Some of my backlogs are reviews of restaurants that I have been to for the past year since arriving in Manila back home for good from overseas. Most of these reviews are in draft format and waiting to be finished and eventually published here. So when the assignment to write for PEOPLE ASIA magazine came through, I didn’t have to break my head so much to write reviews about some of Manila’s (including places outside Manila) tried and tested dining venues. The following article was published in PEOPLE ASIA’s July 2007 “7-7-7” special issue (left) and talks about “seven” of my personal favourites from the high-end foodie digs down to one hole-in-the-wall cheap delight.

Read on . . .

e are in a country where eating is a way of life and the sense of being alive is best expressed through munching, munching, and more munching! Therefore it is not unusual to notice the large increasing number of eateries in and around the metropolis. So where exactly does everybody eat? What are the best foodie joints to try out? Here are seven tried and tested restaurants sure to take you to gustatory heavens.

EL CIRKULO

The late culinary guru Doreen Fernandez once wrote that this restaurant is a perfect example of strong Spanish influence on Philippine dining. Since its opening in 1995, El Cirkulo has evolved into a true dining experience. With the introduction of its improved menu after a renovation in 2001, the fine union of old and new puts Cirkulo on top of connoisseurs’ dining list.

Much credit is due to award-winning Chef J Gamboa, a third-generation restaurateur (Milky Way, Azuma-ya Ramen House, and Tsukiji Japanese Restaurant) who is a product of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York.

To date, all-time favorites Cirkulo offered since it opened in 1995 are still on the menu such as their tapas, chorizos, croquetas, hojaldres (spinach and blue cheese filled phyllo triangles), and its signature dish cabeza de cerdo, a spicy sisig. Not to be missed is their Paella Negra (above), a Spanish rice dish made with saffron, baby prawns, calamari, sea bass, leeks, and squid ink. Also make room for the heavenly Caramelized Banana Split!

El Cirkulo
900 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City 1200, Philippines
Telephone: +632-8102763

ABE

After its opening late last year, it took me a month to get a table in Larry Cruz’s new baby in Serendra Circle called ‘Abe’ which he named as a tribute to his father, Emilio ‘Abe’ Aguilar Cruz, a bon vivant and gastronome.

Abe’s menu offering is a delightful array of delectable familiar dishes, compliments the restaurant’s charming ambience, and features Abe Cruz’s Filipino favorites from old Binondo to his native Kapampangan dishes. The menu has a flavor of wanderlust that is evidenced by a number of regional Filipino classics including choice dishes from his European sojourns.

The must tries are the Paco Fern and Tomato Salad (appetizing fiddlehead fern with salted egg, tomato and vinaigrette dressing), Pastel de Lengua (tender and savory ox tongue cooked to perfection that matches flawlessly with its tasty pie crust topping), and the Spicy Sisig Pampanga (minced pork jowl and chicken livers sautéed in garlic). Top these dishes with a Tamarind Shake or Ambassador Cooler (mango, dayap & guava with fizz).

Dining at Abe makes for an interesting and very personal experience. The dishes, each with its own story to tell, are comfort food one can have over and over and never grow tired of. And if you are running late or planning a last-minute raincheck, call to inform or cancel. A lot of people are waiting in queue!

Abe
Ground Level, Serendra Piazza
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Reservations recommended.
Telephone: +632-8560256

Its name has a proverbial echo. Lemuria, a quaint restaurant named after the Philippines’ connection to the fabled ancient and lost mythical continent that co-existed with legends such as Atlantis, is obscurely located inside one of Quezon City’s quiet districts and fits perfectly well with the ‘lost paradise’ theme.

With Chef Golda May Ranada (formerly of Le Souffle) at the kitchen’s helm, Lemuria’s offerings are far from obscurity. Her appetizers include Seared Scallop Salad with Smoked Scarmoze Ravioli drizzled with sweet vinaigrette. Scarmoze is an Italian cheese similar to mozzarella. The regular menu features delectable dishes such as Braised Lamb Shank with Apricot and Red Wine Sauce, Twice-Cooked Pork Belly, and Grilled Salmon on Savory Vegetable Crepe.

Its French-Mediterranean cuisine and the quaint homey yet elegant surroundings, its own imports of boutique wines from Europe, and the ‘reservations only’ basis make Lemuria a gastronomic destination in Quezon City.

