Ruby Tuesday: Another jewel of a restaurant

Discovering what is new in a mall is like embarking on a treasure hunt. It is exciting to find that stores have opened and one could try out unfamiliar and interesting food outlets. On our last visit to TriNoma, we found Ruby Tuesday, the newest venture of co-owners Cecile Magsaysay, Ina Quiogue, Patty del Rosario, Joseph Tan, and Vashi Gagoomal. The Philippine franchise is the third in Asia, and after sampling the food, we know that eating in this particular restaurant could easily become a habit.

We started with spinach and artichoke dip blended with creamy parmesan. This was served with crisp, freshly baked tortillas. This would be delicious even as a light snack. The appetizer was quickly followed by the Grand Sampler of fire wings (mild or hot), southwestern spring rolls that were pleasantly spicy, fried mozzarella, and chicken tenders. A chicken quesadilla of diced chicken, melted cheddar cheese and fresh pico de gallo (Spanish for rooster’s beak and is used to describe a relish of finely chopped jicama, onions, jalapeños and other vegetables) on a grilled flour tortilla was blended just right. None of the ingredients overpowered the others. As a concession to healthy eating, we also had Carolina chicken salad (fresh garden greens with lightly fried chicken tenders, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and bacon with honey mustard dressing.) The addition of sugared pecans made the salad special because it lent even more flavor and texture to the combination.

We couldn’t decide which main course was our favorite since all had their specific merits. The Asian glazed salmon was topped with a slightly sweet Asian barbecue glaze and the premium baby back ribs were tender, slightly peppery, and would be excellent with wine. The Chicken Oscar came with a surprise — a jumbo lump of crabmeat, while the colossal burger was huge — close to overwhelming — and almost impossible for a single person with a regular appetite to devour. More manageable were the beef minis — four mini burgers of USDA choice ground beef topped with American cheese and onion straws.

To wash it all down were tall refreshing glasses of Ruby T (pomegranate juice and fresh iced tea), classic lemonades, and smoothies. Although we were already groaning from satiety, the double chocolate cake, made richer by a warm chocolate-filled center couldn’t be missed. We were glad we forged on. It was a superb way to end a great meal. 

Shooting the breeze at Jack’s Loft

Jack’s Loft is a great place to meet and catch up with old friends. Its easy and casual atmosphere makes it conducive to sharing a bottle of wine or a meal. The items on the menu are very affordable and won’t cause a dent in the pocketbook.

Favorite main dishes on the menu would have to be the grilled chicken breast with mashed potato, or grilled chicken breast topped with mozzarella cheese and wild mushrooms. The breast of chicken is grilled until well-done but still juicy, while the sidings are sized just right and won’t tempt the dieting diner to go beyond the caloric limits of his/her diet.

However, non-dieters would surely enjoy items from the dessert bar. Cream cheesecake topped with a choice of strawberry, blueberry or mango is a delicious way to cap a meal, and chocolate lovers would surely love the warm chocolate decadent cake that is drizzled with caramel and ganache or a rich blend of chocolate and heavy cream.

The signature drink of the restaurant is the “fishbowl iced tea.” As its name implies, the drink is served in a big fishbowl-shaped glass receptacle that even one very parched, extremely thirsty person would have difficulty finishing. The tea is meant to be shared by two or up to three people. It is really very nice, this concept of sharing a fishbowl drink among friends, because it promotes some intimacy. In fact, couples out on a date might share a raspberry iced tea as an excuse to cuddle up, especially in the evenings when the cool evening breeze and the distant lights add to the dreamy atmosphere of the outdoor cafe. Me? I don’t like the possibility of anyone “backwashing” into my drink so I’ll risk drowning and knock it back all by my lonesome. Well, at least until I find someone I like enough to share my Jack’s Loft fishbowl tea with.

Other interesting items on the menu that would have to be tried another day are the broccoli and cheese soup, Louisiana fried shrimp, and the fillet of fish called Creole catch. Fajitas, steaks, ribs, and various promising desserts are on the menu as well.

Andok’s: A taste of home

Andok’s litson manok is a lifesaver. On busy days when there is no time to cook a meal, Filipino homemakers resort to Andok’s, with no complaints from the rest of the family. The chicken is well-seasoned, very flavorful and tender, and is delicious on its own or with the liver sauce or sarsa that goes with it. Newly cooked, steaming rice is the perfect accompaniment to the chicken.

