An imposing and elegant dining area. Floor-to-ceiling arch windows. Great ambient light. Polite,…read moreeager-beaver staff. My list of reasons why I love Chateau 1771 goes on and on. Despite the name of the place, they are not exclusively serving French food. They have pasta, steaks, and seafood. If anything, Chateau 1771 is a modern European restaurant serving favorite French, Italian, and Swiss food. When I first visited the place years ago, I was actually anxious about that moment when the waiter would hand me the check. European dining in the Philippines has always been equated with expensive fine-dining. But to my astonishment, the price was actually reasonable. I mean, it's not affordable and one would be crazy or filthy rich to eat in this kind of place every day. But for special occasions, I would recommend this place. My most recent visit was during my wife's birthday. It was a table for two and we had a late lunch. After a few moments of browsing through the menu, she asked for Croquette Salad, while I went for Butter-baked Oysters. For main, she had Vanilla Brick Spring Chicken, or grilled chicken served with vanilla bean dots. I ordered the Potence, the house specialty. It's basically steak where the meat is served hanging from a potence, or metal frame, and then set alight (by the waiter) with brandy. Their Pomelo Fruit Juice is a must try. I would recommend having a reservation when dining at Chateau 1771. While the place typically fills up during dinner, I find it perfect for a late afternoon hangout. The ambience can truly transport you somewhere in Europe.

Every time I come to this place, I'm already too full to eat and I'm just in the food for a cold…read moredrink or hot coffee and sometimes their dessert. You know how other shops have fresh fruit shakes but when you drink it it just tastes like sugar? Well, Chateau 1771's shakes are fresh, cold and it's the actual fruit. Oh, their flambeed coffees are amazing. Try their Irish coffee. You'll want more. For dessert, it doesn't matter whether you order a Creme Brulee or a Coffee Bean Sansrival. All of their desserts are excellent.

Sala is Makati's old guard. A well-heeled institution of a restaurant that has seen lesser…read morepretenders come and go, Sala is one of the restaurants that deserves its storied reputation. Okay, I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to try this restaurant out anytime soon, as it literally takes a small fortune to eat here. I was lucky, however, that my boss treated the team out to dinner at Sala. I did have a minor heart attack upon seeing the menu, but it does look inviting. I had an order of Lamb Cutlets, which was cooked to perfection. The dessert was absolutely divine as well. I'd love to come back here someday, preferably with a hot date. Need to pull out a mortgage first.

I'm not sure why I never cared to ask what the"free" and tiny hors d'œuvre is officially called,…read morebut it seems that everyone I know who's experienced it absolutely loved it!

Blackbird at the Nielson Tower is an excellent choice for fun and adventurous dining…read more Ambience is casual with a touch of elegance. Food options appear to be Western with an Asian touch which challenges the taste buds. The Gochujang Grilled Octopus and Crispy Squash Flowers are perfect examples of this Eurasian combinations. Twice Cooked Short ribs was our clear favorite because of the cilantro and sauce flavor pop when eaten with plain rice and salty beef for a flavor contrast. Elements of the dishes must be eaten together to capture the true essence of the dish. Dessert flavor combinations were unique, such as the Baked Alaska which is expected to be western but the ice cream flavors were surprisingly Asian with the mango and passionfruit sauce, yummy! Friendly staff and service was very attentive. Table bussed clean and wine always flowing.

Love this place. Always a great experience while in Manila. The menu is vast but overwhelming, the…read morefood is quality and delicious, and the service is always top tier. I love sitting outside when it's not too hot. I also highly suggest the gnocchi and the homemade cream for dessert.

