Restaurant Review: Linguini Fini at SM Mega Fashion Hall

More and more international restaurants are finding their way to Manila, and it has easily become the most prominent food trend in our country this year. Filipinos are tend to be drawn to anything "imported", that's why most international restaurants are always sure-fire hits.

Adding to the ever growing list of foreign restaurant franchises here in Manila is Linguini Fini, an Italian restaurant from Hong Kong. 

Interesting chalkboard art at Linguini Fini

Linguini Fini operates with the concept of farm-to-table dining. This ensures that all ingredients used in their dishes are organic and fresh. To make this happen, Chef Vinny Lauria tweaked the dishes to include locally-sourced ingredients - such as kesong puti, tinapa, longganisa to a name few. And he definitely succeeds in making the food distinctly Italian yet comfortingly Filipino.

The restaurant's vibe definitely screams hip and cool. The walls are covered with artworks by local artist Dee Jae Paeste, with art pop posters, cool signages and an open kitchen to complete the hipster-chic look of the place.

Manila Caprese Pizza - cherry tomatoes, in house kesong puti, basil, olive oil

But what's equally cool are the dishes in this restaurant. The ingredients are so simple, so basic, yet incredibly delicious. Take for example the Manila Caprese pizza. Every bite is a perfect symphony of flavors from the kesong puti, tomatoes, and basil. It all tasted so clean and fresh yet rich and flavorful.

Papardelle "Nose to Tail Bolo" - pork testa, veal & oxtail ragu, Parmigiano Reggiano

The Nose to Tail Bolo is one of the most amazing dishes Linguini Fini has to offer. The ragu made from pig's head and ox tail compliments very well to the perfectly cooked papardelle, and the parmigiano reggiano just takes everything to another level. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Porchetta - slow roasted, fennel rubbed pork belly chopped with chili mostarda, fennel, in a bed of focaccia

But the dish that made me cry from pure ecstasy is the porchetta. The fennel rub on the pork belly is superb, the skin charred beautifully, yet the meat remains moist and fall-off-your-fork soft. The chili mostarda provides the right amount of heat and tang, while the focaccia serves as an excellent neutralizer. This dish deserves a standing ovation, I swear to the food gods.

Picked chili

And be sure to ask your server for a jar of pickled chili! Sprinkle it everywhere - the pizza, the pasta, or even the porchetta. Your taste buds will forever be grateful to you, trust me.

I have high respects for restaurants who are able to create the most stunning dishes using the simplest of ingredients. It just all depends on how well you handle each and every component of your dish. And with Linguini Fini, Chef Vinny just proves how masterful his craft is.

Pros:

Value for your money food

Organic, fresh ingredients are used

Chic restaurant interiors

Helpful servers

Cons:

Can't think of one yet

Rating:

 

LINGUINI FINI, Level 3, SM Mega Fashion Hall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City 

Restaurant Review: Sarsa Kitchen + Bar by Chef JP Anglo at BGC Forum

Here's a thing about celebrity chef restaurants: they are usually over-priced.

And in this world, there is no worst feeling other than emptying the contents of your wallet just for a dish with a serving size good for a newborn baby.

Good thing there's Sarsa Kitchen + Bar. This restaurant by Chef JP Anglo promises to deliver "your favorite Filipino comfort food and then elevate it". But what's even better is that it's affordable. Really really affordable.

The interiors pretty much reflects the essence of Sarsa: simple, unassuming, homey, but still current and beautiful.

We had to wait for an hour to get a table, which is something we expect since we went there on a Saturday evening. Good thing the lovely crew serve us some peanuts and cornik to munch on, which made the waiting not so bad.

Dinuguan Chicharon Bulaklak

The dinuguan is definitely one of the most sinful dishes I've ever tried in my life. Pig's blood + deep fried pork mesentery + chopped pig's intestines = the perfect recipe for hypertension and higher cholesterol levels! But believe me, this dish is worth the pain in the neck. And is definitely perfect with a cup of steaming white rice.

Monggo-nisa (Monggo topped with longganisa bits)

Everything about this monggo dish is perfect: the cook on the beans, the seasoning on the dish, and the crispy longganisa and chopped chicharon sprinkled on top. You can even eat it on it's own, it's that good!

