ENCHANTE

4.5 out of 5 stars

Enchanté is Chef Jessie Sincioco’s baby after her long-established tenure in Le Soufflé. The place is sprawling, but feels homey at the same time. Think bright yellow walls and colorful plant arrangements. However, there is something aged about the appearance of the place, a little run-down and frayed with its flowered chandeliers and vine appliqué on the walls. I felt quite the opposite when it came to the shocking red bathrooms. It felt luxurious and authentic, as if it were an annex to a French lady’s bedchamber. I only wish that the same kind of atmosphere carried itself throughout the main dining area. Thankfully, the restaurant was generous enough to include a cigar room with a beautiful backdrop of the Parisian thoroughfares.

The design and name of the restaurant gives away the French cuisine that they serve so beautifully. We started with the Virgie Ramos Salad (895 PhP), described as “pan fried goose liver, grilled tiger prawn with scallop and grilled shiitake mushroom in creamy balsamic dressing and raspberry-honey sauce.” The presentation was amazing and the taste just as good as it looks! The goose liver was seared perfectly, the tiger prawns were succulent, and the scallops were cooked just right (it had the texture of butter!). The ingredients blended well with one another; the salad didn’t feel too overwhelming even if it comprised of numerous ingredients.

Virgie Ramos Salad (895 PhP)

I got the Grilled Assorted Seafood in Berlinoisse Sauce (850 PhP). Sea bass, salmon, scallops and shrimp were slathered in a cream sauce accompanied with a wild rice risotto. My only problem was that the presentation was not as appealing as the salad, and that the staff practically used the same garnish as Martin’s ostrich. But the seafood was excellent!!! Just like the seafood in the salad, all were grilled and seasoned perfectly, nary a bit overdone. Another round of applause for the wild mushroom risotto --- Although it had a little too much greens, the flavors were rich, creamy and complimented the seafood like brown on wild rice.

Grilled Assorted Seafood in Berlinoisse Sauce (850 PhP)

Martin ordered the Ostrich Salpicao (750 PhP). We were surprised that it came out as one big slab of meat! It actually felt a little too dense and overly seasoned. I’d return for seconds when it comes to the seafood, but would probably choose another viand for the meat (such as duck) in my next visit.

Ostrich Salpicao (750 PhP)

All in all, it was a delightful new place to dine in. And it’s doubly great that new restaurants are putting up shop in areas other than Makati. Next time you find your way in the Ortigas area, you should seriously consider Enchanté as part of your fine dining options.

Menu. Click below to magnify.

Enchanté

3/F Oakwood Joy Nostalg Center, 17 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center

Pasig City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 425-2650

M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

MEAT PLUS

4.5 out of 5 stars

I cannot --- CANNOT ---- stop raving about Meat Plus. It's an eatery that has been a cornerstone of Subic. Your trip would not be complete without a visit to this restaurant (then, of course, a hop and a skip across its duty-free stores to burn off that steak you've eaten).

The rating spiked up since my last review not only for staying alive for over a decade, but that it has maintained its superb service, facilities and quality of meats. You may queue up to pay akin to a cafeteria, but the difference ends there. The restaurant is bright, airy and comfortable (except when the crowd spills through its doors); the bathroom is spotless; the condiment options are great; plus, I really appreciate their huge steak knives. How about the food, you ask? Imagine spending a little more than grand for two massive ribeye meals (and drinks)? And it's not just some run-of-the-mill beef, but USDA standard Angus beef from US or Australia!

So please, if you can, just open the chiller to the side of the counter and take out your Angus steak! Don't bother ordering the smaller, local ones from the placard up front. Prepare to drool as your stare at the picture below. I promise you --- it tastes just as good as it looks.

USDA Angus Ribeye (500++ PhP)

Meat Plus MENU. Click on the pic below to magnify.










MEAT PLUS
Building 65 Sampson Road
Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Zambales 2222
tel: (047)252-7091
fax: (047)252-6365

open 10am to 9pm

VAN GOGH IS BIPOLAR

4.5 out of 5 stars

Jetro Rafael is a true artist, and is reflected with his day job of travel photography. He also happens to have bipolar disorder or manic depression, along with the likes of famous people like Edgar Allan Poe, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Kurt Kobain and yes, Vincent van Gogh. Being productive about his condition, he decided to customize a meal plan to help calm his erratic mood swings instead of taking drugs with extensive side effects. What began as a personal meal guide turned into an idea for a restaurant, and hence, the birth of “Van Gogh is Bipolar.”

