Legendary Lolo Dad's

When I was young, my idea of fine dining was based on stories my cousin told me about Lolo Dad's.  

He said that every time he wanted to impress a girl, he would bring her to Lolo Dad's even if it would cost him an arm and a leg because the revered Manila restaurant was in a class by itself, offering exquisite food, excellent service, and the perfect ambiance.

Open Kitchen

Since then, I've always wondered what it was like to have dinner at Lolo Dad's and it sadly took a million  years for me to know the answer.   

Complimentary Bread

and Butter

The bread was not even warm.

Double Espresso of Tomato and Mushroom Soup

We were given complimentary shots of  two of the most famous soups of Lolo Dad's. Both were flavorful and interesting, but I loved the tomato more.

Gratinated White Onion Soup (340php)

Not the best version I've tried. It was salty and didn't have the sweetness I was looking for.

Oyster with Foie Gras (145php)

The foie certainly made this a winning appetizer but I wished for a fresher oyster.

Raspberry Sorbet

Before the entree, this was served to cleanse the palate.

Halibut with Sauteed Prawns (990php)

The fish and shrimps were perfectly cooked and seasoned well. I also enjoyed the truffle flavored pasta and potato cake that accompanied the proteins. 

My very thoughtful friends surprised me with this chiffon cake since it was my birthday. This Lolo Dad's chiffon cake was fluffy with the right amount of sweetness. Delicious!

Here are the dishes my friends ordered: 

Degustation Plate 1 (2,800php)

Degustation Plate 2 

Degustation Dessert 1

Degustation Dessert 2

Pork Belly Cooked in Sage Fat, Apple Tart, Herb Jus (965php)

Grilled Halibut and Baby Lobster (1,190php)

Herb de Provence Crusted Rack of Lamb (1,340php)

Steamed Chilean Sea Bass (1,380php)

Roasted Beef Tenderloin (1,390php)

Sadly, we were all underwhelmed by the food at Lolo Dad's. The servers also lacked the finesse that one expects from a fine dining restaurant. 

I hate to say it but Lolo Dad's is past its prime.  

Lolo Dad's is located at 899 President Quirino Avenue, cor. Leon Guinto Street, Malate, Manila. For more information, call 2522294 or click here.

Arrive Late for Borough

Since the inspiration of Borough  is the city that never sleeps (New York), it is just fitting that the restaurant is open 24 hours.











I badly wanted to love the food here but sadly, the food didn’t love me back.

French Onion Soup (200php)

I’ve had my share of interesting French Onion Soup concoctions, but this one takes the cake. So salty that it is indigestible. Tastes likes soy sauce and it shows with the very dark shade of the stock. I can’t believe they allowed this to be served.



French Onion Soup Part Two

I had the disastrous soup returned and the second attempt is not as salty because it has NO flavor. I gave up after a few sips and concluded that Borough is incapable of making French Onion soup.

Chips N Dip (110php)

Nice and crispy because chips are made from real potatoes. Would have appreciated it however, if the server informed us that most of our orders have chips on the side. Chips overload!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (220php)

The sandwich is thankfully a winner. Pork is tender with the right amount of tangy sauce for the needed kick. Huge portion makes this good for sharing.

Cheesy Portobello Pita (230php)

Not a fan of mushrooms in general. Three words that came to mind while eating this: Interesting, Sinful, Fried

Spaghetti Carbonara (330php)

I appreciate the subdued flavors but those who love their carbonara rich and creamy will be sorely disappointed.

With its respectable location, go to Borough for a nightcap when food expectations are at an all time low.

Borough is located at the G/F The Podium ADB Avenue Ortigas Center. Mandaluyong City. For more information, contact 5708906.

All Time Low at Don Henrico's

Don Henrico’s is my family's favorite restaurant back in the day. It’s been a long time since we've last eaten there so I decided to have food delivered by Don Henrico's during my birthday . I now regret the trip down memory lane as Don Henrico’s proved that there are things from the past that should stay in the past.

I hate to be negative but everything we had was oh-so-bad. Bear me with folks as this will be the last negative entry in a while.

Let’s start the train wreck:



French Onion Soup (75php)

The texture was more of a mushroom soup than an onion soup. I knew this wouldn't turn out delicious but I just had to try it.

Petite Mozzrella Sticks (175php)  

An appetizer that was so heavy because it had too much breading. How can this be petite?



Dip Nachos (180php)

A complimentary item which was at least decent. Crispy nachos which I’m sure Don Henrico’s just sourced from somewhere.

Don Henrico’s Buffalo Wings (7 pieces for 720php)

Classic dish that I LOVED when I was a kid. Sadly, Don Henrico’s scrimped on the tangy sauce this time. It was also very dry and Nina noted that the oil used for frying the wings tasted old. Yuck.

Classic Carbonara (420php for sharing)

Not classic at all as the carbona had peas and carrots. Pelgene Parkus was not feeling this. One would think that a pasta place would at least make a decent version of a simple dish.

