Therese in the Philippines: Gaucho Cocina y Vinos Argentinos

I spent my last birthday in the Philippines with my family, and I chose to try Gaucho for my birthday dinner. I hadn't heard a lot about this restaurant before we went there, but I knew that they served Argentinian food (based on their name) and so I wanted to try that.

The restaurant is located in the al fresco area of Robinson's Magnolia. I liked that the lighting wasn't so bright (although sometimes that's not ideal for taking pictures especially if you don't have a nice enough camera) because it created a good ambiance. It could also be because it was December (this is such a late post, I know) so they dimmed the lights down a bit and they also put Christmas lights.

Complimentary bread basket (I'm not sure if this came with the Locro or if it's really complimentary)

Locro || 320 PhP

A traditional beef stew with hominy and white beans

Falda a la Cruz (US Beef Shortplate) || 550 PhP

Served with Chimichurri Sauce, assorted organic pickles and unlimited steamed or garlic rice

I wasn't able to take down the name of this dish, sorry >.< 

Complimentary birthday cake slice

They gave me a slice of cake because it was my birthday! Yay! I assumed that it was the Chocotorta (Layered chocolate biscuit with dulce de leche cream cheese) from the looks of it, but I could be mistaken.

We loved the food! The soup was creamy and I broke the bread up into little pieces to act as croutons just so I would have something else to chew on. I think the meat that we ordered were cooked just right. It wasn't dry and it was tender. The sauce also complemented the meat, in my opinion. I just wasn't a big fan of the organic pickles. We also liked the roasted (?) garlic. Originally, we didn't want to eat it because we've never had it like that, but my mom said that it's delicious so we all tried it and yes, it was delicious. I'd love to go back and try their other dishes. I also want to try their wines, because there should be a reason why they have "Vinos Argentinos" (Argentinian wines) in their name. Gotta save up for that though, as wines (especially imported ones) tend to be pricier.

Have you been to Gaucho? How was your experience?

Location: 3rd Floor Al Fresco, The Park at Robinsons Magnolia (Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City)
Contact details: + 63 2 654 3148
Operating hours: Mon-Sun 11:00-2:00
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gauchomanila

Revel in Indulgence Deli Cafe

Indulgence Deli Cafe sits along the busy skyscrapers and corporate people in Perea St in Makati City. But even if this is the case, Indulgence isn't a fast food joint, where you can dine and dash within 5 minutes.

This place gives you a taste of home with its homemade pastas, pizzas and meals. If you're on the sweet side, their cakes and pastries would be very yummy. Oh, don't forget to try their brewed coffee. Coming from a family of die-hard-coffee drinkers, I must say that their coffee is one of the best I have tasted in a long time.

What I loved during my visit was their Mushroom Medley (Php 145). Combining three different kinds of mushrooms with lots of onions, tomatoes and garlic is to-die-for in my book. Don't be fooled by this simple dish, because it's really delicious.

I heard that their other pastas, like the Indulgence Deli Pasta, the pesto and others are also great.

On to the desserts - what I enjoyed the most was the Brownie Cheesecake. New York style cheesecake with lots of brownies and chocolate frosting on top. It's not too sweet, nor too rich, so you would love to take bite after bite of this satisfying goodness.

If you're a chocolate lover, you should try their "Death by Chocolate" which is made up of layers upon layers of different chocolates.

If you're not into cakes, I would suggest that you try the owner Mrs. Bhagwani’s homemade pili yema. You won't notice you already popped the whole lot in your mouth.

Pasta, Salad, Soup Menu | Rice Meals Menu

Indulgence Deli Cafe is open for breakfast at 7:30 a.m up to 10 p.m during weekdays only. It comfortably sits 25 people inside and another 20 al fresco.

Review and Photos by Bong.