Dining Snippets: Kos Greek Ouzeri x Relish Hello Happiness x Single Origin
KOS GREEK OUZERI
CHICKEN SOUVLAKI (P350)
Despite being one of the first tenants of U.P. Town Center, Kos Greek Ouzeri seems to have maintained its under-the-radar and quiet demeanor. To be honest, it’s easy to overlook this Greek restaurant amidst more popular and buzzed about concepts surrounding it. If it weren’t for my sister who kept raving about its food, I probably would not have given it notice! Its Chicken Souvlaki featured two juicy skewers of chicken smothered and complemented by the pleasant contrasts of the savory yogurt dip and the red bell pepper salsa. Another dash of seasoning would have made this dish perfect!
MEZEDES SET (P250)
One of my favorite things in Greek cuisine would have to be its fascination of the art of dips. Kos Greek Ouzeri shares this beloved Greek tradition to its diners at affordable prices as its samplers range from P250 to P375. Its Tzatziki may be on the salty side, but the proportion of cucumber to yogurt was spot-on. Its Melizanosalata was in want of seasoning, but its Artichoke Spinach Spread’s not too bad. Overall though, this set is sure to give value for your money!
Kos Greek Ouzeri
GF UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave.,
Diliman, Quezon City
Date of Visit: April 29, 2016 with Lily Chua
RELISH HELLO HAPPINESS
Relish Hello Happiness champions a hodgepodge of comfort food items on its menu. Assisted by its bright and light interiors, the restaurant is successful in achieving an easy-going and positive dining atmosphere.
RELISH SPECIAL SISIG (P295)
Its take on the classic sisig prides on its crunch factor. Despite being smothered in savory mayonnaise, the sisig chunks remain as crunchy as ever! It’s deceivingly small in portion, but this dish does fill you up quite quickly! Pair it with one of its lighter main dishes such as the delicious Shiitake Tofu with Cilantro Rice (P345).
LENGUA WITH CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE (P485)
Relish’s Lengua with Creamy Mushroom Sauce may not be as lip-smackingly addicting as Conti’s, but it delightfully melts in your mouth! It's definitely not a bad alternative!
Oddly, the best part of its Chimichurri Chicken Kebab (P395) was not its chimichurri (which was quite bland) and its chicken (which was a bit dry); rather, it was its perfectly roasted onions that caught my attention.
Overall, Relish Hello Happiness was successful in creating a vibrant and homey atmosphere, but its dishes are in need of some fine-tuning.
Relish Hello Happiness
74 Scout Limbaga, Laging Handa
Diliman, Quezon City
Date of Visit: March 17, 2016 with Jared Chua, Jem Chua, and Lily Chua
SINGLE ORIGIN
FRIED CHICKEN WITH WAFFLES (P395)
Amidst the all-day-breakfast concepts in the city, Single Origin would probably be top-of-mind for me. First things first, their waffle game is definitely strong! Expect each piece to have the perfect texture that would give you that crunch in each bite; the perfect denseness that would hold more than enough of your Vermont maple syrup needs. Watch out for ‘bad’ batches though! I’ve had a piece that had tinges of used oil taste in its batter. Still, Single Origin’s waffles are the closest to the ones served in Breakfast at Antonio’s, which sets my personal standard for waffles. Opt to pair them with Fried Chicken, instead of its Breakfast Sausage and Egg (P395).
Its Homemade Corned Beef Benedict (P340) is also a must-try!
Apart from its extensive coffee bean and tea selections, also watch out for its indulgent drinks such as the Valrhona Mocha (P180/P195) and Crème Brulee (P200).
Single Origin
2F C3 Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Ave cor 30th St.,
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
Dates of Visit: February 27, 2016 with Lily Chua; April 30, 2016 with Ina Chua, Elaine Co, and Hazel Yap
