Christmas food tripping begins in Lolo Dad's

The Christmas Tree is up. Gifts in all shapes and sizes fill up the bottom of the tree. Several versions of Santa Claus can be seen all around town. Colorful Christmas lights excite little kids and grown ups alike. Yes, it is Christmastime indeed.

To echo the song, this is really the most wonderful time of the year for me. And yes, it's partly because of all the delicious food served in back to back Christmas parties and reunions. My first Christmas food trip began in Lolo Dad's with the most awesome officemates in the world.

(I think this was a special menu because I couldn't find most of these items on the regular menu. And so my apologies for not having the prices here)

Judging from the menu, we knew we were in for a treat that night

For our starters, we were served Romain Caesar Salad. This is probably one of the prettiest salad presentations I have ever seen. The taste definitely lived up to the visual appeal of this dish. The lettuce tasted so fresh and juicy, as if it was just freshly picked from the garden. It was covered with slices of Parmesan cheese, had half of a soft-boiled egg on the side (see how perfectly runny the yolk is?), and was sprinkled with anchovies. As you can see from the photo below, the salad wasn't swimming in Caesar dressing, but the amount of it was just right to bring out the flavor of the entire dish.

Romain Caesar Salad

Next came the soup. It was a very simple Mushroom Broth that warmed up my stomach for the more exciting part of the meal. It was alright, nothing too special, and I guess this was done on purpose so we can further appreciate the mains :)

Mushroom Broth

Now on to the main course. It was an "All you can surf and turf" main course and we had the choice of ordering unlimited servings of steak, prawns and starch. I picked the Tajima Wagyu Topside (medium well), Baked Prawns, and Mushroom Risotto.

There were two big slices of Wagyu on the plate, beside two big baked prawns. The meat of the steak was very tender and tasty up to the fatty part, even without the sauce. It was not the kind of Wagyu beef that melts in your mouth, but it was pretty close. 

The prawns topped with cheese were the perfect complement to the meat. It was baked just right to make the prawn meat not too soft but instead very slightly crunchy. 

Tajima Wagyu Topside with Baked Prawns

For a closer look

I am not a huge fun of risotto (because it's still rice, after all), but I didn't mind feeling guilty after eating this particular one because it was just so good. It was so soft and creamy, with slices of mushrooms and grated cheese to add to the flavor. It almost looked like it was mashed potato!

Mushroom Risotto

By the time we got to the dessert, I was already so full. But I was not one to pass on dessert. The chocolate cake was quite good. I really like chocolate cakes that are not too sweet, just like this one. The scoop of vanilla ice cream sat prettily on a small piece of wafer. The sweet-with-sweet tandem of chocolate and ice cream always makes a great combination.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Feasting on great food and enjoying the night with great company brought the Christmas spirit closer. I'm looking forward to the many more scrumptious meals to come, and to a season filled with nothing but hope and love for all of us.

Happy Holidays!

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5

Lolo Dad's is located in the ground floor of 6750 Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

Say Opa! in Cyma

Cyma is one of those restaurants that I appreciate the most because of the fact that I only eat there occasionally. And quite literally, the times I've dined in Cyma are momentous occasions in my life such as my college graduation, my birthday, or small celebrations with friends. I don't think these were deliberate, but I suppose underneath my subconscious lies the thought that this restaurant is reserved for occasions that are a little more special, a little less everyday.

By pure coincidence, my friends decided to eat in Cyma to celebrate the despedida of our dear friend Ben, who will be leaving for Japan for work. Greek food is probably something he wouldn't get to eat often in Japan, and so I believe it was only apt that we make his last weekend in Manila special, over a special Greek meal, with very special people.

It was a full house at Cyma that night, and the waiter kindly asked us to wait outside for a short while, while one table bills out and we could take over their table. After about 10 minutes, we were given our table and each one ordered their Cyma favorites, as well as tried some new dishes.