Inasal na Pecho ng Manok

Chef JP is a proud Ilonggo, and he definitely takes pride in his inasal. Sarsa's take on this ubiquitous chicken dish is perharps the best in the city: the meat is moist and beautifully cooked, the charring on the skin is amazing, and the flavors are spot on.

Ginamos Fried Rice

Although most of the dishes in Sarsa are best paired with plain white rice, one should definitely give the restaurant's signature ginamos fried rice a try. It has the right amount of shrimp paste flavor, enough to give your appetite a little boost (not that you really need it).


Sarsa is one of those restaurants that would leave you very very satisfied once you leave, and will definitely make you want to go back for more.


Pros:
Worth your money dishes
Simple, no fuss menu
Nice restaurant interiors

Cons:
Not all servers are attentive. Some are very warm, others looked pissed
Parking can be difficult
Very sinful dishes


Rating:

SARSA Kitchen + Bar: The Forum, 7th Avenue Corner Federacion Drive, BGC, Taguig City

Restaurant Review: Paradise Dynasty at VivoCity, Singapore

I'm entirely, wholeheartedly, head over heels in love with xiao long bao.

I had my first xiao long bao in Hong Kong, in none other than the famous, Michelin-starred restaurant Din Tai Fung. The minute the broth inside that thin wrapper touched my lips, I knew I had found the one.

After reading about Paradise Dynasty's flavored xiao long bao on Pepper.ph, I got super curious. The process of creating this broth-filled dimsum is so intricate, delicate, and tedious. Now imagine doing that with 8 different flavors!

That is why the minute I found myself standing in the streets of Singapore, I immediately hunted down this restaurant.

Chopsticks and deep spoon - aka the tools to attack  xiao long bao

But before I talk about the star of this post, let me introduce you to the supporting cast. Paradise Dynasty has an extensive Shanghai-cuisine menu, so I decided to try some of their other dishes as well.

Shanghai Fried Rice - a true MSG goodness

Deep fried fish - not PD's best. Too oily and bland. Needs a flavorful dipping sauce.

Braised pork belly - Oh. My. God. OH. MY. GOD. Ohmygod.

Paradise Dynasty's braised pork belly is so unbelievably tender I swear a toothpick can cut through it. The sauce is incredibly delicious, and the meat is moist and has a beautiful layer of fat. I cannot recommend this highly and strongly enough.

The flavors are: Original (white), Ginseng (green), Foie Gras (brown), Black Truffle (black), Cheesy (yellow), Crab Roe (orange), Garlic (grey), and Szechuan (pink).

And now for the xiao long bao. First thing I noticed is that the wrapper is way too thin, and that it sticks to the cloth of the bamboo steamer. Getting a piece is difficult, as the smallest mistake can cause a tear in the wrapper, spilling the broth in the process. As you can see in the picture, when the xiao long baos were served, one of them already had a tear :(

The xiao long bao attack plan

As per the "xiao long bao attack plan", here's the order as of  how you should devour the dumplings:

1st: Original (white) - broth is tasty, meat is seasoned, although not as great as Din Tai Fung's.
2nd: Ginseng (green) - I kinda imagine this is what Groot's pee would tastes like. It tastes like "nature".
3rd: Foie Gras (brown) - DELICIOUS! It's amazing how they captured the foie gras taste successfully.
4th: Black Truffle (black) - really good flavor, but too overpowering.
5th: Cheesy (yellow) - subtle cheese taste but good
6th: Crab Roe (orange) - MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! Great crab flavor! I could eat 7 more of these.
7th: Garlic (grey) - REALLY strong garlic flavor. If it was toned down a little, it would've been lovely.
8th: Szechuan (pink) - this was supposed to be a palate cleanser. It's like the broth inside it was made from boiled down rose petals. I'm not a fan.


Pros:
Orgasm-inducing pork belly dish
The novelty of eating multi-flavored and mulit-colored xiao long baos.

Cons:
Some items in their menu are a miss
Servers are not so friendly (maybe it's a culture thing?)
Long wait for a table


Rating:

PARADISE DYNASTY : VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk, #03-08A, Singapore

Fancy Kitchen: First Edition

Tips on how to create expensive dishes

using affordable ingredients

In the first edition of Fancy Kitchen on a Budget, I tried making paella minus the tears from having to spend half of your paycheck in buying all the ingredients.

