Sand Under My Feet: Best Thai Food in Tagaytay: Lime and Basil

Another Asian cuisine that I truly enjoy eating is Thai food. Thai food is known to be mostly strong and spicy, but more than that, it also serves you with an accord of flavors. Most Thai dishes have complex flavors and each hits all four corners of your taste buds: sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. I think it’s one of the most distinct and refined among the Asian cuisines. This can probably stem from the fact that Thailand it is the only country in South East Asia which was not colonized by Europeans.

Sure, it has influences by neighboring countries due to trading during ancient times. But Thai food is unique and innate. Unlike Filipino cuisine that can be defined as a fusion of all sorts because of so many influences from all around Asia and the Western world. It is only in recent years that Thai cuisine has evolved but unquestionably it still stays true to its roots.

When I started having the desire to travel out of the country, Thailand was on the top of my bucket list. The major reason for it being a precedent destination for me was the food. I love Pad Thai, fresh spring rolls, curry stew and mango sticky rice and the idea of eating them in an authentic setting brought so much excitement in me. Eating authentic mango sticky rice in MBK Center, almost brought tears to my eyes as it was super good and trying the Pad Thai at Thipsamai (claimed to be the best Pad Thai in Bangkok) was like an epiphany moment. Those might sound exaggerated to you, but that was my most raw and honest feeling during that time.

But of course, it’s not like I can fly to Bangkok, Thailand anytime I want just to eat my favorite Thai food. I can only dream, but I’m not a crazy rich Asian hahaha! Good thing is that the Philippines doesn’t have scarcity of restaurants that offer good and authentic Thai food. Suffice to say, Filipinos love Thai food as well. One of the best places that you can satisfy your Thai food cravings is at Lime and Basil Thai Restaurant in Alfonso, Cavite (which is just at the outskirts of Tagaytay City).

I’ve heard and read so many good reviews about Lime and Basil and I’ve always come across it Everytime I search about where to eat in Tagaytay. But since most of the time that I go up to Tagaytay, the people I’m with during those road trips always crave for bulalo thus I never got to set foot on this restaurant until a few weekends ago.

Lime and Basil Thai Restaurant is tucked along a sleepy road in Alfonso, Cavite. The property is just like any other rest house in Tagaytay, stately and with a huge backyard and garden. The atmosphere and design of the whole place is rustic inter-played with Thai decorations. I particularly love the garden area with wooden tables and benches as it would be a perfect setting to eat good Thai food and at the same time enjoy the cool breeze of the highlands of Tagaytay. Too bad, we were not able to dine al fresco even though there’s a tent above the garden, because the rain was too hard.

Here are the dishes that we got to try:

Fresh Spring Rolls - rolled herbs, carrots, cabbage, tofu, noodles, sweet chili relish. Fresh summer rolls are one of my favorite things to eat because they are fresh and healthy. I love how huge the spring rolls from Lime and Basil are. They are also super tasty even without a dipping peanut sauce.

Tom Yum Goong - hot and sour soup with shrimps. This is the main signature dishes that defines Thai flavor. I like sour tasting soups and the sourness of this is very unique and distinct. I like that they didn’t scrimped on the shrimps as they were huge and plump.

Lime and Basil Salad - fried egg, basil, lettuce, peanut, shallots, tamarind dressing. This is the signature salad of Lime and Basil Thai Restaurant where the ingredients are freshly picked from their garden at the back of the resto. I love everything in it especially the explosive flavors brought about by the all the greens, the basil leaves and the dressing. This is a must try!

Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashews - I love how dish puts jam-packed flavor! The sauce is so thick and the chicken was chewy but not gummy. The cashew added so much texture and crunch to it as well.

Kaeng Deng Kha Moo - cispy pata with red curry sauce. A good fusion dish using a Filipino favorite dish at every party with a signature flavor of Thailand. I was glad that the red curry sauce wasn’t that spicy, it was at the right level that I can tolerate.

Kao Pad Saparod - pineapple fried rice. This rice dish has got to be one of my favorite things that I got to try at Lime and Basil. The sweetness of the pineapple complemented the strong curry flavor as well.

Pad Thai - a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food and at most restaurants in Thailand. I’ve tried a lot of pad Thais and every version has its own unique taste. Even the ones I’ve eaten in Bangkok was different from one resto to another but always an enjoyable treat. I like that Lime and Basil’s version stacks up to great Thai staple food. The tanginess was just right and the ingredients was generous too. That crispy thing on top was crushed and mixed unto the noodles and it gave so much texture to this dish which I super adored.

Kao Neiw Mamaung - sticky rice with ripe mango. Ok, I am biased to this dessert; it is one of the best desserts that I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. I almost cried the moment I ate my first authentic one in Bangkok. Lime and Basil’s version was so beautifully prepared or plated that you don’t want to eat it. It had a yummy after-taste that I can’t really put my finger on it. The coconut sauce was also super thick and not too sweet. One of the best versions of mango sticky rice I’ve tried.

Thai Iced Milk Tea - I can’t explain enough how much I love Thai milk tea. It’s yummy and refreshing. I love that it tasted like the authentic ones I’ve drink everyday when I was in Bangkok. Thai Milk Tea is on the stronger tea flavors out there and that’s just how I like my milk teas.

Additionally, you can find a small store inside the restaurant where they sell a lot of knick-knacks that you bring back home. I love everything that we ate at Thai and Basil as much as I loved the ambiance and the atmosphere there that was super relaxing. For sure I'll come back here and try their other dishes and hopefully be able to dine al-fresco so that I can fully immerse myself into the cool Tagaytay breeze.