Buffet Love at Marco Polo Ortigas' Cucina

Last December was a dizzying dervish of parties and get-togethers. Buffets are popular for these gatherings, and one resto I was keen on trying was Marco Polo Ortigas' Cucina. I've tried Marco Polo Cebu and Davao (click here and here) before, so I wanted to know how the Ortigas branch measure up against them. 

I took a page from my friend Rush and started with the soup station. I had a tasty, spicy soup with flavorful mussels, siomai, shrimps, and ham, freshened by calamansi. I dialed up the heat with chopped red-eye chilis or labuyo. Finished it off with a topping of sliced boiled eggs. This was yum--a fortuitous beginning.

Next I had tasty rib-eye steak in pepper steak sauce coupled with sweet cherry tomatoes--a nice pairing. 

The pork chops were moist and the pizza, which has been sitting on the counter for quite some time, was still flavorful. 

The pork and beans was just lovely and the seafood stew was divine.

Another winning platter: slipper lobster, mussels, and shrimp which I dipped in vinegar. 

Of the excellent gelato, I was partial to pistachio and vanilla which I topped with mango and blueberries.  

Of the pastries, I love the choco tart the best--rich dark silky balanced by tart strawberries--but Marco Polo Davao's version is more exquisite. 

Cucina
24F Marco Polo Ortigas Manila
Sapphire Street cor. Meralco Avenue
Pasig City
(+63) 02 7207777 local 6622

Top Picks at Makati's Kitchen 56

One good thing about having foodie friends is that they alert me to post-worthy restaurants. One Sunday I was invited to try out Kitchen 56 at Jupiter Street, Makati. 

I fell in love with the watermelon and rocket salad, one of the prettiest dishes I've ever seen. It was sharp from aragula, zesty from the sweet-sour sauce, freshened by the diced watermelon and brightened by candied pili nuts. I was wondering what rocket was, and it turned out to be aragula. After the first course everything was a blur--next time I should really take down notes. ;)

The other stand-out dishes were the beef kebab and the soft taco beef bulgogi.

I made a mental note to try the kebab again: it was hefty, tasty, and oh-so-tender.

Kitchen 56
56 Jupiter Street
Bel-Air, Makati
(+63) 02 856 4144

Azzurro Ristorante Mediterraneo's Baked Oysters, Braised Ox Tongue, and Paella Valenciana

A few months ago I visited the newly opened mall in Makati, the Century City Mall. Before watching a movie, we had dinner first at Azzurro Bistro and Bar which I enjoyed very much. Below are pictures of what we ordered.

I love the baked oysters: they used heavenly fresh oysters. generously topped with butter and cheese. The  braised ox tongue was buttery soft, with a rich mushroomy sauce balanced by capers. I'm partial to paella, and the paella valenciana was tasty. Can't get enough of the toasted rice lining the pan. 

Azzurro Bistro and Bar
Century City Mall
Kalayaan Ave., Makati
(+63) 02 519-3928

Introduction to Persian Cuisine at Arya

One of the things I love about maintaining this blog is that I'm constantly researching for my next post. I'm also open to new experiences, thus I was doubly excited to try the Arya Restaurant, since I can't recall having eaten Persian or Iranian cuisine before. A quick online search yields this nugget that typical main dishes from this area are combinations of rice with beef, lamb, chicken, or fish and vegetables, nuts, spices, and herbs.

Fittingly enough, I ordered lamb biryana, a rice-based dish, on my first visit. The lamb was oh-so-soft and flavorful with herbs. The rice, which was plentiful, was perfect counterpoint to the strong, meaty flavor. The lamb wasn't gamy. I wished the dish had more sauce. The green pepper made the dish spicier. I wonder if back in Iran this dish had more heat. I had a big plate, but I was able to finish it without difficulty. Before I knew it, I was scraping the remaining meat from the bone.

For dessert I ordered the almond baklava, a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of  phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. Arya's version had raisins. It was light, not too sweet, and served a tad warm. It was cinnamony, chewy, and firm. Compared to the picture in menu, the actual dish looked quite slight.

A few weeks later i returned. I was craving for shawarma, and the beef koobideh wrapped in pita bread fit the bill. Koobideh is an Iranian minced meat kabab, often mixed with parsley and chopped onions.

I just love how it was presented. And the Iranian lady who waited on me was solicitous, patiently answering my questions.

I love the creamy, sweetish garlic sauce and the spicy sauce--Ican't decide which sauce was better. The koobideh was a tad smoky, the bread warm, and the torched tomato added just the right acidity.

Arya Restaurant
Midtown Wing
Robinsons Place Manila
(+63) 02 567-7200

Makati’s Bizu for French Bistro Fare

I won’t hesitate to pay for quality. Some establishments deserve the price tags they foist on their clients, and I’m just too happy to fork over the cash (I won’t do it often, though—my budget remains, on the whole, proletarian).

I’ve heard about Bizu Patisserie, before, and I thought it served mainly macarons, a sweet meringue-based French confection that comes in a variety of fillings. While waiting for a dinner date I agreed to meet up with a friend at the Greenbelt 2 Makati branch of Bizu, and discovered they serve full-on bistro meals. Wiki defines bistro as a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. When planning another get-together, I suggested that we have lunch at Bizu.

Among the items we ordered—most of them quite good—were the chorizo aglio olio (subtle and flavorful), the Waldorf salad (refreshing) made from organic ingredients, and the poached salmon with pommery (balanced, clean). I regret not taking a photo of the ten hour roast beef (flavorful, with meat oh-so-soft), which was likewise a winner. Most dishes come in family sizes, good for sharing for 2-4 diners.

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