Oven Baked Ribs (360php for Double)

I immediately knew that the ribs were going to be bad the moment I laid my eyes on it. It was hard as rock and the sauce was very sweet. The flavors of the sauce were nowhere near what’s expected of a ribs sauce. To make matters worse, the sidings of sweet corn and carrots were dried out and gross looking.

Basic Cheese Pizza (420php for 14 inches)  

My siblings know their cheese pizza and this left them unimpressed.

Don Henrico’s Supreme Pizza (540php for 14 inches)  

 The best compliment this pizza got was that it was ok.

When asked to comment on the meal, Barney said: ‘Wala akong nakain na masarap!”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Don Henricos’s has branches all over the metro. I f you dare, visit http://www.donhenricos.net/ for more details.

Family Time at Tender Bob’s

My brother Pelgene Parkus loves carbonara so it's a must to choose a restaurant that serves carbonara whenever we eat out with him. Tender Bob’s was the first restaurant we saw in Promenade that had carbonara in their menu so it was there that we had lunch.

While we were immediately ushered to an available table, the wait time for the food was just too long.

Even the free chips didn't make the wait less agonizing.

chips > bread

We had to wait a good 20 minutes just for the soup to arrive and another 10 minutes for the main course to be served.

Mushroom Soup (105php)

Looks unappetizing but this was made from real mushrooms. Good!

French Onion Soup (110php)

They had a decent version of my all time favorite soup. Not bad at all.

Carbonara for Sharing (410php)

Definitely a kid’s delight. It delivered on what’s expected as Pelgene Parkus had no complaints. As an adult, I found this ok. Nothing wrong about it but nothing great either.

Original Chicken Tenders (220php)

I appreciate that the chicken was fresh and the portions were generous. This was made delicious by the honey dijon mustard dip.

Salmon Head (205php)

I know it’s not smart to order seafood in a restaurant that specializes in beef but I was pleasantly surprised with the freshness of the salmon. The teriyaki sauce also blended perfectly with the fish. The B.O.M.B. which was the siding of my choice was unfortunately just so-so this time.



Vanilla Milkshake (120php)

 Pelgene Parkus gulped this easily.

If you have the patience to wait, Tender Bob’s is a good choice for families to dine as their food are sure kid-pleasers.

Tender Bob’s is located at Unit 6 Phase I Lower Level Promenade GSC Ortigas, Greenhills, San Juan. Contact them at 7262328. Other branches include: Shangrila- Plaza.

Chateau Hestia Wonderland

My friends and I celebrated 10 years of friendship in Tagaytay. See what we were up to. This is the last of 3 parts.

Before leaving Tagaytay, my friends and I made sure to have lunch in a Tagaytay restaurant that we’ve all not tried before. We ended up at Chateau Hestia, a European insprired restaurant.

I love the overall look of this garden restaurant.

Entrance to Chateau Hestia



Chateau Hestia is also a bed & breakfast. Here's a model unit.

Dining Area

On to the food...

Complimentary Bread Basket

Loved the variety of bread.

Hestia’s Onion Soup (120php)

Good version though I wish that this was presented more appetizingly.

Forest Mushroom Soup (130php)

Certainly better than the canned variety.



Alt Wiener Erdapfel Suppe or Potato Soup (125php)

 My favorite soup among the three. Rich in potato flavor.

Pasta di Mare or Scallops and Prawns in Pomodoro Sauce (320php)

My favorite dish at Chateau Hestia. Has to be because of the sauce’s strong garlicky taste.

Say Cheese (540php for 12 inches)

My friends loved this cheese pizza but this just tasted ok for me. Probably because I had a cheese overload before going to Tagaytay.

Wiener Schnitzel or Pork Schnitzel Vienna-Style (380php)

This is supposedly a famous Viennese dish of pan-fried and thinly-sliced pork cutlet. This, however, was a disappointment as it just reminded me of liempo. The bread also had the consistency of a fruitcake. Not what I expected from a house specialty.

Osso Buco Milanese (480php)

The beef was at least soft but the flavors of this osso buco was bland. Enjoyed eating the mashed potato more than the osso buco.

Sausage Platter of Debriziner, Austrian Buren,
 and Bockwurst with cheese (430php)

I only liked the Austrian Buren as the other two tasted like commercial sausages that I could easily get from the supermarket. (think of the Purefoods and Swift variety) Needless to say, Santi’s sausages are far superior than Chateau Hestia’s.

Chateau Hestia is known for its Limoncello so we had to order it. It was the perfect way to cap a 10 year anniversary weekend.



Limoncello (750php per bottle)

 While this looks harmless, the Limoncello was certainly no mild drink as some friends (who will not be named) reeled from too much “celebration.” 25% alcohol content if I’m not mistaken. Tastes only a hint of lemon as the strong alcohol flavor dominated every shot.

Though the food didn’t wow us, we have no regrets in choosing Chateau Hestia to cap our Tagaytay weekend as the Limoncello made us forget about any negative thoughts we had with the place. Chateau Hestia is a place where visiting it once is enough. Good to try but I don’t think I’ll ever be back.

Chateau Hestia Garden Restaurant is located at Purok 5, Brgy. Bukal, Silang, Cavite, Philippines 4118. For more information, visit http://www.chateauhestia.com/