Metro Resto Review

Van Gogh is Bipolar Restaurant

To all readers, I welcome you to peer into an asylum filled with artistry and passion from the owners that I am sure everyone (once experienced) will leave you appealed and amused. And I am not just pertaining to the interiors of the place, but also the yummy food that everyone will definitely enjoy. This is one asylum I will never get tired checking myself into. I introduce to you “Van Gogh is Bipolar Restaurant”

When I got in to the place, at first I felt a little.. Err, well.. weird. A restaurant that requires you to take off your shoes? And I thought only the Japanese are the ones require you to do that. I told myself, this is a restaurant, you can’t eat barefooted. But the moment I step in, I finally understand why. Looking around at the place, the first thing that the place wants you to do is to simply relax and enjoy. The place has no waiters, thus throw the formalities out of the door. Van Gogh requires you to just be casual and cozy with everybody, the owners, and the ambience and even to the guest around you.

So time to order some food, The place is self service so to place your order, just flip over the menu and write in a piece of paper, ring the bell and just hand it over to the chef. That’s it. I for one at first really felt shy and awkward with the process so thank God for first timers like me there was Ate Ron who is always around to help.

I guess while waiting, I’ll take the time to look around the place.

Ate Ron’s Table

Van Gogh Wardrobe

Shoutouts and Calling Cards

Fancy Bubbly

I personally truly enjoyed looking at the different artworks and photographs that the owner exhibits in the place. It’s like his own personal museum of experiences and fancies. Look closely and you may some “shots” of wisdoms scattered all around his displays. I enjoyed doing a little scavenger hunt of my own over these quotable quotes made originally by the owner.

Now for some tea….

Teapots and teacups are available for everyone, choose whichever strikes your fancy. You can always go back and get as much tea as you want. There are many kinds of tea to choose from. The owner even says that drinking a certain kind of tea can help change your mood. As I Drink my tea and matching it with the ambiance it reminded me of being the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.

Dinner is Serve

Godfather (Salmon)

Godfather (Australian Beef)

This food is called Godfather I and II. Sadly I don’t remember which Godfather corresponds to the salmon and which one the Australian beef. But I assure you, both dishes are YUMMY!

A Little after dinner bubbly

A Few Notes to all foodies out there who wants to try out the place.

- The place is only open at a certain time. Check out the facebook link for details and updates of the restaurant

- The restaurant always delivers something new once in awhile. So to get updates, check out their facebook

- Forget about dressing formal for this place, as I mentioned before, be casual as in shorts and sandal casual.

- The Interior can only accommodate at least 10 guests, anything beyond that must stay/wait outside. So it may be best to make reservation to assure you a seat.

- After dinner, the owner will encourage you to “leave your mark” He’ll let you write something on his wall (No not in facebook but literally the wall) or carve something in his table.

So that’s all to talk about for now, I hope the pictures help give you a good visualization of the place. I truly recommend giving this place and experience the little asylum of van Gogh.

chocolate kiss cafe

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe in Roces Avenue, Quezon City at night.

The interior of The Chocolate Kiss Cafe Roces Avenue branch.

Another angle of the interior of The Chocolate Kiss Cafe Roces Avenue branch.

For starters, we had Nachos Overload, tortilla chips, beef chili, salsa and nacho cheese at the price of P230.00 if you want it spicy you can add Jalapeno and the price will be P240.00.  Tortilla chips was crunchy, perfect for bonding moments while you and your companion is having a chat.  Beef chili dip was a spicy, salsa used was fresh and nacho cheese has the right combination of cheese and milk it blended really well.  I give this a rating of 5/5.

Spinach Cream Dip, spinach, mushrooms and roasted peppers in cream cheese dip.  Served with butter-toasted french bread.  P190.00.  I loved their french bread it was soft, chewy and guaranteed freshly baked.   Spinach Cream Dip was tasty and the combination of cream cheese and mozzarella cheese was dominant.  My son loved this very much.   I give this a rating of 5/5.

