Sentro 1771: The Upscale Turo-Turo and Sinigang Bar

'Twas a very weird night because we were craving for... guess what? Filipino food!

Confessions. We are:

1. Not fond of repeating restaurants
2. Not comfortable not knowing where we're going to eat, and
3. Not frequent diners of Filipino food

So during one of our rare cravings, we were desperate to look for a good place to eat Filipino food. We were dismayed by the thought of eating at Gerry's Grill because it would be such a waste to have traveled all this way to Greenbelt (we were there for Cinemalaya) and then eat in a resto which we could find anywhere else. Thankfully, we chanced upon Sentro 1771.

Main reason why we considered dining here? Lourd de Veyra.  And well maybe the fact that it belongs to the Chateaus 1771 group of companies.

 

Cucumber lemonade (P120) and Lemon grass iced tea (P110)

The tables inside were already full (around 7pm) so we were seated outside. Smoking is prohibited in the al fresco area so you'll be assured it won't ruin your dining experience. Also, the fact that they served these drinks early on made our wait more bearable.

Before our order for sinigang came, they served a sample of the broth to be used. They asked us if the sourness was okay so they could adjust it to our tastes. How considerate :)

Corned Beef Sinigang (Solo) - P310

The specialty of the house: short ribs and boneless shanks, mixed with vegetables in a sour tamarind broth

So ito pala yun - real corned beef, outside the canned ones. Do you know the feeling when you crave for something, get that something, and find that it doesn't satisfy you? Well, this is not it. This was just perfect, just what we were looking for. Come to think of it, there are only a few ways one could screw up sinigang. And I'm glad they didn't ruin this classic Filipino dish.

On this point, we'd like to say that their service is commendable. They were very responsive to our needs. You could ask for a refill of the soup/sabaw, it's free.

Rated GG (Solo) - P230

Galunggong fillets, deliciously fried in garlic oil and invitingly arranged on a carved wood plate and topped with a generous line of browned garlic, can whet the appetite of any serious gourmand

Galunggong is arguably one of the most common fish served in a Filipino home. Rated GG gives this fish the revamp that it deserves! In retrospect, this is probably the best galunggong I have ever tasted. It was boneless, it was very fresh, and it was oily but didn't feel yucky. Sarap :D 

They are celebrating their 10th anniversary! Wish we had availed of their promos :(

PS: When the galunggong came out, I had to go back to the menu and see how Sentro suckered us into ordering galuggong. I'm not saying it didn't deliver - galunggong just isn't a very restaurant-y thing to order. I'm just amazed by the way words affect us, it's nice. That's all :)

+++++

Sentro 1771

2/F Greenbelt 3 (beside the fountain), 

Ezperanza St., Ayala Center, Makati

SLICE: Dessert Comes First, but All the Rest Come in Close Second

It's no secret that Slice is the brainchild of Senator Pia Cayetano. We have always noticed this restaurant whenever we get our Jamba Juice fix and it's about time we give it a go. Although famous for their desserts and pastries,  we decided to have lunch here so we could try their other offerings.

The entrances welcomes you to an array of pies, cookies, revel bars, muffins and cupcakes. What a sweet welcome it is.

   

 

The restaurant had many customers even if it was already around 2pm. There were also a lot of people getting take out orders for cakes and pastries alike.

Beef Rice Melt - P420

Pulled apart beef over a bed of brown rice topped with melted cheese

The waiter actually recommended the Barbecue Chicken Rice Melt but being the carnivores that we are, we decided to order the beef version of the dish. (It said Angus on the menu! Who are we to refuse)

We usually feel restaurants scrimp us on the ulam and try to fill us up with rice but this was not the case. The dish had a generous serving of beef and cheese, to a point that we found it a bit overbearing. We would have preferred more rice. Nonetheless, it was really good. The melted cheese was stringy and gooey. The beef was well-seasoned. And the brown rice, well, it was a healthy plus.

Best to eat it with something else though. It might come off as nakakasuya because of the abundance of cheese.

Aglio Olio - P380

This seafood pasta dish is very simple yet delicious. I don't think I've ever eaten shrimp this fresh. I could practically hear the shrimp crunch inside my mouth. This was already good, but it would be better less dry (parmesan cheese was too much) and with more asparagus (to add to the freshness of the dish) :)

   

Choco Yema - P60

We were very apprehensive that we might find this cupcake too sweet but guess what, it was perfect! The combination of the sugary sweetness of the frosting and the moist cupcake was very pleasant. We know, we know. Yet again, we were too busy enjoying ourselves with lunch we forgot to leave room for more dessert :( 

What can I say, dessert may come first in Slice, but the rest sure come in very close second. I guess we'll just have to go back and try the muffins and coffee we've been hearing good things about!

