MANILA, Philippines – Restaurants, fast food joints and fishball stands litter every possible space and you can bet that they are there to appease our insatiable appetites. Mother’s Day is just around the corner itching to be celebrated, so we scoured the highways, by ways, back alleys, and grubby side streets for those of you who are looking to celebrate with more that just burgers and fries.
Bellini’s
One of Cubao’s best kept non-seedy secret, Bellini’s offer authentic Italian cuisine that takes you to a different plane altogether. Hidden within the Marikina shoe expo, a bit of walking is needed to find this gem of a restaurant. Once you find this particular establishment, step in and be welcomed by the Italian décor – murals all over the ceilings and walls, checkered tablecloths and even a miniature leaning tower of Pisa. Several wine racks are visible from the entrance and several sides of the walls are bedecked with photographs from this family of photographers turned restaurateurs. At night, its lights up, surprising guests with a romantic feel perfect for those intimate moments. Lucky are those who will manage to chance upon the owner Roberto Bellini who engages his customers with personal service, perhaps a quick chat here and there.
There’s customer to staff relation is superb to say the least. The staff itself does a fine job on their own, always ready to spring in to assist, take orders and deliver food. While the food might take a while to prepare, Bellini’s make up for it, with complementary breadsticks, sweet breads and even glasses of sweet wine and the wait is well worth it, because as soon as your dish hits the table, it is inevitable to realize what a treat you’ll be in for. Mixed seafood pastas and a whopping selection of pizza numbering up to 55 provide the main attraction. Crab meat mixed spaghetti and the Fettuccini alla scampe, provides a whole new twist. Their pizza ala Maria Luisa named after the head chef herself, is a garden of veggie delights worth mentioning. Basically made for those who would like a healthy alternative. That first bite alone tells you the meticulous preparations made to serve you with vegetable topped pies that seemed straight out of the garden with its freshness.
Five Cows
The name itself pretty much sums up what this relatively newbie is all about. With most of its dishes taken from that beloved bovine, you can expect them to serve you with steaks and burgers as well as heavenly frozen delights. Wedged between two escalators on the 5th floor of Trinoma, this out of the way, restaurant has been serving lucky passersby with some of the most delicious food on this side of town for a little over two years. Executive chef Eugene Raymundo explains how they keep customers to take that extra walk and enjoy a unique culinary experience. “From what was just supposed to be an ice cream bar, we realized that we wouldn’t be able to survive on desserts alone, thus we decided to be a full blown resto overnight.” Adding to their overwhelming selections of frozen goodies is their formidable line up of meals. Enjoy a cheeseburger, thrice the size of what they serve in fast foods and are more than the classic bun, patty and special sauce. Indulge in sandwiches such as the Tuna Apple or Primavera, the serving size fit or what paying customers deserve. But the real crown jewel of this establishment is its impressive array of cakes, ice creams and innovative combinations of both. Prepare to be tempted with Rocky Almond Slice, Lemon Torte Slice, S’mores Cake Slice and Decadent Sundae are just some of the many delights this store has to offer. Despite a solid line up of meals and deserts, Five Cows regularly changes their menus, as they often experiment and present something new to its patrons. And while you enjoy your scrumptious dessert, sit and relax on their wooden fixtures paneled windows reminiscent of farm houses in which Raymundo explains that they did aim for that old country feel for you and your friends and family to enjoy. The only downside is that the establishment is too popular for its own good. Expect to experience slow service at peak hours because of a jam packed crowd thronging to sample its tasty treats. But not even that could seriously tarnish this budding business rise.
Chocolate Kiss
The University of the Philippines founded in 1908 is famous for its top-notch educational system, contributions to the arts, and an impressive list of alumnis. But UP just wouldn’t be UP without its rock concerts, student activists, and legendary selections of food trip venues. Located within the Bahay ng Alumni, just a short walk from the Acad Oval, is this two story café filled to the brim with exquisite food bursting with flavor. The interior, with its rich brown décor, gives off the air of a fancy café – private and relaxing. The Chocolate Kiss after opening its doors in 1997 has been quietly and faithfully serving customers with delicious cakes, pastries and full blown meals with excellent service to match, in student friendly prices.
Katre
Looking from the outside, its less than fancy and often vacated appearance no one would guess that come lunch and dinner time, it becomes a hotbed of exciting culinary delights. A deviant from the regular and mediocrity of fast food set-ups, Katre defines itself as an avant-garde of fine dining yet without as much cost and fuzz. Located just behind the urban jungle that is Tomas Morato, its presence would often go unnoticed seeing how it is mushroomed by other more commercialized establishments. But what makes this hole in the wall such a go to place is its array of inviting arsenal namely the food, service and overall quality. Functioning on a modern minimalist philosophy, the interior is drowned in majestic white and slightly accented in earthly tones. Native furniture both comfortable and simplistic adds much to the central theme within its well lit halls. Given with these facts, the overall result is a dining experience shrouded in comfort and relaxing atmosphere perfect for conversations, family dinners and intimate moments. Another integral component in its success is its head chef and owner, Roxs Cailao, who has well over 10 years of experience and proved that Mediterranean fusion wasn’t just a myth. When most people would hear the word Mediterranean only two things come into mind. It’s hard to spell and Arab food. In reality, Mediterranean cuisine is not only limited within the Middle Eastern region but also includes those around the Mediterranean Sea such such as greek, Italian and French also fall under this category. – Legions of Italian pasta, French hors d’oeuvres among others inhabit its menu grouped together by country of origin giving a unique and diverse mouth watering experience for the adventurous diner. Must try’s include Angus Rib Eye, Pasta Ala Catre and Roast Chicken with Pasta. – Successful Mediterranean fushion means nothing for those who are looking for the familiar pinoy taste and so dishes such as the Adobo Flakes and pandan Iced-tea were created for those Filipino die-hards. And the best thing about all of these blissful wonders is that they give you more value for your money with their reasonably priced fares. Certainly a five star experience in a simple little package.
Twelve years later, and after opening two other branches, one in Roces and the other just below the original, this establishment is still an interesting find. With three branches in full swing, they now sought to bring a different experience to remove that annoying element of repetitiveness and proceeded to add a special trait, exclusive to each branch.
The two branches in UP operate on a different time span. The first floor café specializes in breakfast for those early birds hoping to start the day with a kiss. While the older nook upstairs is synonymous with lunch and dinner with a live band playing jazz and boss a nova on certain nights. Much of the menu is comprised of what the Flores family enjoys to eat; their matron Maline spearheaded this café with her humble catering services and skills. Enjoy such delights as the Carbonara Supreme tossed with sautéed bacon, ham, and mushrooms, with creamy béchamel sauce guaranteed to satisfy even the most fickle of customers or Hainanese Chicken rice stewed white chicken with ginger in oil, dark soy sauce, and chili dip served with clear chicken broth and chicken-flavored rice. And after you enjoy a filling meal, treat yourself to a Devils food cake a deep rich chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling and marshmallow frosting- a public favorite or the Chocolate Kiss suite in which you can choose three different cakes served in one.