Restaurant Review: Antonio's, Tagaytay

Antonio's is one restaurant that needs no introduction.  Although the name Antonio is very common in the Philippines, there can only be one Antonio's restaurant.  Located far from the hustle and bustle of the metro, dining at Antonio's is an indulgence to senses -- not just the palate.

From the national highway, a nondescript sign points you to the location of one of the best, if not the best, restaurant in the Philippines.  When heading to Antonio's be sure to have a "spotter" that would look for this sign, otherwise, missing it is a very likely possibility.  Upon entering the alley leading to Antonio's you'll pass by a residential area leading up to, almost, the end of that street.  If it's your first time to head to Antonio's fret not that you're already lost, at the end of this narrow street one will find a rather black gate, right outside you'll see cars lined up.  You have arrived.

Because it's a bit hard to drive all the way to Tagaytay we went all out, less the wine, and ordered as much as we can think of.

Since we couldn't have wine we just ordered some juice. We got two - this carafe of strawberry balsamic might have a bad name but it sure tastes like your memory of kool aid -- when you didn't know any better and thought its the best juice in the world. Another carafe we ordered was some pineapple ginger, I had reservations about this flavor since I'm not a big fan of having ginger on my juice, but even I really loved it.  One really nice thing they do at Antonio's is to make ice from the same juice flavor, that way even if they put ice, the juice won't get watered down.

Feast for the Eyes
Arugula with dried cranberries, raspberry vinaigrette and bleu cheese topped with purple cabbage
(oh i get hungry just blogging)

A nice onion soup followed after the refreshing salad.
I'm not a fan of onion soups but this one is really good -- no strong onion taste, and just the right creaminess. 

While waiting for the main course, the server put these nice neat lemons , garlic and gravy (not shown on photo) in preparation for the arrival of our huge-ass T-bone. You'll see i really love how neat this is, this would sure be a nice thing to do at home. 

Side dish # 1: black olive rice and some fresh nicely-cooked-still-crunchy french beans.
I actually ordered the spätzle but it's a bit too strong and creamy for the T-bone so Ferdi and I swapped and I got the rice.

When the T-Bone arrived sizzling hot, pink and medium well our stomach rumbled -- it was silence for the next two minutes..

Ferdi's plate -- the  spätzle I traded and French beans with the nice succulent and pink portion. 

We sat at the al fresco area near the Koi pond and just contemplated life as we muster all appetite to finish the Tbone.

For dessert (yes! we, of course, left some space) I had a panna cotta sampler of vanilla, coffee and dark chocolate with candied toffee on top. The Panna Cotta was perfect -- creamy and consistent in texture and the best part, at least for me, was that it wasn't that sweet. Just enough for a nice sweet closure.

I fell in love with the presentation of these sweet decadence so I just had to take a photo twice. :)

For Ferdi he opted for something light, relatively, and got this nice poached pear on port wine topped with vanilla ice cream.

Dining at Antonio's is an experience in itself.  Always call to make a reservation because the restaurant can be quite busy especially during the weekends.  It was Ferdi's birthday then, and we made sure to book a table days in advance.  We went on a Sunday after diving and true enough it is a very busy day with family's having their get together (extended) brunch.

Toki Japanese Fusion Updated

Because Ayala Avenue is close last night we had to scrap our plans of dining at CiÇou and opted for a dining place at Fort Instead.  Since we had quite a heavy glutinous dinner the night before at Cav we figure to eat something lighter and hopefully healthier.  Hence, the choice for tonight is japanese.

There are a few japanese places at Fort but our favorite hands-down is Toki. As can be seen from my previous post we really enjoyed our set lunch before, but now we ordered ala carte.  Though i still prefer the set lunch - to manage your budget and all - I must say their ala carte orders are not only good but has perfect sharing portions. I won't talk much anymore and just let the photos do the talking. Bon Appetit, or probably I should say tabetai! :)

japanese pickles moriawase (6 types) Php240
One thing I will never tire of is pickles and this Japanese pickles strengthened that resolve. 

Onigiri (grilled salmon in japanese rice) @ Php160
I forgot what it's called but this one is yum-yum for sure!