+++++

Slice

G/F Bonifacio High Street Central,

West Superblock, 7th Ave. cor. 29th St.,

Fort Bonifacio, Taguig 

Boulevard Diner

Tucked in a little corner along Xavierville Avenue is this little burger joint (or diner, if you will). Having decided to eat burgers for dinner, we decided to check this place out as this has been recommended by most food blogs we've come across in recent time.

The place is actually a bit small (5 tables, 2 chairs each). It seemed comfortable at that time we dined here because there were only 6 of us but I wonder if we could say the same if it's full.

There was a wall dedicated to food blog reviews, which could be a double-edged sword if you ask me. It could really raise your expectations while waiting for the food to come. 

Cheddar Charles - P170

First to arrive are these cheesy spuds! While having a crunchy exterior, upon first bite, it becomes a gooey and mushy interior with the shredded potatoes and cheese.

Foodies we've read say they couldn't stop eating this, but we don't get why. While the outside seemed like regular fries, the inside was very much like hash browns. The difference in texture didn't appeal to us but I guess it just depends on your preference. I could very well see this dish as a comfort food for some people (i.e. munching on these while doing a Suits marathon).

Gorgonzola burger - P185

Lettuce, tomato, beef, sauteed oyster, mushrooms, Gongonzola dressing

This is a hit among some of the reviews I've seen in the net. But I'm not sure I entirely get it. It has that blue cheese taste brought by the Gorgonzola dressing. This definitely gives a unique twist to the burger. However, as ingenious this concept might be, I think this might be a matter of acquired taste. 

Sha-Zam burger - P195

Lettuce, tomato, beef, eggs-over-medium, cheese, bacon, hickory sauce, crispy potato strings

Crispy potato strings on top of my burger sounded exciting to me! But the patty was not good. The burger was just okay. The only redeeming quality was that it was better than the Gorgonzola burger.

I don't know how it didn't deliver but it didn't. Or maybe I expected too much?

Wings (1/2 lbs.) - P130

They had a spicy meter scale for the wings. We got the Smoked ones, just above the Love level and below Fury. We were a bit disappointed with the wings. The skin was a bit soggy and not crispy at all. The spicy sauce was just drizzled over the wings, which meant it was not incorporated to the chicken. 

I'm saddened every time a restaurant serves bad chicken wings. Since it's one of my basic food groups, I see it as foregone opportunity to make something great and yummy. Haha.

Overall, we think their patties aren't high quality. As in fastfood joints (read: McDo and Jollibee) seem to use better quality beef than they do :/ 

If you're like us, who want straight out meaty burgers that taste like real beef and can stand alone (not those feeling gourmet and fancy), we highly suggest you eat in Crave burger or Charlie's Grill & Grind or GoodFella's.

We wonder if the food has deteriorated over time. It was definitely not the kind of establishment that the raving reviews claim it to be.

+++++
Boulevard Diner
91 Xavierville Ave.,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City

The Cake Club

The rain was pretty bad last weekend but we've been wanting to try The Cake Club since last month. Sooo we went ahead and braved the weather (and the flooded areas) just to do so. Thankfully, we didn't get stranded or anything, but more than that, the food was definitely worth taking the risk.

Truffle fries - P180

These fries provide a different experience especially if you're not used to eating food cooked in truffle oil. The aroma of these fried wonders just hmmm :)

Slow-roasted Beef Belly - P395

Literally falling off the bone!

US Angus Beef Burger - P410

Forgot to take a picture of our burger because the red beet bun got me excited :( This image is taken from Run Around Girl. This is probably the burger that I had the easiest time slicing through in my entire life. The bun was soft, the beef patty (medium rare)  was really moist and flavorful. Even the tomatoes I loved! The bun tasted like an average bun but it's just a bit more dense.  The color didn't add anything new to the flavor except perhaps presentation. 

