KATRE

4 out of 5 stars

There are only a few restaurants that come into mind when dining in Tomas Morato area: Uno, Fleur de Lys, A Taste of LA, Zucchini’s or Katre. The rest are just a confusing mix of fast food fads and mid-priced fares serving unspectacular food in gigantic portions.

A good friend of mine, Anya, flew home for a holiday hiatus from her stint in Kent State, Ohio. Since I usually end up recommending where we eat for my friends, I suggested that we (meaning Reia, Anya, Paolo and I) eat in Katre, a Mediterranean fusion restaurant as they call themselves (or Mediterranean fused with Filipino sensibilities, as I personally think so). We were all coming from the north anyway (La Vista, Katipunan, ABS-CBN), so Tomas Morato would be an agreeable compromise.

Katre would be hard to find coming from the Scout’s Circle because it’s hidden by big restos that flank the main road of Tomas. Katre isn’t really in Tomas, you see, though a lot just say it that way in order to make things easier. It’s really found in a small street/ “eskinita” called Dr. Lazcano, that is perpendicular to Tomas Morato road. Nevertheless, its street is near Alfredo's or it's the street right after (if you took the E. Rodriguez road) or before (if you're from Scout's Circle) taking the turn to A Taste of LA (review to come!)

Katre almost looks unrecognizable before its renovation. Before, it was only this one-floor restaurant, with subtly ornate furniture, very cozy and dimly lit. Imagine being in the Orient Express in the early 1900s, and you could imagine being in the old Katre --- including the dimensions! (it was long and narrow)

Fast forward to today, and it’s a refurbished white space, keeping up with the trend of modern minimalism. Yet with the stark white space, it maintains its warmth by having country or native furniture here and there, wooden floorboards as well as flowers and candles strewn on the tables.

This is definitely fine dining, and I absolutely approve of their linen napkins, tablecloths and chilled glasses. None of those avant-garde paper tablecloths, odd-shaped utensils and other surprises. And it’s a wonder how its location several kilometers away from the more busy Ortigas or Makati could do wonders to the price! Expect to shell out on average 300 pesos for a main course….not bad! Don’t think its quality would suffer, though. It rivals any good Makati restaurant, yet without its snootiness. Feel free to let down your hair and dress down to smart casual.

Pao and Anya started with soup, Cream of wild Mushroom and Seafood Bisque respectively. I got a salad of grapes, capers and Kalamata olives in bleu cheese. Pao’s soup was fine, though it was a little bland. Anya’s was very tasty, with added yogurt drizzled on top. My salad was delicious, tossed just the way I like it, where the dressing just coats the leaves and doesn't drown them down. The ingredients were fresh, and there was a generous amount of shaved Parmesan, which I scooped off with Pao's bread that accompanied his soup :) My only complaint was that there was too much oil rather than balsamic vinegar in the vinaigrette.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup served with Tortilla Crisp,
Tomato Brunoise, Parmesan and Parsley (180 Php)

brunoise is just a fine cut or dice, making the vegetables almost look like confetti

Seafood Bisque with Crab Meat,
garnished with a dollop of Yogurt and Scallions (195 Php)

Field Green Salad with Grapes, Capers and Kalamata Olives served with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Bleu Cheese (180 PhP)

The main courses were also a sight to behold, looking like edible skyscrapers. My only problem with them was that the plating looked alike, most using caramelized onions, green peas and parsley as garnish, and the same red and green sauces on the side (check out the pictures below). Otherwise, everyone was raving about their food, and we didn't even bother to talk while we were relishing each bite.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Calico Scallops
sauteed in garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, capers and bell peppers (358 PhP)

Calico scallops are small, less expensive and more numerous than bay scallops, and are cooked by steaming and aren't shucked by hand.

Seared Tuna served with Tuna Ceviche and Wasabi-Beets Puree
served with Squid Ink Risotto (315 PhP)

Ceviche is a French dish of usually fish marinaded raw in an acidic liquid, or alcohol, which chemically 'cooks' the fish, much like our local "kilawin." Anya said her tuna was good, perfectly seared on the outside, and tender pink on the inside.

Barbecued Spareribs with Fennel, Cinnamon and
Star Anise Essence, served with garlic rice (290 PhP)

Star anise is a spice that is star-shaped and is licorice-flavored. Pao had this dish, and as much as everyone were praising their dishes to the high heavens, he thought this dish was just "alright." It wasn't as good as he expected (or read off the menu), but he said it was still good enough for him to go back here and try a different dish.

Navarin of Lamb with Couscous Pilaf, flavored with
Bell Peppers and a variety of Morrocan Spices (395 PhP)

Navarin is a French term for a stew of lamb with root vegetables or generally carrots, turnips and onions. The lamb was quite delicious, being fork-tender with the couscous also not being too dry. However, they could improve on the lamb by adding more stew juices, especially since the couscous absorb a lot of sauces beautifully.

