MOA Sweet Eats: Valentines Day at Cafe Adriatico

Mall of Asia has been the go to place of people if they're celebrating something special and this February, it's no different because Valentines day is fast approaching. Just like you, there are thousands of people flocking the mall to find a great place to spend a cute Valentines day dinner to make your woman (or man) feel really special. We tried out some of them yesterday and got to try really good ones to get you into that mood of loving. It started right after we stepped into the grounds of Mall of Asia as they promise this time, you'll get to dine in some of Manila's best restaurants, and have the chance to indulge in these sweet eats!

Cafe Adriatico

I've been here for quite a number of times now because this flagship store of the LJC Group of Restaurants is just one of the best places to take your friends, families or loved ones in Manila. They've been in the business for years now and Cafe Adriatico has grown so huge from their humble beginnings in Adriatico Street in Malate, Manila. Aside from my super favorite and well loved Chicken ala Kiev on their menu, they've got a few food items in their arsenal that would be so awesome if you're out on a date or just dining out with someone special. Their charming Spanish-Mediterranean cuisine, old world interiors, would simply put you back to an era where food used to be enjoyed, comforting and ultimately divine. Here's some of the things you should definitely try with their best sellers!

Appetizers:

Hummus with Pita Bread

Hummus and Pita Bread

To start off the meal, we were served two appetizers. This one's called Hummus, it's more of a Greek/Middle Eastern origin and it's made of Chick Peas (pureed), Garlic, then served with a side of hot Pita Bread and Calamata Olives, Pickled Onions and Gherkins (small pickles). The Hummus was so good, velvety, intensely garlicky and if you spread that over the warm pita bread halves, top it with the crunchy and tangy olives, pickles and onions, it's what you call a perfect bite! I would never miss this again in any meal from Cafe Adriatico because I love it so much I took home some of it, but it never reached the car! It's that good!

Callos

Callos

This one's of Spanish origin, I should know, I'm a Bueno. Our version at home is a bit on the oily side. Cafe Adriatico's version is just right, not too oily. It's got the right amount of tripe, pork knuckle skins and Spanish Chorizo. They serve this with a side of Garlic Bread which you'll have to put to good use so you can top them with chunks from the Callos and wipe off your plate afterwards. It's a bit sinful, but of course if you want your man to be happy you don't think about calories at this time. It's like what my own Grandma used to make at home but on a more improved commercial version. If it's a hearty meal you're looking for, order this and you won't be sorry.

Main Course:

Prawns Thermidor

Prawns Thermidor

For seafood lovers, this would be a dream. Prawns Thermidor is not your usual Shrimp dish. They take out the meat, chop it up, cook it with butter and garlic, put it back on the shell and cover it with a generous amount of cheese. The Prawns are huge so you won't be sorry pairing this well with rice or if you ask for another cup or more. I'm a bit allergic but tasting this was so worth it, just bring antihistamines if you're thinking of violating doctor's orders. :)

Lola Ising's Adobo Rice

Lola Ising's Adobo Rice

This one's made of Legends. It's passed on from generation to generation, much like what you have in your home. The Lola Ising's Adobo Rice is definitely my personal favorite among the dishes served that afternoon. One note, they know how to make authentic adobo. There was no place in the meat where it was flavorless, it was just filled with spices, and marinated well so once you take a bit off of it and have it with adobo rice and the adobo sauce, you'll be in adobo heaven. Don't mind the adobo words there because you'll see why I did that once you order this off the menu. Definitely a winning dish, order this for your man on a date will you? He'll kiss you afterwards (just romantically, so don't slap him please!). 

Beef Spareribs Ninja

Beef Spareribs Ninja

You might think this one's an odd ball because it looks so Asian on a Spanish Mediterranean menu, but for those who love beef, the Beef Spareribs Ninja is truly something you should not miss out. This is very spicy and if you're looking for something similar to Korean Beef Stew less the sesame oil, then this would be something that should interest you. One bite out of it would give you this intense savory flavor, and you MUST pair this with white rice so you don't confuse flavors. 

Coupe Adriatico

Coupe Adriatico

This Coupe Adriatico obviously is a signature dessert from Cafe Adriatico.  Think of huge mango balls, slices of Bananas, prolly flambe'd, topped with blueberry sauce and tons of Vanilla Ice Cream in the center. It was begging to be eaten. If you want to end the date on a perfect note, please do not leave the restaurant ordering this or the other desserts they have on the menu. They've got tons of them hence a section was just full of these and merienda desserts. Make sure though that you only have one dessert spoon so when you end the meal, you can do that Lady and Tramp scene and have this in lieu of the Spaghetti. You can thank me afterwards!

Cafe Adriatico certainly knows what they are doing when it comes to casual/fine dining in Manila. If you want to see more of these and their other restaurants, check out LJCRestaurants.com.ph for more information. Reserve while you can especially when it's International Pyrolympics Season, oh that starts today by the way! I think I'm going there too later, so see you!  