Baked Cheesecake ice cream

And for dessert. Two scoops of ice cream for P150! The Baked Cheesecake was really rich and creamy. It had chunks of cheesecake which added texture to the creaminess. Sorry for the bad picture. Couldn't resist scooping in :p

Supermoist Chocolate Cake ice cream

A bit bitter for my taste. But probably because I tasted it after the cheesecake ice cream.

We'll probably go back to have a go with their famous cakes. After all, it's not called The Cake Club for nothing :)

PS: I really can't believe we went to The CAKE Club without eating cake... lol

+++++

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel

7th Ave., corner 29th st. south,

Bonifacio High Street Central,

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Ukokkei Ramen Ron

Ukokkei has done for Ramen what Yabu has done for tonkatsu (or katsu). I've never been a fan of either one but these two restos have made me rethink my outlook on life.

Yaki Gyoza - P120

They are perfectly pan-fried; slightly crunchy on the inside, soft on the inside. They complement the ramen well.

 

Japanese Eggs

Creamy inside! But doesn't offer anything new to the table.

Ukokkei Miso Chasu - P380 

This is our second time to dine in Ukokkei Ramen Ron and I regret ordering the Shoyu ramen last time.  

Actually, there are 3 types of ramen to choose from: Shoyu (soy sauce-based), Shio (salt-based) and Miso (Miso soup-based). I believe Miso is the most flavorful among the three although some people think it's too oily for their taste. And to that I say, to each his own!

 Ukokkei Miso Butter Corn - P360

I really should try something else the next time I eat here. The pork, the corn, the butter, the miso... they just go so well together it's difficult not to order it again and again.

Best time to come here is during lunch time. The lunch sets are super sulit because they are inclusive of ramen and gyoza (for the same price of an a la carte ramen) :D However, we have yet to try the much-hyped Tan Tan Men. Legend says that only 10 bowls are served everyday, starting at 6PM.

We didn't have any bad encounters with the Ramen Nazi that everyone's been complaining about. We just came there and ate our ramen in peace (and delight). 

+ + + + +

Ukkokei Ramen Ron

Tesoro Bldg. 822 A. Arnaiz Ave.

San Lorenzo,  Makati

Hours:  

MTWThFSat: 11am-10pm

Sun: 11:30am-2:30pm 

Small bites: J.CO Donuts & Coffee and Xocolat

(Small bites refers to our short visits to certain restaurants. Usually for a quick stop for a snack. Or to pass time while waiting for a movie or an event to start.)

J.CO Donuts and Coffee

I know, I know. It's weird that we're blogging about a donut place without the donuts. In the future perhaps! But while you're at it, try the Alcapone flavor.

Iced Americano (12 oz) - P110

Just my normal Iced Americano.

Yogurt (Couple) - P140

Reminds me of White Hat. It doesn't have that tangy taste that I prefer in yoghurt ice cream (you're still the one, Red Mango). 

Xocolat

Xocolat Chicken Pasta - P175

Finally tried their famous pasta dish. The chocolate flavor is in there. It's not overpowering though and you might be surprised how well the chocolate blends in. It's an interesting mix and it sure works. It's like carbonara because of the cream base. The mildy-salted chicken balances the sweetness of the dish. (But if you want something salty, skip this one.)

Cool Xoco Mint - P115

The drink doesn't have a strong mint flavor like most mint drinks have. But the chocolate flavor is not that strong either. It's a steady chocolate drink, not too sweet, not too creamy.

Yabu: The House of Katsu

We've heard nothing but great news over this newly-opened restaurant and we thought it's about time that we try this one out. We've been putting it off for quite some time due to our long list of places to try but after having our first Yabu experience, we now see why people would go out of their way to eat here. 

Caution: Don't come here if you're mad hungry of if you want something fast. We arrived at around 1:30 PM and was 13th on the reservation line. But we were actually called faster than we thought, roughly around 15 minutes.

Condiments heaven: salt, oil sauce for cabbage, cream sauce for cabbage, teriyaki sauce, pepper

If you like options with regard to your sauces/flavorings to add to your Tonkatsu, this is the place to be! You might be overwhelmed at the start though with all the mixing and matching of flavors, but once you've found your preferred taste, you're all set :D

To add a dynamic twist to your dining experience, Yabu lets you grind your own sesame seeds. It gives you something to do while waiting for your food and it also probably saves them a significant amount of time. Win-win. Also, the smell after grinding the seeds, hmmm bango :)

After grinding, pour the secret Tonkatsu sauce and mix. I was actually expecting the sauce to be sweet (since it resembles fishball sauce) but I forgot that Katsu sauces are actually supposed to be a bit sour and tangy. I didn't mind though because it goes well with the breaded pork cutlet.

