Somewhere in Tagaytay, a few distance away from where the busy and often crowded commercial centers are, is a nice bed and breakfast with a restaurant that serves really good food. The place is called The Wild Juan.

Armed with tons of innovative ideas, owner Thomas Murillo along with Chef Marcial Balazo, staked their territory at The Wild Juan kitchen to create southern comfort food that caters to the Filipino palate. From the dishes we had the chance to enjoy, we were able to narrow down our Top 3 picks— Sisig Paksiw, Krispy Kasoy Kare-Kare, and Pulled Pork Adobo Bruschetta.

Chef Marcial T. Balazo and Thomas Murillo of The Wild Juan

During our visit, we had the chance to engage Thomas on our fun 15-Question Insider Feature.

1. Name your Top 3 vacation destinations in the world. A: Japan, U.S.A, and Amsterdam.

2. If we’re going to give you a plane ticket right now and sponsor an all-expense paid trip, where will you go? A: Europe.

3. What’s that one dish that you can eat for the rest of your life? A: Chicken wings.

4. What is the one food you will never eat even if given a million pesos? A: As a cook, as long as its edible, I’ll eat it.  Now where’s my 1 million? (laughs)

5. What’s your Happy Meal? A: My happy meals are meals with my family I sit down and share with.

6. What’s that one dish you’ve always wanted to try but have been too scared to? A: None. I am open minded to try all kinds of food to broaden my palate.

7. If you could have dinner with one famous person who’s still alive right now, who will it be? A: Liza Soberano, no doubt. Who wouldn’t want to take her out for dinner? Better yet, after the dinner, I’ll introduce her to my parents right away. (laughs)

8. If the earth will be taken over by a different entity, would you prefer aliens or zombies? A: Aliens! More to learn from than The Walking Dead.

9. What is that one unhealthy food that you will not give up? A: Chocolates.

10. What’s your most unforgettable meal? A: Meals eaten with the family during Sundays. Family is everything.

11. What’s the first dish you learned to cook? A: Prawns Thermidor. As a kid growing up, I used to help my mom cook this during family gatherings.

12. Wine or Beer? A: BEER.

13. What’s the one menu entry that you always order in most restaurants that you go to? A: Calamares. You’ll know if a restaurant is good when simple dishes like Calamares are properly cooked to perfection. From using fresh squid, to proper breading techniques, to cooking time.

14. What are your Top 3 dishes on The Wild Juan’s menu? A: Top 3 dishes in The Wild Juan would be The Gumbolalo, Sisig Paksiw and our Krispy Kasoy Kare-kare.

15. If you can have 1 superpower, what would it be? A: Mind Control.

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