Going Solo or Hosting a Party? Have it at MOE’s
May 27th, 2017 — Food, Restaurants
Fiery Pinoy Favorites @ Siklab
October 29th, 2013 — Appetizer, Beverage, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Fusion, Greenbelt 3, New Brews, Restaurants
If you fell in love with the old ‘Smokin’ Hot BarBQ‘ restaurant in Greenbelt 3, then you would too with the new ‘Siklab‘. Bistro Group led ‘Siklab‘Â Pinoy Favorites basically just had a name change to better reflect the Filipino cuisine they serve. The menu and location of the new restaurant remains the same.
Basil Lemondae
Upon Siklab’s invitation, we got to try some Filipino favorites off their menu last week, including familiar desserts with a twist. 😛
Starters
For starters, we had the Crispy Bacon Belly (P255) and the Kuhol sa Gata (P225). The former is a sumptuous set of bacon-cut pork belly fried to a crisp with atsara on the side. Although it’s a bit pricey, it was a sumptuous crispy treat true to its name.
The latter was even better with golden snails simmered in coconut milk with green curry, chopped chillies, and lemongrass.
Crispy Bacon Belly (P255)
Kuhol sa Gata (P225)
Main Dishes
With starters setting the bar high, the main menu was at par.
Surprisingly, one of my favorites that night was the usual 2pc. BarBQ Chicken (P235) leg and thigh parts which were 6-hours marinated in their BarBQ sauce fhouse blend producing a sweet-tangy taste. Other sets of 4pcs costs P 455 ; 6pcs – P680; 8pcs – P895.
Another top favorite that night was the Pork BarBQ skeweres (top photo). These are pork bbq skewers marinated in their house BarBBQ sauce and grilled (about P120+ per skewer).
This was followed by the Binagoongang Liempo (P325) which was a chunkier version of the Crispy Bacon Belly above. The Binagoongang Liempo (crispy pork belly) rests on a bed of eggplant sauteed in homemade shrimp paste.
2pc. BarBQ Chicken (P235)
Binagoongang Liempo (P325)
Although I’m cutting down on rice-intake recently, who can resist the Sisig Rice (P245) which came albeit belatedly. It’s a  stir-fry of pork sisig and rice topped with scrambled egg and pork cracklings.
For the veggie-lovers, the Pinakbet (P175) is a must try combining squash, eggplant, string beans, and bittermelon sauteed in shrimp paste with some  pork skin crackling.
Pinakbet (P175)
Veggie Fruit Blast (P110)
Siklab Beverage
It’s worth noting how much I loved the Veggie Fruit Blast (P110) beverage I had. It’s a combination of celery, watermelon, apple, and orange. Classified under the ‘healthy drinks‘ category in the menu, this comes highly recommended by NomNom.
The Cucumber Breeze is also good which is a combination of  pineapple, cucumber and orange. The Basil Lemonade was ordinary though.
Filipino Desserts
Filipinos are known for their delightfully sweet desserts, almost deadly for the diabetic actually. Anyhow, we had the Biko and Turon 2.0; no it’s not Android’s latest OS.
The ‘Biko‘ (P155) is a chunk of visually appealing sticky rice served with chocolate soil and white latik on the side. it is meant to be poured on top and spread.
Biko (P155)
Turon 2.0 (P 235)
The Turon 2.0 looks like pinoy sorbetes on cone. Actually, underneath the ube ice cream is a surprise of Filipino flavors from the combination of banana, langka, and macapuno held together by caramelized cones. A serving consists of 5 cones. It’s a bit expensive at P 235 but worth a try before it becomes Turon 3.0 in the next incarnation.
I’ll surely be back in Siklab wanting to try more Filipino dishes such as Aligue Rice tossed with crab fat, Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw, Pinaputok na Tilapia, Pork Belly Adobo, Stuffed Laing with taro leaves stuffed with ground pork and dried alamang. For dessert, the Buco Lychee Sherbet shall not escape.
