Bistro Filipino

I'm not a big fan of spending exorbitantly for Filipino food in restaurants because I always have this mentality that I can eat the same thing at home. For example, everyone simply adores Abe at Serendra but I honestly can't be bothered to go there on my own when Julie (our cook) makes perfectly tasty Pinoy dishes. However, it took a sinfully delicious dinner last night at Chef Laudico's famed Bistro Filipino to change my stubborn mind. And what everyone says is true: everything in this resto is GOOD! 

For starters, we had the Pica-Pica Platter where you can choose 4 different appetizers, among those were the Spicy Tuna Kinilaw, the Sisig Basket, the Lumpiang Ubod (bestseller) and the Angus wrapped in leaves ( I forget the name!). Bistro Filipino is known for the Sisig Basket which is really sisig in a crunchy shell that resembles a cupcake and topped off with cheese. Yummy but very oily. I think two of these is enough. The Spicy Kinilaw was a winner! Fresh tuna with a tinge of lime and a hint of spiciness on the tongue. We loved it so much we ordered it again. Another favorite was the Angus wrapped in leaves. Healthy pa! I couldn't have the ubod because of the shrimp but my friend said it was so-so.

Pica-Pica Platter

For the main course, we decided to order three of the bestsellers and share them all (we were four women eating by the way). Each order costs about P750-P850 each. A bit pricey but well worth it considering the servings are quite generous. Here lies the Wagyu and Lengua Estofado composed of  Wagyu beef cheeks (beef cheeks? first I've heard of that term) and US beef tongue braised in red wine tomato sauce with potatoes and grilled vegetables layered with  rice tutong crisps. I don't like lengua so I only had the beef, which was very tender! Frankly, among all that we ordered last night, this didn't really give a lasting impression. Hence, I have actually nothing to say about it except that the beef was tender! 

Wagyu and Lengua Estofado

NEXT! Here's the US Angus Slow Roasted Kare-Kare--cooked to perfection (in advance) for 8 long hours, which is the very reason it's so unbelievably soft. This dish is composed of US beef short plate in kare-kare sauce with stuffed banana heart, grilled eggplant chutney and steamed petchay.Now, I hate peanut butter on my food (yes, I'm weird) but I do love a good kare-kare and this one is indeed for the books! The stuffed banana heart was particularly addicting, doused in vinegar and garlic and quite the perfect complement to the beef and the kare-kare sauce. Several bites later, I found myself still craving for more. Yum. No wonder people love this dish so much. 

US Angus Slow Roasted Kare-Kare

Last but definitely not the least, here's the dish that I've been so curious about ever since Bistro Filipino opened--the Adobo Overload, which consists of adobo topped with seared foie gras, fried adobo flakes and adobong kangkong. Adobo + Foie Gras?? Who would have known, right?? Check out how full this plate is! That's crispy pork chunks surrounding the chicken the in the middle. The triangular shiny glob of fat on top is no other than the foie gras!! Woohooo cholesterol waddup?!??

I eagerly dug into this dish by scooping several pieces of the pork chunks and smearing it with the foie gras. My first bite? Heavenly! And definitely in need of a spoonful of rice to compensate for the richness of the deadly combination. This dish was HUGE by the way. Definitely good for two! I'd order this again next time! :)

Adobo Overload

For dessert, we had the Yema Ballas and the Calamansi Tart. It was too dark outside the resto so I couldn't snap photos with my (flash-less) iPhone. I'm not much of a dessert person but even my friends said both orders weren't that great. They were a little too sweet if you ask me. 

All in all, the dinner was spectacular as only an experience in Bistro Filipino can offer. The servers were polite and attentive, the ambiance romantic. On a Tuesday night, it was almost full. I suggest you still call in advance for reservations to make sure.

Bistro Filipino
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
http://www.cheflaudico.com.ph/

Bistro Filipino