I asked fam to bring me to a new eatery and this was recommended. But they were honest: none of them have been here yet, so it was a good opp to finally try it.
And that's how we ended up here!
This restaurant is located in a hotel, but it's located right up front as you pull up. Party of 6, we were seated immediately since we came through at the opening hour. We were given cold water as well as the menus immediately. It was family style, so it took a bit of time to decide what to get. (Their menu was extensive, by the way, and if I had it my way, I probably would have ended up over-ordering!) But eventually, hangerism kicked in which sped up making up our minds!
CRISPY CALAMARES: Fresh out the frying pan delicious. The batter was thin and seasoned so well. BUT! It was overall disappointing. For 269Php, we literally got 6 fried pieces - it looked nothing like the plate they portrayed on the menu (see attached photos.) It was so embarrassing to my party that I had to put it another order just to make sure everyone got a taste. So as yummy as this was, it is SOOOOO not worth it. Not recommending.
BAGOONG FRIED RICE: This was above decent. I believe they used the sauteed kind so there was that familiar taste of sweet and savory, but neither were overwhelming. It surprisingly went well with all the dishes we ordered. I liked it.
BRAISED BEEF BROCCOLI WITH HOISIN SAUCE: The beef was very tender and the broccoli did a good job neutralizing the richness of the sauce. I didn't have more than one bite as (like I already mentioned) the sauce was way too rich for my taste. The rest of my party really liked it, so they at least scored on that aspect.
CRAB AND CORN SOUP: Average at best. The corn's flavor came in a bit strong so it overpowered pretty much everything else. I struggled searching for any essence of the crab. But I'll be honest: I'm not really a fan of corn to begin with, so this is gonna be a hard pass should there be a next time.
POQUI-POQUI: Ah, this one they got RIGHT! Their own version of an eggplant salad. The ingredients are simple: grilled eggplant, tomatoes and onion, then added a red egg and their home made bagoong. Mix it all together and yum! There are no sidekicks here, each part stood on their own. I almost ordered another to take home! This was a perfect palate cleanser. Highly recommending!
CRISPY LECHON KAWALI: Lightly salted and fried crispy. The sarsa/dip was pretty good. But like the calamares, we got very little for the price. I'd skip this as well: it's delicious, but also not worth it.
SIZZLING BANGUS: This I would recommend. The fish's flavor really came out despite all the ingredients. It was seasoned well and didn't need any additions. This I would also recommend.
I have to mention that everything we ordered were made to order.
FOOD: 4.
SERVICE: 3. Average at best. The one thing I have to criticize is that the food did not come out in the order it should have, but all good regardless. Although staff were friendly, there was little interaction.
VALUE: 2. I felt the portions are small for what they charge.
PARKING: Private lot. Plenty of spots. Not an issue.
OVERALL: 3.
I'd definitely come back for the eggplant salad and maybe try other things besides what I've already had. I'll just have to make a mental note about the small portions. read more