22 Prime : Tomahawk Steak Lunch

As fellow bloggers Chris and Jane once said, it'll surely be a Prime day.


True enough, I took a break from my usual office lunch consisting of a homemade sandwich and a small piece of banana and headed to 22 Prime at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas to join a couple of bloggers for a steak lunch.


What I did not expect was that we won't be having the usual rib-eye steak that's good for one but instead we came face to face with the biggest piece of meat that I've ever seen! Introducing the Tomahawk Rib-Eye Chop that's approximately 1 kilogram heavy. As Chef David Pardo de Ayala carried this out from his kitchen, I couldn't help but wish that I have Paul or my dad there with me as they are long-time steak fans in the family and would definitely be amazed by the size of this! I can just imagine having the entire piece of lunch which I think would take me the entire day to finish!

What a HUGE piece of Meat!

Lunch began with basket of bread and three types of dips. I love the cheese bread stick which went well with the Skordalia (Potato Puree dip).


There are three dips to choose from and I had a great time trying each one. From the Skordalia to the Sofrito (Tomatoes with Olive Oil) and my personal favorite, the Chicken Liver Pate.


Finally, the star of the show was served. We were given tasting size of the Tomahawk Chop. This is accompanied with a generous serving of baby vegetables and a delicious Caesar Salad that has a filo pillow of bleu cheese as a special surprise.


The Tomahawk Chop is one of the largest rib-eye steaks in Australia. It is named from the 30cm of rib bone that is left attached to the meat which increases its flavor and tenderness when grilled. We jokingly commented that it is big enough to be used also as a defense weapon when out at night.  While I may not be a big fan of steak, I like the tenderness of the meat and a small piece of fat attached to it leaving a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth sensation. Yum!

Lunch was superb and I'm delighted to share with you that you can enjoy 22 Prime's Tomahawk Steak from June 1-15, 2010! Avail of their specialty menu for only P4800 where you get a 1-kilogram, 6-Star Tenderplus Australian Beef Rib Eye Steak with a casserole of baby vegetables, a bowl of their delicious Caesar Salad and a bottle of Verse 1 Cabernet Sauvignon. It's definitely good for sharing probably for a group of 4-5 pax.

22 Prime is located at the 22nd floor of Discovery Suites, 25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Call them at 719-6821, 7196822 or 719-8888 for reservations.

The Legend of India : A Mouthwatering Food Story

Indian cuisine always has this distinct taste and flavor that never fails to perk up our taste buds. It was a busy Tuesday night when I scheduled to have dinner at Legend of India, the newest Indian restaurant along Jupiter street in Makati, with a couple of friends.


On our way there, I was already psyching myself up for some delicious, flavorful Indian dishes that I'm sure will be served to us that evening. We were one of the last who arrived and the group was already busy munching on something that looks very much like trail mix. It's called Mixed Chevro, I was told, it has a mix of different Indian crackers, nuts and dried fruits. I took a small scoop and poured everything into my mouth, oh I love how the flavor suddenly burst into my mouth. It was delightful! I can taste a little bit of anise seeds, the salty nuts, the mildly spiced crackers and the sweet raisins. Yum! I lately found out that they're selling bigger packs of these Indian snacks and I made a mental note to buy some to bring home.


While waiting for our dishes to be served, I got myself a glass of Mango Lassi. This is a must-order when enjoying an Indian meal. It is made of yogurt and fresh mangoes. A perfect drink to balance off the spicy dishes up ahead. 


First came the Pani Puri (Php. 130). It looks like cute, deep-fried round balls that is hollow inside. What made this dish extra special was the mint water that came with it. I was really intrigued what mint water tastes like and following Akun's instruction, we had to pour a good amount of mint water into the ball and eat it whole. We followed and enjoyed the crunchy, mild taste that is so good you'd want to get more.


Following the lead of the Pani Puri, we now have the Chicken Kathi Roll (Php. 280). This looks very much like the Persian shawarma only it has pure chicken meat and no veggies. I also noticed that it's a bit spicy perhaps with the inclusion of curry or a couple of spicy herbs. One order gives you six slices which is good for sharing for a group of 2-3 pax.


I love seafood but somehow, I try to veer away from ordering this when dining at an Indian restaurant. Perhaps this is because I know that their mutton, beef or chicken dishes are superb and those are what I want to try first. So just imagine my surprise when Akun made us try his Amitsari Fish (Php. 420). It's a dry dish with cubes of fish fillet and seasoned with a mix of herbs and spices and topped with fresh onions. It also comes with two sauces but really, the fish is flavorful enough even without the sauce. I love love love the Amitsari Fish that I'm definitely adding this to my list on my next visit.

