Bawai's Kitchen: A True Taste of Vietnam

Amidst the tranquility and cool breeze of Tagaytay during the Ber months lies a humble home that offers an experience of the true taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Upon arrival, C and I were greeted by their very courteous staff who assisted our car into their garage. In a shy voice, the girl confirmed our reservation and led us through a wooden door, up towards the restaurant.

The entrance door

Bawai's interiors looked rather modern, with some paintings showing Vietnamese women doing their daily tasks as accents. The mostly wooden furniture and neutral also added to the homey ambiance.

Now on to the delicious food. We started off with Cha Gio (Vietnamese fried lumpia) for our appetizer. The spring rolls were fried well to make the wrap very crispy but not overcooked. Inside was a combination of fresh ingredients such as ground pork, vegetable bits and glass noodles. This was served with their signature dip made of fish sauce, coconut oil and garlic, which really added more flavor to the dish. This could be the Vietnamese version of our toyo-suka-calamansi-sili dip that goes well with almost everything.

Cha Gio (P 165)

Looks so fresh inside, and tastes so fresh, too!

For our entree, we had one of their bestsellers, the Com Suon Cha (Grilled pork rib with omelet and rice). I liked how this dish looked colorful with greens and yellows contrasting with the pork. The pork meat was so tender that both C and I devoured it all the way to the skin. On its own, it had a smoky and slightly woody taste. The flavor of the pork was brought out even more by the fish sauce-coconut oil-garlic dip that also did it for the spring rolls. The creamy omelet provided a nice complement to the  pork as well.

Com Suon Cha (P 295)

And of course, this Vietnamese experience wouldn't be complete without authentic Vietnamese noodles. We went for the Bun Bo Hue (Spicy beef and pork soup). It was served in a big bowl, with a size that's good for two. It had that distinct scent of fresh herbs and spices that was characteristic of Vietnamese food. Because of the chili, it had a beautiful red-orange color, but the spiciness was very mild. It had generous slices of beef and pork, deliciously firm noodles and different kinds of vegetables. The different flavors coming from the herbs were all in moderation and so it was not at all overpowering to the tongue. This is definitely what I'd remember most about this entire meal. :)

Bun Bo Hue (P 245)

After a little less than an hour (we didn't realize we ate everything so quickly), C and I were more than satisfied and we were both smiling as we recalled the taste of the delicious dishes that were now sitting happily in our tummies.  The quiet environment provided a romantic setting for C and I to have a meaningful conversation and simply enjoy the moment. C put it perfectly when he said that Bawai's dishes offered nothing fancy. Its charm stemmed from the simplicity of its purely authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5 - Simply-made but delicious Vietnamese cuisine

Bawai's Kitchen is located in Hernandez Street, Purok 5, Silang Cavite. It comes right before Chateau Hestia. For reservations, call 09209722924.