I tried the San Marcos Cake at a Christmas Part two years ago (yes, I only got around to writing about it now). The cake looked very simple but surprisingly, it was light, not to sweet, and incredibly tasty. It was so good that after I had finished my slice, I camped in front of the cake to snag any piece that remained after everyone had gotten their share (walang tira! bigo!). One can easily eat half of the two-tiered cake; maybe the whole cake if you skip the rest of the meal.
The cake is made up of vanilla sponge (at least I think its vanilla sponge), custard filling in the center, whipped cream all over; with a creme brulee topping.
The cake can be ordered from Valle Verde 2; text or call 0916 745 7729. The last time I checked, the plain creme brulee topped cake was P700; the mango topped version (which I still have to try) was P800.
This is one of the best cake I have ever tried (at least the best for my peculiar, I mean particular taste)!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Resurreccion
Hi my (small? very small?) army of readers. Will try to update more often (and will try to post pictures, but am notoriously bad at remembering). Thanks!
Feeling Blue about Purple Oven
I heard somewhere that Purple Oven (the bakeshop) supplies the cakes for Starbucks (I don't know if this is true but that's what I heard). So I was pretty excited to hear that the bakeshop had opened a branch near the Makati YMCA (which is a great location as it was pretty much on my way to work). Another good thing, the store usually is open by 7am.
Unfortunately (you knew this was coming), good location notwithstanding, Purple Oven has proven to be a great disappointment. The loaf cakes I had tried were really nothing special (in fact, I can honestly say, at least two were some of the worst cakes I have ever tried). More so because of the premium pricing (P240 to P280 for a smallish loaf).
On two separate occasions, I bought the Apple Crumble and the Orange Almond loaves. On another visit, i bought their lemon squares for a merienda at the office. Both loaves were 'not very good' (I am being diplomatic here; note the heavy sarcasm). The Apple Crumble was dry and did not have discernable apple; it was torture trying to finish a slice (which I managed with a large cup of coffee). On the opposite end of the moistness scale was the Orange loaf, which oozed with oiliness but again, lacked flavor (the orange proved rather illusory). It was torture of another sort, trying to finish a slice of this slab of oiliness (this time around, even the coffee didn't help). The lemon squares were better; i found them a bit sweet but my officemates enjoyed them (P480/two dozen).
I haven't tried their iced cakes; so I am not able to render any judgement on these (and I am unlikely to, given my experience). The bakeshop also had petite sized cakes and tarts, but curiously, one can only buy these in groups of six (curious given that one of these small cakes would still be big enough for two to share). I tried to buy some of the small cakes but apparently, the remaining five would be left forsaken if had taken one of the group away. On a similar note, my purchase of the lemon squares was an afterthought; I had originally wanted to buy two boxes of 24s of their brownies but the store only had boxes of 12 left. A box of 24 sells for less than the box of 12; the store personnel couldn't sell me the four dozens at the lower price (i suspect it was because the brownies had already been packed by the dozen and been recorded as such). The bakeshop seems to have an extremely strict inventory policy (no breaking up of grouped cakes; no repacking allowed). I must admit, this inflexibility annoyed me (just a bit).
I truly wanted to like Purple Oven, truly (hence my multiple trips back); this would have been the perfect go-to-place for desserts and baked stuff. Unfortunately, it seems I may need to go elsewhere.
Unfortunately (you knew this was coming), good location notwithstanding, Purple Oven has proven to be a great disappointment. The loaf cakes I had tried were really nothing special (in fact, I can honestly say, at least two were some of the worst cakes I have ever tried). More so because of the premium pricing (P240 to P280 for a smallish loaf).
On two separate occasions, I bought the Apple Crumble and the Orange Almond loaves. On another visit, i bought their lemon squares for a merienda at the office. Both loaves were 'not very good' (I am being diplomatic here; note the heavy sarcasm). The Apple Crumble was dry and did not have discernable apple; it was torture trying to finish a slice (which I managed with a large cup of coffee). On the opposite end of the moistness scale was the Orange loaf, which oozed with oiliness but again, lacked flavor (the orange proved rather illusory). It was torture of another sort, trying to finish a slice of this slab of oiliness (this time around, even the coffee didn't help). The lemon squares were better; i found them a bit sweet but my officemates enjoyed them (P480/two dozen).
I haven't tried their iced cakes; so I am not able to render any judgement on these (and I am unlikely to, given my experience). The bakeshop also had petite sized cakes and tarts, but curiously, one can only buy these in groups of six (curious given that one of these small cakes would still be big enough for two to share). I tried to buy some of the small cakes but apparently, the remaining five would be left forsaken if had taken one of the group away. On a similar note, my purchase of the lemon squares was an afterthought; I had originally wanted to buy two boxes of 24s of their brownies but the store only had boxes of 12 left. A box of 24 sells for less than the box of 12; the store personnel couldn't sell me the four dozens at the lower price (i suspect it was because the brownies had already been packed by the dozen and been recorded as such). The bakeshop seems to have an extremely strict inventory policy (no breaking up of grouped cakes; no repacking allowed). I must admit, this inflexibility annoyed me (just a bit).
I truly wanted to like Purple Oven, truly (hence my multiple trips back); this would have been the perfect go-to-place for desserts and baked stuff. Unfortunately, it seems I may need to go elsewhere.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Myron's
Just returned to my blog and was surprised it had been more than a year since my last post. I admit I had a case of tamaditis; will make it my new year's resolution to try to update more often.
Myron's has been at Greenbelt for a long while; had a (not so) recent dinner there and it was good (better than I remembered from my first visit). Our group split a mushroom and cheese appetizer, a salad, steak and chicken (my apologies for the generic description but i blame this on my fuzzy memory given that this dinner was a couple of months back. Will update once i get my hands on a copy of the menu). All the dishes were pretty amazing (particularly the mushroom and cheese thingie) except for the chicken which was quite forgettable. Although price points were on the high side; serving sizes were generous.
Service was excellent, attentive but not stalkerish. Expect to pay upwards of P1000.