Getting Curry-ed Away


After a series of appetizers, then came the Rogan Josh (Php. 450).This is a curry dish with mutton, peppers and a lot of spices. It was my first time to try mutton after being told that it is actually very similar to lamb. I took a small piece and I was glad that there were no offensive smell or taste instead it sure tasted like beef or lamb and the sauce of the Rogan Josh was so good together with our Naan bread.


Our friends at the other end of the table liked the Chicken Vindaloo (Php. 350). Which is a tad more spicier than the Rogan Josh but equally rich and yummy.

Paneer Love


Aside from the Lassi, no trip to an Indian restaurant would be complete without ordering Paneer. I love cottage cheese and I enjoy the Indian version of cooking this in thick curry sauce or deep-frying it together with a handful of herbs and spices. Either way, it never fails to leave a wonderful mark in my dining experience. That evening, we had Paneer Kadai (Php. 260), which once again was cooked in thick red curry sauce and topped with aromatic basil.


Every curry dish is best enjoyed either with rice, in our case, we had the Vegetable Biryani (Php. 350) which is light and fragrant perfect when coated with lots of curry sauce.


We also enjoyed it with a two types of Indian breads such as the Naan, a flat bread that comes in three flavors: Plain (Php. 100), Garlic (Php. 120) or Pudina (Php. 110).


While I enjoy the Masala Padpad (Php. 60) otherwise known as the papadum. I love the crispy thin cracker-like texture that's topped with onions, tomatoes and basil. Yum!

On our way home, Paul couldn't stop raving about the delicious food that we had. Looks like Legend of India has captured my fiance's heart. :)

*photos by Paul Ang

Legend of India is located at 114B Jupiter street Bel-Air 2, Makati City. Call them at 836-4232.

turning 28....

I can't believe almost a year has already passed. I can still remember blowing out my 27 candles and here I am again, looking forward to another birthday in a week's time!


This birthday will be extra special though, it will be my last birthday as a single lady and I'm making sure I'm gonna party! Ok, so maybe to throw a big birthday bash with overflowing food and drinks would highly be unlikely right now given that I hardly have time to do anything beyond planning for our BIG day...nonetheless I have already requested my dearest friends and relatives to save certain dates for ME! :)

Before blowing out my birthday candle/s, I have the habit of closing my eyes and making a big big big wish. Since I have 28 candles this year, I guess I am entitled to have 28 mini wishes right?

Let me share them all with you!

1) to have a problem-free, stress-free BIG day

2) to finally get a laptop

3) to live a healthier life and to stay in tip-top shape

4) to be the best that I can be

5) to have our very own PS3 and Rockband set (yahooo!)

6) to finally get our soon-to-be rooms fully furnished

7) to have a nice coffee chat with a long time friend

8) to meet more blog readers this year :)

9) to have a better blog layout

10) to be able to try Antonio's in Tagaytay

11) to get that much-awaited full body massage

12) to have a week's worth of Serenitea! (haha)

13) to go back to swimming or dancing

14) to be able to travel more

15) to get a new point and shoot camera

16) to wake up to delicious breakfast in bed

17) to be able to watch the sunset

18) to be able to drive out of town without any fear

19) to have more cute puppies who'll cheer me up everyday

20) to be able to shop till I drop

21) to be able to spend a great afternoon with my girl friends

22) to be able to cook more Yummy dishes

23) to finally start my own business

24) to continue blogging and writing

25) to have more Uni sushis!

26) to see my family happy and healthy at all times

27) to be able to complete my restaurant and travel list

28) to have the bestest birthday ever!!!

* image credit: http://disney-stationary.com/greeting-cards/

Love at first taste of Uni

I've always been intrigued by it but never had the guts to go ahead and try it..it wasn't under Jane made me taste a piece from her platter and that officially marked the beginning of my love affair with Uni.


Uni actually means sea urchin in Japanese and this has been a popular delicacy in most sushi bars. I think it's safe to compare this with caviar, a teeny-tiny bit is just enough to complete your meal. It's that perfect seafood indulgence that we should entitle ourselves to once in a while.

