Food Reviews Archives | Mommy Plannerista

Wholly Grain Sorghum: A Healthier Rice Alternative

September 22, 2017 · 14 Comments

Rice is a staple food here in the Philippines. At our home, almost every meal has rice. But did you know that although rice has it’s benefits, there’s actually a better alternative? That alternative is called Sorghum. I recently learned about this grain when I was approached to review Wholly Grain Sorghum.

What is Sorghum?

Here are some facts about this superfood.

Sorghum is an ancient grain that originated from the north-eastern part of Africa around 5,000 to 8,000 years ago. Its secondary origin
is from India, which had evidence of cultivation dating back to about 4,500 years.
Sorghum is part of the top five cereal grains being produced around Asia, Africa, and Central America.
This grain has been used in many traditional foods such as breads, couscous, porridge, and snacks.
There are several types of Sorghum grains, and the kind usually consumed is the sweet white Sorghum, which is often used as a sweetener.
These grains are not only natural, but are also environmentally sustainable.
Sorghum requires only about a 60th the amount of water rice would use in cultivation, and are drought tolerant.
Locally, Sorghum Grains are grown and harvested in Ilocos Norte, a province located in Northern Philippines.

Benefits of Sorghum:

Sorghum, being used as a staple for millennia, is a superfood.

Its nutrition density, is higher than that of Brown, Red Rice and Quinoa, and provides many health benefits.
It is an excellent staple for dieting, as the grain’s high protein and fiber content keeps one satiated for a longer time period.
Its dietary fiber also aids in digestion and increasing metabolism, while helping lower blood cholesterol.
It is whole grain and gluten-free.
It also contains fiber, protein and calcium.
It is good for the body, the heart, and the bones.

Wholly Grain:

Wholly Grain is a natural leader for healthy snacks and staples. With its star product, Sorghum grains, Wholly Grain introduces a more fibrous and nutritious alternative to any grain in the market–driving more to adopt a higher quality of living.

The company sources their grain from small-scale growers to help develop the local community. The grains are minimally processed, so as to preserve
the product’s nutritional integrity. They were strained of all unnecessary particles collected in the harvest, and de-husked once using a colloid mill.
After which, the grains were placed into resealable packages, made ready for home-cooking.

This is how Wholly Grain sorghum is packaged. It is available in 500 gram packs for only Php 70.00, in 1 kg resealable packs for only Php 120.00, and in 2 kg packs for only P 220.00.

The first photo above shows how the actual sorghum grain looks like. As you can see it looks a lot like popcorn, only smaller.

How to Cook Sorghum:

As mentioned above, sorghum is usually used as an alternative to rice. The packaging says to boil it with water in a pot in a ratio of 1:4 for about 90 minutes until it is soft to eat. We tried cooking it as rice at home but used a rice cooker instead. We didn’t wait 90 minutes and just let the rice cooker estimate the cooking time. This process is faster but since we didn’t try to cook it in a pot for 90 minutes, I’m not sure how different it would be if we did. We were happy with the result though.

The sorghum was cooked just right. It wasn’t very white like rice and looked more like soft corn. But I like it’s texture and the fact that it’s flavorful on its own. Plus, so filling too!

Here, we paired it with stir fry chicken and vegetables. We just put some of the sorghum on top. It was a really yummy and healthy meal that even our kids enjoyed eating.

However, sorghum is not just a rice alternative. You can eat it like popcorn as well. That was really exciting to me because we love eating popcorn at home although I try to limit eating it because it’s not really healthy especially because we like it with lots of butter.

To pop sorghum, the packaging said to just heat a pan, pour the sorghum and wait for it to pop. It said you must move the pan to stir the sorghum to avoid it from burning. This didn’t really work for us though and this resulted to a few burnt batches. But we discovered that it was best to cook it with a little olive oil instead and use a spatula to keep stirring the sorghum until it all pops. Here’s the outcome.

I have to say, the popped version is yummy as well. Unlike plain popcorn, popped sorghum already tastes good on its own. It already has its own slightly salty taste. However, popped sorghum is smaller though. But it’s not something we mind. We actually couldn’t stop munching on it (even the slightly burned ones!). So, it’s actually good that it’s healthier. We get the feeling of eating popcorn without the guilt.

This is definitely a product that our entire family love. My hubby is actually borderline diabetic and I think a large part of this is because he loves to eat a lot of rice. Now, he can have a fulfilling meal that’s a lot healthier because of sorghum!

You can try it yourself. Order some for your family by sending a message to Wholly Grain via their Facebook page.

Happy healthy eating!

