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

Therese in the Philippines: My Kitchen by Chef Chris

Oops, I hadn't realized that this post has been in the drafts for quite some time now. I know that there have probably been a lot of changes (food, prices, etc.) since I last visited but I still decided to post this in case anyone wanted to try this restaurant.

I first tried Chef Chris' creations at his previous restaurant, C Italian Cuisine in Pampanga. I remember feeling that their food was a little pricey (I was only in high school back then, and only relied on my allowance to get me by XD) but that it was really, really good. My friends and I especially liked the panizza, and for good reason, since that was their specialty.

Complimentary

Oasis Salad | 540 PhP
a blend of artichokes hearts, roasted peppers, capers, caramelized
onion, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, arugula and romaine lettuce

Mussels

The Original Verena | 790 PhP
    tomato and white truffle oil enhanced cheese sauce
topped with scallop, prawns and sun dried tomatoes

Lemon and Lime Cheesecake | 320 PhP
baked cheese cake with almond crust
finely crusted with sugar crust sweet lemon lime sauce and almond

Mocha Latte | 120 PhP

We were lucky enough to see Chef Chris himself walking around the restaurant asking the diners about their dining experience. I like the fact that he interacts with customers and how down-to-earth he seems.

Location: 1032-34 Belen Street San Fernando de Paco, Manila
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun 7:00-22:30
Contact details: +63 2 521 2371 | Facebook