Unang Hirit:

Madaming beses na din kaming nakakakain sa Glorietta-branch nila in the past. So might as well drop a nod as they have been one of our go-to places kapag nakakaluwag-luwag.

Glorietta branch

Ang Nilantakan:

• Molto Meatball Spaghetti
• Diablo Wings
• Creamy Caesar Salad
• Italian Sausage Ravioli (ordered in past visit)
• Italian Sausage and Bacon Pizza (ordered in past visit)

meatball spaghetti

The molto meatball spaghetti is our go-to pasta item here. There's nothing extraordinary about it really but it is exactly the spaghetti we expect from the price we are paying. The noodles have a nice texture. The tomato sauce tastes good. The herbs give it an enticing aroma. We love the garlic bread. And the single hefty serving of meatball complements the sauce well in taste.

chicken wings

Yung diablo wings ang binabalik-balikan namin dito. It's sweet, tangy, crunchy, and spicy rolled into one. Very flavorful na yung thick "buffalo" sauce na naka-kumot sa mga pakpak. And yet it still comes with a small bowl of their own ranch dressing as dip. Personally, gustong gusto ko yung garlic-y taste neto pero kahit wala nun masarap pa din yung manok. An order comes with three average-sized pieces (pero ang sasabihin nila ay 6 pieces ito, pero 3 lang talaga na pinutol sa anim... gets?). Frankly, considering the price, sana mas malaki ng konti yung mga pakpak.

They are not joking when they call it Creamy Caesar Salad dahil talagang creamy yung dressing. It is served generously with a thick creamy consistency. Tama lang ang asim neto para sa amin. The salad greens are ample enough for two with equally generous toppings of croutons and parmesan cheese.

caesar salad

For the ravioli, the amount of pasta dumplings on a single serving (about 6 or 7 pieces?) and the tasty sausage inside (for the Italian Sausage Ravioli) are good enough reasons to make us think that the price is a bit justified. Okay ang size ng isang dumpling, parang dalawang kagat kada isa. The sauce is thick with garlic and pepper flavor. Mabigat sa tiyan ang putahe na ito.

Patok yung brick-oven pizza nila dahil crunchy yung crust sa labas pero malambot yung loob. Nakukulangan ako sa dami ng nakabudbod na sausage at bacon (for the Italian Sausage and Bacon Pizza) pero masarap naman yung sauce. Wag kalimutang budburan ng chili flakes para mas ma-appreciate ang kick ng lasa.

Ang Damage:

Chicken wings goes for P280. The pasta dishes ranges from P200 to P240. Their ravioli is at P250. Pizza starts at P330.

Namamahalan ako dito, all things factored in. Kaya kumakain lang kami dito (as I mentioned above) kapag nakakaluwag and mostly if we are craving for their chicken wings.

bistro ravioli

Ang Chechebureche:

Maagap ang mga nagsisilbi pero mostly dahil konti lang naman ang lamesa dun at maliit ang floor area. Hindi dapat ganun kahirap ma-supervise yung mga customer.

Actually, wala silang "floor area" per se dahil nasa mismong tabi sila ng daanan ng mall. Kaya para kaming nasa aquarium kapag kumakain dahil madalas tinitignan ng mga dumadaang tao yung kinakain namin. Ang style namin, dun kami umuupo sa gilid na malapit sa dingding (sa tabi ng ref nila), para may sense ng privacy kahit papano.

viewing pleasure

Trip namin yung kitchen nila na open for viewing dahil salamin lang ang nakaharang. Pwede panoorin kung paano nila niluluto yung mga pagkain. Amazing. Sa tapat nun ay may bar area na pwedeng dun kumain.

Tip: Isawsaw ang pizza sa ranch dip ng Diablo Wings. Nam nam!

Huling Hirit:

Okay sana ang pagkain at pwede nang ipilit na okay ang presyo (lalo na kung bagong sweldo). Kaso talo na nasa daanan ito ng tao. Turn off.

mismong daanan na ng mall yang open space sa kanan

Rating:

5 out of 7

[obi.May.23]

Introduction:

happy fifth!

It's our 5th year as a couple. To celebrate the milestone, I scoured the net for a romantic place that should be close to our office in Makati yet not amongst our common date places in the area. Then I happened upon this restaurant tucked on an unassuming corner of the Makati Garden Club.

