TAGAYTAY HOTEL - View Park HoteL: Who is responsible for the good food at THE RED LEMON? ? Tagaytay City in Tagaytay City, Calabarzon

Who is responsible for good food at View Park Hotel?s The Red Lemon Grill?
Discovering a restaurant that serves good food without costing a lot is just like finding a necklace along the beach. A real unexpected treat, definitely something to be proud of and worthy to be shared with family and friends?and their families and friends.
This is exactly what I felt when I first visited The Red Lemon Grill, and I ain't called Hearty Eater for nothing. This is the restaurant fronting View Park Hotel Tagaytay, whom I have heard my friends speak of favorably. But while they praised the hotel, I haven't heard much about the restaurant apart from their comment that the "complimentary breakfast was filling". Being a food enthusiast, I decided to try out Red Lemon Grill. And boy, was I glad I did! For starters, the food really tastes good (and I've tried most entries in their menu). The portions were good-sized and if my lady friends were to come, they can divide up a dish and still be satisfied. What I liked even better about this little gem of a restaurant is that the prices are very reasonable. That means I get to eat more with my usual lunch budget.
My dining experiences at the Red Lemon Grill led me to seek out the man behind the wonderful dishes - Chef Vicente Dinawanao. He is one of the pioneers in the hotel, having taken kitchen duties since View Park Hotel opened in 2007.
A mild-mannered and soft spoken man, Chef has been in love with the art of creating good dishes at a very young age. In fact, his love of cooking has been influenced by his mother when he was growing up in Cebu. A student of practical learning and real life experiences, Chef started cooking in his late teens at his aunt's Laverna Retreat House in Tagaytay. He has also worked as the chef in the Japanese restaurant of Tagaytay Highlands before taking over Red Lemon Grill. Among his specialties are Japanese, Filipino and Spanish dishes.
When asked about the challenges of handling restaurant and hotel guests, Chef recounts that would include cooking for big corporate functions and pleasing customers who are vegetarians (as this involves tweaking current offerings to make vegetarians satisfied). He is always on his toes mastering his craft and learning more. In fact, if not supervising the kitchen and whipping up new menu items, Chef can be found poring over books and magazines, and researching through the internet. His vision for the year, just like every year, is to continually develop and refine everything in his kitchen-the dishes, staff, equipment and utensils. His inspiration remains the same: to learn all types of cooking techniques. His goal, perfection. For the devoted family man, spending time quietly at home with his family during off days is the only time he is glad to be away from his beloved kitchen.
They say that good food is a reflection that the chef is in a good mood. And what puts Chef in a perennially good mood, day in and day out? "Pag ang mga katrabaho mo, pamilya mo. Para kami ditong magkakapatid, sama sama. Pati amo namin, mabait" ("When you work with family. We're like brothers and sisters here, we're very close. Even the bosses are very kind."), was how Chef puts it simply, smiling in a way that radiates from his eyes.
A contented and inspired chef might just be the secret ingredient that keeps me (and many, many others) coming back to the Red Lemon Grill as often as possible.
Check out the website viewparkhotel.com to see special promos. You may also direct your inquiries (such as how to arrange fabulous private parties at The Red Lemon Grill) to Ms. Joy Tung at the following contact numbers: 0922-8851516, (046)4835456, telefax (046)8602826 and email address dj_viewpark@yahoo.com. ViewPark Hotel is located at 3500 Calamba Road Sungay East, Tagaytay City (in front of Picnic Grove).