Make sure to leave lots of free time when visiting this restaurant because VGIB is a visual treat. His masterals in UP Fine Arts is apparent with the way the place is decorated. Every corner of the wall and table isn’t left empty. From hanging suits and headpieces, indigenous instruments and photographs, to leaving a chiffon divider with a decorative dragonfly, this place is an explosion of the senses. In fact, it got me befuddled in a manner that made me want to explore each and every nook and cranny. I only wish I had more time to take in all that is VGIB.

Even the concept of the restaurant walks off the beaten track, being that it is “semi-self-serve” and non-formal in some ways. Guests write down their names and orders in paper, which they bring to the kitchen window. Jetro or his helpers (who are sometimes his friends) will call out your name from the window, so you can pick up your food. Whenever you need anything, you ring the bell beside the kitchen window. I have used this bell to return my used dishes, request for more sauce or simply ask questions regarding my food. Jetro is quite gracious and says that if you’re not satisfied with your food, you can return it to the kitchen, and they’ll try to cook according to your specification. Apart from this, you make your own tea from materials provided in the center counter, and you’re even encouraged to compute for your own bill. Yes, the honesty system is carried through to the open container on the tea table carrying Palawan honey for 5 pesos per stick, or the travel tissue packs provided in the bathroom with a 10-peso donation box.

It is apparent that profit-making is only secondary to VGIB’s main purpose, which is for Jetro to share two of his numerous passions, namely cooking and photography. Most of the photographs and some of the artworks posted were created by him. And the menu is basically what Jetro eats on a daily basis. And in opening these interests to his guests in a restaurant where he literally lives, he essentially opens his lifestyle and heart to his guests. This sincerity shows through the effort put into the food (where the herbs come from his garden, vegetables from Tagaytay and Batangas, honey from Palawan and black rice from the Mountain Province, all organic!) and the creative way of entertaining his guests. While in the bathroom (where it’s also Jetro’s dark room), peruse through his photos, some books or drop a name of your real love in a bottle with the wilted rose. How about writing a greeting or message in the red healing wall in one corner? Or when dining al fresco, why not try eating from a bed? Not only does he advocate a healthy diet loaded with fresh vegetables, but the eclectic place encourages conversation and languid moments with friends over mood-altering teas.

Our dining area, where we ate by the red-curse healing wall

The menu is as complicated as the venue, perplexing but exciting to read. Once you’re accustomed to their system, though, it becomes as familiar as your favorite worn-out pair of slippers. The menu starts off with the bipolar concept, followed by the “House Rules,” namely:

1. Indoors are reserved for 10 diners only
2. Please enjoy your after dinner tea outdoors to accommodate other diners
3. NO SERVERS HERE. If you need anything, just ring the kitchen bell.
4. Please see the menu & write your name, orders (sic) on paper provided.
5. For tea drinkers: Read the instructions on how you (sic) to make your own tea.
6. After eating, kindly place soiled dishes at the kitchen window and ring the bell.
7. Celebrate your shit life on the red-curse healing wall or put your mark at the tea table.

Then come the Royal Bipolar Meal (Premium Platinum meals with a “narcissistic” serving), the bipolar appetizers, the bipolar salads, the Bipolar Presidents’ Manic Set Meal (Executive Premium meals), Rice Meals (Ford Coppola’s Episodic Meals), Fish Meals (Bipolar Hollywood Happy-Chill Meals), Tim Burton’s Dish of the Day, Tipid meals priced at 44 PhP (Ozzy Osbourne’s frugal Thursday’s semi-manic delight), Bipolar desserts, an explanation of Courtney Love’s Potion of the day (a special non-alcoholic drink), bipolar’s blend and concoctions (which includes teas, cocoas, and alcoholic beverages), Sunday Thanksgiving Dinner Selections, Instructions on how to make your own tea, a chart of the Bipolar diet which tabulates what to take (when you feel depressed, fatigues, stressed or in a bad mood), and articles on the unique black mountain rice as well as published articles on the restaurant. Whew! Quite a mouthful, right?

