Get all fancy at Terraz

Once in a while, you feel like you need to get all fancy even without any occasion. But you already feel guilty even just with the thought of spending too much, right? Don’t worry, I’ve found a fancy place that serves top quality yet affordable dishes.

Located at the 3rd floor of the renowned high-rise Zuellig building is this casual and approachable dining space called Terraz. This 117-seater bistro has a very relaxing atmosphere that’s perfect with their mouth-watering dishes.

Here’s a little sneak peek of their menu:

REFRESHMENTS:

(from left to right)

Ginger and Mint Lemonade – 130
Strawberry Lemonade – 130
Lychee Shake – 135
Four Red Fruits – 120

SALAD:

Housemade Norwegian Salmon Gravlax – 310

(fresh lemon + capers + mixed greens + sweet chilli + orange truffle dressing)

SOUP:

 Mushroom and Barley Soup – 275

(shitake + white and brown button mushrooms + baby arugula + barley and basil foam)

WESTERN DISH:

Sesame BBQ Pork Ribs – 450

(sesame asian slaw + garlic truffle potato puree)

ASIAN DISH:

Szechuan Prawns – 555

(butterflied prawns + chilli bean paste + kaffir lime + cilantro rice)

DESSERT:

Deconstructed Chocolate Valrhona – 275

(revel bar crumbs + nougatine crisp + vanila ice cream + chocolate soil)


Terraz is also open for social events, meetings, and even romantic dates.

OPERATING HOURS: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, Monday to Friday
LOCATION: 3/F, Zuellig Building, Makati Ave. cor Paseo de Roxas, Makati City 
TEL. NO.: +63-917-833-6804 or +63-917-859-9082 or +632-625-4831 / 4832 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/raintreeterraz
Twitter: @raintreeterraz


Photo credits to John Edward Amar

Kabila Filipino Bistro: Pinoy na Pinoy!

Our very own Filipino food is going places. I’ve been reading a number of articles about Filipino chefs serving Filipino dishes in restaurants abroad. This only means that people of all nations are dying not only to try our food but to have the convenience of getting these whenever they want to even though they are not here in the Philippines. But where else can we get the most authentic Pinoy taste but here at home.

My team had the chance to visit Kabila Filipino Bistro located at the Ayala Museum Complex, just next to Museum Café. We got to explore the Philippines through different dishes from the parts of the archipelago.

First things first, we were served with refreshing drinks namely, Pineapple + Ripe Mango Shake (175php), Lychee Dalandan Iced Tea (125php), Fresh Four Seasons Fruit Drink (165php). All of these gave us that tropical feels because of the fresh fruits incorporated in the drinks. Just one sip made me miss the beach!

For their appetizers, we had Melted Butter + Quesong Puti + Pandesal Crisps (275php) which not only smelled so good but tasted superb as well. The mix of melted butter and quesong puti was just perfect to complement their own Pinoy version of crostini – pandesal crisps.

Another appetizer is the Fresh Fruit & Bagoong (195php). I never thought mixing singkamas (turnip), green mango, pomelo, guava, salted egg, and bagoong (shrimp paste) can taste extremely delicious.

The last but definitely not the least starter we had was their Crispy Catfish, Burong Hipon + Mustasa (375php). This is my personal favourite. I even had the serving plate in front of me the whole time because I couldn’t stop munching on this dish. It is like a Pinoy version of Korean Lettuce wrap. To make it really Pinoy, they made use of mustasa for the wrap. For the fillings, there are crispy catfish, burong hipon (fermented shrimp), green mango, onions, tomatoes, calamansi, and balayan vinaigrette on the plate. Besides its outstanding taste, it was also fun making your own wrap.

Moving on to their main dishes, first, we had Grilled Pork Belly & Pig’s Ear Dinakdakan (275php). It’s somehow different to the Ilocano version of Dinakdakan but Kabila was successful in elevating this dish.

We also tried Kabila’s Pork Bagnet (420php) which was so scrumptious. Its crispiness made us feel like it’s too sinful yet so irresistible.

To balance out the pork dishes, we were served with Grilled Gindara (275php). I am not familiar with this fish but it tasted so fresh and its special sauce complemented it well.

For our dessert, we devoured their Ultimate Avocado Crush (250php) which is perfect for the hot weather. It has avocado pudding, avocado ice cream, queso, sago, and pomelo shreds.

If you’re craving for our local flavours, you should visit Kabila. All their dishes are good for sharing. What’s also admirable about Kabila is that all their ingredients are locally sourced. Although Kabila is known as a place for business meetings, I would recommend it for families because their dishes will surely give you that homey feels.

OPERATING HOURS: 8:00 am to 12:00 mn daily

LOCATION: Ayala Museum Complex, Makati Avenue corner Dela Rosa St., Makati City

Contact Nos.: +632-757-3000, +632-757-6000 or +632-758-1268

Facebook: www.facebook.com/raintreekabila 

Twitter: @raintreekabila

Photo credits: John Edward Amar

Stella: Wood Fired Bistro

We were welcomed by Stella’s inviting interiors that reflect their cooking technique – making use of natural wood.

Chef Arghie, Stella’s Executive Chef, prepared a variety of light yet flavourful dishes for us - mostly seafood.

We started with their Calamari Frito (275php) which is the best we have tasted yet. Unlike the other Calamari that requires a mayo dip, Stella’s is served with squid ink aioli and fresh lime which makes it savoury.

New on Stella’s menu is another best selling appetizer – Piri Piri Chilean Mussels (550php). I must say this is my favorite because of its perfect blend of ingredients.

Ancient Four Grain (320php) is another newbie in their menu but it’s also a best seller. It doesn’t taste like your ordinary salad. It’s sweet because of the passion fruit yogurt vinaigrette in it so it doesn't feel like you're eating greens.

We also tried one of their famous wood-fired pizzas – Garlic Bianca (350php). If you love garlic as much as I do, you should try this.

Stella’s Roasted Seafood “Firecracker” Fussili (395php) is also our favourite. For me, this pasta is a complete package – perfect flavour, perfect toppings, with that kick of spiciness.

Chef Arghie served us with an unusual main dish – Sesame & Herb Crusted Tuna Loin (495php). It is served medium rare yet crispy on the outside. It reminds me of my favourite tuna sashimi but this time, there’s a big twist in it. It’s served with red pepper humus which made it perfectly flavourful.

The dessert they served us is the biggest surprise we got. Looking at their Warm Chocolate Raspberry Cake (295php), it just looks like an ordinary chocolate cupcake served with chocolate ice cream and caramel crumble. But I was wrong. It isn’t caramel but fish sauce crumble! Have you ever imagined fish sauce in your dessert? Well, I didn’t. All the elements in this dish made it taste wonderful.

For their drinks, Stella serves a variety of wine and champagnes by the bottle or glass.

Stella is a great place to dine with your family and friends. I would also recommend it as a dating place. What’s good about its location is that it’s just beside Rocket Room which is an ideal place to have good drinks and good music. So, if you want to switch from a casual dining to a chill evening, you just have to hop across the other room.

Stella is located at the Ground Floor Level of Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

OPERATING HOURS: 11:00am to 12:00mn daily
LOCATION: Ground Floor Level, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Contact No.: +632-621-3222
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stella.rocketroom 
Twitter: @stellarocket

Photo credits: John Edward Amar