Resto Review: Tiago Progressive Filipino Cuisine

tiago tomas morato review

I'd like you to meet little Santiago. Son of John Buendia and Sigrid Aragona-Buendia, co-owners of Tiago Restaurant located along Scout Fuentebella, a block away from Tomas Morato.

Just like its namesake, everything at Tiago derives from a deep love and passion for the craft.

tiago restaurant review

Tiago is a hip and progressive Filipino fusion restaurant that prides itself on offering the total Filipino food experience.

Traditional dishes are given unique twists to keep things exciting and modern with a douse of nostalgia, just like its interiors.

tiago restaurant tomas morato menu

Bottle-keep service is also available and made affordable with Johnny Walker Black Label priced at just P1900 and Don Papa Rum at around P1400. Local beers are pegged at P65.

tiago restaurant menu

tiago restaurant tomas morato

The interiors of Tiago are just begging to be enjoyed by a group of friends for a casual nightcap or a date for two...

tiago tomas morato

During our visit, multi-award winning chef and part owner, Kenneth Villaluz, prepared some of Tiago's most popular dishes for us.

We started with this Inihaw na Tilapia roll which is a twist on the usual Pampanga delicacy of Fish served with burong hipon on the side. Tiago's version is bite-sized wrapped in mustard leaves and bursting with flavor.

tiago tomas morato review

Our second appetizer was a Tokwa't Baboy inspired dish using pig ears and breaded tofu. I'm personally not a fan of pig ears in any way so I can't really comment much on this.

tiago tomas morato menu

Our mains consisted of this Bistek Pancit which consists of Canton Noodles with Rib Eye Beef and fried onion rings on top in a soy/calamansi sauce.

A little too salty and flavorful for my taste on its own but quite alright when paired with steaming hot white rice.

tiago tomas morato review

We also had one of their specialties, the Pinausukang Chicken and Pork Adobo. Unlike regular adobo that is fried then boiled, Tiago uses smoked chicken in Mindanao Adobo sauce with quail eggs and Pork Trotters, very yummy. The Mindanao sauce is slightly sweet with just the right amount of tang.

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Their Tinapa Rice is the epitomy of "malinamnam", something I would love to have everyday for breakfast with a spanish omellete or for lunch with a bowl of Monggo soup (something I think they should start serving because I can imagine it already with this rice and I can only see the words "perfection" flashing through my mind).

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We also had this gata (coconut milk)based dish which I forgot the name of but I remember the sauce being extra delicious if not a bit salty due to the alamang mixed in with it. The wraps had a mixture of minced pork (I think?) and shrimp in it. Again, the sauce was heavenly but a little salty.

tiago restaurant

And rounding up our mains is Tiago's chop suey salad which had crispy traditional chop suey veggies in a sort of balsamic dressing.

tiago restaurant

Time for the best part: dessert.

First up, their Leche Flan which I heard has won an award from a culinary competition. What's different about Tiago's is that it is made with coconut milk instead of evaporated milk and topped with chunks of Saba Banana. Has a similar taste to Maja Blanca but with a silkier texture.

tiago tinapa ice cream

And last, their fried suman which is usually served with Tiago's Tinapa Ice Cream which unfortunately (or fortunately? :P) was unavailable at the time.

tiago restaurant location

Bottomline, Tiago is a restaurant best approached with an open mind. Their food is thought and palette provoking which might not be easily appreciated by everyone (especially the older/senior set who have a hard time accepting change). It's best to visit with no expectations and just enjoy everything at face value.

Since dishes are big enough for sharing, expect to spend around P300-P400/head. 

for more info on Tiago, connect with them socially on Facebook, Instagram (@tiagocuisine) and Twitter

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