It’s almost like a book because the menu contains tidbits of information on neurotransmitters that you receive on eating a certain meal, trivia on the ingredients of a dish, how certain ingredients alter the mood you’re in as well as philosophies on life. The categories and the dishes are also named after famous people with bipolar disorder, such as Lord Byron, Isaac Newton, Axl Rose, Sting, Francesco Scavullo and too many more to mention. Noteworthy among the drinks are the Van Gogh Expensive Spicy Beer (299 PhP) where the blend of herbs and spice in the beer brew is home-made, Mel Gibson’s Darkest Sin (sweet vodka with 70 percent German dark chocolate, wild Palawan honey, almond and walnut) and Axl Rose’s Organic Egg-Jaegermeister shot (submerged in hot water for 10 minutes. Served in an egg shell. With wild honey and organic black, spicy sauce – 99 PhP)

But we didn’t choose any of the drinks since my boyfriend and I settled for the Presidents’ Manic Set Meal (a notch lower than the “Royal Bipolar Meal”), which already include both tea AND a choice of red/white wine or the Courtney Love’s Potion of the Day (which is non-alcoholic). I chose President Clinton’s Meal, which is grilled Australian lamb, along with the Courtney Love’s Potion (555 PhP), while my boyfriend picked President Lincoln’s Meal, which is Organic Turkey slow-cooked and simmered with Fresh fruit extracts and Organic Herbs, along with organic berry-based white wine (555 PhP).

We got our drinks at the same time as getting the tea, but the next time we return, we’ll remember to get the tea in the end to cap off our meal. Anyway, it wasn’t much of a biggie because you can refill your house tea thrice.

The organic wine was served with mint and garnished with strawberry. It was organic, light and fruity, but I preferred my drink so much more. The Courtney Love Potion was a mix of some tea, melon, mint, lemongrass, and had diced cucumbers, fresh mint and a strawberry on top. It was refreshing and tasted unlike any other iced tea or fruit concentrate that I’ve drank! I would go back to VGIB if only to drink this again!

From the top clockwise: Courtney Love's Potion, Mango-mint Tea
and Organic Berry-Based White Wine
Courtney Love's Potion - a very healthy non-alcoholic cold concoction made from the most fresh and organic fruit extracts with real fruit bits and pulp, varying from time to time. No sugar added, only wild Palawan honey is used. (144.44 PhP if bought alone)

We also had fun making our teas! From choosing your own teapots and teas (I chose mango for a “happy chill” mood while my boyfriend got avocado for “soothing”), to measuring the tea leaves and mint, it was quite an experience for a first-timer! Be sure to get a shot glass of that yummy Palawan honey to drizzle into your teacups for that boost of natural sugars.

Our turkey soup came along with the set meal, and it was delicious! It was thickened soup infused with turkey broth, and flavored with basil leaves, banana chips and toasted garlic. We finished it in no time, my only minor complaint being that they could have strained the turkey bones before serving it. But it was very tasty, nonetheless, and at least we knew that the savory portions were indeed infused by turkey bones and bits.

Our main courses came, and the dish is a true reflection of the place and menu. It was organized chaos with a burst of color from the fresh fruits and vegetables. My dish almost seemed like the grilled lamb chops were an accompaniment to the star of the show, the black mountain rice. Although the lamb wasn’t as tender as Jetro wanted it to be (he said it wasn’t marinated long enough), it was still satisfactory. But there may have been too little meat and a lot of the bone.

President Clinton’s Meal, Grilled Australian lamb(555 PhP)
"Grass eating animals are always a healthy source of protein which makes you energetic minus the negative effects of chemically fed animals which alter your mood in a bad way."

What was really mouth-watering was the way he prepared the black rice, almost as glutinous as a risotto, and mixed with banana chips, peanuts, mangoes, corn, basil leaves, lettuce, cabbage and edible flowers. Weird combination, but they just seemed to meld into one another perfectly, starting with the sweetness of the mangoes and ending with the soothing and rich aftertaste of the rice. What makes it better is that it is one of the healthy kinds of rice, being completely made of complex carbohydrates and low on the glycemic level.

Black Mountain Rice up close

My companion’s turkey was served inside an orange, and had the same rice accoutrement that ended up outshining its viand. Like the lamb, there was not much turkey, but whatever there was was scrumptious. It was moist and sweet and slightly tart at the same time. I preferred my lamb, though, not because of the flavor, but because I generally prefer lamb over turkey. Both dishes were accompanied with a sauce that tasted like patis and bagoong at the same time, and I chose not to use it because I was already enjoying all the sweetness coming from the rice. There were also much lettuce and cabbage leaves that we ended up making lettuce or cabbage rolls of our food, and we still kept on eating the rice even when there were no more lamb or turkey, it’s that good!

