Bag of Beans

A seasoned traveler once told me that the best way to encounter a new place, or to reacquaint one's self with a fond old memory revisited, is through the food. My wife and I have fond memories of our Tagaytay rest house, largely because we've never associate the rest house with any rest. It's amazing how much work goes into maintaining such a modest place. I have a newfound respect for builders and contractors who can install doors that can close, toilets that can flush, and floorboards that don't warp with the slightest change in temperature. Still, a hard day's work cleaning, repairing and troubleshooting deserves some reward.

Fortunately, Bag of Beans is literally right across the street. I have often reflected that if at the end of every problematic toilet bowl, leaky pipe, or warped floorboard is a delightful cafe like Bag of Beans, then I would be a handyman. Alas, and to the great loss of the personal construction industry, there is only one such cafe in the immediate vicinity of Tagaytay and Batangas.


I like simple food. Moreover, I adore eating places that can do simple fare well. I ordered a simple meal of bacon and scrambled eggs. The bacon was crispy without being brittle, and flavorful without being salty. The eggs were equally delicious, moist without being wet. On the side, I ordered one of their heavenly raisin and cinnamon loaves, a fresh, hot, and aromatic delight that could only come from bread baked without preservatives. I washed all this down with bottomless brewed coffee.

The place is clean, and the toilet facilities are adequate. The toilet area is housed in a little extension separate from the eating area. My only complaint would be that the men's room, albeit clean and well-light, suffered from low water pressure at the time. Of course, as I was not the captain of the USS Enterprise, I could not boldly go where no male customer had gone before. But I assume that the ladies' room was adequately provisioned.

If you're ever in the Mendez, Tagaytay (on the way to Batangas), drop by Bag of Beans. It's a lovely place that serves simple food that anyone can enjoy.