The low EQ in me spilled about it to Kat a week before the anniversary. That's a couple of weeks after I was having her guess where I plan to take her for our anniversary dinner. Ang clue ko: "Malapit sa EDSA, pero lampas ng Glorietta (from our office)." There's nothing much there aside from the InterCon (which is her guess) so that made her think for quite some time. LOL.

Anyway, it's still Kat who made the reservation. The place is for members only but she was able to get someone to sponsor us. Awesome!

On the Table:

• Mussels a la Baltazar (in white wine and cream)
• Sourdough Baguette (2 baskets!) (complimentary) + take-away
• Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel Bread (complimentary)
• Salad de Maison
• Salmon la Maison
• Lemonade
• Watermelon Mint with Lemon Ginger

mussels with the best cream sauce ever!

As an appetizer, the mussels in white wine and cream is served first, together with the complimentary items. It's heaven on our palate! One, the mussels are cooked perfectly soft and the serving is generous (tingin namin pwede itong pang tatlong tao); and two, the sauce is, for lack of a fitting superlative, paradise on Earth! It's the perfect appetizer to set our first impression with Maria Luisa's. We finished the mussels in no time, all the while mopping up the sauce with the freshly baked sourdough (which we fell in love with too!). When the next course is about to be served, we refused the servers to take our bowl of mussel sauce. Gusto namin itong sairin! LOL. We can rave all day about it, really.

salmon over pumpernickel

Anyway, the complimentary bread is served with cute balls of butter. The sourdough is tasty as it is. Malambot yung loob at toasted yung outside crust. We bought one roll for take-away. We didn't like the other complimentary food which is the smoked salmon on small cuts of pumpernickel black bread. Kat opted to avoid it as the salmon might not be cooked enough to be okay for our baby. It has slices of mango, tomato, and some garnish. Medyo naasiman ako sa mixture.

greens

For their salad de maison, ang daming serving ng smoked salmon. It's dressed in mustard sauce which we did not like mixed with the sweetness of the mango slices. It works with the salmon and the mixed fresh greens though. Also, it was a nice combo with our main course...

salmon la maison

...the grilled salmon (la maison). The salmon is baked with mushrooms and potatoes then served over a bed of risotto with bacon bits and greens. The salmon is cooked just right. It's soft, moist, and falls away from the slightest slice. The risotto (creamy rice dish) is a perfect complement to the salmon but frankly it's heavy on the stomach and after a good run with the mussel dish, hindi na namin maubos ito ni Kat. Still, it's mmm mmm mmm! Sarap!

The lemonade tasted fresh. Parang yung lasa ng sa Muscle Beach ang asim.

We went a bit too adventurous with the watermelon drink. It needs some getting use to before I appreciated it. Kat did not like it at all. Parang mouthwash yung aftertaste nito. It's minty after all.

watermelon concoction

We should be going for the mango crepe for dessert but we just don't have the stomach-space to accommodate it anymore. Sad. I was personally looking for it.

About the Cost:

It's not going to be cheap. NO. Not on a place as romantic as this, that serves delicacies as great as these.

The membership alone is at P1,200 already.

Salads goes for around P350 while appetizers averages at P550. Desserts are in the P300 range. Entrees ranges from P600 to P900 while the grilled specialties goes for around P1,600.

Service charge (which is really justified) is at standard 10%.

A sourdough goes for 60 bucks only. Dapat talaga may special mention ito. It's good!

fish entrees

Other Comments:

Service is great! They refill everything almost immediately. It can be uncomfortable though as they kept monitoring your table for what else you might need. Kat felt uncomfortable na laging binabantayan kami. Sa akin naman, okay lang. Also, the staff are friendly and answered well when asked about the menu. Natatawa kami dahil it took four servers to lay down our main course. Good service, really.

The Swedish head chef, Chef Robert, walks around the place to converse with patrons. When asked about it, he gives recommendations on what to order based on their preferences. I overheard that night that he suggested the mussel dish (na kakaiba naman talaga sa sarap!) and an ox tail dish (kare-kare yata) to the family dining on an adjacent table from us.

flex those mussels!

Too bad, we came at night. I see morning photos online and the garden looks beautiful and well-kept. Sa gabi, we can't see anything aside from the areas where there are soft lights (mostly near the entrance). Aside from that, nababalutan na ng dilim yung buong lugar. Hindi namin inakala na may restaurant right in the middle of that dark corner.

caption this

The interior design is really pretty. The feel of the theme is girly chic with lots of flower designs and wooden furniture to complement that cute countryside look. There's an area for their bakery and a separate area for dining.