Ordering paella in a restaurant would cost you around PhP600 to PhP1000, with a serving size that would leave you more depressed than satisfied. The reason why paella can get expensive is because of its one key ingredient: saffron.

In some parts of the world, a small jar of saffron threads can get more expensive than a bar of gold. According to Wikipedia, "to glean 1lb (450g) of dry saffron requires the harvest of 50,000 to 75,000 flowers; a kilogram requires 110,000 to 170,000 flowers. Forty hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers."

No wonder saffron is expensive.

But fret not! Here are a few tips on how to create a stunning paella dish in just PhP 300 (good for 8 people!):


Instead of using saffron, paprika, and turmeric powder, use INSTANT KALDERETA MIX.

Yep, that's right. Instant kaldereta mix. Available in almost all grocery and sari-sari stores. The flavors, the heat, the color - it's all in there. And for a fraction-of a-fraction-of a-fraction-of a fraction of the cost.

Buy just 1/4kg of the seafood ingredients.

Seafood can get really expensive, so buy just a small portion of it. Once you combine these small portions of seafood, they would look plenty and bountiful.

Use frozen veggies to garnish your paella.

They're really affordable, and saves you from all the chopping and peeling. Plus they cook faster, just throw them in a few minutes before you turn off the heat.

The finish product - look at the lovely colors!

You don't have to spend like royalty in order to feast like royalty. :)

Condo Cooking: First Edition

Dishes you can cook using just your rice cooker, microwave, and oven toaster.

I love to cook. And I love learning how to cook. Unfortunately, the place I live in right now has issues with kitchen stove: the typical gas-powered one is not allowed for safety reasons; while the electric type is not allowed due to ventilation issues.

But like they say, you always always fight for what you love.

Using just the 3 condo-living kitchen appliance must haves, here are some of the dishes I was able to whip up in our small, limited yet functional kitchen:

Shrimp mac & cheese, grilled broccoli, mashed potatoes with tomato puree, apple slices with honey.

Shrimp mac and cheese:
Combine shrimp, cheeses (I used Parmesan and cheddar), milk and elbow macaroni, then cook it in rice cooker.

Grilled broccoli:
Blanch it in hot water first, then grill it in the oven toaster

Mashed potatoes and tomato puree:
Use rice cooker to boil the tomatoes and potatoes.
Once you've added all your ingredients to make the mash and the puree, use microwave to cook.

Sweet soy chicken, grilled potatoes, corn, carrots and peas in butter.

Sweet soy chicken:
Drown the chicken in dark soda and soy sauce, then cook it in rice cooker.

Grilled potatoes:
Boil it in rice cooker first, then slice them, then grill in oven toaster.

Carrots and peas:
Store bought. Add a tablespoon of butter then heat it in microwave.

Grilled pork steak, steamed potatoes and string beans, corn and carrots in butter.

Grilled pork steak:
Season with salt and pepper, then cook it in the oven toaster.

Steamed potatoes and beans:
Use the steamer that comes with your rice cooker.

Corn and carrots:
Store bought. Add a tablespoon of butter then heat it in microwave.

Grilled salmon belly with potato salad

Grilled salmon belly:
Season with salt and pepper, grease your oven pan with melted better.
Once cooked, squeeze some lemon on it.

Potato salad:
Steam your potatoes, slice it, then top it with home-made chicken spread.




With a little creativity, you could definitely make some delicious dishes even without a stove. Even Joe Bastianich would love them!

A home cook without proper training (and proper equipment) can dream, amarite?

Kanin Off: Namnam versus Fely J's

The Battle of Pinoy Cuisine in Greenbelt Makati

In the first edition of Kanin Off! we take a look at two of the most prominent (and somehow reasonably-priced) Pinoy-themed restaurants in Greenbelt: Namnam and Fely J's Kitchen.

Both restaurants boast extensive menu that covers the fundamentals of Filipino cuisine - from inihaw to sisig to kare-kare to the Pinoy staple kanin.

On the Namnam table: Butterflied Fried Pla Pla with Buro and Mustasa, Crispy Pata with Garlic Chili Bits, Pinakbet, and Tinapa Rice

The best thing about Namnam is that you could control the portions. Each item on their menu comes in three serving sizes: Small (good for solo eaters), Medium (good for 3) and Large (good for 6). This setup is very beneficial for foodies because it allows them to taste as many dishes as possible without breaking their wallets.