Myron's has been at Greenbelt for a long while; had a (not so) recent dinner there and it was good (better than I remembered from my first visit). Our group split a mushroom and cheese appetizer, a salad, steak and chicken (my apologies for the generic description but i blame this on my fuzzy memory given that this dinner was a couple of months back. Will update once i get my hands on a copy of the menu). All the dishes were pretty amazing (particularly the mushroom and cheese thingie) except for the chicken which was quite forgettable. Although price points were on the high side; serving sizes were generous.
Service was excellent, attentive but not stalkerish. Expect to pay upwards of P1000.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Canteen
Had been planning a meal at Canteen for the longest time, after having discovered the good old chocnut ice cream from Uva still being offered here. Finally got around to it the other day.
I really wanted to say i liked the meal; but I can't. We both ordered fish (mainly because most of the other meals were not available that day; in fact, it seemed they had more items not available than available). She had the miso glazed mahimahi fillet with soy rice; i had the crusted fish fillet with citrus dressing. My friend found her order too salty (I didn't try so I can't comment); my fish, on the other hand, was spoiled (weird and funky smelling and tasting). The restaurant did offer to change the dish, but I kinda lost my appetite (just asked for a tuna sandwich; ate half and gave away the other half).
Masochists that we were, we stayed for coffee and dessert. Having tried the chocnut ice cream previously (which I must add was very good), we opted for the Trailer Park Reeses Peanut Butter and Jelly Monte Cristo and the Bananas Foster with Mantecado Ice Cream. The less said about the Monte Cristo the better (unless you two years old or hugely fanatical for deep fried bread), basically, it was not good. The bananas foster, on the other hand, I am conflicted about; having run out of mantecado, the restaurant served the dessert with chocnut ice cream. It wasn't a good pairing; lumalaban ang chocnut flavor with the caramel sauced bananas. Perhaps with the mantecado, it might have been better.
All in all, a very disappointing meal. Had really high hopes for the restaurant, it being reasonably close to my office. Sigh!
BTW, the restaurant occupies a third of a boutique. The stuff the store carried did look interesting (mix of street and club wear with eco-socio footwear thrown in (the store carried Toms)).
I really wanted to say i liked the meal; but I can't. We both ordered fish (mainly because most of the other meals were not available that day; in fact, it seemed they had more items not available than available). She had the miso glazed mahimahi fillet with soy rice; i had the crusted fish fillet with citrus dressing. My friend found her order too salty (I didn't try so I can't comment); my fish, on the other hand, was spoiled (weird and funky smelling and tasting). The restaurant did offer to change the dish, but I kinda lost my appetite (just asked for a tuna sandwich; ate half and gave away the other half).
Masochists that we were, we stayed for coffee and dessert. Having tried the chocnut ice cream previously (which I must add was very good), we opted for the Trailer Park Reeses Peanut Butter and Jelly Monte Cristo and the Bananas Foster with Mantecado Ice Cream. The less said about the Monte Cristo the better (unless you two years old or hugely fanatical for deep fried bread), basically, it was not good. The bananas foster, on the other hand, I am conflicted about; having run out of mantecado, the restaurant served the dessert with chocnut ice cream. It wasn't a good pairing; lumalaban ang chocnut flavor with the caramel sauced bananas. Perhaps with the mantecado, it might have been better.
All in all, a very disappointing meal. Had really high hopes for the restaurant, it being reasonably close to my office. Sigh!
BTW, the restaurant occupies a third of a boutique. The stuff the store carried did look interesting (mix of street and club wear with eco-socio footwear thrown in (the store carried Toms)).
Saturday, April 03, 2010
In Mr. Choi's Garden
We celebrated my mom's Chinese birthday today at Choi's Garden. It was my second time to eat in this Greenhills landmark (highly regrettable but it is rather hard to park in that stretch of road). (For the unaware, Chinese people have two birthdays; one based on the Chinese Lunar calendar, the other on the western Gregorian calendar. We get to celebrate twice in year; it's a good thing.)
We ordered the old staples: sweet and sour pork (yummy! one of my favorites), fish fillet with bean curd, string beans with stir fried pork (another one of my favorites); and cha misua (or misua guisado; another favorite). The sweet and sour pork and the string beans were two of best I've tasted in a while. The pork was crispy and the sauce was perfectly balanced between a bit sour and a bit sweet. This was classic Cantonese style! The string beans were juicy; the minced pork flavorful, salty and spicy. The fish fillet was also perfectly cooked; the fish fillets were moist and the batter was not too thick. The cha misua was not too oily, a bit dry (but I like my cha misua dry) and loaded with sahog (shrimp, chicken and ham! never had ham before in cha misua).
We only had two dimsums, cha siew rice roll (another one of my favorites) and chicken feet (not one of my favorites!), so I really can't comment on the quality and taste. Suffice to say that the cha siew rice roll was not up there on my Go To list (I think the roll was oversteamed as the rice roll was a bit mushy).
All in all, a very enjoyable lunch! The bill came to about P1300 for five persons; pretty reasonable in my opinion. Worth going back to try the other stuff on the menu.
PS. Some of the dishes came out a bit oily. According to my mom, it is common practice for Chinese chefs to splash a little oil on the dishes right before serving. This is to enhance the look of the dish (bright and shiny). I would recommend a word to the waiter (hold the anointing!) IHMO, Chinese food is not suitable for people who are weight challenged who hoping to be not.
We ordered the old staples: sweet and sour pork (yummy! one of my favorites), fish fillet with bean curd, string beans with stir fried pork (another one of my favorites); and cha misua (or misua guisado; another favorite). The sweet and sour pork and the string beans were two of best I've tasted in a while. The pork was crispy and the sauce was perfectly balanced between a bit sour and a bit sweet. This was classic Cantonese style! The string beans were juicy; the minced pork flavorful, salty and spicy. The fish fillet was also perfectly cooked; the fish fillets were moist and the batter was not too thick. The cha misua was not too oily, a bit dry (but I like my cha misua dry) and loaded with sahog (shrimp, chicken and ham! never had ham before in cha misua).
