Showing posts with label Makati dining scene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Makati dining scene. Show all posts

Friday, February 17, 2012

Vietnamese Lunch at Ba Noi's

It's that time again when the expiry of the vouchers I acquired from various groupon sites are nearing. Last Sunday morning, I decided to use one of them: a P1,084 worth of Ba Noi's voucher that entitled me to a set meal for two. Reservation with the resto was a breeze and my chosen companion was none other than the fiancé. It was perfect timing because we also had to do a quick trip to Makati to pick up the three Mamma Mia The Musical tickets given to me by a friend.

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We arrived at Ba Noi's a little past 11:00 a.m. (their opening time). We were the first group of customers and it took a while before the servers noticed our presence. Haha. The restaurant didn't have much to offer when it came to space. It also had dim lighting which made the mood somewhat calm but sad (methinks). There were framed photos on the wall that depicted the Vietnamese way of life and they were quite a sight to behold. I thought it made the place look and feel like an authentic Vietnamese resto in a foreign place (Manila).

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After surrendering the voucher to the girl wearing what looked like an Áo Dài (Vietnamese traditional costume) to me, we were immediately served with some complimentary prawn crackers.

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A few minutes later, our food started to arrive on our table.

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First was the Vietnamese spring rolls which were basically ground pork, mushrooms and spices sealed in lumpia wrappers. It came with nuoc nam, a traditional Vietnamese dip made from fish sauce. The spring rolls were a delight in the mouth. They tasted fresh and were bursting with flavors. I liked that they were not too oily.

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Our next dish was chicken noodle soup with mushrooms. We were given one bowl each and we attacked it immediately. The chicken strips and mushrooms were noticeably scarce but the sotanghon noodles were abundant. The soup was not as hot as I wanted but I appreciated that it had a nice, clean taste. It was a simple soup with simple flavors, and we enjoyed it.

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For our main course, we were served with chicken in caramel sauce and were given a cup of steamed rice each. The size of the chicken was disappointing. I remember the deal said something like "generously-sized chicken" but what we got was a small and pitiful piece of chicken leg cut into four pieces. Yes, four pieces! The most I could do was smirk sarcastically. As for the taste, it was a combination of sweet and salty. Nothing special and forgettable.

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a picture doesn't lie!

Our side dish of stir-fried water spinach (kangkong), on the other hand, was just okay. I love kangkong and whatever way it's cooked, I eat it.

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We were also served with two Vietnamese iced coffees which we liked. The coffee flavor was just right and the milk gave a nice balance to the drink.

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Overall, we can still say we had a good lunch at Ba Noi's. The food was okay and I'm sure they have some better options on their menu. The service was warm but a little relaxed (the no-need-to-hurry kind of service). My second visit is a possibility but definitely not happening in the near future. :)

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Ba Noi's
G/F Greenbelt Mansions
Perea St.
Legaspi Village, Makati

(+632) 893-7359


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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Get a Taste of Asia at Crustasia Asian Bistro

Friday night last week was spent dining with fellow foodie blogger friends at Crustasia Asian Bistro**. The restaurant is nestled at the ground floor of Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati. I've heard of the dining place before but it was my first time to actually dine there to sample their various offerings: Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese specialties plus mouth-watering seafood. If you're a Pinoy like me, forget about your local cuisine for a few hours (because they don't serve any Filipino dishes here) and indulge in the distinctive cuisines of our neighbor countries. Now, lemme tell you about my awesome dining experience.

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For starters, we had the Thai Catfish Salad and the Grand Javanese Sampler consisting of Martabak Telor (Indonesian bread stuffed with eggs and meat curry), Sambal Teri Kacang (spicy dried anchovies and peanuts), Kerupuk dan Emping (Indonesian assorted crackers) and Bakwan Jagung Manis (corn fritters).

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Thai Catfish Salad, P245

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Grand Javanese Sampler, P295

Taste wise, I found the catfish salad okay (tasted better when eaten with the chili-vinegar dip!) though the catfish was a bit oily. As for the sampler, I happened to try some of the spicy dried anchovies and peanuts and I loved them. It makes for a good pulutan, methinks.

To get things more exciting, we had a soup called Sichuan Boiled Catfish. It's one recipe taken from the Sichuan cuisine of China. It had boiled catfish, fresh mung bean sprouts, dry roasted chilies and other spices. The boiled catfish was divine, so soft, fresh and tasty. The soup itself, on the other hand, was tolerably hot and spicy.

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Sichuan Boiled Catfish, P395

For the main courses, we had a few dishes to share:

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All Meat Sate Sampler,P685 for 16 sticks

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This All Meat Sate Sampler came with two sauces: soy-chili dip and peanut sauce. The tender and succulent pork sate tasted a lot like Pinoy pork barbecue (take that as a compliment!) to me while the chicken sate was too spicy for my liking (people who love spicy food will surely enjoy it!). According to Chef Nur (the resident chef who graced our dinner with his presence), it is best paired with rice to neutralize the spicy flavor.

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the smiling-faced Chef Nur

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Hunan Cumin Ribs, P465

I'm not a big fan of spices with very rich flavors (except curry) but I enjoyed this rib item that had lotsa cumin. The recipe, by the way, is from the Hunan cuisine of China.

I don't have a photo of the Thai Style Grilled Squid (P285) but I love squid and so I liked this dish a lot. The squid was grilled to perfection and the meat came out soft and succulent. It's perfect as is or paired with a chili-vinegar dip.