The flavors of Namnam are spot on. There's nothing too complicated nor too fancy in their dishes, yet each bite feels like a warm embrace from your lola who cooks your favorite sinigang during the rainy days; or a kiss from your mom who whips the most stunning piniritong manok to reward you for scoring 98% in your exam.

On the Fely J's table: the free kropek (YAS!), Sinigang na Boneless Bangus in Guava Broth, Lechon Kawali, and  Sisig Fried Rice.

The Fely J's dining experience could be summed up in one word: refined. From the restaurant interiors down to the execution of the dishes in their menu, you definitely get that polished feel. The food tastes exactly how you would've remembered it from your childhood, but with a hint of sophistication. 

Fely J's might be fancy, but Namnam hits it closer to home.

NAMNAM, Level 1, Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center Makati City.

FELY J'S, Level 2, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center Makati City.

Restaurant Review: The Bowery at Burgos Circle

Have you ever had that moment when you go out and look for something light to eat, and then end up ordering the heaviest dishes possible?

That's what happened during my visit at The Bowery at Burgos Circle.

I love the overall vibe of this place. It's chic yet unassuming. Their menu may be printed in the flimsiest pieces of blue paper ever, but it is definitely jam-packed with heavenly goodies.

Lobster Shrimp Truffle Mac and Cheese - cream cheese, sour cream, cracked black pepper, garlic, mozzarella, truffle oil

Their monsterized mac and cheese dish is incredibly incredibly absolutely positively delicious. Just writing about it now makes my mouth water. They didn't skimp on any of the ingredients: there's a guarantee that you would get pieces of lobster and shrimp every time you scoop that beautiful gooey mess; the flavor of the truffle oil is very distinct - meaning they didn't just add a minuscule drop of that liquid gold and then call it "a truffle dish"; and then there's cheese EVERYWHERE.

My only question is: why put this on the starters? It's a very filling dish (but lovely nonetheless).

The Bowery Bar Steak - hanger cut, bearnaise, french fries

For the entree, I went with a classic steak frites. The steak is cooked to a perfect medium well and is seasoned beautifully. The fries are served crispy, and the bearnaise sauce is just wonderful - great consistency, very flavorful yet it feels light.

The Bowery's Death by Chocolate Cake

The dessert DEFINITELY did not disappoint. Bowery's chocolate cake is so incredibly delicious that halfway through eating it, I began to suspect it might contain a dash of some illegal drug (spoiler alert: there's none, it's just deliriously delicious). Each layer has it's own distinct texture and flavor, yet when they all come together, they produce one glorious taste bud-shattering symphony in my mouth.

I couldn't recommend this highly enough.


I love the feeling of coming out of a restaurant with a sense that you got your money's worth. The Bowery has a simple concept yet they executed everything perfectly. And that, my friends, is how you do a restaurant.

Pros
Worth your money dishes
Simple, no-fuss menu
Very attentive servers
Lovely playlist (they were playing Passion Pit x Vampire Weekend during my visit)
Interior design is very chic

Cons
Hhhmmm...uuhhhmm...

Rating

THE BOWERY: Forbeswood Heights, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Restaurant Review: The Wholesome Table at Bonifacio High Street Central

I'm not a very healthy eater, let's be clear about that.

I'm a firm believer that everything that is deep fried is delicious. Heck, even the nastiest of vegetables could be enjoyable once you coat it in a batter and deep fry it.

But when I first heard of this new organic restaurant opening in BGC Central, I got super excited. It's about time for my body to ingest some dishes made with ingredients that are “antibiotic-free, nitrate-free, unprocessed, raw, fresh, organic, cold-pressed, and superfood”.

Unfortunately, I had to learn the not-so-delicious way that it would be better if I stick with the deep-fried stuff.

The bar - on display were tons of different organic juices.

First of all, the wait for our table was ridiculous. It took us a little over two hours just to get seated. We decided to get cocktails first at the nearby Beso Cucina Vinoteka to kill time. We've already gotten drunk, and then got sober again but still no table for us (I kid you not).

When we were finally seated, it has become clear to us why it took that long for a table: service was really really slow. Just one look at their open kitchen and you could see that the cooks were moving at a glacial pace. We could also see that tables left and right were cancelling orders because it took ages for one dish to come out of the kitchen.