Toki Style 3 Kinds Sashimi Carpaccio Style (Php380)
This dish was devoured in seconds. Toki menu labels it recommended, and I absolutely concur!

Takoyaki Roll (Php240)
Very nice, though the consistency of the octopus is on the rocky side, i have a chewy one and others got some soft ones

Unagi Bou Sushi (Php750)
One of the best thing in the Toki Menu is eel.  Whether topped on rice of sushi-fied, Toki eel never disappoints.

Nigiri Mori (9 Kinds) Php550
I didn't get to try everything but I didn't hear any whining, just nomnomnom. But then if it looks this good how can it be bad eh?

Spicy Lapu-Lapu (Php 370)
I like lapu-lapu and I like it spicy. This dish didn't seal it for me though, I blame the flour-y breading.

Japanese Cheesecake (Php170)
After all the binging a good diner knows to leave some space for dessert.  Ordering dessert is easy we just pointed to the most yummy-looking photo on their menu. I'm not really a big fan of japanese cheesecakes, always preferred the non-spongy ones. 

Macha Roll (Php195)
This feels like eating green tea ice cream -- indulgent but the same time giving you that 'healthy' feeling. Or maybe its just me who associates green tea with healthy.  Nonetheless, still a must try dessert!

Tiramisu (Php 190)
One of the best ones! I'm torn between these and the Macha cake.

3 Kinds Crepe (Php260)
I love love crepe and this one tastes like ice cream.  I can't figure out what the 3 kinds of whatever good stuff is inside it but it tastes like Ice cream and I love it!

We ordered other stuff as well and Asahi beer (Php200) too!  Toki is good but I kinda prefer doing it for lunch.

TOKI's full menu is found on this link.  You can also order online through their website.

Address: 2nd floor - 32nd and 5th Building corner 32nd St. and 5th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines

Review: Toki Japanese Fusion and Fine Dining

Last Saturday, we felt like eating something light but healthy and one which wouldn't make us hungry in 2 hours.  With such qualifications, we decided to do Japanese.  With all the Japanese restos sprouting around like mushrooms -- from fine dining to your tokidoki foodcart -- it's not so easy to find a good one.  When we read the review on Anton's blog recommending it, then we know where to go.

Located at 32nd and 5th Building beside Aubergine, Toki has a very nondescript entrance.  The moment you stepped in, however; the relaxed atmosphere, occasionally broken by the sound of pans, immediately preps you for a good meal.

entrance to Toki

going to the restaurant itself

photos of their celebrity guests lines up one side of their 'lobby' entrance

 After getting ourselves comfortable in their red cushioned seats, we proceeded to order.

the Super Bento Set (Php700)-- Includes Tempura (ho-hum), Sashimi (super good), Soy Chicken (tender and succulent), and Pork which is as soft as butter.

closer look

while i went for variety, Ferdi ordered the Unagi Set (Php620) with Soba Noodles

We paired these meals with Black Iced Tea (for me) and cold Oolong tea for Ferdi.  A good brunch and just filling enough to get us through Wall Street 2 without feeling the munches. :)

The Not A Burger Persons Best Burger List

The title says it all, I am not a burger person.  I have always associated burger with fast food and not being a fast food person either I can count the number of times, using both hands, I have eaten a burger at McDonalds (be it big Mac, the 49 pesos one or the quarter pounder), Burger King, Jollibee, or Wendys.  So when I finally got to overcome my fear of fastfood burgers, I got to appreciate this slab of meat wedged between two buns - before it starts to sound like food porn - topped with whatever you want.

The first time I tried an upscalish, you may refer to it as gourmet compared to McDonalds, burger was in Hotshots near ABS-CBN. That was college. At least 6 years ago.  Now more pounds and as much burgers as I can count I think I can now confidently come up with my five must try burger places.

The Top Choice: Malcolm's Place Wagyu Burger
Tucked between the road from Forbes to Global City is little gem of wagyu fiefdom.  If you think all beef burger is a-ma-zing wait till you try an all beef wagyu burger.  Succulent, fatty without the greasy feel, and satisfying.  Slightly toasted on the outside and pinkish on the inside.  You can opt to add mushroom, caramelized onions, blue cheese (my favorite!), or just plain ketchup and mustard sauce.  You'll never go wrong.  The price is a bit hefty but for all the goodness you're gonna get, it's definitely worth a try.