All in all, Katre is a wonderful restaurant to go to whether as a first-timer or as a regular. They constantly have new dishes, the service is courteous and prompt, and most of all, the flavor of the food alone will make you want to go back... One thing's for sure, they certainly didn't sacrifice the taste even if their prices are more reasonable than others. And because of this, Katre makes a good alternative to those restos far away in the Makati traffic.

The menu is quite long, but I just took a picture of mostly entrees.
click to magnify. Menu - Meat and Seafood

click to magnify. Menu - pasta, sandwiches and meats


Katre Restaurant
103 Dr. Lascano St.,
Brgy. Laging Handa
Quezon City
373-4705
Su, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Su, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

*Be sure to reserve before dining.

PASHA *

4 out of 5 stars

Those who know me know that I'm not fond of restaurants in malls. My reasoning is, if you have money to spend on food, why spend it on the same restaurant chains over and over when you could use the same amount to discover new establishments? Who knows? You might discover new ingredients, new flavors, or new cuisines you never even knew you enjoyed --- all for the same amount of money that you would have spent for, say, TGIF. Perhaps the only impediment to trying out new restaurants would be the money and the effort in looking for new places. The solution to the money problems would be to be creative. Amici di don bosco in Makati, for instance sells authentic handmade pasta and pizza for the half the price of Italianni's. Their carabao's milk gelato only costs 35 a pop, and it tastes even better knowing you don't have to empty out your wallet for a meal. Fat Michael's near Magallanes is an offbeat restaurant that has charmingly mismatched furniture to complement their creative yet down-home comfort food for only 200-400 pesos. Latasia in Katipunan serves vegan dishes for 60-150 pesos --- a steal I know. For those who are too lazy to look for restaurants, there are a lot of bloggers out there who love food as much or even more than I do. Here are some of the sites I keep in my bookmark for easy reference:

Wysgal's blog
Lori's blog
Anton's blog
Bogchinoypi's blog

So I hope with these tips, there's no excuse for you all to be a little more experimental with restaurants. But I digress from my mall-restaurant story.

Pasha, this restaurant found in Greenbelt, is not your typical mall resto. These are one of the few restaurants in Greenbelt that actually make an effort to fix up an authentic Middle Eastern treat. I have a Turkish friend who visited and said that out of all the restaurants he's tasted, this is the closest to being authentic as you can get.

Actually, the menu serves the same dishes you'd find in other Mediterranean restaurants --- kebabs, shawarmas, falafels, baklavas --- the only difference is that the quality and taste is way better than your regular cafe. For example, we started our meal with their Pasha special platter --- a mix of their top-selling mezzes. It was served creatively in a large wooden platter, the rich tabbouleh in the middle being flanked by hummus, muttabal , lamb koftkas and filo sticks, with the pita basket to one side. We had a great time trying the mezzes one by one, or trying out certain combinations and making them look like mini-gyros. The hummus was delicious because it had the right amount of tahini with a lemon kick that was not overpowering, drizzled with olive oil and a pinch of sumac to bring out its flavor. The muttabal was very earthy from the flame-grilled eggplants, also with a lemon-y kick to tie up with the other mezzes. The couple of Turkish beef kofkas (meatballs) were delicious on its own, because it had a green filling (falafel, I suspect) topped with a tomato relish. And lastly, the two filo sticks were in fact halloumi cheese wrapped in filo pastry, and the taste was so delicate that it was the perfect dipping stick to the hummus, muttabal and tabbouleh.

One of my friends had the beef shawarma, while the other had the beef shish kebab. I guess the main difference between these two is that the latter is charbroiled and served with Turkish rice, while the shawarma (as we know) is wrapped in pita that is flavored with their dipping sauces. The presentation was superb, the shish kebab lined up in this horizontal white glass plate, while shawarma looked colorful with its sauce and sidings. My friends liked their dishes, only that one of my friends found the coriander or tumeric spice too overpowering. I ordered the Pasha lapu-lapu. It's this big fillet of chargrilled lapu-lapu that you squeeze lemon into. It's paired with blanched vegetables and Turkish rice. Actually, I requested for the Turkish rice, because it's really supposed to be just plain white. But for anyone who's ordering a rice dish, I suggest that you pair any of the viands with their Turkish rice because it has this tomato-based spice that gives the rice such a rich taste that pairs well with their normally grilled meats. My meal was delicious, and it was accompanied by a yoghurt cream dip that i slathered all over my fish and vegetables. Yummmmmy!

Be prepared to shell out 500 - 800 per meal. It's quite pricey, but the service, ambiance and food is excellent. My only regret is that we had lunch in Pasha instead of dinner. The ambiance is defeinitely better at night, with the subdued yellow lighting and candle-lit tables that accentuates the coziness of their middle-eastern architecture. Although you don't need to reserve, it's better to do so, so you can request for this couched area found in a small private alcove tucked to the side of the restaurant. I don't know what it's called, but I'm sure the waiters will know what you're referring to if you used the same descriptions. Happy eating!

Pasha, Greenbelt 3 Ayala Center; Tel. 63-2-757-4981, 757-4983