Since this is raw, make sure to have your Uni Sushi in places with a good reputation for their hygiene and food preparation. Take also a piece of wasabi with your soy sauce for extra caution.

I love the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the Uni. There will definitely be more Uni moments in the future.

*photo by Paul Ang

This Uni Sushi was enjoyed at Omakase. Located at the 2nd floor of the Intrepid Plaza, E. Rodriguez Ave., Libis, Quezon City. Contact them at 6376013.

Sisterly Bonding at Mr. Choi Kitchen

It was our monthly shopping/bonding session and before hitting the shops, my sister and I decided to fill our body with that much-needed energy by having a hearty lunch!

It was a good thing we were both craving for Chinese food that we both agreed to try Mr. Choi Kitchen. I've been a regular patron of Mr. Choi Kitchen as there's a branch that's just within walking distance from my office. My sister, on the other hand, has only visited this restaurant once.

Service here was quick and despite arriving at the restaurant during the rush hour, we were able to get a table right away. My sister allowed me to plan our lunch since I'm familiar with their menu already.


After placing our order, we were given a bowl of their complimentary appetizer -- Crispy Fish Skins. I love this munchie as it has just the right amount of saltiness and it's not too oily too! Best to dip this into a bowl of spicy vinegar. Yum!


Our Hakao (Php. 110) was the first to arrived. Piping hot, we both enjoyed the delicious shrimp dumplings. While the shrimp was not as crunchy as we'd like for it to be, it was pretty good nonetheless.


Next came the Fried Chicken with Lemon Sauce this has been my colleague's long-time favorite and I thought of ordering this for my sister and I to enjoy. Sadly, I was disappointed that the sauce was cold and too thick that it somehow slides off like a glob of jelly on top of the fried chicken strips. We had to ask for a bowl of extra lemon sauce to add more flavor to this dish. Be sure also to check the chicken meat, my sister bit into a huge chunk of raw chicken meat which was really unpleasant.


The highlight of our lunch was the Baked Seafood Rice (Php. 200). I loved this from the first time I tried it and I'm glad my sister was pleased with it too. We liked the fact that there was a generous amount of shrimps, fish and squid mixed into the rice. This is actually a complete meal on its own. Just make sure to have a friend to share it with as the serving is pretty big.

Mr. Choi Kitchen still has a couple of hits and misses but I would still recommend it whenever you're craving for casual Chinese food while shopping at selected malls.

Mr. Choi Kitchen is located at the 2nd Level, East Wing of Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City. Other branches are at Robinsons Ermita, Robinsons Pioneer, Waltermart Makati and Robinsons Starmills Pampanga. Call them for deliveries and reservations at 638-4523 (Galleria branch).

Medicinal Soup for the Soul and Body at Cantonese Soup Kitchen

It was just another busy weekday for Paul and I as we had to run a couple of errands late in the evening. Driving along Banawe Avenue in Quezon City, we were looking for a place to have our (very late) dinner. I always enjoy visiting this part of town due to its numerous food choices.

Growing up with my grandparents, I remember how fun it was when my Kongkong (maternal grandfather) and Amah (material grandmater) would take my sister and I for a ride down Banawe everyday for our afternoon snack. More often than not, we would end up in the same place -- Mami King. Kongkong loves their halo-halo and so every single day of our summer vacation was spent there.

Aside from Mami King, which sadly is not operational anymore, there are a lot of dining spots that keeps their own food secrets. There's one that serves the best creamy crabs, one that has to-die-for Chicken and Taro Hotpot and a number who serves the best noodle soup, dimsum and tofu drink.

Following the lead of fellow bloggers Rowena and Lauren, Paul and I decided to try Cantonese Soup Kitchen.

This restaurant boasts of a number of delicious medicinal soups and Cantonese specialties,as they say, it's hard to enjoy a full Chinese meal when there's just the two of you as most of the servings are big and good for an entire family to enjoy. Still, this did not stop us from enjoying the best of what Cantonese Soup Kitchen has to offer.


We began our meal with bowls of Sibot with Duck Soup (Php. 195). I remember Kongkong preparing this whenever we're sick with a bad case of flu. It's said that the ingredients in a Sibot Soup gives us that much needed energy and revitalizes our entire body. Paul loves this type of soup and luckily, Cantonese Soup Kitchen's version passed his standards.


