We did not have a very good "first time" experience with this resto in Tagaytay back in 2005. Aside from the quite slow service, their pizza did not satisfy our expectation. Hence, trying it out again is really a risk for us. On the other hand, we gave it a second thought on the premise that some improvements would have probably been made considering the 2 years that have passed. So, off we risked last sunday. Surprisingly, it's a lot better the second time around. Service is significantly improved, more accomodating and real fast even though their packed with customers at almost dinner time. The recommended best sellers in the house did not fail us at least for the pizza and pasta. They still have to do some works on their salad though. Overall, we enjoyed a real Italian Feast. We'll rate it 4 out of 5 spoons.

Riley showing Carlo's artistic and inviting interior

Where else can you dine, where you were given the freedom to put anything you desire on your food but Mongolian?!. This restaurant serves "stir-fry - shabu shabu" style food. Diners get to choose their own ingredients so to speak. There are vegetables, meat, seafood, noodles, rice and spices to choose from. Even the flavour, they'll leave it up to you. What's more, you may opt for either a single bowl or eat all you can at P105 and P188 respectively. This is real value for your money and tummy! If you want to maximize your bowl's capacity, don't put too much of the carbo-loading ingredients such as rice and noodles. Put a mountain of vegetables instead. If you're not averse to spicy foods, opt for the sweet and spicy sauce so you won't easily get satiated. The chili will break the satiation, more so it will help boost your appetite.

Mongolian Stop

3rd level Festival Mall

This is an inherited recipe from a former Ilonggo colleague who already migrated to Canada. (If truth be told, Pancit Molo actually originated from Iloilo hence, I'm just lucky Tita Lyn generously shared this recipe). We served this soup when we celebrated our birthdays together in our office. All our guests consumed it with much gusto. Since becoming a hit in that party, I included it in our family menu. What I liked about this soup is, it's not the typical Molo Soup that most of us Tagalogs are familiar with. This is creamier and tastier. What's more with the pure meat used in the recipe without any extenders, flavoursome! This is what's best in home cooking. You are in control of what's getting into your food. So, why not grab your kitchen tools and make your home deliciously steaming! :-)

One of our blogsite's promise is to share our family recipes with you, be it inherited or created out of the box. So here goes the initial entry to the soon to be long list of our cherished dishes....

Happy Cooking!

PreparationTime: 45 mins

Cooking Time: 1 hr
Good for 4 - 5 servings

Razon's - the restaurant that originated from Pampanga, made famous by their Halo-halo and Pancit Palabok, started to invade Manila. To as far south as Alabang, we found one of their Food Court Stalls in Town Center. I have good memories of this restaurant from our NCL (North & Central Luzon) Taste Trek. For so long now, I've been wanting to try these best sellers again. Hence, we were happy that there's now a branch near to us. There's simply no reason to hesitate, we immediately get into the queue.

Unfortunately, to our dismay the pancit palabok is not the same as to what we have tasted back in their Guagua branch. What used to be one of our benchmarks in one of our noodle projects, is now an "okay to be missed" dish. It's short in meaty character, the sauce is almost bland and a bit satiating. There's just something lacking in its overall taste. How come? Is it because, this is a "food court version"? I wonder if the same quality is being served in their bigger Restaurants. We have to go and find out one of these days. (We also have to check the Halo-halo). Is this always the pay-off when you commercialize products? Needless to say, consistent quality seemed to be the most challenging battle for any manufacturer or merchant. Yet, isn't it also the foremost attribute customers will look for?

At long last, an Antonio’s experience befell us! It certainly was a good way to celebrate Father’s Day in advance in this amorous spot. All the raves, rants and reviews we’ve been hearing and reading about Antonio’s Restaurant came to reality. And yes, we ought to admit that this is a must experience for anyone who loves fine food and superb (to say the least) ambiance. The moment we arrived, we were greeted and assisted cordially by the staff, from the gate to the entrance door of the main hall. From here, we’ve already felt that we’ll be treated too well. When the main door opened, a very relaxing, inimitable dining area welcomed us. Complete with lighted candles spotted all over the place transforming it into a romantic haven. Genuinely perfect for an intimate feast.