There are places that are worth going to even if they're totally out of the way or tucked in the…read moremiddle of nowhere. For me, one such place is the Dutch Bread Hauz. This quaint shop is first and foremost a bakery but they also offer meals, coffee, and snacks on the side. The smell of chocolate and bread in the oven wafting from the kitchen greet customers the moment they step inside this bread house. On the counter you will see various types of dinner rolls, croissants, buns, and breads. Although they serve familiar dishes, like lechon kawali with rice and chicken shawarma, I chose to try Dutch specialty snacks which -- according to the staff -- were made using traditional means from the Netherlands. I was a bit adventurous so I got Berehap (slices of meat ball and onion on a stick served with peanut sauce) and Bitterballen (small meat-based balls served with mustard, a favorite snack from Holland). My wife was hungry this time and she was not in the mood to try products she can't pronounce so she decided to have parma ham and cheese sandwich. The attendant asked her to choose the type of bread for the sandwich and she picked spelt, a type of bread made from hulled or dinkel wheat that's popular in Europe. Of course, both of us had coffee. I was glad that we decided to drop by this place because the coffee was good as expected from Lavazza and the food was different but surprisingly savory. The spelt bread was tough and heavy so I don't think anyone could finish one order of sandwich using this bread. I liked my order of Berehap. The sausage was a bit salty when eaten on its own but a bite of the sweet onion and a dab of the peanut sauce neutralizes the saltiness. My wife liked the Bitterballen dipped in mustard. She said it was similar to croquettes because it's crunchy on the outside but a bit gooey on the inside. The place is clean, well-maintained, and generally peaceful so I think this is an ideal place for a meeting. It's also worth noting that their restroom faucet comes with hot or cold water. Parking can be a problem but if you do not mind walking for one or two kilometers, you can park your car at Power Plant Mall and just walk your way to Dutch Bread Hauz.

I don't know why, but I immediately relegated this restaurant to the "I'm not even gonna bother"…read morelist without even having tried it. Despite my love of beef, the name "House of Wagyu" didn't exactly sound very enticing; in fact I thought it was corny and a likely indictment against its quality. Fortunately, I was wrong. Booked to eat there for a meeting, I was curious whether they even had real wagyu, as opposed to those tiny chunks sold at other restaurants. I saw their freezer and salivated. Their grade 8 and 9 steaks looked delicious, though the dimly lit interiors may have contributed to that. On the slate, all my doubts were proved wrong. 200g is more than enough for one person, as the rich, buttery flavor of the meat can be overwhelming in large quantities. cooking the steaks to your liking on their imported stones was fun though a bit dangerous--make sure to wear the bib if you don't want to get oil burns. The appetizers were slightly disappointing, but the steak was definitely worth it.

Great selection of desserts to grab on the go. Clean interior and friendly service as well. It's a…read morebit pricey, but well worth it for the quality. A great spot to try out!

I have been going to this Bizu for numerous years. It was always my go to place for macarons and…read morecappuccino. I never realized that they had an Afternoon Tea from 3pm to 6pm. Of course, I had to go there for their afternoon tea. I believe that it is a really good deal. The following is included for 995 Pesos: Canapés Petit Croque Monsieur Smoked Salmon Tartare Roast Herb Chicken on Crostini Shrimp and Mango Croute Watermelon and Feta Chorizo Croquette Earl Grey Scones Clotted Cream and Dark Cherry Jam Chocolate Truffles Opera Gateaux Macaron de Paris Served with your choice of loose leaf tea The Afternoon Tea is perfect for sharing. You receive 2 of each item. The only difference is that you will receive 2 different chocolate truffles and macarons de Paris. If you like cheese, then you will definitely like their Croque Monsieur. It is my favorite sandwich, and this is one of the best places that make it.

Excuse me while I try to recall all the fantastic dishes I had at a wine-dominated dinner at…read moreAllium. There was a basket of bread on the table that turned out to be some kind of chorizo roll; heavenly. If it wasn't sacrilege to overlook my lobster and uni starter, which was also delicious, I might have finished all of it! But a lobster bisque came as well and I moved on from my chorizo obsession, though I would suggest others order this last while they enjoy some wine. Our main course was a plate of Blackmore Wagyu, which was just my style. As a carnivore, I am overjoyed when the meat can speak for itself - no need for gravies, just a pinch of salt. The Blackmore Wagyu was just divine; thank you, cow, for that wonderful meal. Desserts were the recreated Laiskonis Egg, which the chef first encountered in New York and simply remade here; close to original, I've heard. The Valrhona with caramel cake that followed was huge and everyone on the table got a taste of the rich and indulgent chocolate. Allium is an intimate and posh spot to have great dinner with wine. It's one of the three restaurants in the city to have a Josper grill, which is an awesome kitchen piece that treats your steak right. Only Makati Shangrila's Sage and Solaire's Strip have the other two Josper grills in town, as of this writing. I had absolutely no problem with the food. They were prepared with care and style, but didn't compromise simple flavors that complemented each other on a plate. Everything about it was subtle and refined; no fancy in-your-face techniques that stole the experience of enjoying a quiet dinner with friends and loved ones.

