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10 May 2008

Restaurant Review: Cyma Estiatorio

Cyma Estiatorio
TriNoma Mall, EDSA cor. North Ave, Quezon City
Type of Cuisine: Greek
Average cost per person: Php 350 to Php 400 (US$8.75 - US$10)
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar

Another of the many restaurants we've been meaning to try for quite some time now, on one of our days out, we decided to indulge ourselves and splurge on the Cyma experience. And, boy, we sure walked out of the restaurant very much satisfied. Unfortunately, since we were in a party with only two of us foodistas, we can only give you the dish on a number of their offerings.

Cyma was originally from Boracay, and, upon its arrival in Manila, many a food-lover rejoiced that they no longer had to wait for their next trip to Bora to get their Cyma fix. Boasting of using only the best and freshest ingredients, and with selections catering even to the most health-conscious eater, Cyma is one restaurant we strongly encourage you to try out for yourself, if you haven't yet.

With nothing but praise for this establishment, you may be wondering why we didn't just give it a full-five stars. We intended to, from the very beginning, but, after giving it some thought, we gave it four and a half stars. While everything from the food to the ambiance to the service is great, many may find that the prices are a bit steep. Also, you may want to go there as a group, order family style, and be able enjoy many of their dishes, most of which are meant for sharing.

Our ever-picky, health-conscious (& quite a bit of a food snob) Joey has now declared this as one of her top three favourite restaurants. Cyma may be quite pricey, but the quality of the food, the restaurant's ambiance, and service was, for us, well-worth the expense.


CymaSpinach and Artichoke Fondue (Php 280, US$7.00)
If you have to try just one thing in Cyma, we would have to say this has got to be it. This was a little slice of heaven. The bread was served warm and the fondue piping hot. Everything about this dish, from the taste to the presentation to the texture, made us two very pleased foodistas. We very strongly recommend you try this.



CymaLamb Gyros (Php 150, US$3.75)
Although the lamb could have been more tender, the tzatziki sauce was light and wonderful, and the vegetables were very crisp and fresh. This was quite a refreshing and filling dish.



CymaWahoo (Tanguigue) (Php 220, US$5.50)
This dish looked and smelled divine. The fish was grilled to perfection and had that light sweetness you get from good, fresh fish. The flavours of the herbs were distinct without being overpowering.




Harrell @ CymaJoey @ Cyma


CymaCymaCymaCyma

Reviewed by Harrell and Joey.
Photography by Joey.

49 comments:

  1. I LOVE CYMA! IT'S THE BEST-EST! :)

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  2. Great review. I've seen Cyma a couple of times before, but I never thought to try it out. I will definitely have to now, after reading your review. And I absolutely love/hate the photos! Super nakakagutom!!

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  3. favorite namin ang cyma sa bora! :D at galing ng photographer niyo, ang ganda ng pictures!

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  4. The prices sound kind of painful, but the photos and your review makes it sound like eating here is worth the gaping hole that will be my wallet after the meal, haha

    Seriously though.. Mela, Harrell, good job, you two! Your review is written very well and, overall, it's a great article, even if most of the photos are of the two of you (coughs all around). Just kidding :P Kwinento naman ni Mela na hindi niyo raw sinadya na pumunta doon para ireview siya. It doesn't seem like it though. Parang pumunta kayo with the intention of coughing up a review of it later on.

    I'm still waiting for your next kitchen adventure, Mela :P Post me some of the goodies, won't you?

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  5. I love Greek food! I usually have hummus and some warm pita as a starter, but that spinach & artichokes dish looks and sounds mouthwatering!

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  6. I'm beginning to wonder why I read your restaurant reviews and subject myself to the self-inflicted torture of reading about restaurants I'd never be able to visit unless I venture to your part of the world.

    I can't tear myself from your updates, review and photos though. The seduction to read is greater than and worth the distress I experience after going through your entries.

    I've been wondering since the beginning, but Joey, have you had training photography?


