'Cue Modern Barbecue

July 20, 2013. Saturday.

It has been awhile since we've been at Cue. We always consider eating there whenever in BGC, but it's always too darn crowded. But this time, since we were a little early for dinner, we found the place almost all to ourselves!

We've loved this place ever since the first time we set foot in it! The interiors are what I would describe as quirky-elegant-geeky. How does that work, you say? Examples: Ice tea in a jar, plant in a can as table top design, leather couches, anatomy of a cow on the wall, etc. See? Quirky, elegant and geeky!

For starters, we ordered the Bone Marrow and Steak Tacos.

Bone Marrow and Steak Tacos. 485php.

We always shy away from this, because it looks a little too rich, even for me! But I'm glad we finally gave it a try. I'm NEVER eating ordinary tacos again. The bone marrow, as expected, gives the tacos a rich and slightly salty flavor which really goes well with the salsa verde and the tender steak. This is best eatean as soon as it is served on the table, as the bone marrow dries up quickly. I still ate it even after it was already cold, but it already felt like eating cholesterol ice cream.

Then we ordered 2 mains from The Chopping Board part of their menu to share, both of which came with a side dish and sauce. The first one we got was the Beef Belly

Beef Belly. 695php.

We already had this before, and liked it so we ordered it again. It's beef belly braised in dark ale, charred with mustard with a whole roasted onion. But unlike the first time, the taste of ale was really overpowering. The beef was still tender, but it was hard to get over the taste of the ale. We had this with whipped potatoes and their house made BBQ sauce.

We also got the Bacon Slabs 'Cue Style.

Bacon Slabs 'Cue Style. 455php.

The description from the menu reads: Slow-baked then fried, house cured, half-pounder. How could you go wrong with something that sounds so sinful? The answer is you just can't! The slabs were really tender from the slow cooking, but it had a nice subtle crispiness to it on the outside. We had this with chimichurri sauce, which is normally for grilled meats but we figured the slight vinegar taste of it would offset the richness of the slabs.

'Cue will probably never be a target restaurant for those who are always high on clean eating (they have their greens, but who goes here for that?!?). It's for those who don't really calorie count and enjoy slobbing over copious amounts of meat and fat! 'Cue Modern Barbecue is a great place to be! The place is cozy, the service is always quick, efficient and courteous, and the food is always great (would've been exceptional, but I can still taste that dark ale).

'Cue Modern Barbecue
Space NELG 105, Lower Ground Floor
Bonifacio High Street Centrale,
Global City, 1201 Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
621-4052
0917-8992283/ 0921-2801389
https://www.facebook.com/CueModernBBQ?ref=br_tf

Stella

May 22, 2013. Wednesday.

It was Kim's birthday and she wanted to eat out somewhere we haven't tried before. After researching and reading up on the net, Kim decided she wanted to try Stella. We've always seen Stella whenever we eat in Cue or Nolita, but have never ever considered going through their doors. From the outside, you can already see that Stella (and Rocket Room, its sibling) looks more posh compared to the other restaurants around it. That in itself would have been a deterrent if it was me who was deciding, but it was Kim's day so she gets to decide. It's not that I don't like spending money on food (if you've read this blog for the past year then you'd know that's totally the opposite), it's just that I have an aversion to going to most upscale looking places.

Stella is under the Raintree Restaurants group. Included in Raintree's umbrella are Chelsea Market Cafe and Momo Cafe among others. So while the food might be priced a little high, at least you are sure to get quality food based the reputation of their restaurants.

We ordered the following:

Lamb Cochifrito. 295php.

This was actually from Rocket Room's menu but since they're under the same group, you can actually order from the other and vice versa. We felt that the lamb was a little overcooked since it was a little tough on the outside, but its taste more than made up for it. It had that herb-y aromatic taste going on without it being too overpowering.

Salt Baked Gindara Fish Fillet. 395php.

This is exactly what it says. It's Gindara baked in salt but we were so surprised when it was served. It came in a clay pot and from the looks of it. A generous amount of salt was used to envelop the fish then it formed a crust upon baking. They did a good job of presenting this with half the salt crust/ cover cut open and placed on the side. The presentation is awesome, but the taste so-so. The outer layer of the fish was salty, but the inside was bland.