We only had two dimsums, cha siew rice roll (another one of my favorites) and chicken feet (not one of my favorites!), so I really can't comment on the quality and taste. Suffice to say that the cha siew rice roll was not up there on my Go To list (I think the roll was oversteamed as the rice roll was a bit mushy).
All in all, a very enjoyable lunch! The bill came to about P1300 for five persons; pretty reasonable in my opinion. Worth going back to try the other stuff on the menu.
PS. Some of the dishes came out a bit oily. According to my mom, it is common practice for Chinese chefs to splash a little oil on the dishes right before serving. This is to enhance the look of the dish (bright and shiny). I would recommend a word to the waiter (hold the anointing!) IHMO, Chinese food is not suitable for people who are weight challenged who hoping to be not.
Me and Mr. Jones
Finally was able to grab a seat inside Mr. Jones (who is Mr. Jones anyway?), an upscale diner located along restaurant row in Greenbelt 5. The smallish restaurant only has around 8 tables in airconditioned comfort; more seats are available outside, if one doesn't mind the heat and a rather strong pair of misters (no not bouncers; I meant machines which spray water mist to cool the air through evaporation; end of science lesson) which instead of being pointed skywards, is tilted towards the tables and diners (yummy, finely misted dirty water in your food!). If you are like me and would prefer indoor seating (where it is cool and dry), make sure you either arrive early (11:30ish) or later (after 1pm).
Have had two meals in Mr. Jones and the dishes ranged from good to great. The green salad is a huge bowl of mixed, unusual greens, topped with soft boiled egg, orange slices, olives, grapes, feta cheese, walnuts, and parmesan cheese shavings, served with what I think is a honey balsamic vinaigrette. This was yummy; had it two days straight and still liked it (best salad I've had in a long time). I and my dining companion had the salad split into two; but even this portion size was substantial. If you aren't too hungry, half of this salad would make a fantastic light lunch. In this first meal, we also ordered the bacon-wrapped meat loaf, again split into two. The portions served to us, even halved, were substantial. The meat loaf was moist, but lacked a certain oomph. It was good, but could have been better. The slab of ground meat was served with a mound of mashed potato, baby carrots and haricot verts (green beans, pardon my french).
My second meal (which was exactly 25 hours later) I and another dining companion had the same salad (well, she hadn't tried it and i liked it still), tomato soup, and taco. The tomato soup was thick and creamy (with the addition of cream); it came with a grilled cheese sandwich; the soup alone would have made a satisfying light lunch. I found the soup a tad salty, but not to the extent that I couldn't slurp it down. It was a nice touch that the soup contained alphabet-shaped pasta. The taco was gigantic; a huge quantity of rice, black beans, tomato, onions, cheese, lettuce enveloped by a crispy taco shell (which I think is made by the restaurant; had that homemade quality, which is good). One has the choice of fish or beef; we had beef and what a lot of beef! Whole chunks of grilled steak! The taco was served with tomato and onion salsa, pickled jalapenos, and sour cream. Owing to the impending mess, I always eat my taco salad-style (which just means you break up the taco and mixed everything together, doused with liberal spikes of hot sauce). Yum!
The price points per dish is rather steep (from P300 to P500) but serving sizes are huge. I strongly recommend sharing; splitting with your friends also means you get to try more dishes! For both meals, i spent a shade or two below P500. Service is excellent and the wait staff knowledgable and helpful.
Mr. Jones is my current favorite in Greenbelt 5 (also known as the great wasteland; so many restaurants, so many bad and overpriced). I will certainly be back for more; in both visits, i failed to sample dessert owing to the huge size of main courses. The milk shakes (served to the other diners) look fantastic; the breakfast selection also seems inviting (I spent minutes reading the description for a five-stack lemon ricotta blueberry pancake).
Have had two meals in Mr. Jones and the dishes ranged from good to great. The green salad is a huge bowl of mixed, unusual greens, topped with soft boiled egg, orange slices, olives, grapes, feta cheese, walnuts, and parmesan cheese shavings, served with what I think is a honey balsamic vinaigrette. This was yummy; had it two days straight and still liked it (best salad I've had in a long time). I and my dining companion had the salad split into two; but even this portion size was substantial. If you aren't too hungry, half of this salad would make a fantastic light lunch. In this first meal, we also ordered the bacon-wrapped meat loaf, again split into two. The portions served to us, even halved, were substantial. The meat loaf was moist, but lacked a certain oomph. It was good, but could have been better. The slab of ground meat was served with a mound of mashed potato, baby carrots and haricot verts (green beans, pardon my french).
My second meal (which was exactly 25 hours later) I and another dining companion had the same salad (well, she hadn't tried it and i liked it still), tomato soup, and taco. The tomato soup was thick and creamy (with the addition of cream); it came with a grilled cheese sandwich; the soup alone would have made a satisfying light lunch. I found the soup a tad salty, but not to the extent that I couldn't slurp it down. It was a nice touch that the soup contained alphabet-shaped pasta. The taco was gigantic; a huge quantity of rice, black beans, tomato, onions, cheese, lettuce enveloped by a crispy taco shell (which I think is made by the restaurant; had that homemade quality, which is good). One has the choice of fish or beef; we had beef and what a lot of beef! Whole chunks of grilled steak! The taco was served with tomato and onion salsa, pickled jalapenos, and sour cream. Owing to the impending mess, I always eat my taco salad-style (which just means you break up the taco and mixed everything together, doused with liberal spikes of hot sauce). Yum!
The price points per dish is rather steep (from P300 to P500) but serving sizes are huge. I strongly recommend sharing; splitting with your friends also means you get to try more dishes! For both meals, i spent a shade or two below P500. Service is excellent and the wait staff knowledgable and helpful.