I'm glad that we took our friend Richard's advice to get the Satay Seafood Sotanghon in Hot Pot (Php. 250). We're huge fans of satay soup that this is always a must in our shabu-shabu dinners, I loved how generous the serving of the seafood was. The sotanghon had a good texture too, not too hard nor was it soggy at all. The serving was a bit too much for us though but we were able to finish it off anyway.


Lastly, we had another best-seller, the Beef Kenchi (Php. 240). Actually it was my first time to try Beef Kenchi and I loved it! I love how it melts in your mouth and it tastes good with or without the garlic sauce. I will definitely go back for more!

It was a fun dinner at Cantonese Soup Kitchen, with the delicious meal and the lovely drink that I got, I am considering to treat my family here for my birthday next week!

Cantonese Soup Kitchen is located at Unit C-847 Banawe cor. Linaw St., Quezon City. Call them at 743-5249.

Sneak Peek: A Beautiful Flower in my Tea Cup

Let me share with you my favorite quote as taken from the Disney movie, Mulan:

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all..."


Trying the Floral Bloom Tea (Php. 59/pot) at the Cantonese Soup Kitchen was really something. I enjoyed watching it bloom as the server slowly pours steaming hot water into my cup.



It does not only looks beautiful but it tastes good too! It reminds me of my favorite Kak Hue Te (Chrysanthemum tea) that has a very light body in every sip.

Cantonese Soup Kitchen is located at Unit C-847 Banawe cor. Linaw St., Quezon City. Call them at 743-5249.

Beauty Stop: Piandre

I hardly can remember my first haircut experience but I sure know where it was done. My mom has been a loyal customer of Piandre Greenhills since we were small. She entrusted us to her favorite stylist Nenette to create a manageable, kid-friendly hairstyle in every visit. One visit we had a bob cut while on a another we were given bangs, what I remember though was the experience. How I enjoyed having my hair shampooed as I love the scent of their shampoo and conditioner, down to the very personal service that Nenette would give us. She never treated us like clueless kids instead she always try to get our opinions on how we want our next hairstyle to be.


Nenette to us was like a fairy godmother. At some point she even had successfully and magically fixed our jagged, super short bangs as an effect of our pretend salon games.

Over the years, we continued to trust Piandre. It was in their Timog branch where I would frequent during my high school years. I had my favorite make up artist then who specializes in chinky eyes.

At present, I frequent their San Juan branch for my annual hair cut and color treatment. Grace is my new hair stylist and for almost two years, she has never failed me. I just love to walk into the salon with no specific hairstyle in mind and I leave it up to her hands to create a masterpiece.


Today, I made time to get a short trim and to fix up my hair color. It has been a year and 5 months since my last visit and I was pretty ashamed for not taking time out to pamper my hair.

With our pre-nup shoot coming soon and our fast approaching BIG day, I knew I had to do something quick. It only took Grace and her assistant Mae less than two hours to update the color of my hair and to give it a healthy trim.

Finally, good bye two-toned hair and super jagged edge! Thank you Piandre! :)

You may call Piandre San Juan at 7272196 to book your appointment. Click here for their list of branches.

Comfort Food: Pizza Hut Star Pops and loads of Ice Cream!

For once ever since the start of the year, Paul and I were fortunate to be able to experience our first light weekend. No appointments made neither was there any pressure to tick off another to-do from our BIG day list. Somehow, we were able to BREATHE for two full days.

Actually the initial plan was to go out of town to visit a Principal Sponsor however this plan was postponed leaving us with nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon. Not long after, we found ourselves on our way to the Gateway Mall for a fun pizza and ice cream feast!

We arrived at Pizza Hut Bistro a little past 2 and was surprised to see the restaurant packed with big groups of friends and family. We purposely chose to go a little after lunch time hoping that we'll be able to secure a table right away. It's a good thing though that luck was on our side as the server was immediately able to lead us to our table.

I love Pizza Hut Bistro! I enjoy trying their soups, salads, gourmet pasta dishes and of course, their pizza! While scanning the menu, we chose the Crab Salad Roll, two Wing Street specials : Garlic Parmesan and Honey BBQ and the new Star Pops pizza.


The Crab Salad Roll was the first to be served. It's actually a very healthy choice with kani strips and lots of veggies inside. Believe me, it was literally bursting with greens! We both liked the Japanese mayo dip that came with it.


We enjoyed the light and healthy salad roll but we were totally happy with our WingStreet choices! I love the Garlic Parmesan while Paul immediately became a fan of the Honey BBQ. Even kids will love this as it does not have any spicy hint at all. Be sure to order blue cheese to complement this. It's interesting because the wings may be served in three ways: bone-in the traditional way, bone-in breaded and boneless for those who wants to have their wings fast.


