Tina’s Table: Cozy Private Dining in the South

Tina’s Table: Cozy Private Dining in the South

Have you heard about TINA’s TABLE? It’s a wonderful gem hidden in the South, specifically Parañaque – a place too far from my house but was worth traveling to. Lucky for us, it was a lazy Thursday evening so the road was unbelievably traffic-free. *Weeee*

Chef Tina Legarda – Owner and Head Chef, Tina’s Table

So anyway, Tina’s Table is basically a full service private dining experience (with minimum guest reservation of 10 pax and can hold up to 20 pax per night). I highly suggest booking your reservation at 6:30PM the earliest to appreciate the whole ambiance, which is quite dreamy and romantic.

Tina’s Table is THE perfect venue for intimate family get-together, celebrations, reunions and group date nights. It’s very homey and you’re free to stay for as long as you want and even play your own background music.

TIP: Check their Facebook page to see their open-house schedule. She does this at least a couple of times in a month, where Tina's Table is open like a regular restaurant, enabling you to book for a lovely dinner for two.

Aimed with a lot of work experiences and recently been trained in Singapore by world-renowned Chef Mario Batali, Chef Tina continues her passion to serve her favorite classic Italian cuisine in the comfort of her home. Born with a mom who is in the catering business, Chef Tina likes hosting dinner parties for friends and came up with this great idea: why not open her home to other people who just love to indulge in good food in a private dinner setting?! Best idea ever! Thank you, Chef Tina, for welcoming us to your humble home :)

Home-made Sangria

We were greeted by Chef Tina’s heirloom sangria recipe, which was oh so refreshingly good – and it’s UNLIMITED!!! Something to look forward to ;p

Freshly baked breads were then served in the middle of the table. It was not too soft and not too firm to bite. It was pretty filling to make your tummies stop growling. (I  know the sheets were clean but I still prefer my bread served on a plate or basket with a clean napkin.)

A full course dinner at Tina’s Table consists of 5 courses plus 3 complimentary amuse bouches, which changes regularly. During our visit, we were served with French Fries Moderne (staple dish), Artichoke Crostini and Raviolo.

French Fries Moderne - we loved the crunchy texture or fried shoestring potatoes, rosemary, feta cheese with sweet honey and truffle sauce

Artichoke Crostini - it was such a delight to all our senses that we had to take a moment to fully appreciate all there is to it before actually devouring the artichoke crostini. (I highly recommend for you to request for this amuse bouche)

Raviolo (stuffed with ricotta, porcini mushroom with egg surprise inside) - it was heavenly with the brown butter sage sauce that smelled and tasted like unsweetened butterscotch. 

After the three delectable amuse bouches, we started the meal with Beet Carpaccio, an interesting mix of cheese, nuts and sweet beets.

Beet Carpaccio

SOUPS:

- Tomato Soup with tallegio, honey and almond croutons

- Seafood (Seabass, prawn, mussels) in chorizo bouillabaisse

We were all raving about the roasted tomato soup, which was bordering the taste of spaghetti sauce, but way better, perfect for dipping the bite-sized honey-glazed tallegio cheese bread sandwiches. 

FYI: Tallegio is an Italian cheese and it is Chef Tina's most favorite cheese in the world.

Seafood in Chorizo Bouillabaisse

SALAD: Gooseliver Salad

Foie gras is my most favorite food (ever) and I super love it with salad. Chef Tina cooked it perfectly – not burnt, and just the right creamy butter-softness that melts in your mouth. This was one of the highlights of my evening at Tina’s Table. *still drooling*

PASTA: Penne in prawn-mascarpone sauce

Mascarpone Pasta

My husband’s ultimate favorite pasta sauce is truffle cream and he says that this is the next best thing to truffle cream pasta. I believe so, too!

MAIN COURSES:

- Filet Mignon with wild mushroom cream served with mascarpone mashed potato, marinated tomatoes and roasted garlic

- Chicken Roulade of grilled radicchio, goat cheese, and mushroom on top of roasted tomato risotto, french beans and fig balsamic drizzle

Filet Mignon

Chef Tina’s steaks are one of the most sought after dishes at Tina’s Table so better request for it when making a reservation :)

Chicken Roulade

DESSERTS:

- Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

- Cioccolato with a side of tiny milkshake

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

Chocolate Cake with a side of tiny milkshake

The cheesecake was just okay but the chocolate cake was really good, which went especially well together with the milkshake. It was so tiny that we had that “bitin” factor. I wish Chef Tina could serve it in a real milkshake glass – perfect ending for a happy dinner :D

WHEN IN MANILA and looking for a place that caters to private dining, check out Chef Tina Legarda’s home: TINA’s TABLE; and, have the most memorable evening with your friends, family, colleagues or loved ones :)

Tina’s Table

For reservations, Email Chef Tina Legarda at food.is.served@gmail.com

Facebook Page: Tina’s Table

Tina’s Table: Cozy Private Dining in the South

Tags: Tina's Table,Tina's Table Parañaque,Private Dining,foie gras salad,Tina Legarda