It was a great Filipino dinner at Siklab in Greenbelt. If you’re craving for some Filipino dishes in Makati, Siklab Pinoy Favorties will not disappoint you.
Katsu Lovers Alert: Tonkatsu by Terazawa
August 31st, 2013 — Affairs, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Fusion, Greenbelt 2, Japanese, Makati, New Brews, Promos / Events, Restaurants, Where To Eat
Similar to the cronuts craze to some extent, tonkatsu restaurants are starting to sprout like mushrooms in the foodie scene to satisfy the public’s craving for some deep fried ‘pork cutlets’ with the crispy appeal. And if you are one of the katsu lovers in the Philippine metro, then you should check out the newly opened Tonkatsu by Terazawa.
Village Tavern Tomahawk Steak Takes Centerstage in Anniversary New Menu
May 25th, 2013 — Appetizer, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Fusion, New Brews, Restaurants, Steakhouse, Taguig, Western, Where To Eat
With the opening of the new Bonifacio High Street Central last year, new restaurants found a home. One of which is the first Village Tavern branch outside of the United States.
Crispy Clams (P375)
Brought by the Bistro Group to the Philippines with interiors that greet customers with a mix of old tavern yore and hunting lodge, Village Tavern has been one of the most visited restaurants in the area.
And in celebration of one year of serving salads, chicken, pork, and steaks, Village Tavern is has updated its menu recently and gave you another reason to come back for more.
Let’s start with the appetizers:
Fully Loaded Romaine Heart
This serving of salad consists mainly of romaine lettuce and generous blue cheese dressing topped with crispy bacon, red onions, and tomatoes. I think the blue cheese is responsible for the P425 price tag. 🙂
Fully Loaded Romaine Heart (P425)
Crispy Clams
The Crispy Clams is a handful of crunchy niblets of baby clams. The lazy need not worry as they come without shells, ready for consumption. Spice it up a bit with the spicy lemon dip.
Afterwhich you can cleanse your palate with some salad on the side. A serving costs P375.
Roasted Bone Marrow (P295)
Roasted Bone Marrow (Top Photo)
Hold your horses as you are greeted with a huge ‘Roasted Bone Marrow‘. Not a usual appetizer in our common restaurant table, the bone marrow lovers are in for a treat as the half opened bone marrow is ready for scooping – something not recommended to those literally ‘faint of heart‘.
But if you are a bit more cautious or just want to try it out, you could always minimize its health impact by having it with the sourdough bread and apple cider vinegar dip on the side.
Health issues aside, the roasted bone marrow (P295) gets the double thumbs up!
Other small plate offerings you could try are the Spicy Garlic Chicken Wings, and Shrimp Balls with Cilantro Lime.
Main Dishes
And for the stars of the night – the main dishes – Village Tavern offers an exotic Ox Cheek with Truffle Mash and Poached Onions, Kansas Ribs, Lapu Lapu with Pico de Gallo, Cod Fish, Lamb Rack, and the 35-ounce Tomahawk.
We were able to try the latter three and here’s how it went:
Cod Fish
Cod Fish (P525)
Lamb Rack (side view)
The Atlantic cod fish was pan-seared with Spanish chorizo and garlic, and served on a bed of salt roasted potato.
Although I think the fish meat turned out a little tough on our table, it still tasted good and complemented well with the chorizo and garlic.
Don’t forget to squeeze the lime. The serving size is good for two people and costs P525.
Lamb Rack
The Lamb Rack (P675) is the first of my two favorites of the night. With enhanced aroma care of the infused Rosaemary, the lamb was tender and juicy and served with green peas and mint.
Lamb Rack (P675)
Tomahawk 35oz
Tomahawk 35 oz. (P2895)
At P2,895, it should be good, no, very good. And it did not disappoint.
My second favorite of the night was aged, hand-cut, and grilled. Although the Tomahawk beef rib eye steak can be a bit more juicier, the prime cut meat was fork-tender.