C and I went for my personal favorite, the Spinach and Artichoke Fondue. I think they tweaked this item a bit, because we noticed a slight sour taste that was added to the creamy fondue, which came from the sundried tomatoes. The usual pieces of toasted garlic bread and soft pita bread were present. I still very much enjoyed the combination of spinach and artichoke with the soft cubes of feta cheese. The slightly burnt top layer reminded me of why I like this dish so much. While I think I like the old version more, this one wasn't bad at all.

Spinach and Artichoke Fondue (P 350)

What came as a delicious surprise for me was the Kalamarakia, which Yosu and Nica ordered. The squid was cooked just right, and the breading itself already had a slightly sweet flavor, which complemented the citrus flavor of the lemon. The Kalamarakia came with a dip the taste of which I couldn't quite make out. It was sour and a little bitter, and so I thought the squid was perfect on its own.

Kalamarakia (P 300)

Any meal in Cyma wouldn't be complete without ordering their Roka Salata, and is perfect for health buffs like Nica. The yummy combination of fresh romaine and arugula, sundried tomatoes, walnuts, shredded parmesan cheese, and that traditional Greek vinaigrette dressing makes this one a classic at Cyma, and is something regular customers really go back for.

Roka Salata (P 330)

I felt in the mood for good meat, and so I ordered the Lamb Gyro - a first for me. Ito ordered the same dish as well. The cubes of tender lamb went all the way from the top until the bottom of the wrap. Fresh slices of onions and tomatoes topped the gyro. It came with chili sauce, which I didn't use much. I felt like relishing the flavor of the lamb and everything else without tainting the taste with something spicy. The pita bread was a little toasted but still soft, and the thickness of it made me quite full half way through my gyro. I felt, though, that the dish could have been better with some sides - like sliced potatoes maybe.

Lamb Gyro (P 220)

C was feeling carnivorous himself and opted for the Greek Burger, which consisted of a thick patty of Wagyu burger (done medium), 2 rectangular pieces of feta cheese that were a centimeter thick each, and fresh vegetables. It was served open, with slices of potato on the side (as if they read my mind!). The burger was decent thanks to the salty goodness of the feta cheese, although we had high expectations for the taste and texture of the patty, being the Wagyu type. But I guess it was too much to expect this specific one to melt in your mouth. C seemed to enjoy it despite the shortcoming of the beef, so it was all good.

Greek Burger (P 390)

Yosu had the biggest meal of all, and it was all in one plate! The Kotopoulo Lemonato was huge! I think it was almost half a chicken. It was topped with pieces of feta cheese, and the sauce had hints of lemon. I think this was supposed to taste like Adobo, although the Adobo that I know is more on the salty-soury side. This one was a little more sour, and I suppose a little more Greek. The chicken was tender and the sauce seemed to have seeped into the meat. I appreciate the fact that they tried to merge Filipino taste into their menu.

Kotopoulo Lemonato (P 410)

And then there was Ben. This was only Ben's second time in Cyma. His first was in the original Cyma branch in Boracay. He decided to go with pasta, and the Pastisado was definitely a viable choice. I told him that servings in Cyma were more than enough for one person even if the menu says it's "solo", but being a gourmande himself, he thought it was going to be just right for him. Well, well, half way through the meal he started to feel full -- proof that Cyma's portions are indeed very generous. The sauce of the Pastisado resembled the taste of Bolognese. I found it interesting that the pasta used was Bucatini. It was my first time to try hollow noodles, and I think the "architecture" of the pasta helped highlight the sauce. Consistent with Cyma's generous servings, the Osso Bucco portion was more than enough, and we all got to give it a try. Osso Buco tends to taste like kaldereta, and this one wasn't so different, but I think the Greek tomato sauce gave it a little more identity.

Pastisado (P 380)

Yet again, Cyma became witness to another special occasion in my life. While this one wasn't such a happy one because a good friend of ours is leaving (even if it's just for 2 months, we will miss him!), we enjoyed this special night because the delicious food we shared, the stories we told, and the people we enjoyed these with, were equally as special.

It was definitely a night worthy of a resounding "Opa!"


THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5