Dining Snippets: Ogawa x Gourmet Gypsy Art Café x Bistro Pamana
OGAWA TRADITIONAL JAPANESE RESTAURANT
TEPPAN GOZEN (P840)
The Kaisen Chirashi Sushi Zen has always been my staple order in Ogawa; however, I decided to switch it up for an order of their Teppan Gozen. Compared to the Kaisen Chirashi Sushi Zen, the Teppan Gozen (understandably) took a tad bit longer to be prepared. My stomach was howling in hunger at the time of service; but a whiff of the buttery platter in front of me was enough to satiate it. The teppanyaki plate included tiny shrimps (in contrast to the prawns described in the menu) which came with a lovely charred flavor, medium US rib eye steak (which was a tad bit overcooked for me), and a juicy slice of salmon. Apart from its regular side dishes (pickled appetizer, side salad, miso soup, and fresh fruit), the teppanyaki plate came with an extremely buttery bowl of mixed fried rice. It easily beats Kimpura’s mixed fried rice, especially as the quality of Kimpura has been slowly declining in recent years. Overall, it was a good platter; but definitely not something I’d give up my usual order for.
Ogawa Traditional Japanese Restaurant
Date of Visit: February 2, 2019 with Lily Chua
2F Fort Entertainment Center, 5th Avenue cor 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
GOURMET GYPSY ART CAFÉ
Gourmet Gypsy Art Café knows its way around SEO. A simply Google search of anything with the keyword “keto” and “restaurant”, links to the restaurant or articles featuring Gourmet Gypsy Art Café would immediately pop up.
BACON AND MUSHROOM PIZZA (P320)
I really don’t foresee myself conforming to a particular diet; but I am always open to trying alternatives out. Gourmet Gypsy Art Café offers alternative Keto-friendly substitutes to most of its menu items. However, as my Keto-eating friend placed her diet on hold, we just opted for the regular versions of the menu items. Perhaps another day can be devoted in trying out a strictly Keto meal!
BOLOGNESE DONE RIGHT (P360)
Its Bacon and Mushroom Pizza is loaded not only with sweet chunks of bacon and sautéed mushrooms, but layers of alfafa sprouts and crumbles of soft cheese which provide a variety of textures (a mix of crunch and chewy) and flavors. Its take on the Bolognese Done Right remains true to its name as it’s able to meet the requirements of a good Bolognese: the tanginess of its tomato sauce, al-dente noodles, and tasty ground meat.
INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN (P420)
My personal order was the Indian Butter Chicken; which was a respectably good rendition, especially considering that this is not an Indian restaurant. Its masala sauce balanced the flavors of the spices they used; while the grilled chicken pieces were juicy. I love that the chicken was finished with a topping of almonds as it helped elevate the dimensions of the dish. My only complaint though was that the serving size was too small for its price; considering that it didn’t come with any side dishes. A quarter of slice of hot toasted naan would be good for starters.
Gourmet Gypsy Art Café
25 Don Roces Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Date of Visit: February 21, 2019 with Veron Requejo
BISTRO PAMANA
One of the restaurants I missed during my Friday BPI lunch rotations would be Bistro Pamana. A bite of its Crispy Baby Squid and its Crispy Pata equated to a celebration of freeom of a week’s worth of grueling work hours.
CRISPY PUSIT IN SQUID INK (P320)
Fortunately, a branch of this Tagaytay-based favorite is situated just a few minutes away from my house. Any craving I have for its Crispy Pusit in Squid Ink can easily be cured. Its baby squid is perfectly tender and is delicately covered in a crunchy squid ink batter. Paired up with their spiced vinegar and a dollop of its mayonnaise guarantees a heavenly bite.
INIHAW NA PORK LIEMPO (P265)
We paired this with a supposedly safe Inihaw na Pork Liempo. Unfortunately, the restaurant played it too safe that the marinade with too subdued for my liking. Sure, I drown my liempo in my spiced soy sauce-vinegar, no matter how flavorful the meat is… but I expected the restaurant to make that effort at least.
SIZZLING PANCIT IVATAN (P370)
We took a risk by swapping out the quintessential garlic rice for a dish that piqued my mom’s curiosity, the Sizzling Pancit Ivatan. Its sizzles helped build up the wow factor when the dish was served; and its huge servings of beef and egg made the dish substantial. The noodles came with a gravy which lent much need moisture to the dish; but ultimately tasted just okay. There wasn’t anything wrong with us; but there was nothing spectacular about it either.
Bistro Pamana
147 Mother Ignacia Avenue, South Triangle, Diliman, QC
Date of Visit: February 23, 2019 with Lily Chua