Chicken Kiev, roulade of tender chicken breast filled with cream cheese, butter, herbs.  Served with mixed vegetables and rice.  P200.00 if with garlic mashed potatoes P220.00.  Chicken was cooked and seasoned to perfection, crunchy, and tasty.  Loved the sauce poured on top, it makes the dish creamy and not dry even they used chicken breast.   I give this a rating of 5/5.

Carbonara Supreme, spaghetti tossed with sauteed bacon, ham, and mushrooms with creamy bechamel sauce P185.00.  My all-time favorite dish…pasta!  I requested for parmesan cheese for it was a little bland when it was served, but with the right dash of cheese it was already delectable for they didn’t scrimp on ingredients used.    I give this a rating of 4/5.

They served brewed Iced Tea P65.00.  And this was the first among all brewed iced tea that a restaurant offers that I really liked the most.  For I will be in charge to blend the sweetness to the real taste of tea, definitely brewed and refreshing!  I give this a rating of 5/5.

Overall, my Chocolate Kiss Cafe experienced has been delightful and we were all satisfied with the dish ordered.  And I give the rating of 5/5 for the service, 4/5 for the ambiance and 5/5 for the food.

Branches:

1.  G/F Ang Bahay ng Alumni, R. Magsaysay St., UP Diliman Quezon City.   Tel.No. 433-3782.

2.  G/F Korben Place, 91 A. Roces Ave. cor. Sct. Tobias Quezon City.  Tel. No. 412-7876.

NOTE:   If you dine at The Chocolate Kiss Cafe, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

clawdaddy

We planned to visit Bonifacio High Street in Taguig for a change from a trip to the mall.  It’s good that such concept was made, one can enjoy the outdoors while feasting your eyes with the items of all the boutiques were offering, that were present in line with some of the restaurants.  One of the restaurant in Bonifacio High Street is Clawdaddy.

They used a solid wood tables and chairs which represented a picnic style of dining.  Just like what their slogan says “Great American Picnic”.  They can also accommodate diner who would prefer to dine outside their restaurant where some of the diners have pets in tow

The interior of the restaurant was comfortable.  We were immediately escorted by their courteous receptionist to our designated seats and was handed a menu.   While waiting for our ordered food we were given a complimentary buttered corn on the cob to munch.  They have a great customer service.

For appetizer, we had Classic Caesar Salad.  This was one of our favorites for they never scrimp with the garlic dressing.  They drizzled it very generously which makes the salad tastier and tastier every bite.   You’ll never go wrong at the price of P338.00

What’s a Clawdaddy experienced without ordering what they were famous at crab!  We had Crab Maritess, it was said to have a combination of white wine, olive oil and garlic.  And the outcome of such combination was sure to be a winner!  It was truly succulent every bite and guaranteed fresh and I can say it was huge.  We got a male crab with a weight of 1.1kg.  Price for this dish varies per weight, serving choices: Per 100g (600g-700g)(P105.00), Per 100g (800g-1kg)(P120.00), Per 100g (1.1kg and above)(P135.00)

What’s an American Picnic without a Smoked Baby Back Ribs?  We ordered half slab with two side dishes both with their famous dirty rice at the price of P398.00, if  full slab you’ll get it at P698.00.   The meat was very tender, and  juicy in every bite.  Dirty rice was said to be best seller but I can’t tasted just like a plain rice.

And having a kid in tow, we ordered Fried Chicken Tenders.  It was very well presented in a car, made of cardboard, served with french fries and honey mayo sauce.   Chicken Tenders was not the typical for breading used was like that of corn flakes and it was tasty which makes it more appetizing.   At the price of P215.00 it will surely be a hit for your kids!

For our beverage, we ordered Lemon Iced Tea gladly it was bottomless.  Their mixture was thin, lacked the real taste of iced tea.

Their Lemonade was refreshing!  Now this beverage, you can say they don’t scrimp with their ingredient and is also refillable.

Overall, I give Clawdaddy 4/5 rating for the food, 4/5 for the ambiance and 5/5 for the service.