    Jake

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  7. bong
    i knoooow! ♥ i can't believe i've never tried venturing there before. sooo good!

    celine
    haha!! yeahh :9 try mo sometime! you won't be disappointed c:

    abby
    thankyouuu!! ♥

    rafa
    aww thanks, bebs ♥ hahahh :P i don't catch you online often anymore. busy with ojt??

    and, well, the food was so good that we were like "okay. we have to write about this. kahit '5 stars! you have to try it!' lang." -- and that was only after the artichokes, haha!

    and yeahh, i'm baking again tonight! :P but won't post about it till after hannah's next two beijing posts tho (and i think a few other long due posts).

    which is prolly good tho, haha. i keep messing around with the recipes and the procedure to make stuff "healthier" and less fattening, and i might not be as lucky as when i messed around with the apple cookies and apple sauce recipe.

    we'll see tho.

    Jake
    hey again, jake!

    no, i have never had training in photography, formal or otherwise. :) it's mostly just me mucking around with my camera.

    thank you again for your flattering words ♥

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  8. katie
    whoops! almost missed you. sorry :c

    and yeahh, i always always have hummus and warm pita bread whenever it's available, but a good friend of mine told me to try the artichokes when he found out we were going to lunch at Cyma.

    you can tell we were really glad we listened to him :9 hahaah!

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  9. Too bad you couldn't cover more dishes.. But it's okay. I will take my parents here one day, since this comes with strong recommendations from you guys.

    Great photos, Joey!

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  10. Hey Jo! Remember me?? I super miss you na! How are you? You're never online anymore :( Did you change your id?

    Anyway, this is a cool review :) and the site is pretty! and I so love your dress! It's like you planned for it to be Greek-inspired to!! LOL

    Keep up the great work, guys!

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  11. Cyma can be found at either of their 4 branches - G/F Greenbelt 2, Level 6 Shangri-La, D'Mall Boracay Island and Trinoma.

    Their Executive Chef, Robby Goco's really accommodating and bubbly :)

    I love my Cyma experience. And you guys should try it! :)

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  12. Joeyyy, I didn't know you were a photographer =( Ang galing mo pala, haha. Now I know who to run to when I need a photographer ;D

    I wanted to comment rin on your other post. The one with temptation (ie, your apple cookies) but I have to go in a while so I'll cheat na lang and comment on both your posts here.

    Marami ka bang readers abroad? Itagalog ko na lang to haha: parang ikaw nagsusulat ng mga entries ah XP o ikaw siguro ang nageedit, kasi sobrang joey ang dating ng mga articles niyo. Nakakahiya naman kung mali ako (peace guys, haha), pero yun. So guess ko, ikaw yung editor or yung compiler. Or ewan. Basta yun. Hehe. Magaling ka namang magsulat eh, di ba? =P No complaints from my end. (What happened to your blog anyway? =\)

    We should go to Cyma one day this summer! My treat pa =D I like their osso bucco pasta and their lamb ribs the best.

    Let's go out before the summer ends, kay?? Haha :D I haven't seen you in, what? Two years?? =(

    (Bring some of 'em sex in a cookie of yours >=D)

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  13. Anonymous
    We're happy that our review helped you decide to visit Cyma. You won't be disappointed. =)

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  14. Trisha
    hey! :) i'm doing great and, no, i haven't changed my id since the 7th grade -- have you tried readding me? maybe it's just another ym glitch :c

    and thanks! :D i'm happy you liked the review and i'm flattered you like my dress, haha :) yeah, i did plan to wear it because i knew we were eating at cyma that day :P funnily, the pillows had the same blockish swirly design my dress had, hahah!

    and we will do our best :) thank you again for taking time to review!

    Miko
    almost two years :b well, a little over a year and a half, i think. either way, yeah, it's been a while! o:

    and, yes, most of our hits come from the US :P (my blog has gone houdini :c)

    and yeahh! i'd like that :9 plus it's your treat! i can't refuse free food, haha ♥ osso bucco pasta?? that sounds so laden with calories LOL! but, okay, i'll take a bit if you order it :P

    i will try :P maybe not apple cookies tho. i'm planning a couple of baking experiments >:3 hopefully my brothers have stomachs of steel, cause they'll be acting as my labmice, hahahh!

    so nice (and surprising!) to hear from you again :) leave me a message on multiply or friendster (or wherever) so we can plan our date? :9 looking forward to it already ♥

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  15. Thank you for your restaurant reviews! They're helpful in finding new places for us to try, and it's nice to have an idea of what to order or what not to order when you're there.