A wagyu burger costs Php400 ala carte. However, they also have set meals at Php499 which includes a nice pumpkin soup and ended with a scoop of ice cream and vittoria coffee.  I would recommend going for the set meal. More value for money.

wagyu burger
from www.monstercomments.com

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1st Runner Up: Murray and D'Vine's Big Ass One-Pound Burger
This burger is colossal! It is not for the faint hearted and definitely not for first date moments.  Eating the huge-ass serving - in Murray's signature heart shaped patty - would surely get your hands dirty.  Murray uses very good beef and you have a choice whether you want your patty cooked medium, rare, or well done.  We always go for medium.  Even though it was cooked medium, however; the thickness of the patty made it almost slightly rare.  We're not complaining though as all the juicy goodness that the beef has to offer is locked in -- within that (did I say this before) 1 pound of pure lovin goodness.  It may seem heavy on the wallet at Php550 but once you see and finish the whole burger, you can definitely say it is well worth it.

If you don't feel much like committing, with flair and fervor, gluttony though you can also opt for their other burgers.  The regular beef burger, the ostrich, and turkey burgers are also must tries.  Their burgers also come in minis called sliders, in case you want to maintain more grace while eating burgers.  Another must-try is their Mojitos, they're the best ones I've tried in Manila.

the murray facade
will update when I get a photo

2nd Runner Up: Monster Burger at Salcedo and Legaspi Market
The good thing about this burgers is that it's half a pound of good beef.  The better thing is that it is only Php130 pesos!  Unfortunately, this is only sold at Salcedo and Legaspi weekend markets.  Nonetheless, if you're in the area and is heading for a hodgepodge of gustatory adventure this Monster Burger is not one to miss.

Half Pound Patty
from www.bacontunamelt.com

3rd Runner Up: Chelsea Market Cafe Burger
Burger at Chelsea?! Seriously? Yes! Although Chelsea is probably more popular for their pizza and pasta their burger is also well worth a try.  Since their menu didn't explicitly say how big their patty is I'm guessing it is a little over 1/2 pound since it seems more filling than Murray.  I still prefer the slightly crispy on the outside way that Murray cooks their burgers.  Nonetheless, Chelsea's 100% angus burger suffices to satisfy that huge burger craving.  Surely, choosing Chelsea for 3rd runner up sure is a hard decision.

Since Chelsea and Murray is located very near each other at the Serendra piazza, if you have burger on the menu alone I suggest you head to Murray instead especially since their burger, at Php595 is more expensive than the big-ass burger.

Chelsea @ Serendra
photo from Anton of Our Awesome Planer (AOP)

Fourth Runner Up: Hotshots
Hotshots was the restaurant that launch the tipping point to my burger cravings.  The primary reason I chose hotshot over Brother's Burger though is their twister fries! I know it is not burger related but well, the best thing to have with burger is french fries...for that american greasy food coma in all it's finest.  It's been ages since I've had hotshots but their prices range about Php150.00 before.

from shootfirsteatlater.com

Other places I wanna try would be theburgerproject at Maginhawa St. in UP Village, and the burgers at Banchetto.

Oh My Gaudi (OMG)

Verdict: No redeeming factor. Must NOT try.

!Bienvenidos!

Welcome to a complete culinary 

experience from fascinating Spain --

a country that considers dining one of life's 

greatest pleasures.

So began the menu of Gaudi tapas bar and restaurant at the Piazza in Serendra.  Named after Antoni Gaudi of Spain, at least my guess is, the restaurant purports to be authentic Spain.  Since I haven't been to Spain I really couldn't tell whether or not it really is authentic, I just have to rely on Ferdi's comments on whether it really is true Spanish cuisine.  Authentic or not authentic, however; one thing is for sure -- the food is BAD.

the gaudi menu

To start of the evening we had three sets of appetizers first: Boquerones en Vinagre (Php290) which is marinated fresh anchovies, Surtido de 8 Pinxos Frios (Php250) a selection of cold tapas, and Croquetas Mixtas (Php 200) mixed chicken, serrano ham, and bacalao croquettes.