The whole 35-ounce steak had a good browning on the outside as well.
Dessert: Frozen Lime Souffle
Frozen Lime Souffle (P295)
We ended the night with a dessert called “Frozen Lime Souffle” which was a layer of light and airy lime infused with frozen souffle.
It was topped with candied lime and walnut powder.
The dessert is ideal for those looking for desserts that are not too sweet. It was a good break from my usual desserts. Price tag: P295.
Chef Josh Boutwood of The Bistro Group & NomNom
The price point of Village Tavern is definitely upscale, nonetheless commensurate to the quality of the food and restaurant service.
Taste the love of these dishes by Chef Josh Boutwood, corporate chef of The Bistro Group. Give the Village Tavern a visit at the 2nd floor of Bonifacio High Street Central.
“Taste the Love” with The Bistro Group
January 25th, 2013 — Affairs, Alabang, Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Batangas, Beverage, Casual, Cebu, Chinese, Cravings, Cuisine, Davao, Dessert, European, Filipino, Fusion, Greenhills, Iloilo, Italian, Japanese, Las Pinas, Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Naga, New Brews, Ortigas, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Pizza / Pasta, Promos / Events, Quezon City, Quick Service, Restaurants, Singapore, SouthEast Asia, Steakhouse, Sweet Shops, Tagaytay, Taguig, The Fort, Western, Where To Eat
Jalapenos and more!
No, this is not an advance Valentine’s Day post. It has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day, actually. 🙂 The Bistro Group of restaurants, known for their international and casual dining brands, has just launched their latest campaign called “Taste the Love.”
Taste the Love is not a promo per se, it’s about inviting diners to taste the love behind their every restaurant concept launched. The campaign celebrates a series of milestones for The Bistro Group including:
- the opening of 50 restaurants spread across the 12 resto concepts
- the appointment of Corporate Chef Josh Boutwood
- the launch of its Premiere Card.
BBQ Pork Slider from Village Tavern
The Bistro Group of Restaurants
12 Restaurant Concepts
Modern Shanghai is one of the four freshest name in the group which brings authentic recipes in a homey environment. Village Tavern, Watami, and Ma Maison, completes the group having come from the US and Japan ( for the latter two).
The Bistro Group of restaurants is composed of TGI Friday’s, Italianni’s, Fish & Co., Flapjacks, Pig Out!, Krazy Garlik, The Stock Market, Bulgogi Brothers , and the previously mentioned restaurants.
But within the 1st quarter if 2013, expect the US-based Chuck E. Cheese’s to be the 13th as it opens at the New Glorietta soon.
Village Tavern Bonifacio High Street, Philippines
Apple-Carrot Juice
Chef Josh Boutwood
Chef Josh Boutwood
Together with the arrival of Chef Boutwood is the launch of new dishes as well. Among the favorites in the list are Sesame Teriyaki Chicken Wings, the Fully Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (Village Tavern), and the a la carte Katsu Menu (Ma Maison). NomNom Club‘s favorite is the Black Pizza (black due to the squid ink mixed with the dough), also from Village Tavern.
Penne with Pesto from Italianni’s
The Premiere Card
The Bistro Group Premiere Card will offer multiple discounts up to 40% off the total bill; complimentary appetizers, coffee, and tea; as well as birthday treats for the cardholder.
In addition, for February, The Bistro Group is offering an exclusive deal for Citibank cardholders. From February 4-7, cardholders will receive 50% off food and beverage orders worth at least P2,500, with a discount up to P5,000.
Ms. Lisa Ronquillo
“Taste the Love is not just about food. It’s about the heart and the passion that goes into everything we do, from our concepts to our locations to our service to of course, our food… we allow our customers to taste the love from the moment they get hungry and think about our restaurants to the time they have polished off every bite,” says Lisa Ronquillo, AVP Marketing of The Bistro Group.