Lastly, the star of the show -- Pizza Hut's newest Star Pops pizza. We've seen how Pizza Hut continues to innovate beginning from their Stuffed Crust followed by their Sausage and Cheezy crusts and followed by a lot more.


This time, they have the Star Pops which combines their signature delicious cheese formula and a piece of all-meat sausage in every pop. Since the pops were filling enough, I highly recommend that you get a less loaded pizza flavor so as not to stuff yourself up right away.

We scream...ICE CREAM at Dairy Queen!


After our filling lunch, we headed to Dairy Queen for our mandatory ice cream fest.This is definitely a must-stop place for us whenever we're at a mall that has Dairy Queen. Since they were celebrating the Blizzard's 25th Anniversary, they have 25 flavors for customers to enjoy. We're big fans of Dairy Queen and choosing a flavor is always a big challenge. Eventually, we ended up trying out not one, not two but FOUR Blizzard flavors! We got the Brownie Temptation, the White Truffle, the Caramel Cashew and the Strawberry Oreo.

I personally loved the Caramel Cashew as I get to bite into pieces of crunchy cashew in every scoop. It's not too sweet also which was perfect after a very filling lunch. Paul, on the other hand, stayed loyal to his favorite Brownie Temptation.


The Strawberry Oreo is an interesting creation. This actually reminded us of our BIG day motif which was based on Chocolates and Strawberries. I love the sweet strawberry syrup mixed with the tiny chocolate oreo bits. Yum!

Lastly, the White Truffle was very smooth and creamy. This is perfect for all white chocolate lovers like myself. A perfect after-dinner indulgence.

What we initially thought would be an uneventful day turned out to be a fun afternoon spent bonding with each other and just allowing ourselves to unwind. Nothing beats having pizza and ice cream as comfort food.

Visit Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen's Official Websites for their list of branches.

Eat Well .. The Saga Continues

As they say, the third time's a charm. My first visit to Eat Well, I fell in love with their Shrimp Puff with Wasabi Mayo. A couple of weeks after, I brought Paul with me and we loved the Xiao Long Pao and their Yang Chow Fried Rice.


Last week, I met up with two of my best friends at Eat Well and we had a feast! Trina, was a regular patron and she knows the best dishes to order. We started off with two baskets of steaming Xiao Long Pao (Php. 175/8pcs). Just the same way it captured my heart the first time, I continued to enjoy slurping the yummy soup inside the thick wrapper and later enjoying the soft ground meat inside.


After our dimsum appetizer, we got two types of soup: Braised Spinach Soup with Seafood (Php. 88) and Hot and Sour Soup (Php. 88). We enjoyed alternating between the two. I love it that their soup is not loaded (or is actually cooked without) with MSG that it did not leave us thirsty after the meal. Yum!


Spying our neighboring table, I noticed that most of them ordered the Roasted Crispy Pork with Mustard Sauce (Php. 220). When Trina suggested that we try this, I immediately said yes as I've been curious why everyone seems to love this particular dish. I love how crispy the skin was and the fat portion was pretty manageable. I normally have my crispy pork with Hoisin sauce and I've never tried this with tangy mustard sauce, I was surprised that it actually created a nice contrast that can get pretty addicting. Don't say I didn't warn ya!

Aside from this, we also got my two Eat Well favorites --


Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php. 155) which has a very generous serving. This is one of my must-orders in Eat Well. I have yet to try their other fried rice options though.


Shrimp Puff with Wasabi Mayo (Php. 288). I make it a point to get this in every visit and this never fails to make my meal complete! Whoever created this is truly a genius!

Our last dish was the Homemade Beancurd with Black Mushroom (Php. 195). Unfortunately, I failed to take a photo of this as we were all busy enjoying our meal when this was served to our table. The beancurd has a thin layer of nori sheet on top and I love how it was prepared. I'm sure my family will enjoy this thus I'm taking note of this dish for sure.

As we enjoy our meal, we also had more than 5 refills of their house tea. We love the taste of slightly burnt rice that is very similar to the Japanese' Genmaicha Green Tea. Yum!

Eat Well is a great place to enjoy good Chinese food without breaking the bank. In fact, I'm actually thinking of celebrating my birthday here with my family soon!