Branches:

1.  Shangri-la Plaza 6th Level Shangri-La plaza Mall, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd.  Mandaluyong City.  Tel. No. 636-5679.

2.  Bonifacio High Street, The Fort Taguig City.  Tel. No. 856-4785.

NOTE:   If you dine at Clawdaddy, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

tokyo cafe

We were captivated by their gigantic menu posted outside their restaurant and so we decided to give it a try.  One of a kind fusion restaurant that has been growing since their opening in SM The Block branch.

tokyo cafe interior

Tokyo Cafe when heard was mistakenly thought simply a coffee shop, but it’s not!  It is a restaurant where japanese food was served, not only that they do also have salad, pasta, sandwich, burgers simply an ala-carte meals either with meat, or seafood, their most sought dessert was said to be heavenly.

tokyo cafe interior2

They have a cool giant posters of their products offered where one who would glanced at it will surely salivated and will never leave the restaurant without tasting that glaring picture that they have posted on their walls.

mango chicken salad

For appetizer, we had Mango Chicken Salad chicken salad, ripe mango, grapes & romaine lettuce.  At the price at P170.00, it was sumptuous!  Who would have thought that one can taste a salad as fresh as this?  They have used a fresh lettuce, grapes used was seedless, mangoes was a little bit sour than pure sweet taste, and their chicken salad has just the right amount of  onions, chicken and mayonnaise.   I was hungry for more and thought of having my second serving of salad after finishing this.

french fries

We were looking for something that will make my son busy and so we have requested French fries.  This was a complimentary for my son.  It was deep-fried, without any salt, tasted purely potatoes.

Chicken ala pobre

For our main dish, we had Chicken ala pobre boneless chicken leg quarter with garlic, lemon and pepper price at the price of P175.00.  We were stunned when this was served.  The serving was too small for it’s price, chicken was a little bit hard than usual and was already dry, it was overcooked.

creamy ebiko pasta

For the most awaited dish, the Creamy Ebiko Pasta shrimp, karashi, ebiko, and cream pasta price price at P255.00.  The photos in the menu was much more appetizing, for we didn’t tasted the creaminess as detailed, tasted pasta with a simple shrimp broth.

mango banana tropical

For dessert, we had Mango Banana Tropical mango, banana slices, banana sauce, whipped cream and strawberry ice cream drizzled with choco syrup price at P135.00.  This was heavenly!  Crepe was freshly cooked, chocolate syrup was not that sweet, and ice cream used was delectable!  I expected it to be overly sweet but it was not.  Ripe mangoes used was cut in cubes and was placed on top of the crepe, before the ice cream and chocolate syrup.

cafe smoogee

Cafe Smoogee straight up espresso based smoogee with whipped cream price at P126.00.   A great description to describe this?  Yummy!  It was a strong coffee based that has a hint of bitterness in every sip.

iced lemon tea

Iced Lemon Tea price at P68.00  Their iced tea was a brewed black tea and not powdered, which makes it more natural.  Warning for those who couldn’t take a bitter-taste black tea, this one is.

Branches:

1.  SM Mall of Asia, G/F South Wing, Main Mall Bldg. Pasay City.  Tel. No. 556-0517

2.  SM The Block, 2nd Level, Quezon City.  Tel. No. 441-0346.

NOTE:   If you dine at Tokyo Cafe, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

little asia

exterior look of the resto

One good place that serves very good asian cuisine is at Little Asia. I’ve been hearing about the tasty dishes they serve from friends and relatives and I have read about the numerous awards this restaurant have received. Little asia serves asian food mixtures of japanese, chinese, vietnamese, korean, thai etc. So armed with our digital camera we visited Little Asia at Tomas Morato for lunch to check what they have to offer.