Although the brand has many accessible take-home stands, the outlet at TriNoma is apparently very popular. It is always packed during mealtime, possibly indicating that diners couldn’t wait to get home to get their dose of Andok’s. Aside from litson manok, the dokito frito is also very popular. This is a piece of chicken that is dredged in breading and deep-fried until golden brown. Diners love it mainly because the servings are big and tasty, and quite cheap, too. Still another popular item at Andok’s is the grilled liempo or pork belly that is delicious with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, calamansi and chili, and native pickles or achara.

Andok’s litson manok and liempo are among the list of comfort foods of Filipinos, including those who have settled elsewhere in the world. There will be no hickory-smoked chicken or rosemary and buttered/herbed chicken for these overseas Filipinos when they return to the country. Andok’s is one taste of the Philippines and home. 

BreadTalk speaks of freshly-baked bread

The aroma of freshly-baked bread is difficult to resist and one is drawn inside the BreadTalk outlet each time one passes by it. The Singaporean franchise that has been described as a “boutique bakery” has been embraced by the Filipino consumers who rave about its variety of breads, as well as the dependably excellent quality of its baked products.

The most popular item in the store is undoubtedly the pork floss bun in either the spicy or regular variant. Should one be tempted to choose that favorite every time, it would be good to look around, examine what else is available and discover new favorites. There are after all, close to 200 kinds of bread. There are buns filled or topped with sausages, ham and other cured meats, cheese, mushrooms, beans, and various combinations of vegetables. Either of these could serve as a quick and filling meal. Likewise, there are breads to satisfy the craving for something light and sweet.

Transparent glass panes that separate the baking area from the retail area allow customers to see how the bread is baked. Thus, there is an added reassurance for the fastidious customer that the most hygienic practices are followed by the bakers.

Best of all, BreadTalk also sells beautifully decorated cakes. Although they may sometimes look too good to eat, one must cut them and bite into moist and light raisin butter or chocolate sponge cake, peach mousse, vanilla chiffon, and other delectable treats.

Special BBQ at Ineng’s

What puts Ineng’s pork barbecue a notch over the rest is that the barbecued meat is both tasty and tender. You don’t have to bite and tug hard to detach the skewered pieces from the barbecue stick. The marinade used is both spicy and sweet, just as Filipinos like it, and grilling gives a pleasant smoky flavor. Served on a bed of hot rice with homemade achara as a side dish, the special barbecue at Ineng’s is a satisfying meal. Other popular meat items in the restaurant are the grilled liempo or pork belly, a special sisig and a grilled hamonado sausage that is made flavorful with herbs and spices.

One can also opt for chicken barbecue. The marinade is a mix of pineapple juice and garlic that permeates throughout the piece of chicken. A dipping sauce of special soy sauce, lemon, and chili pepper adds a kick. Like the pork barbecue, it is excellent with rice. Although unmistakably Filipino, the menu at Ineng’s shows some foreign cooking influences. The grilled siomai, kimchi, and chili bagoong rice are Asian favorites that we have adopted as our own.

“Ineng” is what we sometimes call a young girl in Tagalog and variations of the term are used in other regions of the country (for example, Neneng.) Many of us are familiar with it since we also remember it to be a term of endearment by which some of our elders call us. In a similar manner, we could regard the five-year-old Ineng’s Special Barbecue with some degree of fondness. It may be a young food outlet with a simple menu, but the quality of the food is consistently good. The food is unpretentious yet hearty, simple but tasty. And as the brand matures, we expect that more items will be added to the menu. We hope that the restaurant can still be considered an “Ineng,” even as it gets older in years. We trust that it will stay young and dynamic as it surprises us with new offerings. 

Hooked on Fish & Co.

The fondue is a great way to enjoy your seafood at Fish & Co. The tobiko or orange roe of flying fish lends a slight crunch to make the creamy dip even more interesting. When the pieces for dipping are consumed, one can spoon up the remainder of the fondue and eat it like thick and delicious soup.

A crowd favorite remains the excellent fish and chips that are basic and simple and excellent. The fish fillets are coated with a delicious breading mixture, fried, and well drained so they are not at all greasy. There is no trace of a fishy odor, an indication that the seafood used is of the utmost quality; very fresh.

Fish & Co. had its beginnings in December 1998 in Singapore and has since opened outlets in Malaysia, Middle East, Australia, Indonesia, and China. The first Fish &Co. in the Philippines was opened in September 2005 at Greenbelt 3, and three more branches have opened since then. At the TriNoma Fish & Co., the restaurant stays true to the nautical theme of all the outlets. Colorful white and red lifesavers hang on the walls and the bright oranges, yellows, and blues would surely delight even the youngest diners.