Kurobuta Pork Set (120 grams) - P575

They claim that this is the 'kobe beef' of pork cuts. I'm not a pork connoisseur so I wouldn't really know the difference. The breading is nice and thin so you're not being fooled with the size of the meat. The pork had a right amount of marbling ~ evenly distributed fat. I guess this is what distinguishes it from other cuts. (I remember not enjoying Katsudon because it felt too fatty.) 

They also serve unlimited cabbage and rice. At first I thought, who would want unlimited cabbage? But when I mixed it the cream and oil sauce (the one in clear, tall bottles), it suddenly made sense. It was delicious :D I actually had to ask for a refill of my cabbage supply because it was that good.

Seafood Katsu set 1 - P485

To add variety to our meal, we also ordered the seafood set.

Which is which: Black tiger prawn, scallop, cream Dory, oyster, squid 

Nothing really special. Best you order the Kurobuta Pork Set, unless you're a on a seafood diet or something.

Secret to happiness: Yalu chili sauce - P35

The icing on our cake - if you're going to dine in Yabu any time soon, I suggest you also order the Yalu chili sauce. I'm not a big fan of chili sauces actually but this one, A MUST TRY. It adds a salty and garlicy flavor to your dish. It's not really that spicy mind you and this is why I actually loved it. Hehe. It goes well with the Tonkatsu sauce. (You could add salt if you prefer your sauce to be less tangy buuut the Yalu chili sauce provides a much yummier alternative.)

On the way to, and inside, the washroom are walls of food bloggers' raves about Yabu. Something entertaining to do while doing your business inside the room :)

A side note on the service:

1. At one point, three people quickly approached us when we called for attention.

2. I softly remarked that I was going to call over the "cabbage lady" for a refill and the manager passed by and said he'd call the cabbage lady right away. (How he heard me, I have no idea. A little disturbing haha but I know he meant well.)

3. They all looked so happy to serve :) Makes me think of the incentives given by the management.

All these even when the restaurant was full of customers. Now that's quality service!

OVERALL RATING
Food:  4/5

Great flavors!

Service: 10/5

(see note above)

Value for money: 3.5/5

A little on the expensive side. I wish they could provide an option to do away with the fruits and miso soup. There's a cheap Katsu place in Maginhawa street called Crazy Katsu. We'll make a review of it on the days to come but one of us has eaten there before and it serves good (and less expensive) pork and chicken katsu.

+++++

Yabu: The House of Katsu

2/F, SM Megamall, Julia Vargas Ave.,

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila

All you can eat pancakes @ Charlie's Grind and Grill!

We are big fans of Charlie's burgers. The juicy meat, tasty and varied condiments plus the generous servings of the chunky fries. So imagine our excitement (!!!) when we found out that they now serve breakfast. YES BREAKFAST!

Breakfast is the best meal of the day, hands down. Maybe it has something to do with the thought of waking up to the smell of bacon & waffles that makes it so theoretically pleasing. Of course, having to prepare them yourself is another matter altogether. But I digress.

The breakfast menu

For P295, you get the Charlie's Breakfast Menu which includes:

- an all you can eat fresh buttermilk pancakes

- hashbrown or skillet potatoes

- scrambled eggs or sunny side up

- sausage patty, sage sausage, bacon or ham

plus refillable brewed coffee or Charlie's ice tea! (Available from 7AM-11AM)

The buttermilk pancakes

When our food arrived, we were ecstatic to taste these buttermilk pancakes. We never really bothered to know what buttermilk is. It just sounded so rich and flavorful, with the word butter sealing the deal. Imagine our disappointment when we took our first bite and found the pancakes to be a bit sour. We thought maybe they used the milk yesterday and forgot to check.

As it turns out (after some good ol' googling), Buttermilk is supposed to be slightly sour. It's the residual liquid which remains after a butter is churned. So no, it doesn't really contain butter. Sadly. Its flavor is actually reminiscent of unsweetened yogurt. Some recipes online even suggest that sour cream could be a substitute for buttermilk when making pancakes.