Satisfy Your Burger Cravings at Burger Geek

December 20, 2015 · Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I accepted an invitation from Zomato Philippines to a foodie meet-up at this new burger joint at the Molito Complex in Alabang called, Burger Geek.

Burger Geek is owned by George Kho, who got the inspiration for this restaurant during his trip to New York last year. He shared that the original name for the establishment was supposed to be Burger G.K., a play on his own name. But then they decided that Burger Geek is more apt for the school theme of the place.

The restaurant is pretty small with one huge counter at the back. All their chairs and tables were customized and made to resemble those that you’d typically see in schools.

Their decor also feature stuff you’d normally only see in schools such as a blackboard, a bell and a Table of Elements.

During the time of our visit, Burger Geek was still on its soft opening and so some of the items on their menu were not yet available. Mr. Kho explained to us that they were also still in the process of perfecting everything and were eager to get feedback so that they can make some improvements if necessary.

I was happy to find out from Mr. Kho that they do everything in-house, from the baking of their potato buns, making the bacon, grinding the beef and all that. They also do not use any fillers on their meat and use only sea salt and pepper to season it while it’s being grilled to a perfect medium rare.

I guess, if they can only do even the growing of all their ingredients they would. They actually placed that statement on one of the counter toppers found on the tables. Each table has a counter topper with a Geek Fact sharing interesting things about how they operate.

Now, on to the food. We were able to taste some of their appetizers and burgers that day.

Complimentary Kropek

I’m not sure if that’s what they really call this appetizer. Haha! Obviously since it’s complimentary it’s not on the menu. It’s a nice gesture though for them to serve this to their customers while they are waiting for their orders. They’re crunchy and nice to munch on.

French Fries and Onion Rings

On their menu, french fries and onion rings are listed together with pork rinds and fried pickles, selling for Php 65. However, we did not get to try the other two. I didn’t like the first batch of fries served to us because they didn’t seem fresh and were unpleasant to eat. Mr. Kho apologized and explained that they had to get fries from another supplier that time because of trouble with the original one. He eventually served a second batch, which were cooked with certain adjustments and it was a lot better. I still liked the onion rings better though.

BBQ Chicken Salad (Php 145)

I’m not a big fan of BBQ sauce so I was a bit cautious with this one. Surprisingly, the BBQ sauce was very light and not overpowering. The vegetables were fresh and the chicken was very tasty. I also love the extra crunch brought about by those big slices of crispy wanton wrappers.

Chicken Wings (Php 210)

I’m very particular with chicken wings because they’re one of my most favorite things to eat. This one wasn’t bad at all. Their menu states they have four different kinds but they only served one flavor to us that day. This one is the Original Buffalo, I think. The chicken was very juicy and flavorful. I also like that even though they poured the sauce over it, the chicken wasn’t too saucy.

Each one of us were asked to order a burger of our choice. The Burger Geek menu consists of 11 different types of burgers with names reminiscent of your typical school stereotypes. I ordered the Straight Aes.

Straight Aes (P255)

It had American cheese, smashed patty, lettuce, tomato, shiitake mushroom, sauteed onions and BBQ sauce. I ordered this particularly because I love mushrooms on my burger. I was happy to note that this one has a very generous amount of delicious mushrooms in it. I like that the potato buns were freshly made. The meat was very tasty and very juicy. It was so juicy, in fact, that it soaked up the wrapper and it became quite messy to eat. There was also more onions than I would have liked but I still appreciate the dose of sweetness that they added to the burger. Overall, this was a winner for me and would definitely order it again in the future.

The other burgers that my other companions were able to try were as follows:

Class President (Php 310)

This has American cheese, smashed patty, lettuce, tomato, crispy bacon, shiitake mushroom, onion rings and BBQ sauce.

The Hangover (Php 335)

This has American cheese, smashed patty, french fries, beer syrup, bacon and fried egg.

The B. Mac (Php 385)

This consists of double cheese, double patty, mac & cheese patty and lettuce.

The Burger Geek menu also features three types of sandwiches and I was able to try one of them.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (Php 240)

This consists of American cheese, fried breast fillet, lettuce, tomato, original buffalo wing sauce, and quick pickles. The chicken used here is as flavorful as the chicken wings served to us. Actually, this is like the sandwich version of the chicken wings. It was very tasty and yummy. I’d order this if I wasn’t craving for a burger.

As for the drinks, Burger Geek serves your usual soda, but they also serve Classic and Premium Shakes such as the strawberry one below.

Sadly, it wasn’t my order so I wasn’t able to taste it.