Chef Mark Tan is definitely one of the most underrated chefs in Manila. A total food geek (that's a…read moregood thing!), you can see how much he knows about food through his techniques and use of premium ingredients. And that complimentary chorizo and cheese bread--oh my goodness, this stuff is gold! A bread made with cassava flour, chorizo from Pamplona, and parmigiano reggiano, it's slightly chewy yet light as air. The four course Market Menu at Allium (P1950) is a total steal, given the quality ingredients and hefty entree. Looking forward to all the surprises Chef Mark Tan has in store!

Food was just okay. Tapenade (ground floor) is so much better. The coffee, though, is pretty good…read more (Hence 2 stars) Service was god awful. I will note that we were a party of 9, but the only ones dining at the entire restaurant! Not only did the wait staff get our order wrong, she was adamantly insisting that we were wrong (stressed it at least 3 times) without any apology or remorse or offered consideration or compromise. When we got the bill, they said that our room "specifically" (ouch) was not allowed to charge to the room and when we asked where that came from the staff said she "confirmed twice with the front desk" (to rub it in) and yet when we went down to speak with the front desk, they apologized for that experience even when they claimed that no such call or order was made. While it seems like they are pointing fingers, I always had a pleasurable experience with the front desk and would like to think that the Flame restaurant staff just offers terrible dining service. Very sad considering the caliber of the hotel.

My husband and friends wanted a nice steakhouse to celebrate my friend's birthday for our last…read morenight in Manila. The restaurant is located on the 16th floor of Discovery Primea hotel. The views are wonderful during the day and the night. There's also indoor and outdoor seating available. My friend decided to choose this spot since we saw that they had oysters, foie gras, and all that good stuff. For appetizers, we ordered Steak Fries, Crispy Salmon, Duck Gyoza, XO Oysters, and Grilled Bone Marrow. My husband and I didn't care too much for the fries and crispy salmon, but we definitely enjoyed the duck gyoza, grilled oysters, and the bone marrow. I really wanted to try the scallop ceviche and snapper crudo, but we were hesitant on trying anything raw since we we're from out of the country. For our entree, my husband and I shared an Excel Ribeye from Colorado topped with seared foie gras accompanied with a green peppercorn and brandy sauce. We enjoyed our delicious steak with the foie gras, but we didn't really care for the green peppercorn sauce. My friend and her fiance ordered the Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass and the Prime Tenderloin. We ordered our steaks with a side of Truffle Cream Mac N Cheese and Pan Roast Mushrooms. Both sides were fantastic. So good! We had leftovers and had the 3 items again for breakfast, and they were still amazing! The mushrooms were especially my fave - that sauce? Mmm, chef's kiss. Now, onto our desserts. My husband and I ordered the Panna Cotta, while our friends ordered the Pineapple Consomme and the Miso Cheesecake. All the desserts were beautifully made. They were literal works of art. The panna cotta didn't feel like a panna cotta to us - not sure how we would describe it since the white part of the dessert had a firmer texture than the orange part. The pineapple consomme was very different. It was cut up pieces of fruit, with some kinda of pineapple juice or sauce poured over it. Similar to a fancy fruit platter. However, the miso cheesecake was definitely the crowd favorite. Loved it. Overall, I would definitely recommed this spot if you're craving some kind of steak. The service and quality of everything was immaculate. Super glad my friend chose this spot!

