Love at first lamb: From Australia to your heart

Tagaytay has always been kind to indulgence. Cool air, generous tables, long lunches that drift into dusk. As the mountain-sitting city welcomes the month of love, it leaned fully into that reputation with the “I Love Aussie Lamb” campaign unfolding at Silang's Elaia by Cyma, an event that turned lamb from supporting actor to unquestioned lead.

Held at chef Roby Goco’s sunlit al fresco overlooking lush greeneries and soft dewy air, the gathering brought together some of Tagaytay’s most respected chefs and kitchens under the banner of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA). The brief was deceptively simple: cook Australian lamb with a specific cut assgined — any style, but cook it well and with intention. The result was a parade of dishes that proved lamb isn’t a one-note luxury, but a deeply adaptable ingredient with range.

The groundwork was laid days earlier, when participating chefs attended a butchery masterclass led by MLA Master Butcher Kelly Pane. That knowledge translated directly to the plates. You could taste it in Anya Resort’s lamb fabada: top-round slices tender from a slow simmer, swimming in a bean-rich stew that felt warming without being heavy. Their milk-grilled lamb eye round, blushing and delicate, came alive with Thai citrus and a softly chewy tapioca cake — unexpected, but grounded.

At Anzani Ville Sommet, lamb went European. Croquetas arrived golden and crisp, breaking open to a savory, almost sweet interior. Moroccan-spiced cutlets were grilled just enough to char the edges, the spice kept at bay, the lamb allowed to speak. A spinach open lasagne layered lamb ragù with confidence, rich, but not loud.

Asador Dos Mestizos went maximalist in the best way. Lamb appeared everywhere: integrated into hummus, spiced into chorizo, tucked into pimientos, skewered into pinchitos morunos. The lamb paella was the anchor, grains stained deep with stock, meat woven through rather than piled on, every bite balanced.

Some dishes leaned comfort-forward. Farmer’s Table’s lamb shank Bicol Express paired burnt coconut with slow-cooked meat that surrendered easily to the fork. Gorio’s Cavite-style lamb caldereta, served with cheesy polenta, felt like Tagaytay weather in edible form. The Fatted Calf’s lamb balbacua was gelatinous, sticky, and deeply satisfying —  almost an embrace, really.

Others played with smoke and fire. Reynaldo’s Smoke House offered pulled lamb tostadas — crisp, bright, and snackable, alongside smoked lamb brisket with a clean, well-ingrained smoke. Butcher’s Steak and Grill presented a lamb rump marinated in soy and catsup, its sweetness tempered by tangy madzoon yogurt and cooling mint, paired with a braised lamb neck hash that collapsed beautifully on the plate.

The host restaurant kept things playful — Elaia set a roast breast flap lamb wrap that dripped just enough, and another take on milk-grilled lamb eye round, wrapped in pita, citrusy and light. Elsewhere, lamb traveled further— Fatima’s Filipino Halal served lamb tandoori with gentle heat, Mama Lou’s Group offered lamb kulma and Maranao rendang rich with spice, while Taal Vista Hotel’s lamb birria came with a deeply aromatic consommé that begged to be sipped between bites.

Textures by Tamayo’s finished with lamb on perilla leaves — herbaceous, cooling, a reset button of a dish.

“When chefs truly understand the different cuts of lamb, it opens up so many possibilities,” said Kelly Pane, Master Butcher of Meat & Livestock Australia. “It’s exciting to see how the chefs translated what they learned, from cut to plate, into creative, menu-ready dishes.”

By the end of the afternoon, the message was clear. This wasn’t about excess, or novelty, or even persuasion. It was simply about showing, with passion and mastery on what lamb can do when treated with respect. In Tagaytay, love, it turns out, tastes a lot like lamb.