Opened just last January 2018 within Arthaland’s Arya Plaza, The Red Piano boasts of two things:

an eclectic lineup of dishes collected from all around the world, 

and live entertainment from a beautiful Chanteuse accompanied by a pianist on a red grand piano.

Before digging in, proprietor and chef, Carlo Llave shared the stories behind The Red Piano’s bestsellers, how they were carefully conceptualized and picked from all his travels from around the world.

Food

♥ San Fran Clam Chowder (550 php)

Spaghetti alle Carbonara with Guanciale (510 php)

Next came the Spaghetti alle Carbonara with Guanciale.  It’s claim to fame is being made the authentic Italian way with pecorino romano and parmagiano Reggiano cheeses— Chef Carlo takes authenticity seriously going so far as to hand-carrying “guanciale” or pig’s cheek from Italy! The flavors of both cheeses and the guanciale were pleasant on the taste buds but a bit too rich for my own personal preference.

Boeuf Bourguignon on Pasta (1,100  Php)

Osso Buco over Risotto (1,500 php)

Both proudly made with prime ingredients: Boeuf Bourguignon with USDA beef, and Osso Bucco with imported veal from New Zealand.

Pork Skin Cracklins' (180 Php)

Now—if something still holds you back from a visit to the The Red Piano, their humble appetizer, Pork Skin Cracklins', might just change your mind. 
To my knowledge, The Red Piano is the only restaurant that serves chicharon cooked for 17 hours, producing something of gargantuan proportions—literally. The giant chunk of pork fat could be the perfect accompaniment of a night of singing. 😉




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There's also lovely melodies being played.  And, we were so fortunate to be seated right next to it.  

Which reminds me... When I was a child, piano was my favorite instrument.  I was never fond of dolls.  All the time, I brought my piano toy with me.  I wonder why I gave up on that interest on playing the piano.  But, I still get goosebumps whenever I hear a beautiful piano melody though.  

Food

Soup

Vegetable Sinigang na Miso (225 php)

The Vegetable Sinigang na Miso wasn't as sour as I hoped.  I wished they had a level option. 
Meat

Kare-Kare ni Juanita (655 php)

The Kare-Kare ni Juanita has a sweet note on top of the usual subtle peanut-butter hinted kare-kare blend.  It reminds me of our local Filipino peanut butters that are sweet.  Yum!!!

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cafe Juanita has a timeless enchanting atmosphere unlike any other.  I bet its effect will always be as mesmerising even with multiple visits.  I highly recommend this place.

Lemuria.
For this meal, we were presented with a tantalizing menu of Lemuria classics.
As an appetizer to the entire dining experience, we were given their home-made breads which are freshly prepared in-store using hand-churned butter. Among their selection are French Baguette, Walnut Loaf made with walnut, honey and molasses, and Foccaccia with sundried tomato. These are complimentary and served along any meal purchased :)

Foie Gras Trio (1,150 php)

Braised Lamb & Apricot Galette |(365 php)

Seabass (1,260 php)

Duck Leg Confit w/ Cassoulet  (1,310 php)

Beef Bourguignon (940 php)

Finishing up the main course was a serving of their Beef Bourguignon. As with all flavorful meats, this was braised and marinated for 2-3 days; Lemuria braises theirs in red wine reduction and slow cooks it for a full 8 hours. The effort is very evident with a beef that is absolutely melt in your mouth and flavorful, further complemented by the sweetness that comes with a side of shallots. This was my favorite dish for the evening.

Lemuria Cheesecake (294 php)

A sweet ending to a perfect meal, the meal ended with a dessert bearing the restaurant’s own name, the Lemuria Cheesecake. Arguably very popular, this is not just like any other cheesecake. Lemuria uses a combination of Carabao’s Milk, Goat’s Cheese, and Dulce de Leche to achieve a distinct and original cheesecake flavor that is full, creamy with a harmonious blend of dairy. Topped with their homemade strawberry compote and this dessert was just the perfect way to end the night.



