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

Therese in the Philippines: Torch Restaurant

I know that Torch has been open for quite a few years now, but I was only able to try it during one of my visits back home last year.

It's hard to see the sign if you're coming from the other side

There's a smiley face on the wasabi! So cute!

White Truffle Sausage Panizza | 429.95 PhP
    Grilled Italian sausages drizzled with white truffle oil on a fresh, oven-baked panizza topped with mozzarella cheese

Cream Cheese Salmon Roll | 339.95 PhP
    Deep-fried crispy sushi roll filled with salmon and cream cheese, topped with bonito flakes and served with unagi sauce and Japanese mayonnaise

Lychee shake | PhP

Chicken Cannelloni | 494.95 PhP
    Golden fry cannelloni stuffed with chicken and mozzarella poured with arrabbiata alfredo sauce

Salpicao Medallion | 479.95 PhP
    Medallions of Certified Angus Beef, wrapped with bacon and served with garlic parsley rice and sauteed French beans

Torch's Signature Roll | 399.95 PhP
    Sushi roll filled with soft-shell crab, ebi tempura, unary, tamago, and Japanese cucumber, topped with fresh wakame seaweed, kani and ripe mangoes

Steak Fondue | 879.95 PhP
    Melt-in-your-mouth Ribeye Meltique Beef, done your way. Comes with five different sauces from five different countries

Steak Fondue | 879.95 PhP
    Melt-in-your-mouth Ribeye Meltique Beef, done your way. Comes with five different sauces from five different countries

Bread Pudding | 149.95 PhP

Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruits | 179.95 PhP

New York Cheesecake

We loved the Salpicao Medallion because the meat was soft and it was done just right. We also loved the Steak Fondue because the beef really melts in your mouth. The fondue was a new and interesting way to eat food. I say that because we normally don't think of fondue and steak together, and it's a fun way to bond with your friends. I just wish there was more meat. Heehee. For dessert, the New York Cheesecake wasn't on the menu but we saw it on the display shelf so we ordered a slice. I wasn't able to take note of the amount though. It was suuper good that we even brought home another slice to eat the next day. I love how they also serve it with blueberry so that if you're also into blueberry cheesecake, just slather (can I say that?) that on top and voila, instant blueberry cheesecake!

Address: 63 Connecticut St. Greenhills, San Juan, 1208
Operating Hours: Mon-Tues: 7:00-0:00, Wed-Sat: 7:00-3:00, Sun: 7:00-0:00
Contact Number: (02)-477-3771
Facebook page: Torch Restaurant

Therese in the Philippines: Uncle Cheffy

I've been in the Philippines on summer vacation for the past month now, and what that means is... Eating and more eating! One of the restaurants I went to is Uncle Cheffy, located in Lucky Chinatown Mall.

Since I was only with my mom that time, we couldn't order a lot of food just for the two of us. We went with their all meat barbecued panizza, for which they are famous for, and their New England pot roast beef paired with a cup of rice.

There were 6 slices of panizza, enough for two people. We really liked it because it was cheesy and crispy. There were also good bits of BBQ although we didn't really like their meat. They also gave us an extra set of fillings for free. If you ask for another set after that, you'd have to pay extra.

After that, the roast beef and the cup of rice arrived. The beef they used was fatty and there weren't a lot of pieces so we were sorta disappointed with that. The sauce and the couple pieces of root vegetables were yummy though!

All Meat Barbecued Panizza | 235 PhP (medium), 450 PhP (family)

New England Pot Roast Beef | 280 PhP

All in all a good meal! Yum!

Have you been there? Any other recommendations? My mom and I are thinking of going back there to try their grilled oysters and other panizza flavors! You can also cross-order food from Kusê, a Filipino restaurant because they have they are in the same location (same owner, perhaps?)

Address: 3rd floor Lucky Chinatown Mall Binondo, Manila
Contact #: (02) 708-9576
You can email them at chefsbinondo@yahoo.com or add them on Facebook!

Therese in Taiwan: Dot Dot 點點

Dot Dot 點點 (located in the Shida 師大 area) is a restaurant we ate at when some of my relatives from the Philippines came to Taiwan to visit. Since we were a big group, 14 to be exact, I asked my cousin to reserve seats! The restaurant isn't that big, so we were divided into 2 tables - and naturally, what happened was all the adults sat together, and all the younger ones sat together. Whew!

Tables beside us

We ordered a LOT, and when the orders came, we got confused with who ordered what, so we ended up just sharing with each other! I wasn't able to take a picture of everything, especially the ones that were served in the "adult table". Oops!

We chose from the omelette 蛋捲, hamburgers 漢堡, and toasts 軟法. They also have appetizers, salads, soups, rice toppings, etc. The omelette comes with a small salad, fresh fruits, bread, fries, and a drink. Hamburgers and toasts come with fries and a drink. Prices range from 220-250 NTD (~330-375 PhP).

Yum! The servings are pretty big, so you'll most probably be full after. After dinner, you can walk (and shop at the same time) in Shida night market to help you digest the food!

Facebook page: Dot dot 點點食堂

Operating hours: Mondays-Sundays 11:00-22:00
Location: No. 2, Alley 13, Pucheng St. Daan District, Taipei, Taiwan (大安區浦城街13巷2號)

If you're taking the MRT, you can get off at MRT Taipower Bldg Station Exit 3 (台電大樓捷運站3號出口)

Therese in Taiwan: Skylark California Steak and Grill 加州風洋食館

When one of our uncles came to Taiwan for a short vacation, some of my cousins and I took the opportunity to try out new restaurants. One of the places we went to is Skylark California Steak & Grill 加州風洋食館.

For dinner, you can choose to upgrade an a la carte order to a set meal by adding 110 NTD (~165PhP). You get soup, bread, and a drink with that. You can also add another 50 NTD (~75PhP) for dessert.

鮮菇培根炒時蔬 Sauteed Green Vegetable with Porcini Soy Sauce and Mushroom

Different types of bread

百香芒果氣泡飲料 Passionfruit and Mango Lemonade

蛤肉巧達湯 Clam Chowder

香辣咖哩海鮮炒飯 Seafood Pilaf Curry Flavor | 180 NTD (~270PhP)

日式咖哩牛肉焗飯 Curry Doria | 190 NTD

雞肉焗飯 Chicken Doria | 150 NTD (~225PhP)

莫札瑞拉漢堡排 Hamburg Steak with Mozzarella Cheese

紐約起士蛋糕 New York Cheese Cake

You can check out their website here.