All this information is in retrospect of course. Because when we asked if the pancakes were really supposed to be sour, they didn't even explain all this residualfrombutterchurned concept. They were more than happy to replace the pancakes for us, even insisting that they cook another set of the sausage, bacon and eggs with it. They were very accommodating to our little 'complaint'. Maybe they're used to Filipino people not being accustomed to tangy pancakes. We were just glad that they were eager to replace our orders with pancakes that contain butter + milk.

Buttermilk pancakes, bacon, skillet potatoes, sunny side up eggs

After being replaced, Charlie's had a second shot at winning us over. The pancakes were fluffy indeed. I usually love putting a generous amount of syrup in my flapjacks but this didn't call for it. The bacon was crunchy, just as it should be. The skillet potatoes were not salty and was cooked right, not soggy or hard. The iced tea was brewed although I found it a bit sweeter than expected.

Buttermilk pancakes, sage sausage, hashbrown, sunny side up eggs

Overall, the experience was definitely worth it. However, we think the food wasn't really anything special. Maybe it wasn't even sulit, especially considering the fact that we weren't able to take advantage of the unlimited pancakes, coffee, and iced tea. We overestimated our pancake-stuffing capabilities.

The overall packaging was just too appealing, or maybe we just love the general idea of breakfast and having it together. <3 Hehe. Anyway, there really is a shortage of good breakfast places available during weekdays. You should try Charlie's once at least :)

Nugget of the day: Anyone can have lunch or dinner together out of convenience but breakfast takes effort (and love) :)

OVERALL RATING
Food: 3/5 (Good, but not great)
The burgers are a different matter though. Don't judge a burger place by its breakfast offering!
Service: 5/5
They were really accommodating when we complained about our pancakes. They even let us take home our leftovers, not an usual practice with eat-all-you-can meals. 
Value for money: 4/5

+ + + + +
Charlie's Grind and Grill
G /F Ronac Art Center,
Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan

Gulliver's of San Franciso

This is our second time in Gulliver's together and like the first time, we went on a whim. I guess this is our go-to place when we are craving for some steak and when we are feeling mayaman.

Gulliver's waitresses are dressed in uniforms to add to the Old English charm of the place.

Complimentary bread and butter

Which we of course forgot to take a photo of before attacking!!

French Onion Soup (P185)

I have been raving and salivating over the French Onion Soup since I tasted it in the Makati branch of Gulliver's  (very creamy and cheesy and French!) and this was sadly a disappointment. It was OK, really, if only I hadn't expected too much. More onion-y than creamy, which is how we generally like our French Onion Soup.

Gulliver's salad (P195)

My partner has been craving for salad (as she always does) and we were choosing between this one and the Caesar salad (P185) so we asked the waitress for a recommendation. She said that this was their specialty among the salads but I could not for the life of me get what is so special about it. It had the usual greens, a few pieces of shrimp and mushroom and average tomatoes. The dressing was too acidic so we ended up asking for some Caesar dressing and we got it for free.

Gulliver's Cut - 250g. (P780)

 Served with Yorkshire pudding, spinach souffle, baked potato and creamed corn of course.

What we have always appreciated about Gulliver's is that they think their side dishes through. In fact, we think this should be a minimum for any respectable steak place.

Each side dish is very good on its own. We loved the Spinach Souffle. The baked potato was good, but nothing special (TIP: you can get free sour cream if you ask). As for the creamed corn, there is a reason why there is a "of course" after its description in the menu. Yummy!! Only the Yorkshire pudding leaves something to be desired but maybe that is just a matter of taste.

Finally, the reason why we love Gulliver's: the steak!! Medium rare, always and forever. (Any other doneness is unacceptable.) We think the steak alone is worth coming back to this restaurant over and over again. It doesn't look like much, but it is very filling. While we agree that good steak can and should stand alone, the sauce that comes with it complements the steak very well that we can't resist pouring just a little bit more :) For a very sulit price of P780, we think the quality is up there with its higher priced counterparts. 

However, I think the texture has slightly deteriorated over our previous visit. Hmmm.. it's worth going back to to find out for sure.

Regardless, we think Gulliver's of San Francisco is one of the most underrated steak places out there. There are only a few guests every time we visit and we do hope it doesn't close down soon :( 

OVERALL RATING

Food: 4/5
The steak made up for the salad and the French Onion Soup :)
Service: 4.5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Again, P780 is a pretty good deal for good steak :)

+ + + + +
Gulliver's of San Franciso
8/F Great Eastern Hotel (West Wing),
Quezon Avenue, Quezon City