Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino - Fort Taguig

This place has been open for close to 3 years now and for those who haven’t dined here yet this is the perfect time to try this place.  They offer a weekend brunch buffet. And they do it Ala carte style, meaning everything will be cooked upon order. They sized up each order to half a regular serving.  There are 59 items on the buffet menu, not counting drinks, Clean plate policy applies and if the plate is not empty or close to empty you will be charged 100 pesos for each half eaten plate. The price is 788++ per person, unlimited drinks included.

Specializing in Filipino cuisine, cooked and served in a contemporary way.  We appreciate how Chef Laudico did his homework and created dishes  to preserve the taste of true Filipino food presented in a way to please the sights and taste of people around the world.

Pandesal. Freebie. Baked in house. Served with Anchor Butter. 

Cody: Dense and creamy bread, not the airy kind we are used to           

Elle: On the contrary I thought the bread was airy and not creamy. 

Sampaloc juice/Lemongrass Ice Tea

Cody: refreshing, the drinks will initially surprise the taste buds, but it grows on you. I kept on drinking it the whole time.

Elle:  unique drinks.  I liked the lemongrass iced tea since it did not taste too much like the commercially made lemon flavor throat lozenge. The sampaloc juice also tasted good, sweet and tangy.  

Sisig Basket- chopped pigs head with liver incorporated in the mix, served in a crisp rice paper cup with half a hard boiled quail egg in the shot glass topped with garlic cream.

Cody:  One thing I noticed about this dish was it was oily, so be sure to check inside the cups for residual oil, aside form that, the Sisig was one of the best tasting I’ve tried. The garlic cream on top suited it perfectly, it lacked the spiciness though. And to those who are worried about the cholesterol , the quail egg didn’t really give much uplift to the taste. A small amount of scrambled egg would have been suffice and would have lowered the cholesterol content

Elle:  Had less than 1/3 of a bite of a cup.  Meat filling was very soft but I agree it was oily.

Tuna Kilawin Rolls- chopped tuna pieces marinated in vinegar rolled in fresh rice paper topped with a calamansi Capsicum emulsion

Cody: A nice dish, the tuna was fresh. The vinegar marinade penetrated the tuna perfectly, the calamansi emulsion suited it. Perfect appetizer.

Elle: probably one of the best kilawin dishes I’ve tried.  The tuna was not overcooked in the calamansi emulsion. It tasted very fresh. 

Prawn Sinigang Martini- mix of hot and cold component, the cold being the sour soup gelatin, the hot being the coconut cream. Scoop it together with your soup spoon to get the marriage of flavours and temperatures

Cody: when it was presented to me, it didn’t have the coconut cream yet. When the waiter poured it, then I  smelled the sourness of the soup. It was indeed a wonderful blend. A wonderful concept as well

Elle: it was not your regular sinigang.  It was more like Tom Yum.  The sour gelatin blended well with the bland coconut milk.  Something unexpected and different from your usual sinigang.

Shitake Mushroom Soup- fresh pureed shitake mushroom with cream described as  cappuccino, topped with crunchy fried minced garlic

Cody: the woody taste of the shitake blended very well with the crunchy garlic. Not too heavy even with the incorporated cream. It’s always nice to have mushroom soup freshly made and not coming out of a can.

Elle: This was really delicious.  I liked the burnt taste of the fresh mushrooms with the cream topping. 

3 Kinds of Mango Salad- Mesclum salad with dried, ripe and green mango slices, with a Dijon bagoong dressing, topped with kasuy crusted fried kesong puti.

Cody: beautiful looking dish, nice blending of the fresh sweet mangoes, the sour crunchy green mangoes and the sweet dried mangoes. The dressing has a little spicy kick to it, the cheese added another level of texture that only added more points to the delicious factor of the dish.

Elle:  The vegetables were fresh and the mangoes added a whole new flavor to it.  It was interesting to see dried mangoes in a fresh salad.  The dressing did not overpower the salad and the fried kesong puti was just fantastic!

Eggplant Torta with Spicy Crab—sliced eggplant grilled to be soft and creamy, mixed with egg then pan fried, the things on the side are the crabmeat

Cody: the eggplant torta almost melts in your mouth. The chilli crab meat didn’t have any spicy taste in my opinion. Again I love the torta.

Elle:  the minced spicy crab was not spicy at all but nevertheless compliments the eggplant.  One of my favorite salads so far!

Tuna in Burong Hipon- Tuna cooked medium well, the burong hipon was blended together with the greens

Cody: love the way the tuna was cooked. Still pink in the middle. The Burong Hipon  in my opinion was too salty with sour tones all over. The flavor was too strong

Elle: Favorite!!!! I was expecting to see shrimp pieces in the dish but it was I assume pureed shrimp that looked more like sauce.  This was really the good.  The tuna was grilled but still soft and juicy. The rice was soft and creamy and the kangkong was still a bit crunchy.  the balance between salty and sour was perfect.