Overall, I’m very pleased with this dining experience. I’d love to try the other burgers on the menu next time though. But with regard to those items I was able to try, the only thing I wasn’t too happy about were the fries. I hope the inconsistency issue with the supplier will be resolved soon. Other than that, I was satisfied with the food. The place was clean and the service was fast. I’d say this place is definitely a must-try.

Experience Ribs Heaven (and more!) at Morganfield’s

December 17, 2015 · Leave a Comment

I am a certified meatlover. So when Zomato Philippines invited me to attend the launch of Morganfield’s in the Philippines, of course I couldn’t resist!

Morganfield’s is located at the 2nd floor of Uptown Mall, 9th cor. 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City. It’s the first branch to open in the country and is actually the first restaurant venture of a group of friends.

Morganfield’s serves American food, barbeque, burgers, seafood, Southern and Tex-Mex dishes. However, you’d be surprised to know that the brand actually originated in Malaysia.

The branch itself is very modern yet homey. There’s lots of wood, an open ceiling, large glass windows, and very cool furniture. Service is really good too. I don’t know if it’s just because of the launch but the servers were really accommodating and enthusiastic to explain what the dishes were all about.

So anyway, let’s get to the most important thing – the food!

Morganfield’s is known as the “Home of the Sticky Bones”, serving the biggest and juiciest pork ribs in town. Such an ambitious claim but you’d be happy to know that they don’t disappoint. All their meat actually came from Spain and so you know they’re really the best. Their pork ribs are really big too and are slow roasted to perfection.

The Pork Spare Ribs

Their spare ribs are available in four variants: Hickory BBQ Spare Ribs, Garlic BBQ Spare Ribs, Spicy Asian BBQ Spare Ribs and Smoked Peppercorn Spare Ribs.

Hickory BBQ Spare Ribs (Half Slab – P 750, Full Slab – P 1,395)

These are really tasty, sweet and has a smoky feel to it.

Garlic BBQ Spare Ribs (Half Slab – P 750, Full Slab – P 1,395)

This was served with a generous amount of garlic on top. It’s a great combination of sweet and spicy.

Spicy Asian BBQ Spare Ribs (Half Slab – P 750, Full Slab – P 1,395)

Those who love spicy food will really like this because it has Asian spices and chili flakes. It tasted good but this was my least favorite among the four.

Smoked Peppercorn Spare Ribs (Half Slab – P 850, Full Slab – P 1,595)

This was my most favorite among the four! I prefer the spiciness of the black pepper compared to the Asian spices. Plus you can still taste the sweetness of the sauce.

They were all perfectly cooked, didn’t need a fork to cut into them. In my opinion, all four variants are worth a try. To make it easier for you, you can get a platter!

The Sharing Platter

There are 3 kinds of platters: The Carnivore, Ocean Madness and Ribs Sampler.

Ribs Sampler (P 3,225)

This is what I like to call “Ribs Heaven”! Get to taste 3 of the spare ribs from this sampler. Just choose the 3 flavors you want and you’ll get 1/2 slab of each. That’s already a lot! It comes with sausages, garden salad, grilled corn on the cob, corn bread and fries. They have one of the best fries, by the way. And although I didn’t get to taste the corn bread, I was told they’re amazing too.

The Carnivore (P 2,995)

Here you get to choose a full slab of one flavor of pork ribs plus, 1/2 herb roasted chicken, Tequila Spiced Chicken, sausages, garden salad, grilled corn on the cob, corn bread and fries. I’ll let you know what I think of the chicken below as this was also served separately.

Ocean Madness (P 2,795)

For this one, you can also choose a full slab of one flavor of pork ribs plus, you get battered fish fillet, beer battered prawns, sausages, garden salad, grilled corn on the cob, corn bread and fries. I also didn’t get to taste the fish fillet and beer battered prawns so I’m gonna order those next time.

The Iberico Baby Back Ribs

You have to know that Morganfield’s does not just serve your ordinary baby back ribs. They serve Iberico baby back ribs. Iberico is the Spanish black pig traditionally fed with acorns. It has an evenly distributed marbling which contributes to the amazing taste and texture of the meat. I have to say this was my most favorite thing I tasted that day.

Jack Daniels Glazed Iberico Baby Back (P 950 per slab)

I was recently able to try Jack Daniels on Chicken Wings and I loved it. So I was super excited to try it on these ribs and I was so happy I did. It’s just the most delicious baby back I’ve ever had. It just has the right tinge of sweetness. Plus the ribs were tender with the meat easily falling off the bones. It is no wonder then why this is an award winning recipe. I will definitely come back for this!

Jim Beam BBQ Iberico Baby Back (P 950 per slab)

Now if you prefer the spicy variety this is your best bet. We were warned that it’s very spicy so I was surprised when it didn’t turn out to be as spicy as I expected. It was just right for someone like me who’s not into super spicy food.