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MOA Sweet Eats: Valentines Day at Watami

Watami is one of the newest restaurants from the Bistro Group. We've reviewed a couple of them in the past and obviously, they're getting bigger by the year. Watami as you may have thought is a neo Japanese restaurant with great interiors and lovely flavors. As a Japanese food lover, I always wanted to see what other restaurants are offering so I could compare them with the others serving the same dish. Although there are similarities, Watami had their menu configured quite differently so it's got the basics of a Japanese restaurant but have some other original items that you won't find anywhere else. We asked the kind server to get us their best sellers but I think he got his own personal favorites haha! Not judging though because it is VERY good!

Two drinks were served first. The one on the left is mine. It's the Passion Fruit Mango Tea. The one on the right is the Milk Tea with Black Tapioca Pearls. Both were good but I love the Passion Fruit Tea better, it's new, it's original and you won't see this that much on the menu of other restaurants. See what I mean by them being different from other Japanese restaurants? This isn't just the lone item on their menu that's very original, more reason to find and pay them a visit. We had more of it later on!

Watami Salad

This is one of their best sellers. It's called the Watami Salad. We only got the half serving because we were watching our diet (I kid!) but you can get the whole serving for this one if you're in a group. It would be good for 4 I think but if you've got that vegetable loving friend who just decided to munch on greens, the Watami Salad provides a combination of textures that have been well thought of in its conception. The crunchy leaves, the crunchy fried wonton wrappers, the seaweed, the nibblets of corn, the slices of barbecued chicken, the scoop of tuna with Japanese mayo just provides the beautifully coordinated clashing of flavors and textures. The server was right, this is really good.

Watami's Beef Pepper Rice

There's no shortage of rice, beef strips, corn, and spices on this stone bowl. This is Watami's very own Beef Pepper Rice. It's one of their best sellers too and I'm not surprised because if you compare this with other restaurants, they don't go easy on the ingredients. By the way, most of the restaurant's ingredients are not locally sourced. They import most of them from Japan hence you see a lot of ingredients that are bigger, even better in some areas. The meat in the Philippines they say is a little tough and they had to have softer ones for dishes like these. Price wise, they won't do overkill on you because I barely found anything above Php 500 on their menu. For those trying out the place for the first time, I strongly suggest you ask your servers for the best sellers but don't be afraid to try out other unfamiliar items on the menu.  

The Watami Ramen

The Watami Ramen I think is a hit and miss. It's one of their best sellers and I don't want to challenge that fact. This one was a little on the salty side that we had to ask our server if it was meant that way. He offered they can tone it down a bit but I think if they're doing this in a batch, the bone based broth shouldn't be this sharply salty. If asked if I should order this again, of course! I still love the ramen itself and the meat slices on top of it. Maybe they can improve on it somehow, but if it's a best seller there's really no reason why you shouldn't order it still. If it was a rainy day, then we would surely have this!

Spicy Salmon Tempura Roll

It's a new item on their menu but I highly suggest you get this. If you love spicy stuff and cooked salmon, then this Spicy Salmon Tempura Roll is your best bet. It's a bit on the oily side because the whole thing is deep fried before it gets sliced. The Salmon also gets cooked in that process. Still, it's got that fresh center because they have the chives and chili there. If you're kinda tired about the California Maki, then this would be something different that you can order aside from that. Oh and yes! They've got their own California Maki too if you fancy that!

Assorted Skewers

If you don't like the smoke on Teppanyaki plates, but would love to have something grilled, then Watami's Assorted Skewers would be your best choice. You won't smell like smoke when you're just around for lunch and got to go back to the office. It's a good activity though when you're out on the date so I'd prefer that instead of this. But really, how can you not love something like this no? I specifically love the Japanese mushroom wrapped in chicken and the bacon wrapped onion chives in skewers because of its intense flavor. It's a chance for you to taste everything on a single plate instead of ordering them separately. You can do that if you're got the menu mastered later on but if it's the first time you're dining in Watami, please do get this one! I loved it!

If you're fond of green tea, then get this Maccha Tiramisu. It's intense green tea flavor might confuse you if it's European or Japanese, but really it's the best of both worlds. You're getting that green tea flavor on a rich panacotta like dessert glass, where each spoonful will take you to green tea heaven in a few seconds. This is one lovely way to end the meal, but I bet they've got more!

Choco Parfait

I don't know what they've put into these sweet treats but darn it I LOVE THIS Choco Parfait! It's a chocolate lovers dream dessert and you'll see why people enjoy and indulge on them when you get it on your table. It's pretty, it's sinful, it's got all the things you dream of on a sundae. If you miss ordering this, you won't complete your Watami experience so do me a favor and tell that young man taking your orders to get you one of these! Superb. I can't even explain it. 

The Philippine International Pyro Musical Competition by the way will start at 7:30 PM on Saturday. So if you love fireworks as much as I do, please don't hesitate to drop by these restaurants before you get to the main show! The ones beside Manila bay will be offering really good seats, I suggest you get the ones there. The sunset is majestic, the fireworks display would be lovely to see from that area. Trust me on this.

For more information about their events:

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