So far, parking during lunch time was easy, dinner could have been a different story but I notice they offer valet parking service so i’m sure looking for a place to park your car will not be an issue even during dinner time.

interior

Upon entry you will be greeted by their staff. There are a couple of seats at the waiting area where you can check the menu and get your orders taken while they are preparing your seats.  Their walls are uniquely designed with paintings painted on the wall. You can also easily notice the reddish color of the wall as the color red is an appetite stimulant. They have separate areas for smoking and non-smoking as well.

japanese tofu steak

To start off, we ordered Japanese Tofu Steak, pan fried tofu with shredded chicken, mushrooms and kuchay priced at 195.  The tofu was very soft in the inside and no effort is needed to chew on eat. I personally love to eat tofu which could be one of the reasons why I enjoyed this dish. The mushrooms are very tasty and the sauce is light soy sauce.

yang chow fried rice

Yang chow fried rice had been my all time favorite. Ingredients include pork asado, shrimps, leeks, lettuce, carrots, green peas and eggs price at P225.00 good enough for 3-4 people.  This dish is very tasty and with the load of the ingredients, you can eat the fried rice alone with no viand.

boneless tilapia in honey mayo sauce

One of the bestsellers at Little Asia is the Boneless Tilapia in Honey Mayo Sauce. It is 2 pieces Fried tilapia fillets, sauteed onions and garlic with honey mayonnaise dressing price at P215.00. It has a crunchy outer layer and soft tilapia meat inside, the honey mayo sauce is very tasty. This dish is worth trying!

Cantonese Prawns

For seafood, we tried the Cantonese Prawns.  Sauteed prawns with melted cheese and cream sauce price at P355.00. The presentation is very simple yet the taste was fantastic. You can tell that the prawns are fresh through its color and taste. The prawn meat does not stick on its shell and the sauce is very tasty. Its a bit pricey for a few pieces of prawn but it is worth its value.

Some of the dishes we have tried at little asia that is Highly recommended are Korean Beef Stew, Chicken Teriyaki, Vietnamese Chicken with orange and honey, Eggplant with minced pork, Minced Chicken with Lettuce Cups and Gyoza.

little asia's bottomless iced tea

Of course, one way to enjoy good food is to complement it with a cold drink. Try Little Asia’s bottomless iced tea. They also serve fruit shakes like mango, green mango, watermelon, melon and buco.

Overall our experience at Little Asia is very good. We give the food and service  5/5 and  4/5 for the ambiance. I’m sure we will again visit Little Asia for another tasty experience.

Little Asia Branches :

1. 195-B Tomas Morato cor. Scout Fuentebella, QC   Tel No. 373-0609 / 410-4937

2. Greenhills Promenade, 2nd Level Ortigas, San Juan City Tel No. 727-5265

3. Venice Piazza at Mckinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

NOTE:   If you dine at Little Asia, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

spiral

It had been an eventful day for us, for we had the privilege to dine at the most sought out buffet in Manila at the Spiral by Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila located at CCP Complex Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.

Upon entrance we were enthralled by the spiral staircase paired with the spiral steel design, underneath that spiral steel design was a mini fountain that gave the interior of the dining area a different ambiance.  It’s as if serenity is what the ambiance entails.

A very serene place to dine, space is not an issue, for the dining area was huge and spacious.  Your choice where will you be seated as long as you make an early reservation or if the area is available.  May it be by the window where al fresco area, children’s play area and swimming pool are viewable, or you may opt to be near their different cuisines section such as the Korean cuisine wherein round tables were available, or by the Japanese cuisine section, or beside the mini-fountain at the center of the dining area.

seafood section

other side of seafood section

Their seafood section has shrimp, oysters, mussels and crabs all unlimited.  I was amazed as how each seafood were presented.  You can eat it cold or you can request for it to be baked or cooked with your choice of garnish.  I had my shrimps sauteed in butter and garlic, and ask them to fry the crab.  Shrimps were still delectable in it’s form even I have it sauteed again, but the crabs were disappointing.  I was excited that I can eat only the crab pincer but was disappointed that the meat became too dry.

wine and cheese section

Start of what they call the Mediterranean Cuisine Section.  Choices of different wine, cheese, dip and different whole wheat biscuits were available in this section.