Mr. Jones is my current favorite in Greenbelt 5 (also known as the great wasteland; so many restaurants, so many bad and overpriced). I will certainly be back for more; in both visits, i failed to sample dessert owing to the huge size of main courses. The milk shakes (served to the other diners) look fantastic; the breakfast selection also seems inviting (I spent minutes reading the description for a five-stack lemon ricotta blueberry pancake).
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Bok Lene - a good thing
It's always a good thing when one stumbles onto hidden food treasures. Bok Lene (beats me what this means) is one such gem, a smallish hole-in-the-wall chinese restaurant just off the banawe restaurant row (if you are along banawe, coming from quezon avenue, turn left on the retiro traffic light. The restaurant is on the second corner on your right). Literally a mom and son shop with the owner as waitress, cook, and cashier.
We've been back several times after our first visit; this alone is a testament to the restaurant's good food (my family is notoriously hard to please). Among the dishes we liked were the oyster cake, fish filet and tofu hotpot, various dimsums (hakaw, spinach dumpling, shiao long pao, taro puff, and radish cake). A word about the radish cake--Bok Lene's version is one of the best I've had in a very long time. One can order a whole uncooked slab, ready for pan frying at home (in fact, am having a piece right now).
Have also tried their dumpling noodle soup (quite good; the noodle was very soft, almost misua-like) and quick stir fried vegetables. The Yang Chow was also acceptable (reminiscent of the version of downtown restaurants of yore; deep yellow with lots of duck egg). There were some misses, notable among which was the beef tenderloin Chinese style (much to sweet and swimming in sauce).
Price points is at par with the most of the chinese restaurants along banawe (dimsum around P70 to P80; main dishes between P150 to P250). But the friendly service, good food, and generous serving size do make the difference.
We've been back several times after our first visit; this alone is a testament to the restaurant's good food (my family is notoriously hard to please). Among the dishes we liked were the oyster cake, fish filet and tofu hotpot, various dimsums (hakaw, spinach dumpling, shiao long pao, taro puff, and radish cake). A word about the radish cake--Bok Lene's version is one of the best I've had in a very long time. One can order a whole uncooked slab, ready for pan frying at home (in fact, am having a piece right now).
Have also tried their dumpling noodle soup (quite good; the noodle was very soft, almost misua-like) and quick stir fried vegetables. The Yang Chow was also acceptable (reminiscent of the version of downtown restaurants of yore; deep yellow with lots of duck egg). There were some misses, notable among which was the beef tenderloin Chinese style (much to sweet and swimming in sauce).
Price points is at par with the most of the chinese restaurants along banawe (dimsum around P70 to P80; main dishes between P150 to P250). But the friendly service, good food, and generous serving size do make the difference.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Lorenzo's Way
After that mesa, it was with some trepidation that I suggested to friends we try Lorenzo's Way (yes, another new restaurant in the [infamous] Greenbelt 5). The restaurant is a tribute to the late Larry Cruz, and pulls famous dishes from most of his well-known restaurants.
We had the pinaputok na plapla (malaking tilapia pala), kkk (karekare, what's the third K?), and bacalao. The giant tilapia reminded me of the same dish we had in Mesa; the only difference was that Lorenzo's version came with rice buro while Mesa's came with the four sauces (I chickened out of the buro and asked for the common suka-soy sauce-sibuyas dip). The bacalao, we all agreed, was too too salty (parang kulang sa babad). I recall a show on travel and leisure (can't recall the host chef) but I remembered the interviewed chef of a restaurant in Spain mentioning having soaked the bacalao overnight (or was it two days) with four or five changes of water.
The star of the meal was definitely the karekare. The peanut gravy was de-luscious and married perfectly with the guinisang bagoong and mixed with white rice. Yummy! One always hears this but in this case, it is perfectly true - Sauce pa lang, ....
Service was okay; the waitstaff helpful and attentive but could stand a bit more training. I came early and settled on the KKK as my first choice. However, I was having difficulty coming up with one or two more dishes to complete our order (given the eclectic menu). Asking the waiter proved frustrating and unhelpful as he was recommending baby back ribs, gambas, and paella. Medyo off.
As with most restaurants in GB5, prices are on the high size. However, the restaurant does make up for it with the serving size. For three persons, i think we spent just under P500 per head (including taxes and tip but no drinks). We could have easily fed another person with what we had ordered.
I would take Lorenzo's Way again. There were a good number of dishes which begs to be tried out (the famous knockout knuckles for one; the vegetable dishes and the costillas (beef stew) among others). And with hot, fluffy white rice!
We had the pinaputok na plapla (malaking tilapia pala), kkk (karekare, what's the third K?), and bacalao. The giant tilapia reminded me of the same dish we had in Mesa; the only difference was that Lorenzo's version came with rice buro while Mesa's came with the four sauces (I chickened out of the buro and asked for the common suka-soy sauce-sibuyas dip). The bacalao, we all agreed, was too too salty (parang kulang sa babad). I recall a show on travel and leisure (can't recall the host chef) but I remembered the interviewed chef of a restaurant in Spain mentioning having soaked the bacalao overnight (or was it two days) with four or five changes of water.
The star of the meal was definitely the karekare. The peanut gravy was de-luscious and married perfectly with the guinisang bagoong and mixed with white rice. Yummy! One always hears this but in this case, it is perfectly true - Sauce pa lang, ....
Service was okay; the waitstaff helpful and attentive but could stand a bit more training. I came early and settled on the KKK as my first choice. However, I was having difficulty coming up with one or two more dishes to complete our order (given the eclectic menu). Asking the waiter proved frustrating and unhelpful as he was recommending baby back ribs, gambas, and paella. Medyo off.
As with most restaurants in GB5, prices are on the high size. However, the restaurant does make up for it with the serving size. For three persons, i think we spent just under P500 per head (including taxes and tip but no drinks). We could have easily fed another person with what we had ordered.
I would take Lorenzo's Way again. There were a good number of dishes which begs to be tried out (the famous knockout knuckles for one; the vegetable dishes and the costillas (beef stew) among others). And with hot, fluffy white rice!