Nothing of the above is good.  We didn't finish half of the croquetas.  After finishing one, I couldn't eat any croquetas anymore.  The Serrano ham and chicken croquetas might be slightly better, but unluckily for me I tasted the bacalao one first.  It was the fishiest most nauseating croquetas I've had.  I love fish, and I eat bagoong but nothing comes close to how fishy this one taste.  Recalling it as I write now even makes me slightly puke a bit.  To add insult to injury it was also so heavily breaded and the oil they used is also not nice.  All in all, if you'll ask me to choose between UP fishball and this, I would choose the former.

deep-fried croquetas

Hoping the second of the appetizers will be better, which is not a hard feat considering how bad the croquetas were, we were only to glad when the mix cold tapas were served.  Unfortunately, this restaurant is just astonishingly consistent -- consistently bad, that is.  The selection of mixed tapas is just too oily and had too much mayonnaise! Ugh.  To make matters worse, some of it is served on toasts which are too soft and not crusty enough getting the poor toast so soaked up in alcohol and too soggy from the mayonnaise.  Same as the other one, we didn't get to finish it at all.  The mixed cold tapas is composed of some olives and baby onions on a stick, sliced parma ham (i think) which is the one on 5 o'clock, the one on 3 o'clock is anchovy and bleue cheese two of the things I love but hate when served together, and some egg salad with lots of mayo, and shrimp with quail egg, again smothered with mayo.

The mixed cold tapas

The third one is not as bad as the former two.  The boquerones has good fresh anchovies, a good smothering of olive oil with a lemon wedge on the middle that we squeezed for added taste.  The only disappointing thing about this is that they had to put grated cheese on top of the fresh anchovies.  Seriously, CHEESE!?  And no, it's not like it's hard cheese like pecorino or parmesan that would be forgivable with the anchovies but they had to grade soft cheese which looks like eden cheese to me.  I tasted it, and true enough it is tasteless!  We made sure to remove all the cheese on top of the anchovies before we ate it.  Not as bad as the former two but if it weren't for the cheese, this dish could have been the restaurant's saving grace. 

It's sobrang cheesy!

We chose not to order two main dishes and opted to just share.  We ordered Lamb cooked the Andalusian way.  After our dish was served though, that's when we realized that the Gaudi Andalusian way is pretty much just like how we cook our caldereta, at least the not good caldereta.  The smell of lamb was a bit too strong than normal and the sauce was too oily.  What makes it worse was that the potato was also fried and already a bit too soft for the dish.  Overall, it was bland and didn't have any 'identity' nor distinctiveness to it.  Of course, did I mention it was also oily?!

Lamb - Andalusian

At this point we're already too disappointed with the food and opted to just go.  We paired all the above food with Marques de Caceres wine which is not all too bad.  But this is not enough to make us go try Gaudi ever again.

Postcript: the food was that oily Ferdi had stomach pains the morning after.

A full menu of Gaudi is found here, courtesy of munchpunch.

Zao Vietnamese Restaurant and Bistro

Vietnamese food is not something I crave for, not until Zhao.

Zao is located at Serendra, beside Mamou.

Zao, along with Chelsea, has always been the default restaurant that always come up after the question, 'So, where  are we gonna eat?'.  After the decision has been settled that we are gonna eat at Zao, automatically the question 'what do we eat', is answered. The choices: Tenderloin Pho, Satay Platter, and Pickled Vegetables.

Pictured here is the Zao Pho

A serving of Tenderloin Pho comes with lean slices of beef and some briskets with a heap of bean sprouts, lime and a sprig of basil leaves on the side.  Your order would also come with the necessary sauces on the side: hoisin and chili sauce.  Be sure to put everything, except of course the sauces, on your pho.  I particularly like the contrast of the lime and basil on the broth giving it a slightly sour and herby taste to it.  Putting the bean sprouts, Zao removes the beans though and just leaves the 'tail' of the sprouts, in your pho also gives it a fresh and slight crunch to your pho giving it a more succulent texture from the rice noodles and the briskets.  One thing we like about Zao, cause we're such cheap asses, is the price.  A serving of the beef pho costs 195 pesos and mind you one serving is good for two people! 