President Lincoln’s Meal, Organic Turkey slow-cooked and simmered
with Fresh fruit extracts and Organic Herbs, (555 PhP)
THE UNIVERSE'S BEST MEAT TO EAT.
TURKEY contains a natural chemical - "trytophan"- that activates serotonin hormones in the brain that flush out bad mood and gives you that super chill mood..."

This place is only open late afternoons. According to an article written by Anne Jambora in the Inquirer, "For a time, his restaurant was open 24 hours, with guests knocking on his door at dawn for some teatime. He was amused at first, he said, since it felt like he had visitors coming over to his house. But when word spread of the place and more people trooped to his place, he decided to open only for teatime (5-7 p.m.); dinner (7-10:30 p.m.); and late teatime (10:30-1 a.m.)."

This restaurant is not the place where you’d be focused on cooking technicalities, but its vibe and creativity all the more makes up for it. Nobody puts it better than Jetro himself, as quoted from the same article where he says:

“You’re not here to experience fine-dining service. You have to go to the counter, ring the bell, write down your order, wait for your order to get cooked and then come back for it at the counter when it’s done. You’re not here for good food, either. You’re here for an experience, to understand the life and world of a bipolar…. Here we celebrate our imperfections; here we embrace our flaws and weaknesses. I set this up as a way of sharing my life and my diet. Van is not about me; it’s not about the place. It’s a personal experience about the people who come here.”

Jetro Rafael : Owner of VGIB

part of the menu. Click below to magnify.

Van Gogh is Bipolar
living art space. cafe.
154 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village
(02)394-0188

*open everyday except Tuesday from 5:30 pm to 12:30 am
*cash basis only, wheelchair friendly
Su: 6:00 pm - 1:00 am
Su: 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm

ROMULO CAFE

3.75 out of 5 stars

Romulo Café is a relatively new restaurant which opened late last year along with good company near its streets: A Taste of LA, Zuchinnni’s and Katre. The architecture is cool, clean, chic and predominantly white, all thanks to the skills of famed designer Ivy Almario. Her husband, Yong Nievas (of the former Salumeria, thanks Noni) is the proprietor of this establishment, which serves Filipino comfort food, the name of this place coming from the grandfather’s surname. Admittedly, you can’t really tell that it’s Filipino food that they’re serving since the place is a little too modern. The only trace of Filipino art is a floor-to-ceiling poster of the poem “I am Filipino” halfway up the stairs.

Interiors

"I am Filipino" poem

Exteriors

The menu is brief, but put-together, consisting of only two pages worth of Filipino food with a modern twist. Even if their specialty is the Boneless Crispy Pata Binangoonan (PhP 595) (which I shall try on my next visit), it was only Martin and I, and we weren’t that hungry to eat something fit for 4. So we settled with the Flying Tilapia with 3 Sauces (290 PHP), Honey-Garlic Pork Spareribs (235 PhP) and the Pinoy Nachos (75 PhP) as our appetizer.

The nachos looked better than it tasted. It was kamote and taro chips drizzled with melted kesong puti, keso de bola and tomato. When we ate it, all we tasted were taro chips. The queso de bola sauce was surprisingly bland since queso de bola is normally salty and piquant, and the kesong puti was sparse, with only around 5 small cubes of tomatoes. Fortunately, the main dishes were tastier than the appetizer.

Pinoy Nachos (75 PhP)

The fried tilapia came with three types of sauces: sweet chili garlic sauce, honey bagoong and pickled ampalaya & soy vinegar. We left the chili garlic sauce alone, as Martin preferred the honey bagoong, liking bagoong to begin with. I preferred the third sauce of pickled ampalaya and soy vinegar. As much as it sounds unappetizing, it was pretty tasty and reminded me of a soy-based dipping sauce that Chinese restaurants serve.

Flying Tilapia with 3 Sauces (290 PHP)

The honey-garlic pork spareribs was also delightful. Contrary to the Pinoy nachos, this dish tasted better than it looks. The boneless pork ribs were simply placed in a white bowl. What brought it to a different level was their secret honey garlic sauce, which gave a tangy sweetness to the meat. Thankfully, this also didn’t seem too high on fat since the transparent sauce around it came from sticky honey, and not from oil-based sauces like adobo.