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Bawai's: Vietnamese Kitchen
My two friends and I just had lunch at Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen in Tagaytay. I had heard and read tremendous things about this restaurant that's not a restaurant (apparently it is in the owner's living room!).
It was a two hourish trip (coupled with a bit of getting lost) but we finally made it to the restaurant/house. A quirk of the restaurant was that you MUST call ahead to reserve and preferably pre-order. Once you get to the restaurant, everything is made clear; the place is tiny (large enough, by my guess, for only about 30 to 40? spread over five tables). When we were there, all tables were full. Someone without a reservation would have had a long wait. Also, it was apparent that the kitchen does not keep much inventory; one runs the risk of not getting a table.
We basically ordered every appetizer on the menu; these were Chao Tom (pounded shrimp on sugarcane skewers), Nem Nuong (grilled vietnamese sausage), Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls), Cha Gio (fried spring roll), and Banh Cuon (minced pork and mushroom rolls). Among these I liked the Nem Nuong, Goi Cuon, and Banh Cuon the most (and if you must know, I liked the Cha Gio the least).
We also ordered the Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) as our main dish (something light in light of all the appetizers). No complaints here. The flavors were delicate, subtle, the perfect foil for one's personal touches (a little more chili sauce, some hoisin, some more nuoc nam).
We spent a little over P1500 for the meal plus drinks. Definitely worth a return visit (this time to try all of the entrees and noodle dishes!).
BTW, bawai means grandmother in Vietnamese.
It was a two hourish trip (coupled with a bit of getting lost) but we finally made it to the restaurant/house. A quirk of the restaurant was that you MUST call ahead to reserve and preferably pre-order. Once you get to the restaurant, everything is made clear; the place is tiny (large enough, by my guess, for only about 30 to 40? spread over five tables). When we were there, all tables were full. Someone without a reservation would have had a long wait. Also, it was apparent that the kitchen does not keep much inventory; one runs the risk of not getting a table.
We basically ordered every appetizer on the menu; these were Chao Tom (pounded shrimp on sugarcane skewers), Nem Nuong (grilled vietnamese sausage), Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls), Cha Gio (fried spring roll), and Banh Cuon (minced pork and mushroom rolls). Among these I liked the Nem Nuong, Goi Cuon, and Banh Cuon the most (and if you must know, I liked the Cha Gio the least).
We also ordered the Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) as our main dish (something light in light of all the appetizers). No complaints here. The flavors were delicate, subtle, the perfect foil for one's personal touches (a little more chili sauce, some hoisin, some more nuoc nam).
We spent a little over P1500 for the meal plus drinks. Definitely worth a return visit (this time to try all of the entrees and noodle dishes!).
BTW, bawai means grandmother in Vietnamese.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Tale of Two Restaurants: Going Under the "Mesa"
Recently tried two of the newer restaurants in Greenbelt 5 (fast becoming known as the go to place for pretentious, overpriced yet forgettable eateries). Mesa is a contemporary Filipino restaurant, serving traditional dishes with a twist. I really wanted to like the restaurant given the raves by my friend but unfortunately, this was not to be. We had steamed apahap with soy sauce, caramelized garlic pork, laing two ways and the fried tilapia with four sauces. Among the four, only the tilapia and the laing stood out; not that the two dishes were extraordinary, just better than the other two. The fried tilapia came with four different sauces (honey patis, tokwa't baboy sauce, sweet chili, and mango bagoong (not too sure about this last one). This was a fun dish, as it allowed one to play with the flavors of the different sauces. The laing two ways came with sauce (the normal way one would serve laing) and without (dry, with the sauce cooked into the gabi leaves). I didn't like the dry version at first, but i must admit, it kinda grew on me.
The other two dishes were not so great. The fish was overcooked (the flesh was too firm and chalky). Steaming fish is a delicate science with much that can go wrong; if fine chinese restaurants do sometimes get this wrong, Mesa may be forgiven for this misstep. The caramelized garlic pork, however, was a disaster. The first time the order came to our table, the pork was more pork fat than meat (more suited for a carinderia rather than a fine dining establishment; the purchasing manager should be flogged). On the plus side, the wait staff was quick to pick up on our dissatisfication and quickly sent the dish back to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the revamped dish still failed to impress. Despite its name, the pork meat was pale and unappetizing; overriding flavor was sugary sweetness with none of the great garlic flavor. This certainly did not live up to its "signature dish" status.
I may need to try the restaurant again; there are other interesting-sounding dishes on the menu. Another plus is that the dishes are quite reasonably priced, certainly for a Greenbelt 5 restaurant. Despite the giant apahap (more than 700 gms, the smallest that the restaurant had at that time, and the most expensive item among our orders), our total bill was only around P1,300 for three persons.
The other two dishes were not so great. The fish was overcooked (the flesh was too firm and chalky). Steaming fish is a delicate science with much that can go wrong; if fine chinese restaurants do sometimes get this wrong, Mesa may be forgiven for this misstep. The caramelized garlic pork, however, was a disaster. The first time the order came to our table, the pork was more pork fat than meat (more suited for a carinderia rather than a fine dining establishment; the purchasing manager should be flogged). On the plus side, the wait staff was quick to pick up on our dissatisfication and quickly sent the dish back to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the revamped dish still failed to impress. Despite its name, the pork meat was pale and unappetizing; overriding flavor was sugary sweetness with none of the great garlic flavor. This certainly did not live up to its "signature dish" status.
I may need to try the restaurant again; there are other interesting-sounding dishes on the menu. Another plus is that the dishes are quite reasonably priced, certainly for a Greenbelt 5 restaurant. Despite the giant apahap (more than 700 gms, the smallest that the restaurant had at that time, and the most expensive item among our orders), our total bill was only around P1,300 for three persons.
Tale of Two Restaurants: "Thai Patio"
It was not a great week for eating out. The second of the two restaurants I tried was Thai Patio, also along the Greenbelt 5 resto strip. I am always up for good Thai food (one of my favorites) so it was with great hope that we made our way to the restaurant. We ordered fresh spring roll, dory in curry sauce, stir fried chicken and basil, tom yum soup with prawn, and pad thai. As you can see, nothing really extraordinarily difficult nor special, just the basics. That made what was served so disappointing. I have had better fresh spring rolls at Pho Hoa, pad thai at Soms, chicken and basil at People Palace.