Burrata - topped with grape tomatoes, fresh basil and drizzled with balsamic reduction.

Good thing we advance ordered our appetizers. I failed to take a photo of the Calamari because it was gone with just a blink of the eyes. It's actually really really bland, and not that crispy. But we were too hungry to care.

As for the burrata, there is nothing really special about it. The basil doesn't seem to be fresh, and the cheese could be creamier.

Salmon in Basil Cream Sauce - fresh salmon tossed in organic cherry tomato passato & creme fraiche
The Barcelona - pizza with tomato sauce, turkey chorizo, shitake mushrooms, roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella and Grana Padano.

And then we had to wait forever for our mains to arrive. And once they get in our table, we were swept with tides after tides of disappointment.

The Grass Fed Beef Burger (not pictured) is dry and under seasoned. The Baked Bacalao (also not pictured) has nothing commendable. The Salmon pasta dish is unbelievably bland, I thought for one second that they used canned salmon and then soaked the hell out of it in water to get rid of that "metal taste". I mean, fresh salmon should have that distinct salmon fishiness, amarite?

Meatloaf - homemade and served with creamy, organic mashed potatoes and topped with bacon mushroom gravy.

However, there were still several hits that night. The Barcelona pizza is delicious, and you can really smell the lovely aroma of the Grana Padano. The Chicken Dukkah Salad (not pictured), albeit over-priced, is filled with crunchy and delicious vegetables.

The true star of The Wholesome Table is the meatloaf. Despite all of its organic-ness, the dish proved to be well seasoned, perfectly cooked, and overall well executed. This is probably what The Wholesome Table wants to achieve: that organic and healthy food can also be delicious and exciting. Sadly, they failed to do that in most of their dishes.

Good thing I was with these lovely people that night. Otherwise, I would have set those fake trees on fire.

Pros
You're eating healthy. Yey.
I appreciate the concept behind it.

Cons
Super incredibly slow service
Flies inside the restaurant
More misses than hits
Overpriced food
Organic doesn't have to mean bland

Rating

THE WHOLESOME TABLE: 30th Street Corner 7th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street Cental, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Restaurant Review: Todd English Food Hall, SM Aura

This is it, I shall now talk about food :) :) :)

And what better way to kick things off other than a review of the first Celebrity Chef restaurant here in Manila: Todd English Food Hall.

I really like this restaurant because it has a wide range of cuisine. From dumplings to tacos to paella to sushi, they all have it here.

Tuna Tartar - marinated sushi grade tuna, crispy marmalade shrimp finished with scallion cream

The shrimp doesn't seem to be crispy, although it was tender. The tuna is very fresh, and the cucumber wrap just cools down your tongue after getting a kick of heat from the sauce.

Brooklyn Style Spaghetti Polpetini

Freshly made pasta! The sauce is seasoned beautifully, and the meatballs taste great!

T.E. Two Way Duck - Home made duck leg confit, sousvide duck breast, sweet potato puree, pickled red cabbage, duck demi & french beans

I personally prefer the confit over the sousvide. And the sweet potato puree has good taste and texture.

T.E. Pork Chop - 2 day brained double boned chops served with wilted greens & potato gratin & demi-glaze sauce.

This thing is huge! Despite the size, the meat is still tender. Order this cause it's definitely worth your money.

T.E. Clam Bake - fresh clams & mussels in saffron broth with corn, potato and crusty bread.

I'm not much of a clam guy but I like the clean taste of the broth. However, the true star of this dish is the corn cobb! Hahaha! It is sweet and very juicy, I enjoyed munching on it.

Crab fried rice (bottom part of the picture)

This is just okay, I had better crab fried rice before. I ended up squeezing way more lemon on it, just so it would have some flavor.

O.M.G. Cake (sorry for the terrible photo)

This is crazy, unbelievably good! I love it when my dessert is a combination of warm and cold components. This is probably the only item in their dessert menu that matters.

House wine

I forgot to ask our server the specifics of this wine. The house red has bold taste, and is affordable!

Meet my partners-in-pigging out. 

Pros:
Extensive menu
Quality ingredients used in every dish
Attentive and courteous servers

Cons:
Long wait for a table
Flies inside the restaurant
Dessert menu could use a little enhancement

Rating:

TODD ENGLISH FOOD HALL 5th Floor, SM Aura Premiere, C5 Road Corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.