Valentine's day may be over, but that doesn't mean boyfriends should stop taking their girlfriends out to a nice, sweet, but not necessarily expensive dinner. Since C and I are always on the look out for delicious dinners virtually every week, it really feels like Valentine's day all the time :)
For all you couples out there, here are two date-worthy places we've visited in the past few weeks that you may want to check out when you feel like being extra sweet even during the most ordinary of days.
1. Cafe Juanita - Kapitolyo
I was surprised to find Café Juanita in a new and much better location, but still along West Capitol Drive in Kapitolyo. It had a fully refurbished exterior, looking much more modern than its previous old house-looking façade.
Now, before you can even begin to notice the food, the first thing that'll catch your attention in this restaurant is its very colorful interiors, with furniture and accessories coming from different inspirations--Asian, Filipino, and tribal to name a few.
Where else can you find a restaurant that will greet you with a colorful view like this...
Interest you with wall pieces like this...
Amaze you with artfully-made chandeliers like this...
And surprise you with giant bonggo-looking pieces like these...
Moving on to the food. This restaurant is famous for its Corned Beef Sinigang with Chorizo, which I’ve always wished we could cook at home. I liked how they would let their customers taste the soup of the sinigang before serving the full dish, just so they could assess if it had the right amount sourness that best suits their fancy.
The sinigang soup had that all-natural sour taste that can only come from fresh sampaloc, which I absolutely loved. I also like adding some spice to my sinigang and so I appreciated that there was a big piece of sili that you can opt to slice open to release the spicy juice, or just keep there for decoration. The beef was very tender, and there were fresh pieces of kangkong, eggplant and tomatoes. The only thing that was a bit disappointing was that there were only two pieces of chorizo in our bowl. We asked the waiter if this was really how the dish was served, and he very kindly uttered an apology and served us more chorizo pieces.
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| Corned Beef Sinigang with Chorizo |
We also ordered Bagnet, which C and I found to be very delightful because the pork was so crispy without being dry at all. It also had fresh wansuy and tomatoes for added flavor. My favorite part of this dish was the vinegar dressing, which tamed down the taste of wansuy that I’d rather have in moderation.
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| Bagnet |
The pork of the Binagoongan had the same crispiness as the Bagnet, and the bagoong sauce was semi-sweet for a change :) All in all, I'm quite happy with dishes we ordered.
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| Binagoongan |
Needless to say, all of these dishes forced me to have more than my fair share of rice. There’s really something about Filipino food that makes you want to eat unlimited servings of rice.
So if you and your beau love eating rice and want to be surrounded by an extraordinary ambience, then Café Juanita is a definite must-visit :)
Cafe Juanita Kapitolyo branch is located along West Capitol Drive, Pasig City. For reservations, call 632-0357. The Taguig branch is located in Burgos Circle, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. For reservations, call 403-1952.
2. Aria Cucina Italiana - Bonifacio High Street
Whenever I'm in Boracay, I make it a point to visit Aria for my dose of delicious Italian food, while enjoying the soft white sand in between my toes. And so I was so thrilled when I found out that they finally opened a branch in Manila, in a convenient location in the new wing of Bonifacio High Street. They had their soft opening last January 28, and two weeks after I was able to pay them a visit.
Word really does get around fast, because the place was packed. The turnover was also rather fast and so it felt a bit busy inside the restaurant. It was quite warm inside, I guess owing to the fact that they're still getting settled. The ambience was very different from the Boracay branch. While Aria Boracay was dominantly brown inside, the Manila branch had a very light color palette for its interiors, with both big and small abstract paintings decorating the walls. There was also an open kitchen where the delicious dishes came from.
My all-time favorite Aria dish is the Tagliatelle con Tartufo Asparagi e Prosciutto di Parma. In short, pasta with white truffle, asparagus and parma ham. I think this was one of the places where I learned to love truffle as an ingredient in just about anything, and so I had quite high hopes for the dish. It was still good, although it wasn’t the same as the one in Boracay. For one, the serving was significantly less (in Bora, the pasta serving is good for sharing). I also wished there was more parma ham and more sauce. The noodles were slightly overcooked, too.
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| Tagliatelle con Tartufo Asparagi e Prosciutto di Parma (P 460) |
The pizza had a very thin crust and the toppings were almost falling off already :) I think this gave way for the tongue to taste more of the mouth-watering toppings. The edges were slightly thicker, which I liked very much because of its crunchy texture. It had a generous serving of toppings and the pizza went very well with the spicy olive oil that C and I thoroughly enjoyed. It was so subtle and smooth, but had the right kick of spiciness that I was looking for.
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| Quattro Stagioni (P 540) |
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| Spicy Olive Oil (free!) |
Although the Manila branch might not be the same as Aria in Boracay, but I think it’s still worth trying out for dates. I think the other pasta dishes are worth trying as well, so go ahead and pay them a visit!
Aria (Manila) is located in East Superblock, 30th cor. 7th sts., Bonifacio High Street Central, Taguig. For reservations, call (0917) 519-5368.
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Food has played a huge part in our love story, and it’s something that will always be part of both our special and day-to-day celebrations. It’s always a great time for us to sit down, talk, and strengthen our relationship over delicious meals.
I think couples should treat themselves out to great meals from time to time (and maybe even everyday!). Again, they need not be expensive meals. What’s important is the quality of time that is spent and the memories that are made.
Belated Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Let's all make everyday like Valentine’s Day! :)