The bill was also shockingly high (around P2000 for three persons), moreso given the weak dishes. For these prices, one is infinitely better off at People's Palace.
On a lighter side, we moved from tables to a banquette as we thought that the latter would be more comfortable. We had a good laugh as we were literally falling off the seats (they were two narrow; the table was also too narrow; an obvious attempt to fit two banquettes in a limited space). What made matters worse was that the food came in oversized dishes. It was a puzzle how to fit the food on the long, narrow table. Sadly, this was the highlight of the meal.
Thai cuisine is extremely tricky as it seeks to balance several divergent flavors (sweet, salty, spicy, sour, bitter) into a harmonious whole. For much, much better Thai food, please go to Azuthai along Pasay Road, Soms going to Rockwell, and Benjarong in Hotel Nikko.
The bill was also shockingly high (around P2000 for three persons), moreso given the weak dishes. For these prices, one is infinitely better off at People's Palace.
On a lighter side, we moved from tables to a banquette as we thought that the latter would be more comfortable. We had a good laugh as we were literally falling off the seats (they were two narrow; the table was also too narrow; an obvious attempt to fit two banquettes in a limited space). What made matters worse was that the food came in oversized dishes. It was a puzzle how to fit the food on the long, narrow table. Sadly, this was the highlight of the meal.
Thai cuisine is extremely tricky as it seeks to balance several divergent flavors (sweet, salty, spicy, sour, bitter) into a harmonious whole. For much, much better Thai food, please go to Azuthai along Pasay Road, Soms going to Rockwell, and Benjarong in Hotel Nikko.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Terrace at the 5th
Terrace is one of the newer restaurants in Greenbelt 5 (in the extension, really Greenbelt 1). Terrace purports to serve treasured recipes from well-known home kitchens.
The restaurant has a nice look to it; upscale but homey. However, as with almost all Greenbelt 3 and 5 restaurants, it does get quite noisy, especially if the restaurant is fullish.
The menu was not extensive but I take this as a good thing. I had the short ribs (which was recommended), my other lunchmates had pork belly and the dory fillet. I liked the short rib but it was a tad sweet. However, it was obviously slow-cooked as the beef was quite tender; the drippings were also quite nice. The dish came with the option of white or brown rice; I ordered brown but was served red (one point taken away). Unfortunately, the rice was dry and obviously microwaved (another point deducted). I asked that the rice be changed for white; but this too was dry and nuked (more points na ang minus). It was disappointing that such an upscale restaurant can't cook rice! Another sore point was that the server (perhaps in a bid to be ingratiating) claimed that there would be no charge for the white rice. IMHO, there really should not be a need for this given that the original contract was not fulfilled.
We were there during the restaurant's soft opening; and it showed. The kitchen was quite slow (more than an hour before we got our orders). One of my lunchmates was served her order but it came with white rice. The server whisked it away, supposedly to change the rice. However, the order never reappeared until we all got our orders. Quite obviously, the order was for another table; but I feel the server should have come back to apologize or explain. Replacing red rice for white should not have taken 30 minutes.
We also stayed for coffee and dessert (no, we weren't masochists, one of us wasn't feeling to well and didn't want to move). We ordered the Crepe Gateau, which was stacks of thin crepes, buttered and syruped. I liked it (although one of my lunchmates claim that a better version existed in the Metro Manila dessert universe). However, i did feel it lacked that oomph factor befitting the location and price tag; some fruit compote or dark chocolate shavings would have been welcome.
All in all, a relatively nice place to eat; but I would come back a few months from now, when hopefully the kitchen and staff has worked out all the kinks.
The restaurant has a nice look to it; upscale but homey. However, as with almost all Greenbelt 3 and 5 restaurants, it does get quite noisy, especially if the restaurant is fullish.
The menu was not extensive but I take this as a good thing. I had the short ribs (which was recommended), my other lunchmates had pork belly and the dory fillet. I liked the short rib but it was a tad sweet. However, it was obviously slow-cooked as the beef was quite tender; the drippings were also quite nice. The dish came with the option of white or brown rice; I ordered brown but was served red (one point taken away). Unfortunately, the rice was dry and obviously microwaved (another point deducted). I asked that the rice be changed for white; but this too was dry and nuked (more points na ang minus). It was disappointing that such an upscale restaurant can't cook rice! Another sore point was that the server (perhaps in a bid to be ingratiating) claimed that there would be no charge for the white rice. IMHO, there really should not be a need for this given that the original contract was not fulfilled.
We were there during the restaurant's soft opening; and it showed. The kitchen was quite slow (more than an hour before we got our orders). One of my lunchmates was served her order but it came with white rice. The server whisked it away, supposedly to change the rice. However, the order never reappeared until we all got our orders. Quite obviously, the order was for another table; but I feel the server should have come back to apologize or explain. Replacing red rice for white should not have taken 30 minutes.
We also stayed for coffee and dessert (no, we weren't masochists, one of us wasn't feeling to well and didn't want to move). We ordered the Crepe Gateau, which was stacks of thin crepes, buttered and syruped. I liked it (although one of my lunchmates claim that a better version existed in the Metro Manila dessert universe). However, i did feel it lacked that oomph factor befitting the location and price tag; some fruit compote or dark chocolate shavings would have been welcome.
All in all, a relatively nice place to eat; but I would come back a few months from now, when hopefully the kitchen and staff has worked out all the kinks.
Yummy Yummy Nambantei
Went back to Nambantei (Greenbelt 3) for lunch. Really like this restaurant, a lot; from the free starters (raw vegetables you dip in soybean paste) to the grilled skewers to the rice. One good thing about eating with new people were the new things one gets to discover. One of my lunchmates ordered edamame (cooked baby soybeans), which I tried for the first time. They were really good, like soft, semi-crunchy green beans, but better for you!
