Taal Vista and Concha’s Garden Cafe join #TheSustainableDiner Movement
May 2018
The Sustainable Diner team of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines starts the second quarter of 2018 with more restaurant partners from Quezon City and Tagaytay City, promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production not just in the local dining industry, but also in the hospitality industry.
Previously known as Taal Vista Lodge, Taal Vista Hotel was renovated last 2004, but the establishment has existed since 1939. Its grand history is almost in sync with Tagaytay City’s development as a tourist destination, and it has even stood witness to the events of World War II. From then until now, Taal Vista has always been one of Tagaytay City’s leading attractions, and in the modern era, Taal Vista has continued to delight tourists with not just amazing views but also an array of exquisite traditional Filipino dishes from their two restaurants, Veranda and Taza Fresh Table. These two restaurants have agreed to become partners of The Sustainable Diner project.
Melody Melo Rijk, Project Manager for Sustainable Consumption and Production in the Philippines, presenting the project to representatives from Taal Vista Hotel. © Alexa Jeanne Lasch / WWF-Philippines
Apart from its sumptuous selection of Filipino dishes, Veranda is also well-known for serving international fare fused with the best produce the country has to offer. This restaurant takes traditional Filipino cuisine seriously, as the Heirloom section of their menu has always been a fan favorite. On the other hand, Taza Fresh Table focuses on the establishment’s venture on what’s sustainable and natural. Taza prides itself for serving “fresh” dishes, with fresh referring to natural ingredients sourced only from the best local suppliers. With a live cooking station, Taza ensures that the dishes they serve are as organic as possible to satisfy their customers’ tastes.
The traditional Filipino interior, reminiscent of warm ancestral houses and Sunday family reunions, found in every branch of Concha’s Garden Cafe. © Concha’s Garden Cafe Official Website
Concha’s Garden was borne from Gemma Sembrano’s dream to open up her own cafe someday. Growing up, she has inherited her love of cooking from her grandmother, Concha, which has led to the opening of the now-recognizable restaurant. Starting out with branches in the South (Cavite and Tagaytay), Concha’s heirloom recipes has also found its way to the North (Quezon City), but whichever branch you choose to dine in, Concha’s assures its customers that every bite will be full of flavor and love. Concha’s Tagaytay and Quezon City branches have agreed to partner with The Sustainable Diner project.
WWF-Philippines is proud to have these two culinary and hospitality giants as part of our fifth set of partners for The Sustainable Diner project, a pioneer project tackling sustainable consumption and production in the country. Indeed, when we all work together, it is possible for us to create change in the local food service industry.
The Sustainable Diner project, under WWF-Philippines’ Sustainable Consumption and Production, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