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One of the older establishments in Arya Plaza, but certainly not forgotten, is Fukudaya.  Since its doors opened last August 2016, Fukudaya has continued to delight diners with Modern-Traditional Japanese dishes. Under the helm of Chief Sushi Chef Koji Oki, Fukudaya has built-up a quiet reputation for serving high-quality seafood on this side of BGC.




Modern and Traditional, two distinct words describing two opposite states. How could something be both Modern and Traditional? For this occasion, Chef Oki-san stepped outside the kitchen and shared how his team is able to deliver Fukudaya’s promise of a Modern-Traditional Japanese dining experience. By Traditional, Fukudaya stays true to the taste of well-loved Japanese dishes by using fresh Japanese ingredients such as but not limited to dashi, sake, dried, bonito, shiitake, and salmon. Modernity is expressed by the use of modern precision cooking methods, in particular, sous-vide cooking. This ensures that meats are cooked just right to maintain tenderness previously unachieved by traditional cooking methods.


Keeping true to the tradition of the simplicity of the Japanese, for our visit, Chef Oki-san and his team prepared a humble 3-dish sampler of Fukudaya’s bestsellers. 

Food

Shrimp Tempura Sushi "Ebiten" Roll (480 php)

Australian Wagyu Steak in Garlic Sauce with Assorted Grilled Vegetables (200g) (1,550 php)

Fukudaya also offers special private tasting menus by request and provides catering services for private events.




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Quickly growing to be Manila's premier dining destination is Arthaland’s Arya Plaza.  To experience the great food in this new fantastic dining hotspot, Arya Plaza invited a few media personalities and bloggers to enjoy some of the bestsellers from their carefully curated restaurateurs.  The first restaurant on our itinerary was Savage.


Arya Plaza is described by many, myself included, as Manila’s secret al fresco dining hotspot. The LEED- and BERDE- certified residential complex enjoys an exclusive privilege of having the highest ground elevation in BGC. Residents and guests are assured a constant flow of cool breeze also thanks to the canopy made with ETFE (the same insulation material used in both Singapore’s Clark Quay and Beijing’s Water Cube).



Food

Appetizers
Our meal began with two appetizers, a signature dish from Savage’s menu, the crowd favorite, Devilled eggs, smoked oil, & ash and a new item from the kitchen, Smoked Crab, potato, and flying fish roe.

Devilled Eggs, Smoked Oil & Ash (260 php)

*New on the menu* Smoked Crab, Potato, and Flying Fish Roe

The Smoked Crab, Potato, and Flying Fish Roe had more muted flavors but nonetheless still very delectable as each tender piece of crabmeat was accompanied by a crunch coming from an ingredient which I unfortunately am not able to identify.

Main Course
Following these strong starters were two dishes for the main course, the Barramundi, Arugula, Preserved Lemon & Olive (another crowd favorite) and the new Pork belly, Cola, and Pineapple.

Barramundi, Arugula, Preserved Lemon & Olive (1,200 php)

Both equally delicious; the Barramundi with its tender flesh cooked in light and clean flavors of lemon, arugula, and olive...

Pork Belly, Cola, and Pineapple

and the Pork Belly with its adequately fat and lean meat marinated in the perfect harmony of sweet and sour flavors. With my weakness for complex flavors, my personal favorite between the two is no doubt the Pork Belly.

Kladdkaka (190 php)

Ending our meal was a plate of Kladdkaka, a Swedish chocolate mud cake served with a side of vanilla cream. The cake is made with rich, dark chocolate—a definite treat for any chocolate lover! However, I personally felt that the rich chocolate taste overpowered and subdued any subtle vanilla flavor that the accompanying cream should have provided.