We ordered the platter of mixed meat skewers with additional two skewers of everything (except the corn). My favorites were the bacon-wrapped potato fries, the garlic pork, and the pork-wrapped asparagus. But the big revalation was the chicken wings. In the past, I usually skipped these as I wasn't a big fan of chicken wings elsewhere. I snagged a piece from my lunchmate (who was on his third skewer) for a bite see, out of curiousity. My gods, it was the best thing I've eaten (ok, maybe one of the best) in years. To my dismay, there were none left. Justeats Lesson #11, try everything once!
BTW, a tip I got from that selfish, greedy, chicken-wing glutton was to ask for teriyaki sauce for dipping. The sauce does add a nice sweet, salty dimension to the grilled meats.
We ordered the platter of mixed meat skewers with additional two skewers of everything (except the corn). My favorites were the bacon-wrapped potato fries, the garlic pork, and the pork-wrapped asparagus. But the big revalation was the chicken wings. In the past, I usually skipped these as I wasn't a big fan of chicken wings elsewhere. I snagged a piece from my lunchmate (who was on his third skewer) for a bite see, out of curiousity. My gods, it was the best thing I've eaten (ok, maybe one of the best) in years. To my dismay, there were none left. Justeats Lesson #11, try everything once!
BTW, a tip I got from that selfish, greedy, chicken-wing glutton was to ask for teriyaki sauce for dipping. The sauce does add a nice sweet, salty dimension to the grilled meats.
CPR at CPK
Not literally, but after eating California Pizza Kitchen's really, really bad food and seeing what you have to pay for that really, really bad food, anyone would need CPR.
After walking around Greenbelt for ages looking for a restaurant we would agree on, we settled on CPK. This is the newest branch at the Greenbelt 5 extension (I am providing directions so that everyone can steer clear).
We ordered the pepperoni pizza and shanghai noodles. It could be partly our fault for ordering such an off item (chinese at an american pizza joint; we got what we deserved!).
The pizza was nothing great but not too bad; just nothing one would go back for. The lunch killer was the noodles; not only was the sauce to cornstarchy, oily and salty, the noodles were half-cooked. What got my goat was that after inquiring nicely, the waiter came back with a weak explanation that the noodles were cooked correctly according to CPK's exacting standards! HOOEY!
For your mental and physical health, best to avoid this tourist trap of a pizza parlor.
After walking around Greenbelt for ages looking for a restaurant we would agree on, we settled on CPK. This is the newest branch at the Greenbelt 5 extension (I am providing directions so that everyone can steer clear).
We ordered the pepperoni pizza and shanghai noodles. It could be partly our fault for ordering such an off item (chinese at an american pizza joint; we got what we deserved!).
The pizza was nothing great but not too bad; just nothing one would go back for. The lunch killer was the noodles; not only was the sauce to cornstarchy, oily and salty, the noodles were half-cooked. What got my goat was that after inquiring nicely, the waiter came back with a weak explanation that the noodles were cooked correctly according to CPK's exacting standards! HOOEY!
For your mental and physical health, best to avoid this tourist trap of a pizza parlor.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Krispy Kreme Update
Krispy Kreme has a new, seasonal flavor for December. Caramel Apple Pie, a filled doughnut of apple pie filling with a graham cracker crumb topping. Hands down, this is my doughnut of choice at KK. It is the least sweet of KK's cloying treats and goes extremely well with the instore americano.
Unhappily, the flavor may be discontinued after the holidays. I encourage everyone to run to the nearest KK store and order enough of the Apple Pie doughnut in order to ensure counter permanence.
Unhappily, the flavor may be discontinued after the holidays. I encourage everyone to run to the nearest KK store and order enough of the Apple Pie doughnut in order to ensure counter permanence.
Christmas Dinner at Chelsea
Finally got to try Chelsea. Was a bit apprehensive as I had gotten mixed reviews about the restaurant. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined.
We had the whole roast chicken, the green apple and walnut salad, 5 cheese macaroni, cheese and bacon, and the Sausage and Meatball Rigatoni. The chicken was excellent value for money; at P650ish, it was enough to feed four to six. The chicken, however, I felt lacked flavor.
The salad was another value for money order. The huge portion served six as an appetizer. My only request would be for more apple and walnut and less of the salad. BTW, the salad green was baby arugula, one of my current favorites.
The 5 Cheese Macaroni, Cheese, and Bacon (I'm not making this up; this is what was written on the menu) looked small but again the portion size will serve two as a light lunch and four as a side. The Mac was a brilliant orange but tasted pretty good. But if i had to pick a winner for the meal it would have been the rigatoni. Again the dish would have been enough for two to four (large serving sizes must be a signature of the restaurant). The meatball was flavorful and the pasta was dotted with chunks of tomatoes.
For dessert, we had the restaurant's famous Chocnut Valrhona Cake. The cake was really good; it wouldn't win any awards for good looks (initial impressions were of dryness and crumb). But each bite was full of choco goodness (of the highest quality). I really liked the cake (so much so that I'm including it in my list of favorites, the only chocolate cake so far); but at P310/slice, I'd have to think twice before i re-indulge.
Coffee was a letdown; the restaurant serves the Illy (italian) brand of coffee but something must have gotten lost in the translation.
All in all, a pretty good meal. Good value for a restaurant in Serendra (the land of overpriced, overconceptualized food). P500 to P600 per head.
We had the whole roast chicken, the green apple and walnut salad, 5 cheese macaroni, cheese and bacon, and the Sausage and Meatball Rigatoni. The chicken was excellent value for money; at P650ish, it was enough to feed four to six. The chicken, however, I felt lacked flavor.
The salad was another value for money order. The huge portion served six as an appetizer. My only request would be for more apple and walnut and less of the salad. BTW, the salad green was baby arugula, one of my current favorites.