“New Baits in Town” that are “guaranteed to get you hooked” are the seafood pesto pasta and baked sea bass stuffed with herbs and spices and served with Hainanese rice and homemade sauces. Nevertheless, the restaurant recognizes that some diners may sometimes prefer to eat land animals, so it also serves barbecued pork chops with a spicy mango sauce and rosemary chicken.

However, dessert aficionados may argue that the best things to get hooked on at Fish & Co are the Chocolate Eruption, choco pecan cluster or hot fudge chocolate cake. Yummy!

Carnivore heaven at Holy Cow Chop House

The life-sized papier mache (or wooden?) black and white cow with a halo in front of the restaurant says it so well: This is carnivore heaven.

We tried the boneless barbecued US beef ribs and were so pleased with what we got that we practically ignored the side dishes that came with it (french fries, buttered corn kernels, and an attractive homemade coleslaw made from red cabbage). The meat was so tender that even if “melt in your mouth” is a cliche in describing meat, we have to use the description because it did just that with a minimum of chewing. It occurred to us that we could have boneless beef ribs at Holy Cow more often, especially as the price of the dish was not excessive and would not pose unreasonable strain on our food budget.

However, a peek into the menu revealed that there were equally tempting possibilities. Listed under the Charcoal Grill Specials are an eight-ounce US Angus rib eye for P375 and the Holy Cow steak, a 21-ounce US Angus rib eye for P1,870. Hmmm, very interesting! We quickly did our math. Three eight-ounce steaks would weigh more and cost less than a 21-ounce steak. But could we eat three steaks in one go? Were we willing to risk the stares of disbelief as other diners viewed our obvious gluttony? Probably not, but still, it was a thought.  The steaks are served with the diner’s choice of sauces: pan-style gravy, red wine reduction sauce, hickory smoked barbecue sauce, peppercorn sauce, classic bearnaise or brown mushroom sauce. One can also have sidings such as fries, mashed potatoes, crispy shallot chive rice or garlic rice.

For people with big appetites who may want to order pasta, too, half portions are served, just in case the diner wants to make sure he leaves enough room in his stomach for the steak.  Likewise, there is a Little Menu for children or adults who would rather have smaller portions. Listed here are Cornflake Chicken Tots (crusted chicken nuggets with honey-dijon mustard or bbq sauce and french fries), spaghetti Bolognese or spaghetti with meatballs. The meals in the Little Menu come with ice cream and cute, colorful stuffed toy cows.

Authentic Greek cuisine at Cyma

Moussaka, the Greek dish consisting of layers of eggplant and ground lamb or beef, covered with bechamel or cheese and baked is a great way of convincing people to overcome their bias against eggplant. This is a delicious dish to have at a Greek restaurant. At Cyma, however, even those who avoid eating lamb because of its gamey taste easily learn to appreciate and enjoy the meat.

We were lucky that chef Robby Goco was around when we visited Cyma and he willingly shared that lemon is used to temper the strong flavors of lamb.

“Why did you decide to open a Greek restaurant?” we wondered.  He explained that aside from the Zagat survey that showed Greek as among the 10 most popular types of cuisine, he noted after visiting three major cities in the Western world that “progressive Filipinos are familiar with and love Greek food.”  Thus, Manila was ready for a Greek restaurant.

 Chef Robby observes that Greece and the Philippines share a lot in common in terms of topography and this is a factor that influences the cuisine. “If you look at the map of Greece, you will see that there is no part of the country that is more than 30 kilometers from the sea.” In a similar manner, no area in the Philippines is too far away from the surrounding ocean. “We both rely heavily on the seas for sustenance. Majority of our seafood is freshly caught and naturally sweet.”  He explains that when the sweetness becomes humdrum, we balance it with something sour. While the Filipinos have sinigang, the Greeks have avgolemono, a soup made from chicken broth, egg yolks, lemon juice, and rice.

The cuisine at Cyma is authentic and Greek diners are surprised to discover that the chef and co-owner is Filipino. Chef Robby Goco puts a premium on the freshness of ingredients used in the restaurant. “When the raw products are of such flawless quality, as they are at Cyma, covering them up with sauces and forceful flavors is exactly what should not be done. Cyma prides itself on its delicious food — the idea (here) is perfect simplicity,” he says.