Date # 83: Red Garlic Bistro
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One of my foodie friends Deane recommended this newly-opened restaurant in Katipunan extension called Red Garlic Bistro. I was immediately impressed when I read about the reviews of the place online, so one day, Douglas and I came to this place bringing high expectations.
Red Garlic Bistro Café is owned by Chef Vincent Rodriguez. The RED stands for “Read, Eat, and Drink,” because you can stay here for hours reading the large collection of magazines on display or just chatting the afternoon away with drinks.
The food here is very comforting—they serve mostly grilled meat, pizza, pasta, sushi and dessert. Their menu reminded me of Torch’s, although I personally liked the concepts as well as the execution of the dishes better in Red Garlic.
The first thing we ordered was the Santiago Chili Poppers (P195), which is basically green chilis stuffed with chili con carne, wrapped in jalapeno batter, and then finally served in a shot glass that has sauce at the bottom.
At first bite we knew it was a winner. There was an unexpected flavor contrast with the tomatoey chili con carne, the hot chili, and the tangy sauce. It had everything that I look for in a good appetizer.
The second dish that came out was the Tazmanian Devil Roll (P385). I personally don’t like sushi rolls with so much stuff in them, I prefer the simple rolls that you can get in authentic Japanese restaurants. But this Tazmanian Devil Roll was an exception. The sweet, kabayaki-like sauce drizzled on top of the sushi rolls contrasted with the light cream cheese filling, while the wasabi batter provided a variety in texture. This is something I could eat every day.
Douglas didn’t want something too heavy and so he went for the Norwegian Salmon Duo (P385). In this dish, the Norwegian salmon fillet is topped with two kinds of sauces: a chipotle one and a pistachio basil sauce. I don’t know which one I preferred more, since neither of them was really the factor that made this dish good. What made it good was the fact that the fish was perfectly cooked: the flavors of the salmon shone and it was juicy just the way it should be.
This dish isn’t my favorite from all the things we ordered from Red Garlic, but it was still very good.
Lastly, we had the Tomahawk Porkchop (P485). Another impressive dish: the pork was cooked all the way through but retained its natural juices, though Douglas said it wasn’t as tender as he hoped it would be. The outer portion of the meat was glazed with sweet barbecue sauce, so if you’re really one for barbecue sauce, this one is a must-try.
Overall Verdict: It was really a treat for us since everything that we ordered was excellent. It was a good decision to celebrate our monthsary here. Although the food may appear to be a bit pricey, you actually get what you pay for. We’ll come back to try more of their offerings someday.
Red Garlic Bistro
218 Blue Ridge
A Katipunan Avenue (near Army Navy and Conti’s)
1110 Quezon City, Philippines
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With and For Love,
Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong
I'm Rina, an eccentric geek who's out in search of ideal locations to dine and date in the Metro Manila Area, Philippines. Here I will chronicle our reviews of the places I visit. Come along for the ride, it'll be fun. :D
