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Showing posts with label chef jonvic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chef jonvic. Show all posts
Friday, March 18, 2016
LIBERTY in EASTWOOD: Affordable and Delicious Asian Flavours

LIBERTY in EASTWOOD has barely opened its doors and yet it is making foodies rave about the food. Located in the Citywalk area of Eastwood, Liberty hails from the same group of Lola Cafe.
Chef Jonvic of Lola Cafe fame has curated and created different dishes and with the help of his staff from the old OTKB in BGC, Heading the Restaurant is Executive Chef Lady Merhi.
LIBERTY prides itself with having most of its dishes priced at around 100Php to around 250Php.
The presentation and the quality of the dishes are definitely top notch.
I would definitely say that vegetables aren't really my thing but the FRENCH BEANS (99Php) are spot on delicious. They do not taste like veggies. Rather, they are a snack even a kid would love. The batter used has a hint of salted egg. Crunchy and a must order.
For something that would stimulate your appetite more, the TUNA TOSTADA (220Php) is something that is refreshing. The watermelon, the tuna and the lardo works well together.
The WAGYU TARTARE (250Php) is one deadly dish.
The marrow is used as the agent that gave the tartare a creamy texture.
For some quick grubs, the BAOS would be the excellent choice.
For something familiar, the MISO PORK BELLY (99Php) could start you off. Apple and pear kimchi with honey miso dressing. The pork belly is thick yet very moist and tender.
My favorite bao though would be the FRIED CHICKEN (99Php). The thigh meat is marinated and deep fried. Sriracha mayo is used alongside the cabbage slaw. This is by far, the best "Chicken Sandwich" I had in a long time.
Burger lovers need not fret. The LIBERTY BURGER (110Php) would be your pick. Angus beef is used and is given more flavor from the house barbecue sauce. Kesong Puti stands in as the cheese of choice.
SKEWERS is another part of the menu that diners might want to indulge in. 
Ranging from 50Php to 195Php per dish, the quality and the flavor profile of the different skewers are incredible. You can go for chicken parts, meat, seafood, and vegetables. My top pick would have to be the BLACK COD (195Php). This is somewhat a poor man's version of NOBU's. The miso glazed flavor is incredible. This and rice and you are good to go.
If you are somewhat adventurous, you could go for the CHEFS PLATTER (430Php). Here, the chef makes a platter selection on his own. Two types of chicken, meat, seafood and vegetables are served.
For mains you could choose between noodles and rice. 
For noodles, the SPICY and SOUR SOUP (233Php) could warm up your tummy.
The pares taste was somewhat present with the SMOKED BEEF BRISKET (245Php). Mustard greens, 63C egg, and meat just makes this dish. Egg noodles were also used here.
For rice, the HONEY PORK and SPICY RICE (225Php) would be a wise choice. The pork belly was moist and cooked slowly. The kimchi flavor from the rice blended well with the pork belly.
For someone with a sweet tooth, dessert is a must.
The Cheesecake is something that looks simple but the black sesame crumbs makes it different from others that I have tasted.
Matcha lovers, the MATCHAMACALLIT is not to be missed. Matcha chocolate, peanut butter crisps, and torched meringue were mixed and matched to look like a after school treat.
Drinks are also well curated. From flavored beer to imaginative cocktails, the bar at LIBERTY makes amazing drinks.
Personally, I would go back for the ALMOND CINNAMON and the LYCHEE FLAVORED BEER! SOOO GOOOD!
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LIBERTY BAR and RESTAURANT in EASTWOOD CITYWALK is a welcome treat for us northerners. The imagination of Chef Jonvic and the execution of Executive Chef Lady Merhi made the dishes here incredible. The Asian flavors were well represented in the dishes. The prices are also affordable. The quality of the dishes are excellent as well. I would definitely be back for the black cod, french beans, the baos, and the drinks.

LINKS:
Lola Cafe in Tomas Morato

LIBERTY
Eastwood Citywalk 1
Eastwood City, Quezon City
Metro Manila
Facebook
Currently, they are on soft opening. Open from 3pm onwards for the first few weeks.

Disclaimer: Wrote this based on my experience. Was invited to try out the different dishes from Liberty.
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Monday, November 23, 2015
LOLA CAFE in TOMAS MORATO: A Beautiful Transformation

On a lovely Saturday afternoon, I was excited. I haven't had this feeling since I had my first kiss. It was because I was heading to one of my favorite places in the TOMAS MORATO area. LOLA CAFE and BAR. It was an old house turned restaurant. I remember the place pretty well. I would visit it with friends and had some pretty good dates in it. It was like going back in time.
Julia Child has the best quotes concerning food. It seems she was foodie genius and rightly so. LOLA CAFE+BAR is a resto bar near TOMAS MORATO. It is in a hidden magical place. An ancestral home converted to a romatic hangout. LOLA CAFE has been the chic kid on the block for years. I've been there a handful of times. Even once during valentines (click here for my lonely experience).
Once I entered the compound, it changed. The Al Fresco area was enclosed and is now cool. They still had a few tables outside for those wanting a smoke but with the weather, staying inside is better.
The Old cabinet and storage area is reminisce of a grandmother's home. The use of mason jars made the place somewhat romantic and perfect for a little gathering.
Food was prepared by their new chef consultant, CHEF JONVIC. The first time I met this guy was back at Gas3nomic event in Katipunan (Check out my superlative Gas3nomic experience here). He was making waves as he once was the sous chef of Chef Rob Pengson. Look where he got himself now. Incredible right? This time around, he tweaked the menu of LOLA CAFE and produced version 1.0.