I started writing this review during dinner because I was very upset by the manner in which the…read morerestaurant manager spoke to us. My husband and I came in for our wedding anniversary, and after being served a dish (truffle risotto), one of ours was hard and the others was soft. I felt that my dish (the hard risotto) was slightly undercooked. The restaurant manager went back and tasted the dish and told me that that is how they serve it and that it was my fault that I did not bring it up as soon as I tasted the dish, if I wanted it cooked more. It was said in the most crass and rude manner, something you would not expect at a high end restaurant. Plus, let's then talk about the inconsistency of my husband's same dish..!!?? In the end, they did remove the risotto from the bill, but the rude manner was unnecessary and put a damper on the rest of the night for our anniversary. It was a strange experience as we have been here before and the service was impeccable. This manager was just plain rude and does not treat his customers with respect. I would say that the restaurant served great food, overall, and that they took the right measures in removing the dish from our bill, but the interaction with customers is terrible and ruined our night. Thus 3 stars..!

I vividly remember being at City of Dreams (COD) Manila when their Pangaea lounge opened its doors…read more A good friend of mine happened to know one of the managers at COD, and we stepped out of the lounge to be given a tour of the place. The complex was really new at that time, so the manager gave us a sign of things to come. As we walked by the lobby of the Crown Towers hotel, she mentioned that The Tasting Room will be coming to Manila and be the degustation restaurant of Crown. My eyes just lit up. I had my sights set on trying the place just like a crazy pyscho girlfriend had eyes on her man who she sees texting another female. So alas, it opened, and I headed there with the some of the best company possible for my birthday dinner. The wait was worth it, and we weren't disappointed. Some highlights of the dining experience: It was absolutely so cool how they had flat screen TVs that had a live stream of the kitchen. You could see the kitchen staff diligently working on the next course. It's also nice how you can "mix and match" and get creative with your degustation menu. Yes, a customized degustation menu, so there won't be a course that you'll be "forced" to take in. My favorite feature of the Tasting Room is how literally miniscule ingredients are included to totally make a seemingly traditional dish more interesting. The duck lover terrine had an "oyster leaf." Our table broke out in light laughter when we were told that the dish indeed had such ingredients. Soon, laughter turned into perplexed amazement. The darn tiny leaf indeed tasted like an oyster! Then, the dry aged Wagyu (grade 6) beef had something called chlorophyll sauce that put a nice twist to the degustation main classic (and also took me back to 2nd grade science class). As for the service, it was second to none. The overall Tasting Room experience was nothing short of wonderful. They even end you off with a printed, rolled up, and ribboned up copy of your meal courses, signed by the chef!

Balkan is a newly, revamped, relaunch place in Legaspi. They started from humble beginnings from a…read moresmall resto in San Juan that serves their local dishes to a newly converted restaurant and bar. We had an opportunity to be invited to their launch and we were served platters of cold cuts, some kebabs and dip. Roasted whole lamb, and plejskavica. The roasted lamb was soft and tender. It easily tears apart that was well seasoned. It was just too seasoned on the skin part, but then again, it was really good. No sauce pr anything, just plain ole' lamb. Plejskavica, is still nice, juicy, burger stuffed with cheese, like what I had back in their San Juan branch. The taste and quality is still the same. It was a perfect beer match. I like how Balkan transformed from a hole in the wall restaurant to an upscale bar and restaurant that caters to lunch-dinner crowds to the after dinner market. #TheFoodCrawlers #OngsFoodprints #TheLostDiego

Tucked into the quiet side of Legaspi Village, Balkan along Perea St. is one of those restaurants…read morethat you never knew existed until someone mentions it, and you have absolutely no idea what they might possibly have there. I'd never heard of Yugoslavian cuisine before I first ate at Balkan, but one taste was enough to keep me coming back at least once every two months for a full year. My wife and I only ever eat 2 dishes when we're at Balkan: their famous Serbian stuffed burger, which is essentially a beef patty folded over cheese and grilled 'til the stuffing melts, and their stuffed chicken batak, deboned chicken thighs stuffed with smoked salami, mushrooms, and cheese. I didn't realize that cheese was such a big hit in traditional cooking in that part of Europe, although a wild guess of mine is that it was a later addition. Whatever the case, Perea St. and the whole of Makati is grateful for it.