Eat Well! Delicious Kitchen is located within the Greenhills Commercial Center (beside Sugi and Pancake House). Call them at 722-8518.

Tasting Singapore at Nasi Lemak

For the past two weeks, Paul and I have been getting gastronomic hints from The Lion City. First was the surprise package that I got from a college friend who asked us to try out her family's delicious Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe. Then there was that pasalubong from Mom who dropped by Ya Kun Kaya in Ortigas for some delicious Kaya Toast. Lastly, an invite from fellow blogger Spanky to try out Nasi Lemak.

Well this was not actually our first time at Nasi Lemak if you remember my first blog post about our 58th monthsary celebration with our new found Singaporean favorites which was followed by a number of family dinners thereafter.

It has been a while though since we went back...quite some time that we were surprised to see that they closed down their Tomas Morato branch and later found out that they opened a new branch at Robinsons Galleria! Yay! Much closer to home!

Our afternoon began with a brief demonstration by Mr. Tan himself. Using just the essential (yet very flavorful and aromatic) ingredients, he created a salty paste called Sambal Blacan which is commonly used on most of their local dishes. It is similar to the Filipino shrimp paste called Bagoong only this one has lime, chili, lemon grass and a lot more. I noticed that all the ingredients that he added into the mixture has a different taste that basically covers the 4 distinct taste: sour, sweet, salty and spicy. This paste is usually added while cooking fish and veggies.

After our short cooking demonstration, it was time to EAT! We all huddled around the long table and the food began to come one at the time. Before we know it, the table was filled to the brim and we were all happily munching and tasting the different Nasi Lemak specialties.

Here are some of the dishes that we were able to try and enjoy:

Kue Pai Ti (Php. 120) -- One order has 5 bite-sized pieces. The best way to enjoy this is to put a little sauce on top and to eat it as a whole. This is one of our favorite dishes and we never fail to order this in every visit.

Sambal Fish (Php. 160) -- I got to hand it to Nasi Lemak for making grilled fish taste really good! This makes use of the Sambal Blacan that Mr Tan demonstrated earlier. I love how flavorful the fish. Perfect with a bowl of steaming white rice.

Penang Char Kuay Teow (Php. 180) -- This is one of Singapore's signature dish. Here in Manila, only a few restaurants can cook this properly. I love my Char Kuay Teow with just the right amount of soy sauce and oil. Most of the time, I get super shiny lips when eating a very oily Char Kuay Teow. It's a good thing Nasi Lemak sure knows how to make the right Char Kuay Teow for their patrons to enjoy.

Crispy Baby Squid -- This is one dish you should try when visiting Nasi Lemak! My fellow bloggers can I enjoyed the crunchy texture combined with the sweet sticky sauce. "A perfect beer match" as Paul would say.

Sambal Kangkong -- I love Kangkong and any other leafy vegetable. I'm sure kids will like this as it is very tasty!

Singapore Laksa -- It was a big surprise that I actually liked this! Since I'm not a big fan of spicy dishes, I shocked not only Paul but myself when I was able to finish off one bowl of Laksa all by myself! I love the thick coconut milk as well as the various herbs and spices added into this. It's very delicious lah!

We had a great time trying the dishes and chatting with Mr. Tan. This particular visit is making us very excited for our upcoming trip happening really soon!

photo credit: Paul Ang

Nasi Lemak is located at the Ground Floor of Robinsons Galleria, Quezon City. Call them at 571-8988.

A taste of history at Romulo's Cafe

Age-old saying would say that "Three's a Crowd."

However, I would like to disagree as I am actually a part of not only one but a number of trios. Take for example, my favorite work colleagues K and B who, due to our common love for trying out new food spots, became two of my closest friends through time.

Then, of course, there's S and D. Despite graduating from the same high school, our friendship began through blogging and continues to grow as we occasionally meet up to catch up on each other's lives.

Lastly, my trio with C and E. Though we rarely get to see each other as often as we're all hoping we could (this actually is becoming a joke that we get to meet up only once a quarter), every single dinner spent with them is still the same. Full of stories, laughter and genuine friendship.


Last night, our dinner was set for us to try out Romulo's Cafe in Quezon City. Usually, it is just the three of us meeting up for dinner but this time, we agreed to bring our respective special someones for them to also meet one another.

I've been doing my research on Romulo's Cafe and was initially a bit confused as it had a mix of good and bad reviews. Some says the food was not worth the price, others would say there's nothing extra ordinary while still a handful would rave about it.