At Crustasia, the star of the night will always be the giant crabs cooked to the Asian dish of your choice. For our group, we had two orders of Kepiting Masak Sauce Mentega (Indonesian sweet soy and butter crab):

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Indonesian Sweet Soy and Butter Crab, P145 per 100g.

Each order had one giant crab (more or less than a kilo heavy!) sitting on a slightly thick sauce with sauteed onions and fresh red chili slices. Oh boy was it good! I've tasted pepper crabs and crabs cooked in coconut milk before. But it was my first time to try this particular crab dish and it left a lasting impression to me. The flavors were so familiar yet so unique. Did I mention the crabs tasted really fresh, too?

True to its origins, our feast was paired with perfectly-cooked steamed rice and beverages like dayap mint cooler, pineapple shake and Thai iced tea.

Crustasia Asian Bistro is one posh dining place where you can bring your family and friends without worry. Some of the things I easily noticed upon entering the restaurant were the lovely 3D wall art, the leather-covered cushioned seats, the artsy light fixtures, and the high ceiling. I heard the place has had a makeover recently and I think they did well. The restaurant turned out to be modern-looking yet very cozy. And quite spacious, too.

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That Friday night, the restaurant was half-filled (mostly yuppies and foreigners) and we even had some celebrity sightings (hello celebrity couple Bea Alonzo and Zanjoe Marudo!). All in all, it was a great dining experience for me at Crustasia Asian Bistro. I hope to be back soon! :)

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our group

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Crustasia entrance door

**Crustasia Asian Bistro is one of the concept restaurants under the Red Crab Group.

Crustasia Asian Bistro
G/F Power Plant Mall
Rockwell, Makati

(+632 728-5463)


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Friday, September 30, 2011

Lunch Date with Mom at North Park (Convergys Branch)

I took a leave from work last Friday to go to Makati to finish some very important errands. I was accompanied by my mom who happened to be visiting us from Cavite. We had lunch at North Park, a modern Chinese restaurant on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Salcedo St. It was our first time there and we loved the food a lot we ended up staying at the restaurant for almost two hours. That was a long stay considering we were fast eaters!

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North Park’s menu doubles as under liner. Cool concept, methinks. Mom let me choose what to order. After a little browsing, I called the waiter and requested a few dishes.

I was expecting they’d provide us with complimentary warm tea (just like in other Chinese restos) and they did!

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But apart from that, we also ordered drinks: Coke Light (P55) for mom and a glass of Cold Chrysanthemum Juice (P55) for me. I was a bit disappointed with my drink. It looked and tasted as if it came straight from a teabag and just served with some ice. They should have named it Chrysanthemum Iced Tea and not Chrysanthemum Juice. Juice and tea are two different things, right?

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Our food arrived a couple of minutes later. I am happy to report that the food at North Park were not only delicious but came in big servings.

We started off our meal with the Nanking Beef and Wanton Noodles, P118. Afraid that we’d get full too early, I only ordered the light one (smaller serving). I chose whole wheat for the noodles. The waiter mentioned they offer three kinds: whole wheat, flat and Hong Kong noodles.

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The bowl of beef and wanton noodles was delicious. The beef was oh-so tender and the wantons were yummy. My only complaint was that the soup was just lukewarm and not as hot as I wanted it to be.

BBQ Pork Asado, P158. This Chinese favorite is one of the roasted specialties of North Park and we enjoyed it a lot. It came in a small plate but don’t judge just yet as it was packed with meat that could easily feed two to three people. The pork meat was tender and oozing with flavors. Mom liked it as it was. I, on the other hand, added some chili oil and soy sauce to the meat to neutralize its sweetness.

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As much as possible, I don’t leave a Chinese resto without trying out the Siomai, P88 for four pieces. For me, it’s one of the factors that could make or break a Chinese resto. The siomai at North Park was wonderful! If my memory serves me right, each piece had two small shrimps, with the remaining portion divided between the ground pork and the pork fat. But how I wish North Park would make the pork fat in their siomai smaller in size. While biting into a piece of siomai, I caught a glimpse of the pork fat and suddenly became uneasy of its size. I’ve eaten siomai as delicious as theirs but with pork fat barely visible to the naked eye. Just saying.

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Yang Chow Fried Rice, P158. It may look like a small cup of fried rice on the photo, but it was actually a BIG cup! Mom and I had a hard time finishing it all by ourselves. This is the kind of fried rice that would pass anyone’s discriminating palate. The rice was soft and flavorful. Small shrimps, pork bits and veggies were generously mixed into the rice making it a complete meal in itself. Mom and I happily partnered it with the Asado and the Siomai and each bite never failed to satisfy our tummies.

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This particular North Park branch was a busy bee on a Friday noon. As what we have observed, a group would arrive after another group has left. Most of the diners were Chinese families and Makati yuppies. As for the interiors, it looked modern yet cozy and relaxed. We settled in one of the tables with comfortable, cushioned seats. My mom loved the place as much as I did.

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The service was slow but friendly. The prices (which are already VAT-inclusive) are very reasonable for the size of the food that’s usually good for sharing. Allot P300 per head for a decent lunch or dinner.

I am definitely going back, but this time will try their branches nearer to my place. And I'll bring a better camera, too (sorry for the lousy photos!).

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North Park Convergys
Ayala Ave. corner Salcedo St.
Makati City

(+632)750-1391

http://www.northpark.com.ph


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