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| ribs at Red Garlic Bistro |
I thought the plan was busted. I was waiting by the door of the Mini-Stop convenient store early in the morning for my friends Jhen and Darlene to arrive so we could all go together to Bonifacio Global City to meet up with Karen who promptly arrived to our meeting place at the time that was agreed upon. However my two friends who rarely shows up late without any SMS or call were not yet in sight. It's already a couple of minutes past the agreed rendezvous time, Jhen's number were unreachable and Karen's already getting a little impatient. I made one last call to Jhen with an accompanying text detailing on how to get to Serendra by way of route that I know of from our place.
You see, it's the first time after a very long while that me and my friends will have this get-together of sort. And it's paramount that all are in attendance since I'm advancing my birthday celebration to accommodate everyone's schedules. I saw Karen immediately sitting on one of the chairs right in front of still closed Cupcakes By Sonja store. After she finished conversing with someone on her Blackberry phone, I asked Karen if she already have news of another friend of ours, Ofie, and her whereabouts. Karen succinctly told me that Ofie's already on her way.
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| hot drinks at Mary Grace |
When Ofie finally arrived in Serendra, Karen asked if we could grab a quick bite at Cafe Mary Grace while waiting for Jhen and Darlene who's in turn we're already on their way. She's in dire need of sustenance since she hasn't had any breakfast yet. We ordered lightly since we're going to have a full course meal later in the day. We immediately started our animated talks and updated ourselves about each others businesses while waiting for our brekkie merienda to arrive.
Our hot drinks were the first to grace our table. Karen got intrigued with the word 'tsokonut' on the Tsokonut Hot Chocolate so she orders for it. I already tried this very Pinoy drink and liked it very much. It's very evident on Karen's face that she also felt the same way with this drink. Ofie opted for the White Hot Chocolate & Toasted Cashew. It's my turn to get mystified with the sheer name of this hot chocolate drink and would like to order this one myself next time. But for this instance, I'm quite transfixed with the Valencia Cappuccino. The very name of this brew elicit some grin and teasing from a few of my friends in the know. But personal jokes aside, this is one handsome of a frothy cup, in terms of look and taste.
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| ensaymadas |
Cafe Mary Grace is famous for their ensaymada. The grilled ones were something to look forward to. For now, we zeroed in on ensaymadas with a wonderful twist. Ofie's order of Banana Chocolate Ensaymada is definitely a crowd pleaser while Karen's choice of Three Cheese Ensaymada is more on the savory side. My order of the Caramel & Toasted Cashew Ensaymada is a sweet-salty foreplay in the mouth with the added crunch from the cashews creating a nice texture. I also marvel the lattice-type way the caramel sauce were drizzled on this doughy creation.
www.marygracecafe.com
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| inside Red Garlic Bistro |
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| menu |
Until finally Jhen and Darlene arrived and without taking much ado, we immediately hop into Two Parkade where Red Garlic Bistro Cafe is located. Red Garlic's first dig was near Blue Ridge in Katipunan, but was told by one of the servers that they've already closed that up to transfer to a more upscale location here in Bonifacio Global City.
We were given two sets of menus, one is for the food and the other dedicated solely for cocktail drinks and other alcoholic beverages. We were so entranced with the way the cocktail drinks were presented on the pictured menu that momentarily the other menu slipped from our minds. We raced in ordering the most prettiest among the cocktail drinks saved for Jhen who settled for the Heineken lager beer.
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| rolls & pizza |
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| Red Garlic signature roll |
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| trio flavored pizza |
But before we dig into our cocktails of choice, we also need some real chow. The servers were quite helpful in terms of discussing the menu when moments of indecision arises. Karen hankered for some sushi rolls that's why the Red Garlic Signature Roll made an appearance. A looker of a sushi this is. It resembled like a wingless dragon or a long cargo ship carrying edible loads of tamago, kani flakes, soft-shell crab and ebi. Dip one roll in the mixture of some wasabi and soy sauce and get yourself ready to experience a delicious ecstasy.
To partner a sushi roll with a pizza might be way over the top. A weird combination could be to some but it worked for us. And honestly, who could resist the offer of having three types of flavors adorning one large pizza. The names of the trio flavors beguiles our minds as well as our palates: Galapagos (their own take for the taco pizza), Torre Del Greco (nutty arugula pizza with sauteed shrimp, tomato-basil sauce, vinaigrette garnish and Grana padano cheese) and Basillica Con Tartuffo Fiorentina (sauteed mushrooms and Italian sausages topped with Fontina and mozzarella cheese). We all savor the different texture and flavor of each choices of pizza. Dousing it with a little of chili oil made it even more lip-smacking good.
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| our tables were prettified with these candles |
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| steak & frites |
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| Santorini penne pasta |
I was looking forward to try the Portuguese Osso Bucco where the beef shank were drizzled with their peppermill dressing and basil oil. I couldn't hide my sullenness when I was advised by the server that they've already scratched that item from their menu. So, I settled for the Steak & Frites, one of their newest offering. A pretty plate this one is. Naturally, my expectations were high. But I found this dish underwhelming. The meat needed to be cut vigilantly with the use of a fork and knife before it yields. Plus the provided gravy sauce has that unusual taste that I could not quite pinpoint. Jhen, though sharing my sentiments with the toughness of the meat and the weird flavor of the gravy, found the meat itself good enough for her to eat quite a portion of it while I munched on the fries and pierced some of the salad greens in defeat.
I bounced back with the Santorini. A penne pasta dish with crab meat and shrimp on a tomato-cream base sauce. I also like that the sauce coating each penne has that slight spicy kick to it. Even Jhen, who only devout herself in eating only pasta dishes with white sauce on it liked this tomato base pasta very much as well.
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| Tequila Lime BBQ Beef Ribs |
I initially wanted to order the full slab of the Tequila Lime BBQ Beef Ribs. However Karen suggested that the half-slab is already enough for us considering the amount of food that currently dotted our table. The ribs was a site to behold when it finally arrived. The meat was in deep amber color with a delectable sheen. The meat was unbelievable soft and tender. I could even use my spoon to tear the meat off from the bone. The ribs were so succulent and the sauce coating it were tangy, sweet and slightly spicy. If only out of decency and not being afraid to look like a hungry swine in front of my friends, I tear off one rib with my bare hands and gnaw at the meat straight from the bone.
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| beer |
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| lychee mojito |
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| Key West |
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| chocolate bailey drink |
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| strawberry margarita |
Right after the scrumptious meal, we then anticipated how our cocktail drinks would look like in actuality. Presentation-wise we're quite pleased with it. However my friends, specifically those by Karen's and Darlene's found their drinks too strong and unappealing to the taste. While me and Ofie were quite satisfied with our drinks of choice. I liked my Key West drink, the most straightforward-looking among the cocktails that graced our table. It's sweet, quite fruity with a little kick trailing at the end.
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| firecracking banana cream pie |
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| from left: Jhen, Darlene, Karen, chubby me and Ofie |
A complimentary dessert was given to us in the form of the Banana Cream Pie. It was presented with quite an aplomb complete with the servers singing the birthday song and a firecracker candle hoisted on top of this cake slice. I swear I felt like I'm a debutante at that very moment hehehe! ;)
Thank you again to my friends who made this brunch an awesome one, especially to Karen who gave me a green shoal and a paperback Dan Simmons book as birthday presents. I'm sure another get-together is in the offing real soon.
To Be Continued...
www.redgarlicbistro.com
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