Another staple in our table at Zao is the fresh rolls.  This is the Vietnamese version of our lumpiang sariwa.  It is vermicelli noodles with prawn, a stalk of celery and lettuce dipped in peanut sauce. We like how the taste of the fresh rolls neutralizes the savory taste of the Pho not to mention that because nothing is cooked nor fried it makes for a good pair with the hot broth.  What I particularly like is the thin transparent wrap for this which I can't figure out.  Nonetheless, i've never been a cook so no surprises there.  A serving, which is composed six pieces as shown here, costs Php175 as well. So if you're just gonna order these and the Pho you're bill would be about Php500, inclusive of VAT and service charge.

Fresh Spring rolls

However, if you're feeling a bit hungry and in the mood for some meat you sure should try their satay platter.  Satay is their equivalent for our barbeque.  I love how the lemongrass - which i'm addicted to - seeps into the meats and dipped with the 'vinegar' sauce brings this dish one notch higher than our regular barbeque. Each platter has 2 sticks of shrimp, beef, pork, and chicken.  A platter costs Php325. Which is really not bad at all!

Satay Platter

  Other dishes which you sure should not miss at Zao is their crispy spring rolls (Php 185.00), the Tenderloin Salad (Php245) and the pickled vegetables (Php 65.00).  If there's one salad I would pick it would be the tenderloin salad with water spinach.  If you like prawn pomelo salad theirs is OK too, however; it's nowhere near People's Palace's prawn pomelo.

Here's a link of their full menu from munchpunch. Also, I would advise for you to call first especially for dinner as they are often full. With the prices which are a lot cheaper than the other restaurants at Serendra, I wouldn't be surprised.

Zao Vietnamese Bistro

Unit 1C16 Serendra, Fort Bonifacio Global City

Taguig City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 856-2819

Degustations at The Goose Station

Saturday has always been a long day for me. A 1:00-4:00pm class with every other week legal aid classroom component, not to mention the occasional downpour that visits the UP area almost every afternoon makes me tired to the bones come nightfall.

Tired and sometimes drained, I look forward to Saturday dinners and this time it was particularly more so.  My friend Paola suggested this restaurant called The Goose Station. The original plan was to go there Friday night, but alas they don't have any seats left. The restaurant opens only in the evening and one must always make sure to call for reservation.  It's located at the outskirts of Global City, i say outskirts because it's not anywhere around Serendra, High Street, or Burgos Circle, at the W building.

The Goose Station is the brainchild of husband and wife team Chef Rob and Sunshine Pecson.  The name the Goose Station is of course, if you haven't guessed it yet, a play on the word degustation, it also serves to forewarn you that their specialty is (ta-dan!) foie gras.  So for all those with high blood pressure, a prior dose of simvastatin wouldn't hurt, and for those with squirmishes on the plight of the poor goose, this might not be the restaurant for you.  Nonetheless, the other food items i.e. not involving foie gras is still worth the visit.

choices for their 5-course menu

Ordering at the goose station is easy. Although they have ala carte menu, it's better to opt for the course menus.  They have the express 5-course menu (at Php1600 exclusive of Vat and SC) and their signature 9-course menu at Php2500 plus Vat and SC.  Since we weren't so hungry that night we all opted for the 5-course menu.

THE foie cone

Their menu is composed of at least two items to choose from. For snacks we had the foie gras cone.  Unlike the other items, for snacks this is the only choice, and for very good reasons.  A visit to The Goose Station wouldn't be complete unless you try this. It simply is an explosion of flavors from the filo pastry - not a cone - to the foie gras and the complimentary hazelnut topping gives you that perfect theater ending -- satiated but still wanting to have more.  Next on the snacks is the trio of potato glass, truffle puff and savory macaroon. Paola had to check four square and dished out the advice that this trio must be eaten from right to left. We heeded the advise and had the potato glass first, next the truffle puff and finished off with the savory macaroon. The advise was perfect! Eating it in that order allows the tastes to merge starting off with the salty potato glass, the tangy truffle puff and finishing with the mildly sweet savory macaroon.  These snack items surely does it's job of getting the taste buds more excited for the next degustations.

remember to eat from right to left