Lemuria
The Winery, 5 Julieta Circle
Horseshoe Village, Quezon City
Prior reservations required.
Telephone: +632-7245211

Tagaytay is a study in contrast: ordinary to the insipid and refreshing to the ingenuous. No longer a secret, Tagaytay has in recent years transformed itself into a dining mecca where foodies flock and find a good meal.

One of its “not-so-secret-anymore” culinary destinations is Massimo’s, a small fine-dining restaurant where one can savor Chef Hazel Galvez’s creations of intricate Italian flavors amidst a simple rustic setting. Named after the owners Chito and Hazel Galvez’s little boy, Massimo’s is an epicurean delight with its famous Bistecca alla Florentine, a simple dish of US Angus rib eye drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar; and their current star, the Wagyu beef — served either as a steak or as a burger in aioli sauce. Though it may seem a carnivore’s delight, the menu has an earthy and personal feel.

Massimo’s
Royal Pines Subdivision, J.P. Rizal Road
Tagaytay City
Telephone: +6346-4130881

Florabel Co’s innovative approach and prodigious amount of dedication in creating menus for her namesake restaurant Florabel has been the hallmark of this successful joint at The Podium.

Florabel’s marvelously delectable gourmet dishes served in a fine dining setting includes the Coconut-Crusted Crispy Prawns with Tropical Fruits and Sesame Dressing (a South Beach Diet-inspired salad-appetizer topped with pomelo, oranges, and pineapple), the Foie Gras and Truffle Burger (grilled Angus Beef burger stuffed with Foie Gras and laced with Roasted Tomatoes), and John Dory with Sea Urchin Butter Sauce served with Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Vegetables.

Florabel
Ground Level, The Podium, ADB Avenue
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Telephone: +632-6387527

With the proliferation of wannabe Thai restaurants in the metropolis, this hole-in-the-wall that created a buzz around the Rockwell area in late 2005 is one of the best kept Thai cuisine secrets of all.

Owned by Filipina Eva Patamadilo and her Thai husband, retired Chef Pat, Som’s is an al fresco turo-turo (hawker style) gem foodie joint serving authentic Thai food favorites like the spicy Tom Yum (Hot and Sour Soup with meat), Khao Khluk Kapi (Bagoong Rice), Pad Thai (Rice Noodles pan fried with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or tamarind pulp, chopped peanuts, and egg combined with chicken, seafood, and tofu), Gaeng Khiew-Waan (Green Curry made with fresh green chilies and flavored with Thai basil), Som Tam (grated papaya salad), and the heavenly Kao Niao Ma Muang (Sticky Rice with Mango).

Down-to-earth-priced, Som’s menu offerings personally cooked and supervised by Chef Pat truly stimulates the senses and reflects the balance of five fundamental flavors that the Thai cuisine is known for. Aroi mak!

Som’s Noodle House
5921A Alger Street, Poblacion, Makati City
Telephone: +632-7578079

Opened in 2004, C’ Italian Dining is a top-notch restaurant in Angeles City that has been twice voted as Philippine Tatler’s Best Restaurant. The decor that is of a typical Italian trattoria provides the perfect ambience in savoring regional Italian dishes that have gained superlative reviews for C’.

Apart from its offering of authentic Italian fare, C’ Italian Dining is famous for its own unique pizza creation, the PANIZZA. Panizza is a pizza of thin and crispy dough layered with a blend of five different cheeses and herbs, served with a combination of choice toppings like mushrooms, artichokes, parma ham, salami, sun-dried tomatoes, scallop flakes, and bacon amongst the many on offer in the menu. Unlike other pizzas, C’s Panizza comes in a rectangular shape, sliced in diagonal strips, and served with arugula greens and the thick, sweetish balsamic vinegar reduction.

Must tries are Chef Chris Locher’s creations of flavorful and masterfully combined entrees like Whole Rainbow Trout with tomato and basil presented on golden roesti with assorted garden greens; Bistecca Di C’ an old time classic grilled US prime angus flank steak served with red wine reduction; and Halibut with Herb and Pecorino Crust served with pomodore enticed linguini.

C’ Italian Dining
1210 Don Juico Avenue, Clarkview
Angeles City, Pampanga
Telephone: +6345-8924059