Chef's Table: Where Service Trumps Food

It's sad when I remember a restaurant more for its outstanding service than for the food I ate. This is the case with Chef's Table.

Let's get the rice orders out of the way as these were all bland and lacked flavor.

Bagoong Rice

Aligue Rice

Tinapa Rice

The dishes thankfully fared better...

Crab Cakes (370php)

Authentic crab taste though this was hard to eat as each piece broke easily.

Reversed Sotanghon Soup (150php)

Oily but was able to capture the essence of a classic French Onion soup

Calamansi Tuyo Spaghetti (210php)

An interesting mix that worked. I enjoyed the contrasting flavors.

Corned Pork (380php)

A full meal because this dish includes an order of rice and vegetables. Dry and nothing special though.

Kalderatang Lamb (510php)

Loved this! Lamb had a clean taste. Sauce was rich and tasted authentic enough.

Kadios (480php)

Boiled bland mess. Tender but no flavors whatsoever.

Chill-A-Fino (550php)

Fish was perfectly cooked and the clever use of silky purple yam brought the dish to new heights. My favorite  of the night.

As you can see, we actually had more hits than misses at Chef's Table. however, it can't be helped that I feel that the attentive and warm service of the wait staff has overshadowed the unique creations that the chef serves.

Chef’s Table is located at 106 Infinity Tower 26th St. Fort Bonifacio Global City Taguig. For more information, click here.

In Memoriam: Celsius Gastrolounge

I learned from Lian that Celsius Gastrolounge has already closed shop!

It reminded me of the dinner I had with friends during Wamie’s bridal shower weekend.

In memory of Celsius Gastrolounge, I'll share pictures of some of their food creations.

Complimentary Bread

Roti Canai

Oyster Motoyaki

Celsius Baboy

Seafood Grill Platter

Chorizo and Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Frozen Star Anise Souffle with Banana Fritters and Vanilla Sauce

A LITTLE TRIVIA: Soon taking over Celsius Gastrolounge's site is Berting's Grill! 

Celsius Gastrolounge was located at 67 Sct. Rallos St. Cor. Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Cerchio: When Ambiance Isn't Enough

I got a message from Romulo Café that they are launching a new restaurant called Cerchio in the same Tomas Morato neighborhood. My friends and I tried it one random night.

Similar to Romulo Café, Cerchio looks stylish and hip. Nice place for cocktails and drinks. There were a lot of families and oldies when we dined there though.

On with the food...

Pumpkin Malunggay Soup (90php)

Tasted more of the malunggay than pumpkin. A very healthy soup!

Crispy Squid Head (180php) 

Not close to being delicious but I found myself munching on this the entire dinner. Must be because it was so crispy!

Bourbon Ribs (590php)

My friends’ favorite dish at Cerchio but I was apathetic to this since I also ate ribs for lunch that day. Ribs overload much?

Crispy Beef Tadyang (490php)

Dry and bland when eaten on its own. Once dipped in sauce, this tadyang becomes awesome.

Margarita Pizza (220php)

Regret of the night: Not noticing that sisig pizza was on the menu since our pizza was oh-so-bland. The sisig pizza for sure at least would have been interesting.

Since we visited Cerchio during its soft opening, I'm willing to give this restaurant the benefit of the doubt. Their food should get better as their chefs gain more experience. Otherwise, what a waste of time!

Cerchio is located at 76 Sct. Limbaga, Tomas Morato, Quezon City. For more details, call 3550998 or 3515279.

Good Times at Pino

We were supposed to eat at Van Gogh is Bipolar but it wasn’t meant to be no thanks to the Van Gogh owner who was in Europe. Upon the suggestion of Lian, we decided to just eat at another Teacher’s Village establishment, Pino.

The wall illustrations capture Pino’s transfer from Maginhawa to Malingap. The restaurant exudes a hip vibe true to its yuppie market.

Pino offers Filipino fusion food as well as a decent selection of vegetarian dishes.

Taro Chips (60php) for appetizers

Crunchy with the right amount of salt. Perfect when dipped in the garlic-mayo sauce.

Tempura Oysters and Pearls (165php)

Good deal considering the number of oysters. Kudos to Pino for being experimental but this didn’t work. The breading was soggy and the soy sauce didn’t fit the overall taste. What I especially hated is the wasabi aftertaste this had.

Crispy Hito (365php)

My favorite! The hito was fresh and was perfect when dipped with the soy sauce. The ensalada also made this dish interesting.

Kare-kareng Bagnet (245php)

The kare-kare sauce was good but the bagnet was salty and not as crispy as it should have been. I still enjoyed this dish though because of the bagoong rice it was paired with.

Gambas & Squid Aligue Pasta (165php)

Not worth the calories and cholesterol as the pasta tasted like it was swimming in butter and not aligue.

Mango Banana Peanut Butter Roll

Dessert was burnt and dry. Barf.

Dinner at Pino isn’t complete without a few drinks as the flavored beers made Pino the popular hangout place that it is.

Watermelon Beer (75php)

Pino’s concoction is able to mask the general bitterness of the beer while still managing to preserve its soul. An excellent way to introduce beer to non-drinkers.

Margarita (120php)

Not my alcohol of choice but this certainly looked inviting.

If you want to have a good time and indulge in the novelty of flavored beer, Pino is the place for you.

Pino Resto Bar is located at 39 Malingap, Teachers Village Q.C. Call them at 4411773. For more details, pls. visit pinorestobar.com.