, and nostalgic framed photos of the couple.
Walking into the dining area feels like you’re being warmly welcomed into their family home, which is comfortable and relaxing. The staff told us that their family would often gather there when the restaurant is closed, especially for Christmas parties, birthday celebrations, and other special occasions.
Besides satisfying your Vietnamese food cravings, a visit to Bawai’s lets you have that not too common opportunity to introduce your palate to the variety of delicious Vietnamese dishes you’d otherwise not be familiar with, since there are not a lot of good authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the Philippines.
Tagaytay weather, especially when it’s extra chilly, always calls for a piping hot bowl of soup, so for something familiar, you can’t go wrong with Bawai’s light and refreshing Pho Bo (PHP435) or their traditional beef noodle soup to start. It’s made with tender beef, al dente flat noodles, and delightfully flavorful broth, served with a side of bean sprouts, herbs, lime, Hoisin, and Sriracha. You’ll enjoy the fresh taste of herbs and spices with every slurp. You can also choose the spicy version of their pho for extra heat.
Another must-try at Bawai’s is their Tom Rang Me or Tamarind Prawns. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the huge prawns they use for this dish; they’re almost as big as your palm! It’s PHP775 for 350 grams of Tiger Prawns (around 3-4pcs.) and PHP625 for White Greasyback Shrimps; make sure to ask the service staff for details as the price of this dish is adjusted regularly based on the available size and weight of the prawns used.
If you love the sweet and tart taste of tamarind (sampaloc), you’ll love how it complements the fresh taste of the prawns, which still shines through the flavorful sauce. They used fresh tamarinds that were caramelized to make the sauce, complete with sampaloc seeds punctuating every other bite (make sure to chew on all that tamarind flesh on the seeds). This dish is sweet and only slightly sour, much like tamarind fruit. If you love sampaloc and miss it where you’re based, you’ll enjoy this dish and have a new appreciation for the fruit in dishes. The prawns are also perfectly cooked (easy to peel the shell) in butter and fresh tamarind paste, then sauteed in onion and garlic, with atsuete for added color. You can also request to make this spicy (or skip the heat if you’re dining with kids).
No Vietnamese feast would be complete without rolls, and both the fresh and fried versions of Bawai’s are bestsellers. The Classic Fried Rolls (Cha Gio, PHP335 for 5pcs.) in particular are a hit among the kids. It’s made of mixed vegetables, minced pork and chicken, served with lettuce on the side and nuoc mam dipping sauce. The rolls are already tasty on their own, complete with that satisfying crunch with every bite, but you may also wrap it in lettuce and dip in sauce that’s a great combination of sweet and savory, as it’s made with fish sauce (patis), rock sugar, Sprite, and coconut (buko) juice. If you love it so much, you can even order them frozen to go and fry at home (PHP405 for 10pcs.).
If you want more veggies—Vietnamese dishes tend to make one enjoy eating vegetables—you might want to try Bawai’s Garden Salad (PHP385) made with arugula, steamed shrimps, boiled egg, dried shallots, and ripe mango, topped with crushed peanuts and drizzled with tamarind dressing. The sweetness of the salad dressing comes from how they cooked fresh tamarinds and mixed in some sugar. It’s a light and refreshing salad, with the sweetness of the dressing and mango complemented by the slight saltiness from the peanuts and distinct flavor of arugula.
While you may not often associate curry with Vietnamese cuisine, you definitely have to try Cari Ga (PHP435), the chicken curry of Bawai’s. It’s a light-tasting yellow curry with perfectly cooked and tender chicken, and it already comes with rice—which is great, because it goes so well with it. It’s aromatic curry but not at all overpowering. This one is rather mild, very enjoyable even for those who may usually find curry too rich for their taste. Made with Vietnamese curry powder and coconut cream, it’s neither spicy nor thick—something that would appeal to most palates. As with all their other dishes, you may also request to make it spicy.
As if conscious of the fact that you may not have room for dessert after such a hearty meal, they do offer two delicious yet simple desserts in full-tummy-friendly sizes.
One is Che Bap (PHP95) or sticky rice with corn, which is served warm. It’s not too sweet, making it a great palate cleanser (pantanggal-umay). Its texture is like the Filipino suman, but creamier, like a thick lugaw (congee) consistency, as it’s mixed with coconut cream.
If you want something different, try their Ban Da Lon (PHP85), or pandan and yellow mung bean rice cake. The green dessert is reminiscent of the Pinoy kutsinta, but instead of niyog (shaved coconut), it’s sprinkled with sesame seeds and covered in coconut cream, which makes it more delicious. It has a subtle sweetness that’s not overwhelming (hindi nakakaumay). You’ll enjoy its play on textures: smooth outside, a little grainy inside from the mung bean, with an aromatic flavor from the pandan.
Wash down your meal and desserts with robust traditional Vietnamese coffee, either Ca Phe Sua Nuong (drip coffee with condensed milk, PHP165) or Ca Phe Sua Da (iced coffee with condensed milk, PHP195).
Considering how most of the herbs, spices, and ingredients are sourced from Vietnam to keep each dish as true to its roots as possible, Bawai’s managed to keep dishes so reasonably priced. Most of their dishes fall within the PHP300-PHP500 range, which is harder to find in a lot of other restaurants, especially in Tagaytay and Metro Manila.
The original Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen is located at J. Hernandez St., Purok 5, Brgy. Bucal, Silang, Cavite. They’re open Wednesday to Sunday, 11AM-2:30PM for lunch and 5-8PM (5-9PM on Friday and Saturday) for dinner. While they accept walk-ins, it’s best to reserve if you don’t want to wait long because the restaurant can get full rather quickly; they can only accommodate 35-40 pax at the main restaurant upstairs, and another 10 pax split among three tables at their gazebo dining area. Call +63920-9722924 or email [email protected] to reserve your table. You can also book the restaurant for private functions.