C made reservations for a table for six at exactly 8pm. It was a good thing, traffic was mild last night that Paul and I were able to make it to the restaurant a couple of minutes past 8. After giving the receptionist C's name, she led me to one of their dining rooms where I saw C and her boyfriend K scanning the menu.


While waiting for E and her boyfriend S, we ordered two different mocktails to try. Following C's lead, my choice was the Cool as Cucumber (Php. 95) drink which had lime, basil and cucumber. It was very refreshing!


Paul, on the other hand, got the Sunshine Lemonade (Php. 95) which was a mix of strawberry juice and lemonade. He took one sip and flashed the thumbs up sign.

Unfortunately, E and S were still stuck in traffic therefore while waiting, we ordered two appetizers to munch on. C chose the Cheese with Vigan Longganisa Dumplings (Php. 135) while I suggested the Pinoy Nachos (Php. 85).


An order of the Cheese with Vigan Longganisa Dumplings is good for 3-4pax. It comes with 5 bite-sized dumplings but do not under estimate its size! Inside is a mix of strong flavors of salty cheese and mildly spicy longganisa. It's so good that I am putting this on my list to try again on my next visit.


The Pinoy Nachos was just ok. I chose this because I love Taro Chips. However, I feel that the kesong puti, melted keso de bola and tomatoes did not blend well with the bland kamote and taro chips. Nothing spectacular here, wish we got more of the dumplings instead.

Finally, E and S walked into the room and after a couple of introductions for the boys and kisses exchanged between the girls, we all got down to serious business -- ordering our main entrees.

C also did her research and was intrigued by the Honey Garlic Pork Spareribs (Php. 240) which was mentioned in a couple of blogs. We got that together with the Lengua (Php. 260), Greg's Karekare (Php. 385) and the Baby Pusit (Squid) in Garlic (Php. 220).

Service was fast and soon our dishes were served. I noticed though that the serving size was not consistent. The Pork Spareribs and the Baby Pusit were served in a small round platter perhaps good for only 3-4 pax. The Karekare had a generous serving while the Lengua was just right. Be sure to ask your serving regarding the specific serving size especially when dining with a big group.


My friend C made the right choice in choosing the Honey Garlic Pork Spareribs. I love the sweet sticky soy sauce that covers the not-so-lean pork cubes. This was our only complain, this dish is not for the faint of heart, with fat that is about half an inch thick, you basically just get a small piece of lean meat in every bite.


On the other hand, I liked the Baby Pusit in Garlic. Imagine Gambas but with tiny squid instead. I love adding a little garlic bits onto my rice.


Sadly, I was disappointed with the Lengua. The ox tongue was sliced very very thinly that we could hardly enjoy the meat and instead felt like chewing into tiny thin strips of beef. No special lengua experience here.

If you noticed, our dinner was truly a mix of hits and misses. We all loved the dumplings, baby pusit and the rice while the Lengua and Pinoy Nachos were disappointing.


However, Greg's Kare-kare saved the day! Everyone had more than their daily rice intake because of this. I love how creamy the sauce was but it wasn't too indulging too. There was a generous serving of veggies and beef tripe while the bagoong was delicious! I had not one, not two but three servings of the kare-kare which, believe me, does not happen that often.

Paul, the Kare-kare fan, was having a ball! He obviously enjoyed this dish and couldn't stop raving about it even after we left the restaurant.

Here's what I am gushing about -- Romulo Cafe's lovely interiors.


I love the minimalist look where majority of the colors are either white, black or neutral (beige, cream, etc). Everywhere I look, I see beautiful decors, color patterns and even their washroom was a delightful sight.


While the boys were busy bonding, the three of us went up to look at their private rooms. Each room has a name that signifies celebration and happiness. Take this room for example, it's called Kaligayahan Room which literally means Happiness Room.

Inside is a big glass square table that can seat 12 guests. Inside the room, you'll also have your own serving counter. Other rooms can seat more guests. This is perfect for intimate birthday parties.

It was yet another fun evening and I hope that we can find the time to meet up more often!

Romulo's Cafe is located at # 32 Sct. Lazcano cor Sct. Tuason streets in Quezon City. I highly recommend that you call them to reserve at 3327275.

Driving directions (taken from C): Coming from E. Rodriguez, driving along Tomas Morato, take a left turn before Alfredo's and go straight. You'll see Romulo's Cafe at the corner.