Appetizers

Morganfield’s offers a lot of appetizers to choose from, from Russet Potato Skins, Chili Cheese Fries, Beer Battered Mushrooms, etc. We were able to taste the following:

Pork Sausage Platter (P 465)

For an appetizer, this one was very filling already with four kinds of grilled homemade pork sausages in different flavors – Spicy Devil, Smoky Bandit, Herby Hog and Cheesy Cheese. The Spicy Devil wasn’t as spicy as I expected. The Herby Hog is what you’d expect “herby” to be. It tasted like herbs, which I don’t really like. The Smoky Bandit is the one I like the best while the Cheesy Cheese was my four-year-old son’s favorite. I love that the sausages are very juicy. The coleslaw is a nice add on but it was the Garlic Aioli that was the perfect partner for the sausage. I loved it!

Awesome Threesome (P 495)

You can try three of their most famous appetizers with this dish – Crab and Spinach dip, Spicy Chicken Wings and Russet Potato Skins. Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t able to try anything on this plate so I can’t comment on them. But they all look promising.

Soups

There are four types of soups on the menu and we were able to try one.

Mushroom Soup (P 165)

This was hands down the best mushroom soup I’ve ever tasted! I think they served this on our table because we had a kid with us and I’m so glad for that. I love mushroom soup. This was so creamy, chunky and tasty. I imagine it’s especially perfect for a cold day. Comfort food at its best. They give a generous serving too so I really, really enjoyed this.

Salad

Morganfield’s has four types of salad on the menu and we were able to also try one of them.

Sesame Shrimp Salad (P 395)

I’m very picky when it comes to salad and that’s because some taste really bland, or worse, they taste just like plants would. But I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It’s so healthy because it has both fruits and vegetables plus shrimp. You can tell all the ingredients were fresh. The combination of textures was great, especially the crunchy strips on top (I think they’re made from wonton wrappers but I’m not sure). The oriental sesame dressing was light and refreshing.

Steaks and Chops

There are 5 different dishes under the Steaks and Chops menu and we were able to try one as well.

Pork Shoulder Chops (P 550)

I love anything with gravy so when I saw this I was immediately excited. There were two slices of pork shoulders on the dish, which makes it good for sharing. It’s very tasty and I loved the combination of it with the sauce. But mind you, it’s not your typical gravy. It has a different kick to it and tasted suspiciously like wasabi. Little did we know that the ingredient responsible for that kick was not wasabi but mustard grain! I really loved it because it was really creamy and went well with the pork. Unfortunately, the pork was too hard in my opinion. Though it was still edible, we had a difficult time cutting it. Aside from that though, I loved the mashed potatoes on the side. It’s the lumpy, grainy kind, which I prefer more than the smooth kind.

Poultry Farm

Among the 4 poultry dishes, we got to try one. It’s the one also included in The Carnivore platter.

Tequila Spiked Chicken (P 395)

This dish consists of a grilled halved chicken with a side of fries and smoky beans. I like that the chicken wasn’t dry. It was actually tasty even on the inside. I love the taste of the spicy tequila lime-paprika marinade. Actually simply smelling it already reminds you of Malaysian food.

Desserts

You can choose from 4 different desserts on the menu. This is what we got to try.

Chocolate Brownie (P 175)

You simply can’t go wrong with a combination of warm brownies, premium vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. The brownie was chewy and not too sweet. The ice cream was very creamy. Loved it!

Drinks

The Morganfield’s drink menu is pretty extensive offering different types of juices, milkshakes, coffee, tea, chilled and blended coolers, draft and bottled beers, red and white wines, cocktails and hard liquor.

We were offered to try four of their most popular chilled and blended coolers.

Mango and Lime Lassi (P 195)

This one has mango puree, yoghurt, freshly squeezed lime and ice. I normally love mango but I wasn’t such a big fan of this one. Maybe I just find the combination of mango and lime kind of weird.

Virgin Apple Mojito (P 165)

I love mojitos! This one though is non-alcoholic and consists only of fresh apple, lime chunks, mint leaves, brown sugar topped with soda. It’s very refreshing. You do feel like you’re having a real mojito.

Berry Easy (P 195)

Among the four drinks we tried, this one was my second most favorite. It has black grapes, blackberries, strawberries with pureed berries and ice. It’s very berrylicious! I love berries to begin with and this one is packed with lots of it.

Begonia (P 175)

Now, this one is my most favorite of all. It’s very fruity and refreshing with chunks of kiwi, strawberries and lime served with lemon lime soda topped with passion fruit syrup. The combination is just heavenly. It’s like drinking a fruity cocktail without the alcohol kick. Super loved it!

