Talisay on Maginhawa Street is now open: How Chef Tatung turned his family’s heritage into an edible memoir

As a seasoned chef and restaurateur, Myke “Tatung” Sarthou is no stranger to the ups and downs of having a food business. But when asked how his new venture differs from his previous culinary endeavors, without skipping a beat he says, “This is more personal.”

Talisay The Garden Café opened to the public on October 10, roughly three months since Chef Tatung chanced upon a charming but dilapidated property on Maginhawa Street. It is his homage to his family — where his passion for food was birthed and nourished — and his hometown of Talisay, Cebu.

“In a way, this for me is like a homecoming, because I haven’t seen my family in a while, and now we’ve come together to start this,” Chef Tatung shared over a hearty lunch in Talisay’s sun-soaked dining area.

“We’ve been toying with the idea of having our own restaurant for years, so when we found this location, we knew we had to act fast. We knew we wouldn’t find this kind of property anywhere else,” He recalled.

His brother Jomi’s decision to move back to the Philippines after nearly three decades in Germany was one of the biggest reasons why Tatung decided to take that leap of faith. The brothers, together with their mom Juliana, pooled their money and renovations began almost immediately. Tatung shared that he had almost 60 people working non-stop for nearly three months to overhaul the entire house, a classic bungalow reminiscent of many upper middle-class homes in Quezon City.

Welcome to Talisay. Photo: Ching Dee/GMA News

The new look exudes a modern feel with its all-white finish, including the white polished marble at the center of the dining hall. The hardwood floors were retained, giving the interior a much needed warmth and nostalgic touch. The wooden tables amplified the warmth of the floors and somewhat gave the place a rustic, homey feel. The 70-seater dining area is split into two: the private dining enclosed in glass for exclusive functions fitting up to 20 guests, and the main dining hall overlooking the garden. 

The garden is filled with lavish tropical flora and Tatung decided to leave the existing trees untouched. Aptly, a sprawling Talisay tree with its green and orange leaves will welcome you by the driveway.

The food at Talisay is simple but never simplistic. As Tatung shared, “This is the food that you used to enjoy at home when lolas and nanays cooked at home.”

Flavorful, comforting, and never scrimped — those are perhaps the most accurate descriptions of the feast we enjoyed at Talisay. Here’s what you can expect when you visit this new gem in Maginhawa.

“For our food here, we just tried to recreate a little piece of home, like our usual Sunday family lunches,” Chef Tatung explained. “We stayed away from gimmicky stuff, we just let the food shine as it is.”

Soon, Chef Tatung and his family plan to come up with various dining events like Pinoy (a.k.a. more satisfying) version of degustacion and even wine pairing dinners. Set menus are also available upon request should anyone wish to rent out the entire restaurant for a private gathering, especially for intimate garden weddings. — LA, GMA News

44 Maginhawa St., U.P. Village, Diliman, Quezon City. 11am - 5pm. +632 82939077. +639198776321. FB: @talisaygardenqc,  IG: @talisayqc