Right from the get go, he introduced the starters. Different takes on old school Filipino Dishes. This is what he wanted LOLA CAFE and BAR to be. Something coherent. A menu that works together and definitely mingles with one another.
He started of with some CHIPIRONES (215Php). Fried baby squid, vegetable atchara, lola vinegar. One bite in and it wasn't your usual calamares. The baby squid made each bite different. It bought gave a crunch and the squid texture had a bite. It delicious.
Something not to miss is the BONE MARROW SISIG (275Php). Grilled Pork Jowl, Roasted Bone Marrow, Garlic Crumble, Kamias Jam.
I know that one look and it might be too much for some. Believe me when I say that one bite and it is so worth it. The sisig on top is not too oily nor was it too fatty. The chef made sure that it was lean meat. The bone marrow though was deadly. It gave the fatty texture to the sisig.

I'm not sure if it is an appetizer but the WAGYU SALPICAO (320Php) is something that could be partnered with rice. Kitayama wagyu beef, roasted garlic cloves, spanish pimenton, olive oil. The perfect salpicao. The Beef is perfectly cooked. It was sooo tender. Not over cooked. The garlic cloves, on the other hand, was borderline potatoish. It didn't taste like garlic to the point of having a dracula killer breath. Rather, it gave off that mushy texture potatoes would. Another cup of rice please.
For healthy eaters, don't fret. They have the GRILLED CEASAR SALAD and the ALUGBATI SALAD. The grilled ceasar salad was made with perfection. The Alugbati was somewhat different. They used Kesong Puti or white cheese to give it a different texture.
A different take on a familiar dish is the BACON BELLY BATCHOY (320Php). Braised Bacon Slab, Ox Tripe, Sweet Garlic Broth, Soft Boiled Egg. The incredible part here is the bacon belly. The crew at Lola makes them in house. The flavors coming from the bacon swirls into the broth of the batchoy making it rich but not to a point that it would suffocate you. The egg is perfectly cooked. Not overdone. Similar to the ones you get with ramen.
A dish that they carried over from their original menu, the SPICY TINAPA (215Php) had a remake. Basically Spaghetti, smoked fish flakes, fresh heirloom tomatoes, dried chili, and olive oil. It was a bit spicy but the taste of the tinapa was evident.

If you aren't into pastas and noodles, you could go for their SWEET PORK and BAGOONG RICE (295Php). ROasted Pork Belly, Salted Shrimp "HIBE" and BURONG MANGGA. Hibe is actually a kind of small shrimp that is dried. Burong Mangga, on the other hand, is fermented mangoes. All these mixed with rice. It's like having sweet and salty flavors playing in your mouth.  

Another "meal in itself" is the 1/4 CHICKEN CONFIT and TINOLA RICE (280Php). Ginger Chicken, lemongrass rice pilaf, Green Papaya. This has got to be one of the best dishes. Everything was reminisce of TINOLA but it was something different. You could say that it was a deconstructed way of serving tinola. Without the soup, you might wonder where did the flavor go. Folks, it all went to the rice. The rice soaked up the tinolaness of the dish. This was done perfectly and everything was simple. Delicious and mouth watering. That is how I experienced this.
Adding to the healthy dishes is the GISING EXPRESS (140Php). Sigarilyas, french beans, finger chilies, homemade bagoong. Honestly, I didn't taste this. It was a bit spicy and it was veggies. So I stayed away from it. Not because I wasn't a believer of the food but because it was something I'm not inclined to eat.
Moving on, the TRUFLLED LENGUA (495Php) was welcomed surprise. Slow braised ox tongue, wild mushrooms, porcini and truffle cream. You could smell the truffle a mile away. That and it has perfectly intertwined with the cream. It was a joy to eat.
Because we live for meat, we had the ROASTED BELLY "TOCINO" (490Php) to cap the mains. 1/2 kilo slow cooked pork liempo, ssam-anise glaze, "burong" mangga.

The name says it all. The meat was cured and seasoned in house. One fork in and it was moist and the meat easily fell off the body.
But the Chef didn't want the meal to end there, so we had the BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN. (390Php). Calamansi buttermilk, ginger-scallion relish, chili garlic. The chicken meat was moist and perfectly cooked. The coating wasn't as calamansi as what I would have thought it to be. The citrusy flavor was but a hint.



For dessert, we had the BAGUIO STRAWBERRIES and CREAM PAVLOVA. Sort of like meringue at the botton with cream and slices of strawberries. It wasn't as sweet as I would have imagine. It was a light way to end.
But I would go for the BANOFFEE PIE anytime.  Perfectly layered dessert. Graham at the bottom with reall slices of banana inside. The nuts were roasted and the chocolate used seems like old school. I definitely remember the flavor but it was so good that I can't seem to remember it.
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LOLA CAFE and BAR has been in the business for a few years. This new menu works perfectly with one another. It not only compliments the different dishes but it also gave a fresh look on how LOLA wants to be perceived. It is slowly going out of her comfort zone and making bold steps to up the ante. LOLA CAFE serves Filipino Dishes with a simple twist. The dishes are worth a try and they don't cost an arm and a leg. Kudos.


My Lonely LOLA VALENTINES

LOLA CAFE and BAR
99 Scout Lozano, Near Tomas Morato
Quezon City
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P.S. Don't worry they have parking.


Disclaimer: was invited to try out the new menu of Lola, Wrote this based on my experience and opinions. Some of the dishes like the tinola rice was not a single order rather was grouped together with additional orders.
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