Lemonade (220 php)

Savage
Business Address	The Plaza at Arya Residences, McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila
Business Hours	Lunch: 11am-3pm Dinner: 6pm-10pm
Payment Options	Cash
Service Charge	10%
Budget/Person	800-2,000
Free WiFi	No
Contact	(0915) 333-9546

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At that juncture, I did not know anything about Cafe Havana except for two things: (1) it serve Cuban fusion dishes (2) the name reminds me of the Latin Pop song "Havana" by Camila Cabello.



Food brings people together.

Work
In my field of work, I would always be on one of the two adversarial sides. With my workmates, we all have our own cublicles and own tasks.  But once there's food everyone would gather in the pantry and the room will be filled with warmth and laughter.  

Family
Ever since we were young, we were taught to cooperate with each other so we can enjoy a meal together.  My mom is the best marketer.  My youngest sister does the ingredient preparation such as cleaning, cutting and peeling.  My older brother and second younger sister does the cooking.  My  first younger sister does the dish washing and I do the drying.  Apart from daily meals, there are also special meals during occasions shared with all our relatives.

Food Styled by John Bunag

#LJCxZomatoFoodCrawl A flatlay with many different dishes combined together is akin to a foodie event like a food crawl is also like it.  In this food crawl, the LJC group, zomato and fellow foodies gathered together.  The foodie community is the friendliest community.  Even when we just met, everyone will get along and talk with other over food or about food.  Everyone will lend a hand and respect one another's skills.  Usually, in events like this, I am just a bystander awed and inspired by everyone.  This food styling is done by the great John Bunag.  I couldn't do the flatlay as well as they do though so I just shot this as I see it.  

Food
Now that you know the meaning of food for me, ready to dig in Cafe Havana's Cuban Fusion dishes?  Cafe Havana is not just for a chill out place at night.  It's a great place for lunch outs too!

Fun Fact
Because it's my first time to try Cuban cuisine, I couldn't resist digging into some facts.  Interesting enough although Cuba is 15,625 km away from the Philippines, they share a lot of things in common.

Did you know that:

• Both of them were colonized by Spaniards for a long period.  Cuba became part of the Spanish Colony in 1492 until 1898 when the United States took over as the victor of the Spanish–American War.   On the other hand, the Philippines became part of the Spanish Colony in 1521 until June 12, 1898 when the United States took over as the victor of the Spanish–American War. 
• Both of them have a tropical climate.
• Both of them have a cuisine influenced by Spanish and Chinese dishes.

Sopas

Sopa de Frijoles Negros (175 php)

I don't know what black beauty means but this reminded me about a discussion with my work mates a few days back when we were talking about the new female staff.  One of my colleagues said, "I like her beauty.  She is not very beautiful but she looks more beautiful the more you get to see her.".  This Sopa de Frijoles Negros made of black beans has that appeal to the taste buds.  At first sip, it will give you an impression but you aren't sure if you like it.  Then, as you sip more... it grows on you and fall in love with it more and more.

Platos Principales

♥ Caribbean Style Salmon with Mango Mambo Salsa (635 php)

♥ Spare Ribs Habanera (605 php)

I really liked the Spare Ribs Habanera with guava sauce.  I liked it because I don't get to have guava sauce that often.

Caribbean Shrimp Curry (450 php)

Chuletas de Pollo con Arroz Mejicano (465 php)

Pizza Cubana

♥ Doble Cara (545 php)

Ordering the Doble Cara means you get to choose two kinds of pizza.  I don't really know why someone would pass that chance so I dare say it is the best option.  We got the Jamon Serrano and Quatro Quezo.  The pizza is oven cooked so I like the texture and flavor.  Everyone fell in love with the Quatro Quezo!

Postres

♥ Guyaba Pie (165 php)

Pudin de Pan Habanero (160 php)

The Pudin de Pan Habanero  is a Cuban-styled bread pudding.  This is really good!


So that concludes our second stop for our Cafe Havana #LJCxZomatoFoodCrawl.  It was satisfying for my tummy and my epicuriosity.