Suffice it to say that we were SO FULL after eating. There were just so much good food available. Yet, there’s still so much to taste the next time we come back.

The Morganfield’s menu is so extensive, you’ll want to keep coming back. For instance, they also have several pasta dishes, seafood dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and tacos.

It’s also worth mentioning that they also think of the little things. Our server, for instance, saw that we brought our son with us and so he offered him a children’s book to read.

I think that’s really nice. Other restaurants offer coloring materials. It’s the first time I’ve encountered a restaurant that actually offered books.

Also, our server informed us that we can borrow a powerbank too for our phone or gadgets in case we need them. One only has to leave an ID with the server then you can borrow a handy powerbank, which you can use right there and then on your table. Love this! That’s what you call great customer service.

The ribs are definitely special but Morganfield’s offers a lot more than ribs and I think they are also not to be missed. I very highly recommend that you guys try Morganfield’s soon. I assure you, you’re not going to be disappointed! We definitely had a BELLY GOOD TIME at Morganfield’s.

For more information about Morganfield’s, check out their website and follow their Facebook page. Also do read the reviews on Zomato!

My First #ZomatoPH Food Crawl at Westgate Center, Filinvest City

December 7, 2015 · 13 Comments

I was finally able to take part in my first Zomato Food Crawl last November 28 at Westgate Center, Filinvest City Alabang. I’ve been part of the Zomato team of bloggers for about two months already but this was the first time that I was able to attend their foodie meet-ups.

Usually, the foodie meet-ups only involve one restaurant but during this food crawl there were five. So, it was quite an orientation for me. The theme was Guilty Pleasures in the South. The restaurants were supposed to serve us at least one guilty pleasure dish.

Stop # 1: Bugsy’s Bar & Bistro

Our first stop was at Bugsy’s Bar & Bistro. It was my first time in any Bugsy’s branch. The interiors was typical of any bar but I especially like the sports collections featured on their walls.

That day, Bugsy’s was in charge of serving us appetizers. I was expecting only one kind but they ended up serving us three types of chicken wings.

The first kind they served was the Buffalo Chicken Wings. I was really super excited because I’m on a quest to find the best buffalo chicken wings in town.

I’ve been served buffalo chicken wings smeared with too much sauce before so I was pleased to see that Bugsy’s version is not saucy at all. They were actually boneless chicken tenders that were so tasty that I enjoyed eating it even without the bleu cheese dip. Honestly, the dip was also prepared just right, not overpowering at all. This one goes on top of my list of the best buffalo chicken wings I’ve ever tried in my life.

The next version served was the Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings. Unlike the first version, this wasn’t boneless and it was smeared with a sweet and spicy sriracha sauce.

Those who like their chicken wings spicy will love this. I love the balance of sweet and spicy. I imagine this would pair well with beer.

The last version is called, as of the moment, as Chicken # 7. It’s actually Bugsy’s latest creation made with Jack Daniel’s Old Tennessee Whiskey and is yet to be officially released.

It’s the sweetest among the three versions and has an Asian taste to it. I’ve never tried Jack Daniel’s before so I wasn’t really expecting the chicken to be sweet. It was such a nice surprise to find that it’s actually really, really good. It’s my favorite version among the three.

Stop # 2: Sushi Ninja

I love Japanese cuisine so you bet I was so excited to try Sushi Ninja for the first time. The place was already full of guests when we walked in and the only available seats were the ones reserved for us. So, you can tell that this establishment is already quite a popular one in the area. I love the interiors of this place. It’s typical Japanese, light and airy, reminiscent of traditional Japanese houses.

They served us something that they created especially for our group called the Kobe Toshi. That’s deep fried Japanese rice topped with Wagyu beef, foie gras, uni, roe and wasabi mayo.

The owners of Sushi Ninja explained to us that in order to taste the dish well we had to put the whole thing in our mouth. Easier said than done though! I was unsuccessful doing that and instead consumed the dish in two bites. Haha!

I love Wagyu so I had high expectations with this dish. Unfortunately, the wagyu didn’t melt in my mouth as wagyu is supposed to do. However, I love the combination of flavors. This will be a winning dish if they can only perfect the cooking of the wagyu.

They also served us their version of Spicy Tuna Salad. I love eating tuna sashimi so this dish is usually on my list of things to order in all Japanese restaurants I frequent.

I have my favorite Spicy Tuna Salad though so I was interested to find out if this one will be better.

