Nope, you’re not gonna see the ‘next big thing’ or ‘the top 5 avant garde restos in NCR’ or ‘the new kids on the block you should all watch out for’ here. These are all just regular restos that have a special place in my tummy – so regular and common that other people might place them on the same tier as fast food chains. Yakimix, Racks, Café Mediterranean, and Chili’s. Ring a bell?
Since I dedicated a few hours of my precious weekend writing about BGC restaurants that Toto and I didn't like (focusing my energy on negative things, I know), I figured it’d also be nice if I wrote about the ones that we did like. Nope, you’re not gonna see the ‘next big thing’ or ‘the top 5 avant garde restos in NCR’ or ‘the new kids on the block you should all watch out for’ here. These are all just regular restos that have a special place in my tummy – so regular and common that other people might place them on the same tier as fast food chains. Yakimix, Racks, Café Mediterranean, and Chili’s. Ring a bell? So why am I wasting my bandwidth on them instead of writing generic reviews on TripAdvisor or Zomato? Because…just because, uhm, I have so much time in my hands. And I’ve got a fab blog that needs updating once in a while... Sue me.
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Put your eyebrows down, fans and patrons of abovementioned restaurants. This isn't going to be a hate post - well, actually, it might possibly have a teeny weeny probability of sounding like one but...okay, fine! This is not exactly an 'OMG!-super-duper-worship-the-chef-creator-owner-of-this-food-joint' kind of blog post.
A case of bad timing or poor food choices or assumed modus operandi or whatnot. Hey! We can't always have the goods one, can we? Crisp on 28th by Erwan Heussaff & co. (yes, he’s the only one whom I’m familiar with) is like an awkward teenager during “transition years.” Or like a 20-something-year-old yuppie in the midst of a “quarter-life crisis.” Or a middle-aged man who can’t figure out if life indeed begins at 40 or not. Or a menopausal 50-year old woman who can’t decide if she wants a new bag or a pair of shoes for Christmas. Oh wait, make that any woman… No! I’m not saying that Crisp on 28th is like a fickle-minded lady on her 2nd day of period who just doesn't know what to do with her life. What I’m saying is…it’s a restaurant that’s still testing the waters - it’s relatively new (opened last July) and is managed by a young team. After my first visit last August, I told myself that I’d come back again to try other items on their menu because I was unfortunate enough to order a Php510-toast box that looked like a whimsical Betsey Johnson creation but tasted like a boring Martha Stewart cookie. It would be unfair of me to pass judgment on this new restaurant based on that bloody toast box. Besides, I really liked the vibes and ambiance of the place – classy but a bit funky, chill but vibrant, posh but not intimidating.
P299 buffet (drinks included!) and Bonifacio Global City in one sentence? I KNOW RIGHT?! I heaved a massive this-must-be-the-pot-of-gold-the-Irish-like-to-talk-about sigh of relief because I felt that this was where my quest for affordable but satisfying BGC resto would all end. I could practically hear my pockets dancing to Pharell's Happy when I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign. Ay, ang corny ko ples. Sorry, but the big and bold P299 dinner buffet sign/poster on Kuse's glass walls really made my eyes pop. I borrowed that line from Ace of Base's The Sign, by the way, just an FYI in case you're from a different generation (gahd I feel so old).
Mahigit isang taon na ang nakalilipas mula nang una kong maranasan ang bagsik ng MRT rush hour. First day ko sa bagong trabaho noon.
To cut the long story short, umalis ako sa bahay ng 6:30am at nakarating sa opisina ng 8:57am. Hindi ko naman nakuha 'yung memo na ganoon pala ang mga kaganapan sa MRT kapag rush hour?! Ngani-ngani ko nang tawagan ang HR para mag-tender ng resignation dahil hindi ko yata kakayanin 'yung araw-araw na pakikipagbuno sa MRT. Eto ba 'yung first day high na sinasabi?! GANON KALALA ANG FRUSTRATION KO, K! Pero sabi nga nila, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. (char!) Okay, lafang na naman! As usual, sa BGC ulit. And as usual, kasama na naman si Toto. Hindi na kami na-umay sa all day, every day rendezvous namin! ;)
So anyhoo, after a visit to the Wild West, a chill brunch at a retro California bistro, and a delightful discovery of Serbian cuisine, we're ready to rakenrol and go back to our roots! Kanteen BGC, from the same owners of Kuppa Cafe, proved to be just the right place for that - offering delicious Pinoy food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Toto and I know that eating out almost everyday is taking a big chunk of our baon but we just cannot resist trying out the different restaurants around Bonifacio Global City! So you could just imagine how overjoyed we were when we spotted Wild West Roadhouse Grill's Perfect Match promo while combing High Street on a humid Thursday morning. Only P599 for 2 people in BGC? That's definitely a steal!
We continue our foodie adventure around Bonifacio Global City and today's post is about our lunch at Stella Wood Fired Bistro! Quick overview of the food and place - imagine a fancier, pricier, and more upscale version of Kenny Rogers Roasters right at the heart of High Street Central (just across Jamba Juice).
Filipino cuisine is quite tricky - when it is served traditionally it can become boring, but when you try to 'revolutionize' it it can become disastrous. Where do you draw the line? How do you set yourself apart? This is the sad story of Elias by Crisostomo as told by me: it tried so hard to be both traditional (colonial cuisine) and different (with witty menu items such as 'Crazy Sisa Squid' and 'Adobo Damaso') but still failed. Oops! Meanie alert! :p
Toto and I have already tried all the restaurants on the first floor of the Crossroads Bldg. on 32nd St, Bonifacio Global City, so we thought it was time we visited the upper floor. Balkan was empty when we arrived at around 11:30am on a Friday and we were just ecstatic to be the first guests! The place is so PRETTY... so picture perfect!
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