Dining Snippets: Toby’s Estate x Alter Ego x Limbaga 77
TOBY’S ESTATE
Admittedly, I initially hesitated trying out Toby’s Estate’s Big Breakfast because I feared that I wouldn’t be able to finish a serving of it (I was thinking that perhaps it can rival Wildflour’s and Apartment 1B’s breakfast plates that I struggle to finish). Consequently, my first two lunch choices were unavailable, so I figured it was high time to try out its Big Breakfast.
BIG BREAKFAST (P375)
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depends on how you look at it), the serving size of the Big Breakfast wasn’t really that big or massive. It came in its regular skillet (the same ones serving its Corned Beef Hash) and neatly plated its breakfast components around it. The breakfast sausages were delicious; but nothing was spectacular about them. I was more drawn towards the other components of the dish such as its incredibly creamy scrambled eggs, its delicious smashed potatoes (imagine mojos but in sliced up potato wedges), and gorgeously sautéed sundried tomatoes and fresh mushrooms that I’d definitely order as a standalone dish. It also came with a spoonful of beans, which I’m not fond of eating, but still surprisingly managed to wipe clean afterwards.
Toby’s Estate
Robinsons Cyberscape Beta, Ruby Road, Ortigas, Pasig City
Date of Visit: April 26, 2019
ALTER EGO
I can still recall how intrigued I was at how Alter Ego’s Chicken Pandan Paella was able to harmonize the flavors of its bizarre East-meets-West dish, and how I was ready for more.
Alter Ego, conveniently located a stone’s throw away from Robinsons Magnolia is a low-key restaurant which deserves more attention for its creativity.
FISH CAKE (P195)
Its appetizer called Fish Cake, for one, doesn’t feature the fish cakes we’re used to in Korean and Japanese restaurants; rather, the Fish Cake is actually a platter of deep-fried panko bread crumb-crusted salmon and tuna balls which are topped by sriracha aioli and mango cubes. It’s a delectable appetizer which might need some tweaking in its name just to reduce the confusion.
KIMCHI TARTE FLAMBEE (P350)
Kimchi Tarte FlambeeI’m a big fan of Kimchi; but it took a while for me to be certain about getting the . Oddly, this tarte flambee works, taste-wise. Ground beef, mushrooms, and onions are laid next to spoonfuls of kimchi on a bed of puff pastry smeared with cream cheese and sour cream. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the butter used in the puff pastry as it made each slice heavy-tasting and greasy.
10 HOUR BEEF BOURGUIGNON (P480)
The Beef Bourguignon featured melt-in-your-mouth beef short ribs and tendons wonderfully braised in a red wine reduction, served on a bed of mashed potatoes, and paired with an amazingly flavorful shiitake mushrooms and caramelized onion bulbs. This is probably one of the most affordable renditions of this French staple, so definitely order it if you find yourself in Alter Ego.
To be honest, Alter Ego wouldn’t be a restaurant I’d find myself craving for; but if you’re in the mood for trying out a bizarrely creative dish, it will definitely deliver. It doesn’t hurt as well that it’s a partner restaurant in most dining applications, so you can make the most out of your money when dining here!
Alter Ego
41, 1st Street, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Date of Visit: April 13, 2019 with Lily Chua
LIMBAGA 77
Limbaga 77 finds itself as part of the growing community of restaurants who decided to locate inside converted homes; an aesthetic trend which I definitely love and am all up for! The restaurant automatically becomes cozier, more laidback and more welcoming if located in a converted home. Paired with attentive service, Limbaga 77 definitely made us look forward to the meal ahead.
CRISPY BAGNET (P477), BINUSOG NA PUSIT (P377), DANGGIT RICE(P77)
I immediately helped myself to a glass of its insanely refreshing Grass Citrus Iced Tea (P97) which is a blend of both lemongrass and pandan. Personally, I’d prefer the pandan to be a bit more dominant in flavor; but I can’t deny that their blended iced tea was already delicious. We started out with the Munggo Soup (P197) which unfortunately came topped with rancid-tasting chicharon. My personal preference for monggo is one which is thicker and chunkier; but theirs opted for a more watery base. Unfortunately, I felt that it was lackluster in terms of flavor.
We paired our Crispy Bagnet and Binusog na Pusit with a cup of Danggit Rice. Unfortunately, nothing about the dishes stood out. The Crispy Bagnet was on the dry side; so even if they delivered on crunch, the meat was undeniably tough. The Binusog na Pusit boasted of perfectly cooked squid; while the Danggit Rice offered a nice twist to your traditional garlic rice. Both were delicious, but not something you’d go out the way for, especially considering that Lazat is right across it. I immediately found myself longing for Lazat’s Crispy Pata, Binagoongan Tadyang and Binakol. Why go to Limbaga 77 when you can get better Filipino food across it?
Limbaga 77
77 Scout Limbaga, Diliman, Quezon City
Date of Visit: April 27, 2019