There's instrumental string music on their speakers which sadly cannot compete with frequent honks from buses on the nearby EDSA (isang dingding lang ang pagitan ng Makati Garden Club at EDSA).

very girly interiors

To Sum it Up:

A must for couples on a milestone date. The place is perfect for a quick escape from the Makati bustle. Just prepare to burn bucks.

Makati Garden Club

Rating:
6 out of 7




[obi.July.31]

Pasakalye:

Kat and her college friends tried the archery range at the Makati Cinema Square and come dinner, we opted to eat in this okonomiyaki place on the neighboring Little Tokyo.

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese pancake. Its content varies pero dito malamang galing yung ating "okoy". Hula ko lang. Wag masyadong magpapaniwala saken. Magaling akong mag-imbento.

Kat's College Friends

Chicha:

• Okonomiyaki with Noodles (Modern Mix)
• Ika Butter-yaki (Squid with Butter)
• Takoyaki (from "Hana")

Yung binili namin na okonomiyaki (modern mix) ay gawa sa layer ng pancake batter na may layer ng halo-halong grilled pork, squid, fried egg, at shrimp. Sa taas ng layer na ito ay may layer pa ng yakisoba noodles, at sa taas ng layer nun ay may layer pa ng toppings na gawa sa halo-halong special okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, at chopped seaweeds. 

okonomiyaki

Layers upon layers ng halo-halong ingredients. Ang end result, attack of the palate. Contrasting yung lasa sa bibig, in a good way. Nagustuhan namin ni Kat. Ang hirap lang ubusin dahil ang laki ng isang serving. Ang bigat sa tiyan! Tingin ko up to 4 conservative kumain na tao ang kaya nito busugin. Yung okonomiyaki sauce ang nangunguna-nguna sa mga lasa. Manamis-namis. Hindi  ko alam kung saan gawa yun.

ika butter-yaki

Ika butter-yaki is squid stir-fried in butter. Ambango nito nung bagong luto. A bit on the chewy side. Nalalasahan naman yung butter.

takoyaki

The takoyaki is from a neighbor resto. Pero pwede magpa-order through them. Hindi ako mahilig sa takoyaki but I liked this one, so it says a lot. Ayaw ko kasi ng malansa na after-taste. Itong takoyaki na ito, wala nun. Swabe hits.

mmm mmm mmm!

Kaching:
Okonomiyaki goes for P230 to P380. Mura ito dahil kaya nga magpakain ng hanggang apat na tao.

Other ala carte orders goes for about P200 on average. Pwede pwede na. Pero para sa amin, stick with okonomiyaki.

Also, watch out for the tax. Exclusive pa yung tax sa menu.

May bayad din yung take out box na sampung piso.

kagura

Etcetera:

Maliit lang yung loob ng lugar, na nahahati sa dalawang sections:

• Yung teppan area... ito yung "bar" ng resto, kung saan nandun na din yung teppan na pinaglulutuan ng mga cook. Mapapanood sila magluto. Mangangamoy ka dito. 

• Tsaka yung tatami area. Andito yung mga tatami tables (traditional Japanese dining fixtures). Tatlong set lang. Pero may privacy naman kasi may mga divisions in-between.

teppan area

Meron din ata silang al fresco dining pero at the most dalawang lamesa lang siguro yun.

Nakakalito yung menu dahil parang pare-pareho lang yung okonomiyaki offerings nila. May mga subtle differences pala yun sa laman (e.g. merong may noodles, merong halo-halo ang lahok, merong isa lang ang sahog). Nagkagulo kami ng konti sa mga orders namin dahil dito. So mas mainam magtanong about it bago mag-order.

a tatami table

Ang daming dekorasyon about the Hanshin Tigers (baseball team ng Japan). Nakakatuwa yung iba. Pinaglaruan ko yung isang clapper na may tatak ng Tigers (dalawang plastik na kamay na pumapalakpak kapag inaalog).

ambiance

Buod:
Stick with their specialty.

Madaming pang pwedeng mabili na iba but frankly, nothing looks interesting enough to try.

Thanks Beni for the other photos!


Rating:
5 out of 7




[obi.May]