Restaurant's Gate

When the maitre d’ showed us the menu, we had a hard time selecting the best entree. All 16 looked very interesting. It’s the main entree by the way that will determine the price of your set, so make sure you order the one that will satisfy you best. With your chosen entree, the menu set will include a house salad, soup of the day, dessert and coffee or tea. You have an option to upgrade any of these from their a la carte selection with a corresponding additional price. For our main entree, we opted to have Grilled Peppered Sirloin Steak with Maitre d’ Hotel Butter (P1600) and Antonio’s Trio Sampler (P1600). We upgraded one of our salads to Foie Gras Potato Truffle Tempura for an additional P250. (Which is worth it, this is far better than the Foie Gras experience in Buon Giorno!). The truffle tempura taste is so yummy. It’s simply lip-smacking. It’s something that we’ll keep coming back for. In fact, this is what I enjoyed best in my set. For the Sirloin Steak, Rynel had it well done and was found to be tender and juicy. It's actually the maitre d hotel butter that made it special. In the Trio Sampler, it’s the Grilled Sea Bass that stood out. The salad relish harmonized the light flavour of the fish, not discounting the right softness of its texture. For the dessert, Rynel had their Flourless Chocolate while I had the Chocolate Soufflé with Cardamom Creme Anglaise. Both sinfully delicious, you’ll forget about the matching calorie intake. For our drinks, we decided on the refillable fresh Dalandan Juice (similar to what Sonya’s is serving – P130/glass). It’s refreshing and contrary to what we heard, the sweetness is just right. For the more daring, you might want to try the wines they’ve suggested in their menu that will rightly match your food. It’s unfortunate our stomachs were so full, that we regret to have forgotten to order our coffee or tea which was included in the set. Incidentally, this is the type of banquet that should not be hurried. It took us about an hour to munch through the whole meal. Even if we came with our one year old daughter, we took our time in relishing the meal. Besides, the food will be served one after the other depending on your own phase. This is another plus point, because you tend to enjoy the food without being overwhelmed.
For the bill, we paid a total of P4155.20 inclusive of 10%service charge and 12% vat. Thus, if you decide to check it out, allot a minimum of P2000 budget per person. You may blink on the cost, but anyway, however cliché it may go this is fine dining at its best.

House Salad

Foie Gras Potato Truffle Tempura Salad



Soup of the Day (we forgot to ask for its name but it tasted like Cheesy Dumpling Soup to us); surprisingly Sofie liked it so much :->








Grilled Peppered Sirloin Steak with Maitre d' Hotel Butter



Trio Sampler (Beef Medallion Gratinated with Assorted Mushroom, Mojito Crusted Lambloin, Braised Red Cabbage with Lamb Jus and Grilled Sea Bass on Truffle Mashed with Salad Relish)



Chocolate Souffle with Cardamom Creme Anglaise



Flourless Chocolate Cake













The Intriguing Rest Room


and its open air impression....





Our favorite spot, the Pond area








The Romantic Staircase

We've already tried dining at Sentro 1771 in one of our benchmarking activities because of their famous Sinigang na Corned Beef. It's indeed good to come back. We all liked the food that we ordered. The Corned Beef Sinigang is delicious with the right sourness. Only the beef flakes is a little chewy. We were surprised by their version of Green Mango Salad. They used a different salad dressing not the typical bagoong. The tangyness of mango complemented the soy sauce (that of japanese type). The Maya Maya Escabeche is tasty as well. The fish is cooked just right (not tough) and the sauted / garlic note is pronounced but acceptable. The only dish that did not satisfy our palate much is the Hofan. It's too oily and almost bland. Overall, we'll rate the food 4 spoons for the taste, presentation and originality. Restaurant's ambiance is also homey so you can relax while waiting for your food to arrive. Service, we'll also give it 4 spoons. If there's one thing that'll keep us from dining here more often, it's the price. It's a little pricey for us. There are more restaurants out there which are really great at the same time affordable.

Corned Beef Sinigang (P340)