    I hope you do more. I like that you guy choose places that aren't very common or known. More power to you guys!

    And, Joey, you take really good photos. Do you do freelance?

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  16. reese
    thankyou :) and, well, i guess you can call it that, but i don't really charge, haha. i only do stuff for my friends, and it always comes with the disclaimer that i'll do it for free, and that if i smuck up, it was completely your choice to choose me to do it :P

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  17. hey! great review! :) i have a question though: what's in tzatziki sauce?

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  18. b
    primarily yogurt and cucumber -- but you can try searching online for recipes, if you want to see what sorts of things go in it exactly.

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  19. Hey Foodistas Harrell and Joey!

    What's Foodista Harrell writing in the photos? Is that for the review? Do you guys bring go review restaurants armed with notebooks and pens and follow a format in the way you evaluate? Just curious :)

    How big is the gyros? I clicked on the thumb and when the page loaded, all I could think was "Oh GOD, my diet."

    To be honest, it happened with all three of the accompanying photos. If it were possible to just reach in your monitor and take what's on your screen, I would have. You guys take really good photos!

    @Foodista Joey: Just curious again! What are the other two restaurants you like so much?

    Thank you for taking the time to read and answer this! It's really too bad these restaurants can't be found where I am. But if I ever holiday in Manila, I'm comforted that I'd already know exactly what food places I'd want to try. ;)

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  20. b
    Tzatziki, according to chef Robby, is Greece's National Dip! Cool, yeah? They have a national dip! :3 hehe

    Laura
    Hi! Thanks for your comments! May I ask where you are from? I really hope you could try out these restaurants, I am sure it won't disappoint you! :)

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  21. Laura
    i think harrell can answer your writing and gyros query when he comes back from brunch :P

    i'll echo bong and say thank you for your comments! we really appreciate it when readers take time to give us their thoughts or even ask us questions. we're always happy to read and answer them :)

    My other two favourite restaurants are Casa Armas and the other one is actually just Pho Hoa haha :) Pho is one of my comfort foods ♥ And I love their vegan fresh spring rolls.

    Yeah! I hope you get to come visit Manila someday :9 There's soo much good food to be had here, along with the culture, the people,the climate, etc (and the shopping?? hahah!)

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  22. @Foodista Bong: I'm from New Jersey :)

    @Foodista Joey: There is Pho Hoa here, but I have never tried dining there. Since you like it, maybe I'll go try it one day :) I think the preparation and the flavors will be different from what they serve there, but it's good to try something new every now and then, right?

    I'm actually part-Filipino :) My mom is half, but she was born there. They're thinking of going there before my mom turns 65, so maybe I will get to go there one day. :)

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  23. Laura
    Uhm. Regarding the writing thing. Actually. It's just a souvenir thing from Cyma to prove that we've been there. =P

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  24. Ooh weird coincidences abound. Me and my dad love Pho Hoa too haha. And my grandparents used to live in New Jersey. Over in Trenton. Go Nets :P

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  25. I have to say I love this place!
    I love everything about it! Yummy!!

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  26. cyma is simply the best!! im so in love with its skolatina :)

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  27. fran
    yeah! everyone loves the skolatina! i 'd go back for that alone!

    thanks for visiting and commenting :)

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  28. Aha! Thanks for saving me the trouble of finding a good restaurant in Trinoma. I plan to take my special someone there tomorrow and can't seem to figure out where to eat. CYMA huh...Greek food sounds a good idea. XD Good job guys, as usual. XD

    On the other hand though, I was thinking of taking her to Five Cows. I ate there once and liked it. :)

    W-h J

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  29. W-h J
    Why don't you have Cyma for your main meal, then head over to Five Cows for dessert? :)

    And I strongly strongly recommend you have the spinach&artichokes dish to share ♥ You won't be disappointed :) [ tell us how your visit goes tho? o: ]

    (and, en sotto voce, I'm quite fond of the apple crumble in Five Cows -- altho if you're all for sinful desserts, you can go for their more daring offerings hahah :9 )

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  30. hey Art!
    Why not stay in Cyma for dessert! I promise, you HAVE to try the Skolatina! :3 It's THAT GREAT :) (well if you're not into chocolate..then yeah, Five Cows is awesome too.