The 5 Cheese Macaroni, Cheese, and Bacon (I'm not making this up; this is what was written on the menu) looked small but again the portion size will serve two as a light lunch and four as a side. The Mac was a brilliant orange but tasted pretty good. But if i had to pick a winner for the meal it would have been the rigatoni. Again the dish would have been enough for two to four (large serving sizes must be a signature of the restaurant). The meatball was flavorful and the pasta was dotted with chunks of tomatoes.
For dessert, we had the restaurant's famous Chocnut Valrhona Cake. The cake was really good; it wouldn't win any awards for good looks (initial impressions were of dryness and crumb). But each bite was full of choco goodness (of the highest quality). I really liked the cake (so much so that I'm including it in my list of favorites, the only chocolate cake so far); but at P310/slice, I'd have to think twice before i re-indulge.
Coffee was a letdown; the restaurant serves the Illy (italian) brand of coffee but something must have gotten lost in the translation.
All in all, a pretty good meal. Good value for a restaurant in Serendra (the land of overpriced, overconceptualized food). P500 to P600 per head.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Lengua de Gato
Am eating one of the best lengua de gato I've ever had. It came in a big, white plastic tub (akin to the old one gallon ice cream containers), no label, no idea who makes it or where one can buy more (must buy more!)
The lengua are paper thin, irregularly shaped and sized, some are a darker hue, others a pale cousin.
The lengua are paper thin, irregularly shaped and sized, some are a darker hue, others a pale cousin.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Chocolate Kiss Kiss
Paid another visit to Chocolate Kiss along Roces Avenue in Quezon City. If you recall, my first few visits were a disaster. Lousy food and worst, lousy desserts. Blame my loyalty to my alma mater, but I just had to try the restaurant again.
The good news is, the Queso Chiffon and Dayap Cake are excellent. The Queso Chiffon has loads of quezo de bola shavings; IMHO, the perfect counterpoint to the sweet icing and dessert.
The Dayap Cake was a transformed beauty. I recall the first time I tried this cake, it had masses of boiled icing (the white, egg white icing of the birthday cakes of yore). The overzealous baker had overzested, adding the bitter pith into the icing. This version was nothing to write home about.
The new and improved Dayap Cake has dayap curd filling and the boiled icing is now a thin shell of its former self. I really liked this cake (although I think it would be better with a buttercream icing, instead of that infernal boiled icing).
The only disappointment was the Devil's Food Cake. Not only did the cake lack that dense, chocolate taste, the baker also apparently thought to transfer the masses of boiled icing to this forgettable dessert.
By the way, the coffee was swell.
The good news is, the Queso Chiffon and Dayap Cake are excellent. The Queso Chiffon has loads of quezo de bola shavings; IMHO, the perfect counterpoint to the sweet icing and dessert.
The Dayap Cake was a transformed beauty. I recall the first time I tried this cake, it had masses of boiled icing (the white, egg white icing of the birthday cakes of yore). The overzealous baker had overzested, adding the bitter pith into the icing. This version was nothing to write home about.
The new and improved Dayap Cake has dayap curd filling and the boiled icing is now a thin shell of its former self. I really liked this cake (although I think it would be better with a buttercream icing, instead of that infernal boiled icing).
The only disappointment was the Devil's Food Cake. Not only did the cake lack that dense, chocolate taste, the baker also apparently thought to transfer the masses of boiled icing to this forgettable dessert.
By the way, the coffee was swell.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Enoteca Galileo
Enoteca literally means "wine depositary" and Enoteca Galileo certainly had the feel of one. A smallish restaurant along Pasong Tamo Extension with unusually large tables, one is literally surrounded by wine and aperitif.
On to the food. I had the set meal of cold cuts, cheese, bread and dip, a choice of pasta, wine and coffee. It was a feast. I particularly enjoyed the cold cuts, cheeses (provolone and mozarella) and the pasta (aglio olio with pepperoncino). The bread and dip, however, were redundant since the restaurant does give you these as a free starter. They did change the bread and dip which was to have accompanied the set meal with mushroom soup. The white wine was also quite good; the first glass was not chilled but the server must have realized this as she offered me a second glass (chilled) for free! I managed to get quite tipsy this lunchtime.
My lunchmates ordered T-Bone steak which was not surprisingly not very good (we were in a italian deli). Others ordered the pasta genovese (pesto).
We finished with coffee and gelato. Coffee was excellent; good enough to take black. The gelato, however, was disappointing; it lacked the smooth, creamy texture of what i think gelato should have. Rather, the ice cream was quite frozen, studded with ice crystals.
Service was a bit inattentive; we stood around waiting for a table for a few minutes with servers running around us, basically ignoring us. Apparently, the restaurant was not used to having too many customers at one time. However, I must say that service did improve as the meal progressed.
Pricing was moderate (my set meal was P500, all in). However, my lunchmates felt the steak was overpriced (at P600), probably influence by their dislike for it.
On to the food. I had the set meal of cold cuts, cheese, bread and dip, a choice of pasta, wine and coffee. It was a feast. I particularly enjoyed the cold cuts, cheeses (provolone and mozarella) and the pasta (aglio olio with pepperoncino). The bread and dip, however, were redundant since the restaurant does give you these as a free starter. They did change the bread and dip which was to have accompanied the set meal with mushroom soup. The white wine was also quite good; the first glass was not chilled but the server must have realized this as she offered me a second glass (chilled) for free! I managed to get quite tipsy this lunchtime.
My lunchmates ordered T-Bone steak which was not surprisingly not very good (we were in a italian deli). Others ordered the pasta genovese (pesto).
We finished with coffee and gelato. Coffee was excellent; good enough to take black. The gelato, however, was disappointing; it lacked the smooth, creamy texture of what i think gelato should have. Rather, the ice cream was quite frozen, studded with ice crystals.
Service was a bit inattentive; we stood around waiting for a table for a few minutes with servers running around us, basically ignoring us. Apparently, the restaurant was not used to having too many customers at one time. However, I must say that service did improve as the meal progressed.
Pricing was moderate (my set meal was P500, all in). However, my lunchmates felt the steak was overpriced (at P600), probably influence by their dislike for it.
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