Breaking Bread at Bawai's

I don’t normally do restaurant reviews but I will make an exception with Bawai’s, a Vietnamese restaurant with a difference.                                                                            
                                

It is not your regular kind of restaurant where people come and go, ordering from a menu at random.

Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen is tucked away in a small road in Tagaytay, where retirees settle. It is actually a house—where the living room has been converted into a restaurant. First, you need to reserve and order ahead of time. Second, it is open only on weekends for lunch and dinner. Third, you need to ring a bell for the door to be opened.


Bawai is Vietnamese for grandmother. And yes, it is a grandmother, Yong, who does all the cooking. What makes Yong’s food particularly special is, all ingredients are imported from Vietnam. So there is that foreign, yet oddly familiar exotic taste that makes one think of a far-away land and home at the same time.

Bawai’s has been featured on TV and magazines. Word-of-mouth is its only advertising.

It was JR’s treat so he took care of the reservation and orders—he sure made some excellent choices: light but filling.


One other thing that makes Bawai’s a place worth visiting is that it reminds you of family dining; and you feel filial fondness for your grandma who always lovingly prepares food that is warmed with grace.