salad section

Part of Mediterranean Cuisine Section are different approach to  salad.  You can have it the create-your-own-salad, or you can choose among the prepared one such as the combination of  Pomelo Orange Cranberries Salad, i find the combination bitter to my taste.  Their  Shrimp Orange Salad is a great tasting combination, for shrimp used was fresh and the orange was sweet and juicy, and there’s a  whole lot more of choices that I haven’t got the chance to take note of.

bread section

Another part of the Mediterranean Cuisine Section was the different kinds of bread, pizza, and pasta.  You can ask their chef to cook you a pasta according to your preference of ingredients and sauce to use.  It was exciting but warn you carbo load can bloat you immediately.  I have tasted their cheese pizza it was delectable.  I thought it would taste bland for theirs was thin crust, but to my amazement it was tasty and flavorful.

mediterranean food section

Another part of the Mediterranean Cuisine Section was the paella,  and chicken shawarma station.  Paella was okay but was not something that you would crave for again, while Chicken Shawarma was something!  I thought it will be just a typical taste of shawarma, but it was not!  Chicken was very tasty it has been marinated way before it was placed at the shawarma machine.

cold japanese

cold japanese

In Spiral, their Cold Japanese was part of the Mediterranean Section.  I noticed number of guests were in line for this section, and surprisingly, Chefs assigned managed this station to be well-stocked.

japanese food section

Now, their Hot Japanese Cuisine Section was separated from the Cold Japanese for the latter was part of the Mediterranean Cuisine Section.   This section carried the ever-famous Prawn Tempura, Yakisoba, Miso Soup, Lapu-lapu fillet on a sticky rice, mini scallops and a whole lot more!  It was really too many dishes to mention.  I like the freshness of every dishes served.

indian cuisine section

international cuisine section

International Cuisine Section was the home for their Prime Ribs, and Roasted Chicken that’s really worth visiting.

chinese cuisine section

Chinese Cuisine Section, where the famous mango-sago dessert was a hit! It was refreshing!  Dimsum, Noodles, Beef, Fish all cooked in chinese style was superb.

korean cuisine section

Their Korean Cuisine Section was where the Peking Duck stationed.  It was juicy but the skin of the Peking Duck was not crunchy as it should be anymore.

pastries and sweets

They’ve got tons and tons of pastries and sweets to name a few were Sugar-free strawberry panna cotta, sugar-free chocolate panna cotta, creme brulee, mocha brulee and other pastries that one couldn’t imagine that they can eat and taste it here all in Spiral.

fruit, chocolate fountain

Some fruit in season were available such as Dragon Fruit, Mangosteen, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Mango, Star Apple and Orange.   White and Dark Chocolate Fountain were also available where some skewered fruit and marshmallows were already prepared.

crepes, churros, cookies, halo-halo

Crepes with your choice of fruit and toppings , Baked Cookies, Churros, and Halo-halo were all in these section.  I can vouch for the crepes that it was good but was only disappointed as how it was prepared.  It was not as perfect as I have expected.  Baked cookies were on a bland side, Churros as expected was oily but delectable partnered with melted chocolate.   Halo-halo was still a hit eversince I have visited Spiral up until now.

ice cream

What’s a dessert without Ice Cream in tow?  Their Pistachos was superb! And has been the most favorite of the guests.  You can have as many scoops as you want with your choice of toppings of cereal, choco chips, and/or grated almonds.

For the price of P1927.00 net of tax and service charge per head,  if you don’t have their Accor Advantage Plus card or for the price of P1927.00 for two persons if with mentioned membership card.  There was a complimentary coffee and tea for the said amount.

All in all it was a very hearty meal.  I give 5/5 for the ambiance, 4/5 for the service, 4/5 for the price and 5/5 for the food.

