Restaurant reviews
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Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza: Thank you carabaos
I’ve read, and heard about Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza for a while. It’s been in Katipunan for a quite some time, and friends of friends have recommended it for a good dinner, and I see it at least twice a week and always think to myself “I really have to get to this joint.” My family has attempted to go once, but due to weird circumstances, we had to leave, and quickly. So when my friend K asked to eat at UP Town Center, I steered her towards Gino’s, which is several hundred meters away. I am glad I did. I really went there for this: The Burrata Caprese (P355)…
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Silantro: Fil-Mex cheesy goodness
One of our friends had a birthday last month and asked for a recommendation for where to go. My sister had heard good things about Silantro from another friend, and off we went. The premise was nonpricey Mexican with a Filipino twist, and unlimited mojitos so we figured that would be hard to get wrong, and heck, they did things right. It was a Friday and the place was packed. It only had about 12 tables and there were double the amount of patrons, half of which were waiting for others to finish. We were hungry, so we ordered a plate of Nachos (P145)Â to eat while waiting for a table…
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Todd English Food Hall: More than just a macaron wheel
Honestly, I was skeptical about the Todd English Food Hall. I have read bad things about the celebrity chef that it’s named for, and the food hall concept seemed for me, a little too easy. It is a huge space, and the acoustics travel a bit, so expect to hear a bit from your neighbor’s table, and hear plates being put down here and there. It’s pretty, with white, black, wood, marble and leather all around, with the splashes of color being the food, the items for sale around open shelves all on the walls, and the decorative Ferris Wheel on the dessert bar that carries different, brightly colored macarons.…
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Te quiero, Boqueria
I cannot claim to be the expert at Spanish food. Like everyone else of a Filipino heritage born and raised in the Philippines, what I know of Spain is that we were colonized for 400 years, we took inspiration from a lot of dishes, instilled in ourselves the language, and found a trace of lineage here and there (some more than others, me, I do not think even 5%). I do like what I’ve had, food wise at Boqueria, even if it may not be the most traditional, or the most avant garde. It is, for me, just good. The two times I’ve been have been great, the first got…
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A bowl of something good at P.H.A.T Pho Serendra
I like pho. Well, I like bowls. Bowls make it easy to eat. There’s less spillage, soup is contained, and you only need one utensil, thus saving on washing dishes. Pho is one of those throw it all in dishes that is instant comfort, but in reality takes almost 24 hours to make. Much like Japanese ramen, pho is a seemingly simple amalgamation of flavors that people rarely make as good at home as they get in specialty places. Those that prepare their broth for almost a day, boiling soup bones, mixing flavors, intermingling subtle flavors to come up with this soothing yet exciting dish, that no ready made…