I think they got the spiciness just right. I love the combination of the crunch from the Japanese bread crumbs, the freshness and the softness of the raw tuna and the creaminess and spiciness of the sauce. I just think there’s too much sauce for my liking. But I truly enjoyed this. I was the only raw food eater on our table and would have finished this entire bowl if only I wasn’t too shy to do so. Haha!

Stop # 3: Neil’s Kitchen

I fell in love with the interiors of Neil’s Kitchen the minute I entered the place.

It’s unique, modern and quirky yet still homey and comfortable.

I love the little things they added to the interiors that make the place Instagram-worthy.

Plus there’s a corner with a bookstore! That’s a winner for me.

Anyway, they served us our first main course for the day called the Sinigang Paella with Grilled Pork Belly. It’s actually a pretty fancy deconstructed sinigang. The pork is apparently boiled the traditional sinigang way then it’s grilled. Then they cook the rice paella style but using the sinigang soup, with the vegetables in it except for the kangkong which is made crispy.

I have never seen sinigang cooked this way before and I was so, so, so, so happy with this one. Pork sinigang is one of my most favorite Filipino dishes and this version has all the deliciousness of the perfect sinigang but in a whole new level.

I love the ingenuity and creativity that went into creating this dish. The pork was really tender. The rice was moist and really soaked up all that sinigang goodness. The kangkong was perfectly crispy too. This was definitely the highlight of my food crawl experience that day.

Stop # 4: Melo’s

Among the five restaurants on the tour, Melo’s was the only one I’ve already tried before. Being a certified meatlover, my most favorite thing to eat is steak. So, you can imagine how excited I was to go to Melo’s.

I wasn’t able to take photos of the interiors of the place but it’s definitely pretty fancy. The place is dimly lit, the perfect ambiance for a romantic date.

They prepared something off menu for our group. It’s called the Christmas Steak Roulade with Turkey Stuffing and Sweet Potato.

Just look at the plating! Gorgeous! Plus, steak and turkey in one? Oh yeah! The turkey stuffing is quite tasty, especially paired with the cranberry sauce. That sauce is love!

The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, which is how steak is supposed to be cooked. However, I prefer mine medium well. Nevertheless, I love that it’s really juicy and packed with flavor. The only thing I wasn’t a big fan of were the sweet potatoes, but that’s only because I don’t really like sweet potatoes to begin with. But regardless of that, we all agreed that Melo’s should definitely add this to their menu this season.

Stop # 5: Detoxify Bar

After hours of stuffing ourselves full, I was so happy to go to Detoxify Bar for some light dessert. The interiors of the place is very modern and white, definitely something you’d expect from a place that promotes healthy living.

They use only organic ingredients which are actually certified by the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines. You can expect that this will make their offerings quite pricey but the owner assured us that they are continuously working on creating dishes that will not hurt our wallets too much. Good to know!

Now you might expect that they only serve healthy juices and shakes but they actually have meals and desserts on their menu, just like this Berries Smoothie Bowl that they served us.

We were told that the smoothie bowls come in different flavors and that they’re new to the menu. I love looking at this bowl. It’s just so colorful and inviting that you just can’t help but devour. And devour I did! It’s just so delicious. It’s made with kiwis, berries, bananas and greek yogurt, topped with chia seeds and figs. Definitely something I’d like to have more of. If you’re looking for a more filling dessert though, you’d have to maybe try something else but after a having a heavy meal, this one is just perfect!

Overall, it was one food crawl I’d never forget, not only because it was my first one but because I was stuffed full of truly delicious guilty pleasures. Plus, it was such a pleasant surprise to find out that there are so many great restaurants to try at Westgate Center. Portions of Westgate were actually renovated recently and it looks like a great place to hang out with family and friends. I will definitely be back soon!

Thanks for this amazing experience, Zomato!

Subversive Filipino Cuisine at Restaurante Pia y Damaso

August 3, 2015 · 12 Comments

Three weeks ago, I was invited to experience a modern Filipino dining experience at Restaurante Pia y Damaso. I’ve seen this restaurant several times before whenever I frequented Greenbelt Mall but the one time I was able to visit the place was when I had a meeting with a client, and I only had coffee then.

So, of course, I said yes to the invitation. Together with other bloggers, I got to meet the owner and chef of Pia Y Damaso, Bambi Sy Gobio, who was very accommodating and entertained us with stories about how she came up with the concept of the restaurant and with the ideas for the menu.

Located at the second floor of Greenbelt 5 in Makati City, Restaurante Pia y Damaso was inspired by our country’s own hero, Jose Rizal’s novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Looking around the restaurant, you’ll see that it has a modern Spanish feel to it. The inside can sit around 30 people only but there are some more tables outside as well.

