The girls at The Foodie Circle, haven't seen each other for quite some time so we made plans to meet-up at Bellini's at Cubao Expo.

Bellini's has been on our wish list for the longest time so it was an anonymous decision.  It was actually also my first time to check out Cubao Expo so it was an awesome experience.  They were a lot of antique and gift shops in that area.


Based on blog posts and the facade of the place, I thought it was a humble hole-in-the-wall type.  But, upon stepping in, I was surprised with its area size and its amazing interiors! 

It's as if I was transported to Europe .  The walls had magnificent painting and 3 dimensional crafts. 

Even the ceiling were not spared.

I promised my friend I'd share this with him so here's a short video tour of the venue.

On top of each white linen covered table is a bell which you can ring to call their servers.  We were impressed that some of their servers can speak Italian.

Food

Complimentary Bread Sticks

They also served complimentary bread sticks.

The food took quite some time to serve but the serving size is really big.

Pasta (for fresh pasta add 40 php)

Pasta choices: Tagliatelle, Rigatoni, Spaghetti, Maccherroni, Penne, Fusilli, Farfalle, Ravioli, Tortellini, Gnocchi, Capellini (3 color pasta - add 25 php).

For the pasta, you can choose which type you want.

♥ Pomodoro Gnocchi (250 php)

We had the Pomodoro Gnocchi which we all loved.  The tomato sauce is zesty and the gnocchi is so chewy.

Tartufo Funghi con Proscuitto Fusilli (360 php)

We all loved the mild Tartufo Funghi con Proscuitto Fusilli which is smoked ham with mushroom and cream.  The cream is very light and not the usual thick cream that you'll encounter in other pasta.  Somehow, it is just right as it complemented by the mushroom and smoked ham.   However, the pasta was not cooked right as it was a bit tough to bite.

Risotto/Rice

♥ Risotto Frutti Di Mare (300 php)

I'm not a fan of Risotto Frutti Di Mare because I usually find it too flavorful for me to finish but this one, I enjoyed to the last bit.


Pesce/Fish

Pesce al Forno (1,100 php)

The Pesce al Forno is claimed to be baked local sea bass.  We only ordered this because a famous food blogger we all looked up to recommended this on her post.  This was good but it wasn't the quality of sea bass we expected for the price.  We really regretted ordering this. =(  I felt robbed lol.


Pizza

♥ Napoli and Quattro Formaggi Small (300 php)

They allowed two flavors for the small so we chose: Napoli with anchovies, capers and oregano and Quattro Formaggi topped with 4 kinds of cheese.  Both flavors were really good!  We loved the crunchy thin crust of their pizza as well.

♥ Napoletana and Parmesan Arugula (350 php)

We also tried the Napoletana with tomato, basil, olive oil and oregano and Parmesan Arugula with smoked ham and arugula.  Just as the other pizza, this was also good.  I guess you can't go wrong with their pizzas.


Dolce/Dessert
We were really excited by their menu selections.  They even had gelato ice creams on the menu.  But, when we asked what was available, we were only left with two choices so we got both of them.

Torta di Arancio (150 php)

The Torta di Arancio is an orange cake topped with marmalade and orange peel.  I liked the top layer but the texture of the chiffon is a big failure for me.

Torta di Obama (200 php)

The Torta di Obama is a sweet chocolate caramel cake.  This failed in terms of taste and texture too. 

Complimentary Sweet Wine

The Complimentary Sweet Wine tasted like cough syrup.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Bellini's is a must try huge Italian hidden gem in Cubao Expo.  I highly recommend it.  We enjoyed the ambiance so much that we stay here for around 3 hours!  The food superb especially the pizza and pasta.  Everything was swipe clean as usual.  You can opt to skip the expensive fishes and dessert.

Ribs has always been a meat-lovers favorite.  Although I'm not much of a meat-eater myself, I've found ribs to be irresistible.  I've tried a lot of version but smoked ribs is an unexplored dish for me.  So, I'm quite  thankful that Big Daddy Jay's All American BBQ decided to offer it. 

Together with Berylle and D, we drove all the way from Manila to Cubao just to visit Big Daddy Jay's All American BBQ.  Due to the awful traffic contributed by the rainy weather and numerous road construction, we were so hungry when we arrived at the bright orange colored establishment of Big Daddy Jay's.  We passed by two of their custom-built smokers by the parking space as we went in.


