Time for another quickie, this time about a newly opened restaurant in BGC. So! Only after googling it did I learn that this unassuming place is owned by celebrity chef (?) Erwan Heussaff, or more commonly known as the boyfriend of Anne Curtis and the brother of Solenn 'so yummy' Heussaff (okay, that sounded so weird..). Well, to be honest, I couldn't care less if it were Obama's, because my judgment of a restaurant is never affected by who owns it (sabeee?!)
We discovered this place along -- you guessed it right -- 28th Street in BGC on a busy Friday night. We initially wanted to try Agave on 9th street but it was jam packed, and we didn't want any of the "mainstream" restaurants in the busiest part of Bonifacio High Street. In fact, we were looking for new places to try - those that we haven't tried yet or even heard of before. We were already on our way to the Fort Strip when we stumbled upon Crisp on 28th and the moment we saw it, we just felt like it'd be the perfect venue for our foodie adventure ;p
Even on a payday Friday when people were supposed to be out drinking and eating their hearts out, Crisp on 28th was almost empty when we arrived. We later found out that they were still on soft opening, which was like the best news I received that day. OA lang, lelz. But it was like the universe conspired to make us discover this place - this joint that sticks out like a sore thumb in the middle of the sports apparel stores along 28th street.
Ambiance - ★★★★☆
I really, really like the vibes in Crisp on 28th. It gives off a chill, relaxed but vibrant aura - I've got to give it up for the extra chirpy staff ;p I can't say much about the technical side of the interiors because I don't have any background on that. For me the place looks nice: wooden furnishing, floor to ceiling glass windows, hammered concrete finish on walls, and ambient lighting.
The only thing that saved this place from looking like your ordinary, cookie-cutter resto is the black & white design of the chairs. It adds a little bit of spunk to the place's style. My brother, who works in the hotel and restaurant industry, said that this is called an 'eclectic restaurant', whatever that is ;) What I know is that even though this place looks posh, it is not intimidating and it's where you can actually get comfortable in - a place you can always go back to.
The only thing we didn't like was the ventilation. Or maybe because we were seated under the split-type aircon that's why it was too warm during our time of visit? Or maybe because I usually act like an overexcited puppy when I talk to people? Hmm.
The only thing that saved this place from looking like your ordinary, cookie-cutter resto is the black & white design of the chairs. It adds a little bit of spunk to the place's style. My brother, who works in the hotel and restaurant industry, said that this is called an 'eclectic restaurant', whatever that is ;) What I know is that even though this place looks posh, it is not intimidating and it's where you can actually get comfortable in - a place you can always go back to.
The only thing we didn't like was the ventilation. Or maybe because we were seated under the split-type aircon that's why it was too warm during our time of visit? Or maybe because I usually act like an overexcited puppy when I talk to people? Hmm.
FOOD
Now let's move on to the more important stuff. When we entered Crisp on 28th, we had NO idea what they offer. Turns out they're all about beautifully plated comfort food (mainly breakfast) with a little bit of twist. But more importantly, they serve healthy and hearty meals for the health-conscious peeps.
Sweet Potato Fries, P70 - ★★★★☆
No further description needed, it is what the name suggests! And the best thing about this tasty dish? It's only P70! :D
Toast Box, P510 - ★☆☆☆☆
Now this is where things get a little bit exciting! With no idea where to start (their menu kind of sucks: just words, no pictures!!), we decided to just pick one of their specials - the toast box. The description: cheesy scramble, crispy bacon, sausage chicken good for 2 to 3 people. The price: P510. What we were expecting was a platter full of individual slices of toast, mountains of scrambled egg, lots of bacon strips and chicken sausage. You know, what any normal (and hungry) person would think given that kind of description.
A palpable sense of disappointment washed over us when the staff finally served us the food. As in mega laki ang eyes ni Toto sa pagkagulat, "this is it?!" It's literally a toast box (syanga naman) with scrambled egg, scrambled egg, and scrambled egg inside. Oh, did I mention there's scrambled egg inside? We paid P510 for this?
Considering its size and price, it must taste heavenly, right? Unfortunately, no. It tasted like pizza and of course, egg! What a big letdown , really.
A palpable sense of disappointment washed over us when the staff finally served us the food. As in mega laki ang eyes ni Toto sa pagkagulat, "this is it?!" It's literally a toast box (syanga naman) with scrambled egg, scrambled egg, and scrambled egg inside. Oh, did I mention there's scrambled egg inside? We paid P510 for this?
Considering its size and price, it must taste heavenly, right? Unfortunately, no. It tasted like pizza and of course, egg! What a big letdown , really.
Al Fresco Dining
We were off to a good start, to be fair, so we didn't want to ruin our stay and blame everything on the bloody toast box. So we asked the staff to transfer our drinks to the outdoor seats (buy 1 take 1 on local beer until 8pm). It was a bit humid that night and there were no fans provided but it offered a better place for after-meal conversations (Crisp on 28th became surprisingly busy toward the end of our dinner). But if you're a non-smoker, you might want to stay inside.
We'll still go back
Despite the disappointing dinner, Toto and I mutually decided that we'll give Crisp on 28th another chance. We think it's just a case of ordering the 'wrong' food, and we totally think it's the confusing menu's fault! :p
Total cost for 2pax: P827.86 (inclusive of 10% service charge)
Total cost for 2pax: P827.86 (inclusive of 10% service charge)