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  31. lamb ribs!!!
    joey.. u look great in ur dress:)

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  32. Great photography on this site! Makes cyma's food more delish! ...and they already are =)

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  33. Now I regret not choosing Cyma last Sunday when we went to Trinoma for Mother's Day, had I read this before then, I bet I'd have gone there instead hehe... Good job you guys! :)

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  34. sakai
    thankyou :P it's one of my favourite dresses. very very comfy and perfect for the summer :) altho it seems the rain has come much earlier this year :\

    whiffandasip
    yes! cyma's food is delish :9 to say my photos make them even more so is such a compliment -- thankyou ♥

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  35. Philos
    Oh! That's too bad -- sayang :c Next time, maybe? :)

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  36. Definitely next time, probably won't wait until Mother's Day though :)

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  37. @Joey

    Hey Joey! We just had lunch there today. The food was awesome! I can't believe I just tasted Greek food now. Spinach and Artichokes = <3 Yay!!! I also tried the Lamb Gyros and gave specific instructions to the waiter that I want the lamb soft, cause I told them I've heard that the lamb wasn't tender enough (LOL, after reading your blog that is). The dishes were wonderful! Thanks so much peeps!

    @Bong: Wahhh! I just read your comment now. I'll try Skolatina some other time. I'm not into chocolates but since you guys recommended it, it's worth giving it a shot. :)

    - Art (W-h J)

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  38. Art
    That's super! I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself :D This precisely the sort of thing we want to happen with our readers ♥

    Thank you so much for trusting us!! ♥

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  39. Philos
    Yes! I don't think I'd be able to wait for so long to dine there either, haha :9 Tell us how it is when you do go, okay? ♥ Esp. if you try other dishes. We'd love to hear what you have to say as well :)

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  40. I love Cyma! Lamb Gyros and Greek Congee = love.

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  41. I absolutely love Cyma! I wish we'd have a Greek resto in Davao soon.

    But I disagree about the prices. With the quality of their food and the huge servings, I find their prices very reasonable. P350+ for a steak, for example, is way cheap for a resto in Makati, don't you think? Italiannis charges much more for their food than Cyma.

    Btw, found your blog via the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs writing project. You have a very readable blog. I'm subscribing to it now!

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  42. Prudence
    ohh congee o: i didn't notice that in the menu. isn't congee an asian dish tho? i'm intrigued about how they went about "greekifying" it.

    Blogie Robillo
    well, i suppose the price is all a matter of perspective :) i think some of their dishes are reasonably priced, while the others may be a wee bit steep for a dish of that sort.

    we write this blog with your typical consumer (and/or a university student) in mind and cyma is definitely rather out of budget for your typical uni student :)

    and thankyou! ♥ i hope you keep on reading, commenting and checking back with us :) we love to hear what our readers have to say.

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  43. GREAT photos! Seriously. Joey, you can get paid for the photos you take.

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  44. Marco
    omg hahahh! no, no, it's all just for fun, a hobby :) thanks for the thought tho! ♥

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  45. first tried it in bora! loved it!

    im not a veggie eater but surprisingly, i loved their roka salata :D

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  46. It's a nice experience eating at Cyma..I enjoyed their saganaki and chicken gyros and i promise to eat there again..I love the fresh touch on their dishes...

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  47. cyma has an appetizer sampler if you're undecided. great way to try four different kinds. in the end, you'll still crave for something meaty since the sampler is vegetarian. i highly recommend the wagyu burger. so yummy you can taste the pure beef goodness. i don't think the feta cheese goes with the burger though.

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  48. Thank you for sharing traveling post. I heard that the most famous shopping centre is Siam where has both in-out door shopping centres but i like Jatujak weekend Market more....

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  49. I'm heading there right now, never been to the one at Trinoma but trying it na
    Yummmmm!

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