Moo reasons to indulge
Lights out. The bell rings. And soon after, three men cry “Awoo! Awoo!” as they serve an ice cream dessert that they literally set on fire!
The “ritual” elicits mixed reactions from other diners who are intrigued by the display. Some find it corny while the rest are amused by the act.
This visually entertaining French treat called Flaming Alaska is a spiked sponge cake dome filled with three kinds of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry) with chocolate cookies and nuts smothered with meringue and served with flaming rum.
“Originally, the flambé was just for flavor but since it was very dramatic we decided to do it in front of the diners and pushed the concept with a chant and a cow bell. It’s such a big hit till now,” explains Michelle Chang-Co, one of the five owners of Five Cows Resto and Ice Cream Bar.
Located at the 4th level of TriNoma Mall, North Triangle in
The name Five Cows refers to its five partners: Michelle Chang-Co, Emerson Lim, Chef Eugene Raymundo, Art Latinazo and Joel Tuquid.
“The name is also apt because we basically serve dairy products (ice cream and cakes), steaks and other meaty delights,” notes Lim.
At Five Cows, ice cream preparations share stellar billing with a whole range of hot meals.
The concept, Chang-Co adds, came from their first restaurant, The Nestle Creamery, which she started with cousin Emerson and buddy Joel Tuquid from Innovasion Ideas, Inc., the same company behind the success of Thumbs Up ice cream and the popular Orbitz Pearl Shakes.
“The Nestle Creamery is a dessert haven. What we did was bring in the same concept but repackaged it to give the resto its own character. Also, the menu boasts gourmet selections at reasonable prices,” shares Lim.
The gustatory experience starts the moment one enters the barnyard-inspired restaurant. Young diners are immediately drawn to the ice cream bar with Marble Slab, a frozen slab of marble upon which ice cream delights are created according to the diner’s preference.
Just pick your favorite ice cream flavors and ask the person in charge to mix it for you. Up the fun by ordering fixin’s, fillings and syrups.
The mixin’s, priced from P5 to P45, include streusel bits, mini marshmallows, Nerds candies, Smarties, gummi bears and worms, macadamia nuts and roasted hazelnuts.
The fillings consist of Ferrero chocolate, choco hazelnut cream and cappuccino (which go for P15 to P55 per serving) while the syrups include strawberry, choco fudge and thick caramel sauce reasonably priced at P5 to P6.
The walls are decked with huge photos of Five Cows best-sellers. The dishes are so beautifully photographed you’ll want to order everything.
“Nice photos are a good way to entice diners to try the food. The names of the dishes are easy to understand so guests will have an idea how the food looks and tastes like. By looking at the photos on the menu, you’ll see right away what you’re about to eat,” Lim explains.
Five Cows offers appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, pizzas and a choice of 23 main courses.
For starters, must-tries are the Asian salad (assorted greens, tuna, kani, apple slices and fresh orange smothered with wasabi dressing), baked spinach and cheese spread (bruscheta with spinach and baked cheese spread), and cheese fondue (bread, beef and mushroom slices dipped in a bowl of melted mozzarella, gruyere, cream cheese and parmesan).
The main course consists of chicken barbecue, lamb skewer, salpicao, fish and chips, rib-eye, T-bone and Porterhouse steaks, fried chicken, southern-style pork chops, grilled rib strips which are tender pork chop cuts served with maple sauce and buttered veggies on the side.
“We have good steaks for big appetites. Our serving portions are big enough to share. A must-have is the monster rib-eye steak which is an oversized
For the not-so-heavy eater, you can never go wrong with grilled pork belly served with java rice.
Vegetarian diners are also welcome at Five Cows. They, too, can indulge in the resto’s healthy alternatives such as baked fish fillet with spinach, Neptuna pasta with olive oil, shrimp, squid, clams, bell peppers, white wine topped with parmesan cheese; and pesto with fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, assorted nuts and parmesan cheese.
“Just inform our wait staff what your food preference is and they’ll be more than glad to serve you. Our menu is designed for the whole family and the barkada,” adds Latinazo.
The cold meals are handled by Michelle while the hot ones are whipped up by Chef Eugene Raymundo.
As an added treat, the five cows (business partners) even installed free Wi-Fi in the restaurant exclusively for the use of its patrons.
“There’s no password whatsoever. Diners can enjoy their meals and ice cream while they surf the Internet,” enthuses Latinazo.
At Five Cows, there are definitely moo reasons to indulge!
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Five Cows Resto and Ice Cream Bar is located TriNoma Mall, North Triangle in