 

 

 

Yellow Basmati Rice.

This smelled great and tasted even better. Couldn't resist pairing this up with the Lamb Cochifrito.

Wood Fired Roasted Sweet Pumpkin. 75php.

The Pumpkin was roasted nicely, giving it a nice toasted outside with a soft inside. The Ricotta on top of it added a little more sweetness.

 

Stella

Bonifacio High Street Central
http://raintreerestaurants.com/stella.html
https://www.facebook.com/stella.rocketroom

Nolita (North of Little Italy)

December 28, 2012. Friday.

This is our first time to blog about this place, but this is our favorite BURGER and PIZZA joint ever since we had first dined here last April of 2012. Notice the caps on those two words? Because it is such a big statement to say "favorite burger and pizza" since those are like holy grails when it comes to food for us (or maybe it's just me and not Kim, HAHA).

Nolita is located in Bonifacio High Street Central. It is in the area on the opposite end of the Serendra side of BHS, just accross from ROX. BHS Central is quickly turning into our must go foodie place since it houses Nolita, Cue Modern Barbecue, and Lorenzo's Way. But I digress, so back to Nolita.

The place has an industrial/ pub/ homey look going on for it. Different lamps are used as decors all throughout the restaurant floor. It has that pub vibe with the common high table for everyone to stand and mingle with. Aside from the high tables, picnic tables are the main tables here. I like that it's a no frills, relaxed restaurant that is very casual yet offers some of the best food on this side of town. You walk up to the counter, order from the simple menu, pay, then take a seat and wait for your food.

We ordered the following for an afternoon snack:

Both of us had Pepperoni Pizza.



Pepperoni Pizza. 190php. Mobile phone not included, just for size reference.

Kim originally wanted to get the Shrimp Carbonara Pizza, which sounds lovely as it is but wait there's more --  it is effin' topped with an egg! But sadly there were no slices of that available when we arrived on that afternoon. All Nolita Pizzas are freshly made, so whatever is posted up on the chalkboard menu during the time you're there, that's what you can order. I like my pizzas simple, so I ordered a slice of Pepperoni. Kim had to settle for the same slice. But no worries, the Pepperoni was really good. Aside from the slice being bigger compared to most (20 incher!), the crust was not rock hard crispy but instead was very moist and a little chewy. It is very reminiscent of the pizzas from those old family- run by Italian pizzerias in New York.

And I also had an Angus All Beef Cheeseburger.

Angus All Beef Cheeseburger. 320php.

Look at how thick that ass.. oops, patty is!

C'mon go ahead, I know you want take a bite out off your monitor!

The burger was served on a chopping board and it might pale in comparison, diameter wise, to other premium burgers out there. But this was one thick and juicy burger, enough to satisfy a big man's appetite! I loved the freshness of the lettuce, tomato, and onion used. I also loved how the cheese melted from the heat of the patty. I also loved that when I took my first bite, a shot of patty juice caused a slight scalding inside my mouth. There's just no downside to this burger, and I'm saying that as someone who really loves burgers!

With those words, you would think that we would come back and order the same thing again. You are wrong. While we definitely would come back again (and again, and again), there's still a lot from Nolita's menu that we want to try. Aside from Kim's egg topped Shrimp Carbonara Pizza, the menu also has the Nolita Burger which is almost the same as my previous order except that instead of cheese, this is topped with some bacon and an egg! There's also a bowl of chili, mac and cheese, buffalo wings. I could go on and on and just mention the whole menu! I want to try everything here! And did I mention they also serve local and craft beers? Nolita, just the perfect place this side of Manila.

Nolita
UG/F Bonifacio High Street Central,
7th Ave Cor. 29th St.,
Fort Bonifactio, Taguig City
https://www.facebook.com/NOLITA.PIZZA

Other Nolita entries (updates after this entry):
Nolita (North of Little Italy) Again!
Nolita: Revisited with Friends