The restaurant is known for its Subversive Filipino Cuisine. Being subversive means being rebellious or revolutionary and I feel like it’s truly the best way to describe the menu here. Chef Bambi took inspiration from everyday Filipino food and its many different cultural influences and took them to another level. Some dishes are even inspired by specific scenes in Jose Rizal’s novels.

Let me take you through our experience at Restaurante Pia y Damaso that day. I’ll try to describe each dish as best as I can but I assure you, looking at the photos alone will already make you drool.

Starters

Almond Stuffed Dates Wrapped In Bacon (Php 175)
sweet and salty bites of bacon

I love bacon so even before I tasted this I knew I was going to like it – and I did! It’s the just the right mix of sweet and salty, plus you get a chewy date and a crunchy almond inside, which is just a pleasing combo. I’d love to have more of this!

Filo Tarts with Pork Asado, Apple Relish (Php 220)
pan fried flaky filo cakes stuffed with salty sweet pork served with caramelized apples and vinegar

I didn’t think I’d like this because I’m not such a huge asado fan but it’s actually quite yummy. This is their version of asado rolls but with a twist. The cakes were really flaky. The addition of the caramelized apples were genius because it complements the pork quite well.

Spanish Style Sardines with Toasted Pandesal (Php 220)
warm sardines cooked with roasted garlic and confit of tomato in olive oil

I’m not a huge fan of Spanish sardines as well. This one was actually good though. It’s very light. My hubby would love this.

Salads

Soft Shell Crab with Mango Pepper Relish and Dalandan Vinaigrette (Php 450)

This wasn’t included in their regular menu. It was listed on the counter as a “special” so I’m not sure if they’re going to continue serving this in the future. I love crabs but I don’t think I’ve had them with mangoes before. I’d go back to taste this again.

Elias Salad (Php 450)
seared marinated crocodile from Davao, mixed greens, tomato, caramelized pineapple, crisp shallots and mango cilantro vinaigrette

This was my first time to try crocodile meat. Promise, it tastes like chicken! If I wasn’t aware they were serving crocodile meat I would have probably mistaken it for chicken. The restaurant gets their crocodile meat from a farm so that made it easy for my brain to accept that it’s “safe” to eat it. Haha! Some of us were hesitant to try it but I always say you have to try almost anything once. I’m glad I did. This is one of my favorite dishes.

Nga Nga Beef Salad (Php 250)
salty sweet chewy beef flakes, green mango pickle, red onions, haw flakes, cilantro, arugula and lettuce

This is like a deconstructed salad. Instead of mixing all the ingredients together though, you pile them on leaves and roll it up like a nga nga – betel nut chew. And yes they use Haw flakes in this dish, the same ones we used to love eating when we were kids. I loved this salad too. I like the process of piling and wrapping.

I just realized that I loved all the salads they served us that day. I’d love to go back and take my hubby next time. He’s into eating more salads lately so I’m sure he’s going to enjoy these and the other selections in Pia y Damaso’s salad menu.

Main Course

Kapitan Tiago’s Kare-Kare (Php 600)
a native stew with roasted rice, peanuts and garlic with beef tripe, tail, and meat served with bagoong shrimp paste

Of course, we can’t leave the place without trying the kare-kare. This is one of my favorite Filipino dishes and their version didn’t disappoint. They made everything from scratch, including the bagoong, and that just makes a whole lot of difference. Our entire family will love this.

Smoked Tapang Usa (Php 450)
salted deer meet from Nueva Ecija, green mango pickles, roasted pepper omelette on garlic rice

This wasn’t my first time to eat deer. This one tasted really good but the meat was a bit too hard for me to chew. I’m guessing this a play on the regular tapsilog because it was served with egg and garlic rice but it was a little bit too much for me.

Pork Belly with Chorizo and Chickpeas (Php 600)
seared pork belly, chorizo de bilbao, olive oil, garlic, paprika and garbanzos

I love pork belly. This wasn’t bad at all. It actually tasted good. I just prefer my pork belly grilled. Haha! I also don’t really like garbanzos.

Sisig ni Kabesang Tales(Php 300)
own version with pig’s ears, face, nape, belly and liver with garlic, onions, peppers, chili and egg

This dish was named after Kabesang Tales, former Cabeza de Baranggay turned bandit in Rizal’s novels. Chef Bambi says they use more meat than fat in this, which is good. Unfortunately for me, when this plate got passed to our side of the table, there weren’t a lot of meat left anymore. So, to me it’s just like your regular sisig. I better come back and try this again so I can form a better opinion.