A tarpaulin outside indicates their store hours.  They are closed on Mondays because its their smoking day.  It is during this time that they smoke a week's supply of ribs for an approximate of six hours each.  When the ribs are smoked, they can just heat it up before serving. With a growing demand for its ribs, they currently smoke around 80 ribs per week.

According to the owners, the restaurant was named after Big Daddy Jay, a southerner, who shared with them the southern american-style barbecue recipe for their smoked ribs.


Although not as spacious, its a nice and casual full-scale restaurant.  Staffs are quick to set up out table upon entry.  Their menu is located by the counter. 

Although it only opened last April, a lot of food bloggers have visited them prior to ours.  The positive remarks made us even more eager to try their Original Smoked Ribs.

Food

Original Smoked Ribs

♥ Full Rack (790 php)

It wasn't long until our Full Rack of Original Smoked Ribs was placed before us in a wooden chopping board.  It comes with their special sauce. 

♥ Full Rack (790 php)

We initially thought that the dark coating is char-marks but upon first bite, we were proven wrong. It was actually a flavorful, herby and peppery dried glaze.  We were also amazed at the size of the rib which I think is the pork shoulder part rather than the usual back ribs. It was so lean and meaty yet so tender that chewing every bit of it is so pleasurable.  Each chunk was exploding in rich smokey flavor.  Although their special sauce is good, I personally prefer it on its own.   The bones became so soft due to the long cooking process that we can't help but eat it too.   By the end of our meal, all our plates and the chopping board was swiped clean. 

We were told that you can order this for take out or in its frozen state for the same price.  You can just grill or bake it to reheat.  Since this is very far from our place, I'm considering purchasing one for out family parties because I really think its a must try!

Down Homes Sides

Mixed Veggies (25 php) and Herbed Potatoes (25 php)

For sides D had the Buttered Rice (25 php) while Berylle and I consumed the bowlful of Mixed Veggies and Herbed Potatoes.

Pasta

Tomato Basil Pasta (140 php)

The Tomato Basil Pasta was cooked al dente.  It had a tangy tomato based sauce with a light hint of basil.  Although it was good, it wasn't something I'd crave for.


Chicken Wings

Honey Mustard (120 php)

The Honey Mustard had a sweet and zesty thick sauce which we all enjoyed.  But, we found the native wings a bit skinny. 


Dessert

♥ Aunt Wilma's Key Lime Pie (85 php)

Quite frankly, we were all so full that it even crossed our minds to just skip the dessert.  How fortunate that we didn't!  Aunt Wilma's Key Lime Pie is so heavenly!  It's perfect blend of refreshing sweetness and citrus tartiness reminded me of the famous Sagada Lemon Pie I've had a few years back.  It was the perfect palate cleanser.  It's so sad that we only ordered a slice for sharing because it made us crave for more.   It was so good that we were tempted to go back and take home some as soon as we reach  the car.  We finally decided that we'll just come back for this and the Original Smoked Ribs soon.  But it didn't stop there since on the way home, we can't help but talked about how much we loved this and wished we knew who Aunt Wilma was!

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
As early as now, I really have high hopes for Big Daddy Jay's All American BBQ.  I'm really happy with the quality of their Original Smoked Ribs.  I commend the owners for their passion as a foodie and eagerness to learn and improve as a new restauranteur. 

White Hainanese Chicken Rice Meal (98 php)

The White Hainanese Chicken Rice Meal is served with a great proportion of tender, succulent and lean hainanese chicken.  It comes with pickled vegetables too.  In terms of texture, I'd say it was pretty good.  However, it relied on the sauces for flavor.   I could sense the chicken stock taste in the cup of  chicken rice which enhanced the meal experience.  The meal comes with a bowl of soup, chili sauce and ginger sauce.

Hainanese Roast Chicken Meal (98 php)

The Hainanese Roast Chicken Meal was cooked just right with roasted moist dripping from it.  In terms of taste, I'd refer this over the White Hainanese Chicken. 


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
The Original Chicken Rice is a great option when craving for Singaporean dishes while on a budget.  Its pricing is its competitive edge.  If in the area, it is a practical place to visit.  But if you are looking for a better food quality, there are other Singaporean restaurants you can check out.