Honey-Garlic Pork Spareribs (235 PhP)

All in all, this resto has clean, no-frills comfort food, with an ambience perfect for barkada gatherings or quiet, intimate dinners. Check out this place for a new dining facet in Tomas Morato. Oh, and props to foodie Noni Mercado for giving me first dibs on this resto lead several months ago!

Menu below. Click to magnify.









Romulo Cafe
Scout Tuason cor. Sct. Dr. Lazcano
Quezon City, Metro Manila
(02) 332-7275
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

S'MAC

4.5 out of 5 stars

I just saw the folders of restos I would want to write on, and it's still so numerous :o At the risk of delaying some work, I decided to write on my New York line-up since it would be harder going back to these places unlike the ones in Manila.

I'll start the line-up right with this cute little place called S'MAC. It's a quaint place in the East Village that serves nothing but....you guessed it, macaroni and cheese. It's been featured in several shows and magazines for being a restaurant with such a specific niche. Nothing intimidating about it when you enter, at all. The interiors are small but sunny, literally, since the furniture is all in yellow, except for the red brick wall to one side and the red trimmings on the wall. The decoration is modern, yet kitschy to the point of being cute. Wired chandeliers, inverted cone lamps, those kinds of things.

It's called S'MAC cos it's owned by Sarita Ekya. Her recommendations are posted along with the rest of the menu on the counter, and you place your orders here like in fast food joints or a canteen. Actually, her recommendations make all of the menu, but there's another section where you can build your own mac and cheese and you just tell them what toppings to place. The great part is, they have take and bake, where you can order then bake and eat your S'MAC later at home, as well as delivery. They're also considerate enough to provide you a choice of regular, multi-grain or gluten-free elbow macaroni, with or without breadcrumbs on top.

My friends and I got a nosh (being the smallest serving, then major much, mongo and partay! the last one serving aroun 8-12 people) of Buffalo Chicken, Parisienne and Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese. You know it's American sizes because when it came to us, our noshes still looked huge, and we regretted getting three servings because we were still up for brunch (which became a 3 pm brunch, the line was that long) at Prune later.

All three of them looked the same, the sauce slightly differing in hues of yellow. But once you bite into it, it's a world of difference! The Cheeseburger ($5.75) is for the hearty meat eater. As described, it's "ground beef done to perfection with onions, garlic and a hint of ketchup and mustard. Don't forget the best part - a combination of American and Cheddar cheeses." It honestly tasted like a cheeseburger, and I liked it out of the three because of it's mild but beefy taste, and is likeable to most palates.

The Buffalo Chicken (&6.75) is basically "cheddar & American cheeses with boneless chicken pieces and buffalo wing sauce. We’ll even top it off with crumbled blue cheese if you’d like!" This had the most zing and spice, and I had to reach for my soda several times because my mouth tingled after (but in a good way, of course :) The taste of this mac and cheese actually grows on you as you get accustomed to its bold, chili-barbecue flavor.

Lastly, the Parisienne ($6.75) is written as "mac-n-Cheese for the "upper crust". Creamy brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary. It's addictive!" I liked this the least, though my friends love it. I guess I'm not used to my mac and cheese, which is usually savory, being somewhat sweet due to the figs and brie. I love brie, but alone or baked by itself in philo. The shiitake was a brilliant addition, though, and I could really taste the flavor of the rosemary permeate the entire dish.

From top to bottom: Parisienne, Buffalo Chicken, Cheeseburger

Even if we said that the servings were big (considering that we're still going to eat less than an hour later), we gobbled everything down it was that good. Creative concept, fairly quick service and easy on the pockets...It's a great hole-in-the-wall that is truly unique to NY.

Click on the MENU to magnify.










Manhattan's East Village
345 East 12th Street
between 1st and 2nd
212-358-7912
212-358-7917

Monday- Thursday and Sunday: 11 am - 11 pm
Friday - Saurday: 11 am - 1 am

Delivery is available for free, on orders of $15.00 or more, from Houston Street in the south to 23rd Street in the north, and from Broadway in the west to Avenue D in the east.

There is no minimum for delivery if you live on 12th street between 2nd avenue and avenue A, or on 1st avenue between 11th and 13th streets. Otherwise the minimum order is $15.00 with no exceptions.