Ode to Heidelberg (Php 1,500)
a German dish of boiled smoked pork hock, bacon, four kinds of sausages and potatoes

What’s a German dish doing in a Filipino restaurant, you ask. Well, Chef Bambi said that it’s actually a tribute to the place where Rizal finished writing the Noli Me Tangere. My hubby is going to love it because it has sausages too aside from the pork hock. This was good too although I prefer my pork to have crispy skin.

Roast Chicken with Sherry and Pimiento (Php 375)
roasted chicken quarter with garlic, sherry, spanish paprika, green olives, extra virgin oil, herbs and roasted peppers

You know how sometimes when you roast chicken the flavors don’t really get absorbed inside? It’s only the skin that’s tasty. But this dish was really tasty all throughout. I love the crispy skin and the sauce on this was great too.

Smoked Bbq Mango Pork (Php 500)
smoked barbecue pork with a mango marinade – served with a spinach, apple, raisin, pinenut and garlic rice with scrambled egg

I think this dish is a play on the tocino. I love tocino and this one’s pretty good. I love the rice but again it was the egg that kind of threw me off. I feel that there’s so much of it that looking at it already makes you feel full.

Ostrich Beef Steak with Guava Butter (Php 600)
a thick seared ostrich steak, marinated tagalog beef steak style with soya sauce, onions, native lemon (calamansi), black pepper, with fried saba bananas, sauteed cabbage and onions

I love ostrich and beef steak so this combo is great for me! The ostrich meat was tender. I love that it has bananas. It’s actually a pretty light dish. I’d go back for this too.

Desserts and Drinks

Pia y Damaso has a long list of desserts and drinks, most of them named after characters from Rizal’s novels too.

De Espadana Quezo de Bola Cheesecake (Php 220)
baked cheesecake with santol, prune and fig compote

I love cheesecake but I wasn’t looking forward to eating this one because I hate queso de bola. Surprisingly, however, this one was really, really good. The cheese didn’t taste too salty at all. I loved it and wanted more. I’d say this was the best dessert they served us that day.

Tsokolate Eh and Toasted Ensaimada Quezo de Bola (Php 150)

They used Belgian chocolate for this one, which was really rich and tasted amazing. I wasn’t able to taste the ensaimada though.

Bibingka Waffle (Php 150)
with Malagos’ goat’s cheese, quezo de bola, salted egg and coco jam

Obviously, this doesn’t look like your typical bibingka. I love how creative Chef Bambi is and how she recreates your usual dishes to make it her own. I love the waffle though I’m not a fan of queso de bola and coco jam.

Brazo ni Dona Vicki (Php 100)
chewy meringue roulade with fresh butter curd

This is their version of brazo de mercedes. I loved this! It’s probably one of the best brazo de mercedes cakes I’ve ever tasted.

Pepay the Dancer’s Halo-Halo (Php 220)
red monggo, langka, garbanzos, kaong, nata, jalea, goat’s milk leche flan, candied kamias, saba, guava, quezo de bola, fresh pastillas and ube “purple yam” ice cream

Who doesn’t love halo-halo? This was a winner too in my book. Prior to eating this, I had no idea of the ingredients Chef Bambi used to make this subversive. So I was really surprised with the use of quezo de bola, fresh pastillas and guava and kamias. You’d think it would taste weird but the combinations actually work.

Davao Malagos’ Goat’s Milk Leche Flan (Php 160)
baked caramelized goat’s milk flan with native lime “dayap” zest

I love leche flan and I super love this version! So creamy yet light. Not too sweet too. I just wish they had a bigger serving!

Strawberry and Mint Smoothy, Ginger Calamansi Smoothy and Mango Smoothy

Pia y Damaso has a huge selection of drinks including shakes, smoothies, sodas, water, coffees, teas, chocolates, cocktails, wines, shots and other alcoholic beverages. I was only able to try the Strawberry and Mint Smoothy and I loved it! Will probably order it again when I go back.

If you want choices whenever you dine, you will not be disappointed with the Pia Y Damaso menu. There are a lot of selections to try. There are many more choices of starters, salads, meat (chicken, beef, pork, seafood and more) and desserts. They also offer soups and stews, pasta, and sandwiches.

I seriously plan on taking my family there. There are a lot more dishes that I want to try. I preferred some dishes better than the others but overall, it was a really enjoyable dining experience. It’s Filipino food at a whole other level. Chef Bambi has done such a great job at kicking it up several noches higher. The plating of the food is great. The portions of most dishes are big enough for sharing. Most importantly, you will enjoy every bite. I’m kicking myself for trying the restaurant just recently.

Do visit them soon! Learn more about Restaurante Pia Y Damaso by visiting them on Facebook.