US Angus Beef Tapa Si log- strips of angus beef tapa, on top of a beautifully fried egg which was on top of Garlic rice encased in a half tomato

Cody: Another beautifully plated dish. The Angus beef has the right amount of fat in the meat that didn’t dry up after cooking. It looks like beef bacon. Hehe, The egg was cooked perfectly sunny side up.

Wagyu and Lengua Estofado- Wagyu beef cheeks and US Beef Lengua, Braised in a Tomato sauce, served with grilled veggies

Cody: Is there anything bad I can say about Wagyu? No.  It was uberly tender and gelatinous, melts in your mouth. The Lengua, I wish was sliced a bit thinner.  The  rice tutong crisp added a different texture to the soft meats in the dish. The sauce was very good.

Elle:  Great tomato sauce… and the soft grilled vegetables and the crispy rice was a good combination.

Prawns and Burong Mustasa- Spaghetti tossed with chopped prawns, anchovies and bur0ng mustasa

Cody: A light pasta dish. No heavy sauce here, the flavors of the anchovies and prawn pieces being the highlight of the dish.

Elle: Simple and refreshing pasta with no sauce.  The burong mustasa gave the dish its flavor. 

Pandenini- Angus Roast Beef with Tomato Salsa

Cody: Tasted like Adobo rather than roast meat.  This was just ok, Saving grace was the sun dried tomato dressing on the side of the dish

Elle:  Tasted the Panini style bread and left out the meat.  It was just okay and yes the better part of the dish was the tomato dressing/sauce on the side.

Prito Trio- peeled shrimps, calamari, dilis cooked “okoy” style with sauce blend of Pinakurat, Garlic and Aligue

Cody: Ordered this dish at the end of the meal but this is supposed to be an appetizer and liked it so much we ordered it twice . The ingredients were fresh, the shrimps were crunchy, the squid was soft and tender. The sauces were incorporated in every piece. Very Very good.

Elle: shrimps were soft, squid rings were not gummy.  It was deep-fried but not oily.  It had a bit of a kick as well.  I liked the concept of the sauce in the small servings. 

Chocolate Truffles-mango and calamansi

Cody: it was okay , had slight hints of the fruits it represented

Elle:  regular truffles, I could not taste the mango and the calamansi.

Maja Blanca Cheesecake

Cody: Imagine a cheesecake with creamed corn. 

This is it. It was just okay. Drizzled with arnibal.

Elle:  Same opinion. I was expecting it to be as soft as Maja Blanca.  It wasn’t great.

Banana Q Tart

Cody: The banana pieces were a little tough to eat, I love the ice cream though.

Elle: I liked the part when the waiter presented the dessert complete with a flambee.  It looked good but the bananas were hard and slightly burnt and separated from the tart.  The ice cream was good though. 

We appreciated how Chef Laudico  presented Filipino food. We wouldn’t be surprised it ever there is a Filipino restaurant outside the philippines ; they would served food this way.  We recommend this brunch buffet. Serivce was excellent, They change our plates after every dish. Warm plates to boot. Noel , our server was indeed a gentleman. He knew the food very well and served us well. One of the perks was the drinks were bottomless and we could order one drink from another.  They also served bottomless Twinnings tea and excellent brewed coffee!

Chilly Willy - Mandaluyong Cty

Chilly Willys- Robinsons Place Pioneeer, Al Fresco Section

Mexican restaurants are really not that popular here in the metropolis, as compared to let’s say Los Angeles where they sprout like mushrooms. Here, there are only a few Mexican restaurants. Taco Bell, Mexicali, Agave and this new one called Chilly Willys,

Located at Robinsons Place Pioneer, this restaurant has already been featured in a couple of blogs and both were very happy with their experience here.

Cheese Stuffed Shrimps wrapped in bacon  w aioli dip P185:

Cody: The picture in the menu made me order this dish, thought it would be great being combination of my favorite food items Shrimp, Cheese and Bacon!! however the serving size was small, it was cooked as well as it was in the picture in the Menu.

Elle: Average in taste and presentation.  The shrimps were small and looked like they needed hydration.  Saving grace was the bacon.

Chicken and chorizo Enchilada 180 baked and stuffed with chicken and chorizo then topped with tomato and three cheese sauce .

Cody: THis was a very filling dish, i like the play of flavours by the combination of cheeses. THe chorizo overpowered the chicken here. 

Elle: I liked the thinness of the tortilla and the softness of the enchilada.  Would have been better with mashed beans. The rice was cooked well and it did not look like a big clump of mashed goods.

Because of the scarcity of Mexican Restaurants here in the metro, this place provide a new option. We would come back here, but i am looking forward to trying AGAVE's Chile Shrimp Relleno.. hehe

Mastercook - DAMPA, Macapagal Ave

There are a lot, and we mean a lot of cooking establishments in Dampa, some full of people, some empty as a desert.  There are a few that we have tried and really like, like Aling Tonyas.   This place was jampacked, and when there’s a lot of people it could mean there’s good food.  Located at the back of the complex near the parking, the executive chef of this place is said to be from hongkong. Lets see how their food fares.

