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.

Rib Nights at Texas Joe's

I was in Subic last Labor Day Weekend. See what I was up to! This is the last of 3 parts.

Texas Joe’s is a new restaurant in Subic creating a lot of buzz. It’s an authentic American smokehouse which prides itself on having the best pit-smoked pulled pork, sticky ribs, and tender briskets in town. It also has a bar, aptly named TJ’s Salon, making it ideal for a night of drinking and unwinding. A pool table and flat screen TVs greet patrons upon entry to the joint.

 

Texas Joe’s, however, is also appropriate for families with its big servings, kid-friendly menu, and welcoming servers. Kids are also given a set of crayons to keep them distracted while waiting for their food to arrive!

Since we were still full from our late lunch that day, we decided to order light and just had chicken wings and the house specialty, ribs.

Complimentary corn bread was served while waiting for our orders. This is a welcome break from the usual bread baskets we are accustomed to.

Texas Tornado Wings with Carolina Honey Sauce (239php)

  Good. It has a woody, smoky taste and the wings were succulent and well-marinated. Only gripe is that a non-wing portion found its way to our table. They probably ran out of wings.

Joes Spareribs (549php)

We went for the large order (5 bone) which is good for two hungry people. Texas Joe’s ribs are imported from Brazil and it showed since the ribs were very meaty while still maintaining its tenderness. The ribs were also pretty tasty, consistent with the restaurant’s philosophy to only use aged hickory wood in the cooking process.

The ribs didn’t really need additional flavor but it was interesting to experiment with the different rib sauces available. They have Texas Joe’s Original Barbeque Sauce for a tangy flavor, Sweet Carolina Sauce for those who prefer their ribs extra sweet, and Habanero Hot Sauce for a spicy kick. I personally enjoyed eating the ribs best with the Sweet Carolina sauce but others in our table begged to differ. Best to try it yourself and decide.

While I can’t say that Texas Joe’s spareribs were the best I’ve eaten, they do offer a superior version of this old time favorite. On my next visit to Subic, I will drop by this restaurant again to try their other specialties.

Texas Joe’s is located at Bldg. MC12, Waterfront Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales. Visit http://www.texasjoes.com/ for more information.