Dining Snippets: Dean and Deluca x Royal Indian Curry House (R.I.C.H.) x Bao on the Block
DEAN AND DELUCA
BEEF RENDANG (P590)
When Dean and Deluca first opened in Rockwell, it drew so much flak for being overly priced and mediocre. However, that definitely did not deter the local franchise of this New York-based concept from moving forward. It expanded its menu to include more grain bowls as more filling alternatives to their classic fare of sandwiches and pastas; and worked on to improve its service quality. Now with two branches under its belt, both bustling with customers from day to night; Dean and Deluca seemed to have found its groove.
SALMON POKE BOWL
One dish to look out for is their Beef Rendang. Its intricate play on color, texture and flavor makes you think that you’re in Your Local or Hey Handsome! It’s best to get a little bit of everything in each bite to make the most out of this phenomenal bowl. For starters, its Beef Rendang featured tender pieces of beef chunks generously bathed in a light curry and coconut base. Toss in some crushed peanuts, chili flakes, and spring onions for flavor; and bits of its bright carrot shavings and pickled red onions for color and crunch. It uses the same technique for its Salmon Poke Bowl; employing the help of pickled ginger and mangoes for color and flavor. However, I’d rather get my dose of poke bowls from Poke Poke or Ono (a stall in The Pantree). I prefer my bowls to be predominantly tuna or salmon, with as little frills as possible.
ORGANIC SQUID INK PASTA (P470)
The Organic Squid Ink may look simple but it exhibits a beautiful mastery of balanced flavors; making sure that the squid ink flavor is noticeable but would not drown out the sauteed seafood that comes as toppings. I loved Wildflour’s rendition of this dish; but Dean and Deluca easily knocks it out of the park.
Dean and Deluca
Eton Tower, GF 128 Dela Rosa St. cor VA Rufino St., Legazpi Village, Makati City
Date of Visit: May 17, 2017 with Jem Chua
GF Edades Tower, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell, Makati City
Date of Visit: June 26, 2017 with Ina Chua, Elaine Co, Angelli Dykimching, and Hazel Yap
ROYAL INDIAN CURRY HOUSE
CHICKEN MOMOS (P219)
My family’s a big fan of Indian cuisine so when friends started raving above R.I.C.H, we just had to see and try it out. Parking’s a bit tricky as the restaurant’s located in a very narrow alley near A.Venue so it’s best to have someone else to drive you to the venue. Upon entering, the first thing you’ll notice is that its small entrance opens up to a multi level restaurant with function rooms that can host large groups of diners. Its interiors seem grand, but not over-the-top.
MASALA PAPADOM
As a starter, we opted for the Masala Papadom. Tiny cubes of onions, tomatoes and basil; garnished by pepper serve as toppings for the light and crisp papadom. Have fun mixing and matching the dips the appetizer: the fiery chili sauce, the sweet tamarind sauce, and the subtle mint sauce. I’d love to order this again, but I’d ask them to hold the raw onions as they sometimes overpowered everything else. The Momos is described as the dumplings native to Tibet and Nepal. These taste like your typical Steamed Gyoza and Mandu; but what makes it stand out would be its addictive spicy and tangy sauce! You can opt for Chicken or Mutton as filling.
CHICKEN MALAI TIKKA (P439), MUTTON ROGAN JOSH (P499), PRAWN BIRYANI (P649), BUTTER NAAN (P149)
R.I.C.H. seems to carry most varieties of Indian cooking and allows you to choose your preferred meat or seafood in each cooking style so you can imagine how long and confusing its menu can be. We ended up with the combination above. The Chicken Malai Tikka and Mutton Rogan Josh definitely made it difficult for us to choose a favorite. Both were delicious, with sauces you’d love to keep slurping. It also helps that they also have tasty naan which had a nice bite to them. The Prawn Biryani came at a hefty price tag but once you see the number of large prawns the biryani rice came with; you’d see that you’re getting your money’s worth!!
Royal Indian Curry House
5345 General Luna St., Poblacion, Makati City
Date of Visit: May 17, 2017 with Lily Chua, Jared Chua , and Jem Chua
BAO ON THE BLOCK
COMBO 4: SIGNATURE PEANUT NOODLES+CHICKEN TERIYAKI BAO+RED ICED TEA
Bao on the Block serves up delicious combo meals that fit your budget and are guaranteed to fill you up! Its small eatery is located right next to a car wash so you can also give your car some good cleaning while you’re at it! My brother and I decided to get one Combo 4 each. We were each served with a large plate of their Signature Peanut Noodles, a choice of Bao, and a glass of Red Iced Tea. I loved the Signature Peanut Noodles even though it’s on the sweeter side. Just imagine a jar of Lily’s Peanut Butter generously coating the noodles. Simply, heavenly! This is extremely heavy though. I actually recommend sharing ONE order of it.
Its Chicken Teriyaki Bao also did not disappoint. It looked a bit anemic; however, all doubts are dispelled once you take a bite into its juicy and crunchy chicken fillet which comes with a sweet and salty teriyaki glaze (hat tasted a bit like hoisin sauce.
Bao on the Block
5 Sgt Esguerra, South Triangle, Diliman, QC
Date of Visit: June 2, 2017 with Jared Chua
