Luscious Red Food & A Happy, Peppy Bakery Cafe

food at Buenisimo

I always enjoy long walks, especially on food centric treasure trove places such as Katipunan, Wilson Street and Tomas Morato. Going to these places is more like being presented with a deck of cards, it's up to you to choose which among those cards to pick. In this case, on which food places to try out based on once's whim. I've always wanted to try Cafe Ysabel and Buenisimo, whichever comes first. On a not too hot Sunday afternoon, I finally had the chance to visit Buenisimo on its new dig in Tomas Morato.

entrance to the kitchen

mural painting by Chef Gene Gonzales

table setting

Buenisimo is quite hectic during lunch time. A stream of people keeps on coming while the servers, looking spiffy as all clad in black, bustles about ushering guests to their preferred seats, taking orders and delivering food to tables. I like the vibrant look of the interior. I also spotted a painting mural made by Chef Gene Gonzales himself. Cool!

complimentary bread and dip

Caesar salad

Without much ado, a menu book (elegant in its black leather binding) was handed to me. I scanned it quickly and gave out my orders. I even asked the server at some point to explain to me some items on the menu that caught my attention. Good thing, he's quite versed with what's on the menu and even suggested which one should grace my table first. 

While waiting for my order, a slice of their house bread (more like a square bread, really) were swoop down in front of me, along with a dip of olive oil with herb called za'atar. The bread is still warm, I dip it gingerly on the herbed olive oil mixture and marveled at its crusty texture.

I wouldn't deny, I was short of stupefied when the Caesar Salad arrived. Instead of lettuce leaves torn into a little larger than bite size pieces, these were whole lettuce leaves propped upwards. Same goes with the single crunchy bacon and what I would call "hardened parmesan cheese stick" while the croutons tumbled about. Pretty to look at and taste good, too but I kinda missed the traditional Caesar salad preparation.

buenisimo fruit shake

laagna al forno

Now came my pasta dish in an arresting red hue. The Lasagna Al Forno is teeming with meat encased in between lasagna sheets while the divine red pomodoro sauce where the pasta sit languidly was quite herby and has that salty sour tang that's usual on most Italian tomato based dishes. I loved it! The Buenisimo Shake is quite a looker which is a combination of mango, passion fruit and mint. Totally refereshing.

strawberry shortcake

choco mug

Of course, a meal is not a meal without ending it with a sweet note. The Strawberry Shortcake attracts attention with its lashes of deep red over white, with strawberry slices surrounding the cake for that added oomph factor. The taste has a very custardy feel to it. I tasted some more and the next thing I know, everything was gone.

Not quite happy with the Choco Mug, though. The drink is still lukewarm even if with the presence of a lot of ice and a scoop of ice cream on top. I have to stir it briskly for the drink to absorb some of the chill. Plus the cocoa powder used didn't dissolve well giving it an unpleasant 'dusty' mouth-feel. 

Nevertheless, that didn't totally turned me off not to go back to Buenisimo in the near future to possibly try out more dishes.

24 Scout Tuazon St.
Barangay Laging Handa
Diliman, Quezon City

410-5050
www.ilovebuenisimo.com

~~~~~~~~~

desserts and coffee at Wheatberry

I'm not quite done yet with this area of Tomas Morato and surprised to learn that I still have more room space for more desserts. So off I go to Wheatberry Bakery & Cafe which is only walking distance from Buenisimo.

pretty counter and display case

I'm surprised to learn that Wheatberry is also a full-service restaurant, not just a bakery take-out and dessert cafe, with option of pasta, pizza, soups and salad on the menu. However, I'm only just here to try out some sweet and good cup of coffee. Too bad the Dulce de Leche Cheesecake is not available on this visit so I just settled for something else.

choco sylvanas

hazelnut praline

cafe mocha

Still dreaming about the Dark Cherry Sylvanas I tried a few months back at Starbucks, I decided to have the Chocolate Sylvanas. Dusted liberally with cocoa powder, the sylvanas is slightly chewy with a not too sweet cream filling. The Hazelnut Praline is a layered chiffon cake of vanilla, mocha and chocolate with praline cream. Delicious! Good enough to sip with Wheatberry's version of Cafe Mocha.

Since there's a kiddie birthday party happening at the function room upstairs, I had a grand time looking as people pass by while I sip my coffee and eat my cake.  A Sunday afternoon well spent, my mind declared to which my tummy grumbled in agreement.

84 Scout Castor cor Scout Tuazon
Quezon City

374-8565/374-8470
wheatberry.com.ph