NOTE:   If you dine at Spiral, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

gustavus steak lounge

Having been invited to try the newly-opened Steak Lounge in Makati named Gustavus, we agreed with curiosity and much anticipation as to what does the Steak Lounge has to offer.  Armed with our digital cameras, I with my husband off we go to Gustavus.

gustavus exterior

gustavus interior

Upon entrance we were graciously escorted to our seats.  They have several comfortable couch,  where you can wine and dine with your friends may it be for lunch or dinner.

gustavus ambiance

gustavus' bar

Here is the serene and homey ambiance of  Gustavus.  They also have a bar where one can chill out.

new england-style clam chowder

For starters, we had New England-Style Clam Chowder, with smoky bacon and garlic crouton.   The consistency is just right not too thick nor too thin, you will instantly know that this is a true clam chowder slowly cooked to perfection, and the taste of the Clams were dominant.  Gustavus’ clams were petite and soft, it was left unchopped so one could really enjoy the true taste and its’ freshness for the price of P265.00.

Gustavus Oysters

It was our first time to taste a  raw oyster,  we were assured that it was a cultured oyster and 100% safe for it has papers to proved it.  At first bite,  you will instantly taste the freshness, it was not eeky as I thought it will be.  For us,  it was best paired with horse radish cocktail sauce.  A  Fresh Gustavus Oysters served with horse radish cocktail sauce, red wine vinegar shallot and cucumber salsa is priced at P280.00 while, a Baked Gustavus Oysters with your choice of Rockefeller, Casino or Pepper is price at P340.00.  Rockefeller Baked oysters was equally good with the raw oysters on its own different presentation.  I loved how they baked the oysters with sprinkled spinach and cheese, it still doesn’t overpower the taste of the oyster.

Ribeye steak

Off to the main course, we were served with a USDA Prime Rib-eye Steak we requested for it to be medium-cooked.  One thing so special about their steaks is that they import their own beef from the US.  Originally, the co-owners import the steak for personal consumption, until they have decided to open Gustavus.  Unlike other steakhouses, Gustavus steaks are cooked with just salt and pepper, and yet it has achieved a great-tasting ribs!  No barbecue sauce or special spices but, don’t get me wrong they do have steak sauce or gravy upon request.  You should try this dish without any sauce so you can taste the sweetness of the beef.  It was tender and very easy to slice.  This is by far the best steak we have tasted in town.  This dish is Highly Recommended.  USDA Prime Beef Ribeye Steak price if 10 oz. (284 g) P1633.00, if 12 oz (340 g) P1955.00, if 16oz. (454 g)  P2611.00.

braised chicken with mushroom

We also had Braised Chicken with Mushroom priced at P 450.00.  Chicken cooked with different kinds of mushroom served with asparagus and gnocchi.  The sauce of this dish is so rich and tasty.  Amazingly, the chicken meat was moist and was equally tasty.  Gnocchi on the other hand is an italian version of dumpling made from potato mixed evenly with flour and wheat.   It looked like mozzarella sticks but when you tasted it, definitely delectable!   I now have a new potato-favorite, Gnocchi!  Normally, other restaurants import them, but the Gustavus’ Chef, can make it just right at their kitchen.  As suggested by the chef himself, gnocchi taste best if  it was use to wipe the sauces in your plate.

Dessert

For dessert, a Lemon cured with brownies topped with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and sweetened pili nut.  Looking at it, one will thought it to be too sweet, but we were surprised that it was not.  It was very comforting, and complemented the dish that we have just ate then.  Desserts at Gustavus may be very exciting since they don’t have a menu for it, the chef will surely surprise you with something they have to offer for the day.

Overall, our visit at Gustavus was a very good experience. We give 5/5 for the ambiance. 5/5 for the food taste and 4/5 for the price.  We will definitely go back to Gustavus, hungry for more!

Gustavus also accept party reservations and special menu arrangements.

Gustavus Steak Lounge Address :

109 C. Palanca Street Legazpi Village Makati City Tel No. 813-0475

(Follow Dela Rosa Street and 2nd street after Paseo de Roxas turn left on C. Palanca Street. Located in front of PSBank)

Contact Person : Mr. Mike Gayoso - Managing Partner

NOTE:   If you dine at Gustavus Steak Lounge, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.