Clams in Taosi –

Cody: The clam dish was the first dish to arrive,  steaming hot, the taosi sauce wasn’t  salty unlike the other taosi I have tried at other restaurants. The clams were cooked beautifully, just right, it wasn’t chewy.

Elle: It tasted really good.  Not too salty as other taosi dishes. 

Sweet and sour pork-

Cody:  believe or not, I like their version ,  the sauce was more on the sweet side than sour, the consistency was very thick so each piece was coated with it. The pork pieces were lean with a minute bit of fat, however I didn’t like the way they sliced it since it was too thick.

Fried Chicken-

Cody: another surprise,  the breading was indeed flavorful,  and the chicken was fried to crispy perfection, the breast meat was still moist…

Elle: It was okay.  I was not really a fan of this version of fried chicken but it kinda resembled Chickenjoy.  It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  Chicken juice was still dripping from the meat.

Fish Head soup with tofu and vegetables- 

Cody: the soup was essentially the essence of the fish, the tofu was very firm, the vegetables were cooked just right.

Elle: Cleanses the palate after every sip.

Chili Crab-

Cody: not as red as the version of other restaurants. And the spice factor was at the low side, well, I still liked it.

Elle: I didn’t like this version of chili crab cause it wasn’t spicy enough and I kinda felt the sauce was too watery.  Although the crabs were very soft (including the exoskeleton) and the meat tasted sweet .

Prawns w sotanghon—

Cody: this dish is great, the sotanghon absorbing the flavours of the prawn plus the condiments used in cooking it. Prawns were cooked just right, plump, moist, crispy that tell the freshness of the crustacean

Elle: One of my favorite dishes.  I liked the way the sotanghon absorbed the sauce of the prawns.  It was a unique noodle dish in the sense that it wasn;t your regular birthday noodle dish.  It looked like it was cooked in soy sauce but of course it wasn’t.  It had that seafood taste I was looking for.

Crab Rice-

Cody: the dish would look like a bland brown rice, but 

to describe it truthfully,  it is more like a semi wet risotto, served steaming hot,  this is very good. Each morsel very tasty and having a hint of crab flavor.

Elle: I agree. This dish was very good.  The rice was moist but the grains weren’t sticking to each other.  Very “crab-y” .

Stir Fried Squid with Celery-

Cody: quickly cooked squid tossed with fresh celery that was cooked yet still crispy and tasted very fresh. Seasoned very well.

Elle: Squid wasn’t gummy, celery wasn’t overcooked. 

Steamed Whole Fish-

Cody:  the fish was definitely fresh, as you  can see in the position of their fins,  the flesh was flaky and was indeed cooked through. The sauce was the usual sweet soy sauce we are used to in Chinese banquets.

Elle: I noted that steamed fish tastes pretty much like the others served at other restaurants.  Nothing unique about the dish but nevertheless the fish was 

very fresh.

Great food, the bad thing here was the service, too slow, they lack waiters. Anther thing is that customer have to buy their own seafood unike in other restos where if you are lazy you can just tell them how much of a seafood you want and what kind.

Pizzeria Pronto

Who would have thought that there would be a good pizza place in SM Bicutan. Located in the topmost floor. This little Italian gem has been quietly making a name for itself. Though we don’t like the name. It took us a while to try this place because of the location. Was it worth it? Read on.

Fried mozzarella-

 Cody : I love the size of the mozzarella pieces, they are not the usual finger length pieces, their version is bite size which I like better, served with a pomodoro sauce, the crust was crispy and the cheese was gooey.

Elle: Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  It looks more like a rectangular piece of ready made chicken nuggets.  The sauce compliments the appetizer. 

 

Garlic Shrimp Pasta –

Cody: Cooked in olive oil,  garlic, mushroom and black olives, this pasta dish was not drowning in any tomato or cream sauce. The main ingredients were shrimp and garlic and those flavors stand out in the dish. The pasta was cooked al dente…as it should be everytime in any restaurant that serves pasta.

Elle: Not really a fan of oil based pasta.  This version was a bit bland but nevertheless still a good eat.

Four Cheese Pizza, half with Italian sausage –

Cody: Combination of blue, cream, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. On a thin chewy and crispy crust. Love the crust, love the sauce, love the cheeses… great combination, great pizza.

Elle: I agree to the last bite. A great pizza.  Cheesy but not oily…a rare find. 

Bad name, excellent food, they have a branch in SM Megamall named Gotti. We havent tried the place yet. Will definitely be back to try the other food here.

Introduction

We are a couple that loves doing things together, may it be just a quiet day of watching T.V., to shopping, to going to the weekend market. One of our favorite past time is eating, and here is our food adventure that we would like to share with anyone interested in EATING.

We are not really that choosey, we can eat from ordinary street hawkers, to the hotel restaurants that are expensive but occasionally worth the bucks you spend. And we love trying out new stuff.

There will be times when we don't have the same views in the taste of the food. Well, taste is in fact subjective. So differences will appear once in a while:)