I don't really recall much about my childhood.  But, I seem to recall my odd preference over dishes back then.  I was literally crazy over two things: Old Swiss Inn's Cheese Fondue and Schwarzwalder's Farmer's Chicken.   I'd always suggest and beg my parents to eat there as often as I could.  Good thing, this addiction faded along the years as I became more adventurous. And, my quest to try more restaurants made it difficult to have favorites I'd frequent.  

To celebrate my birthday, we dined one again at the rustic and nostalgic Old Swiss Inn Restaurant at Garden Plaza Hotel & Suites in Paco. 
It's old wooden door was enough to light up our excitement.  And, it also gave me a homey feel.

They have a display of cakes and chocolates by the cashier. 

It was a mid weekday but the place was packed. Former President ERAP and President PNoy are regular customers here. 
 
It also had a bar where drinkers can enjoy. 

Food

Complimentary Bread Roll with Butter

After our orders were taken, we were given a Complimentary Bread Roll with Butter.

Appetizer

Bundnerteller (560 php)

I let the family decide on what they wanted to order.  And, they chose the Bundnerteller which is an assortment of air dried Swiss meat specialties such Proscuitto, Dried beef, Salami and Smoked Sausage for appetizer.  Each variant had its own richness and meatiness which piqued our taste buds.

Soup

Barley (210 php)

The creamy Barley with brunoise vegetables, dried beef and smoked bacon served with croutons was mild tasting.  It was served warm so it was quite comforting to drink.

♥ Zweibelsuppe (210 php)

I personally liked the Zweibelsuppe which is the German version of onion soup better.

Salad

Classic Caesar Salad (240 php)

The Classic Caesar Salad was satisfactory too!  This had a generous serving of meat strips with it. 

Signature Dishes

♥ Gnagi (Pork Knucles) (545 php)

The Gnagi or cured pork knucles baked (could also be boiled at your preference) was served with tangy sauerkraut and boiled potatoes.  My family is not much of a meaty eater but they loved this to the last bit!

Fondues (Good for 2)

♥ Fondue Bourguignonne (1,050 php)

The highlight of the evening was the Fondue Bourguignonne.  Uhuh... we forgoed the Cheese Fondue for this so it better be worth it right? 

♥ Fondue Bourguignonne (1,050 php)

The Fondue Bourguignonne is prime beef tenderloin cubes dipped in hot oil with a carousel of sauces served with french fries.  

prime beef tenderloin cubes

♥ Fondue Bourguignonne (1,050 php)

We had a lot of fun enjoying the Fondue Bourguignonne.  It was a great bonding activity for the family as we dipped our beef cubes in oil and waited till it was fully cooked.   It was also fun to try the various sauces and mix and match some of them together. 

♥ Toblerone Cheesecake (215 php/slice)

As it was my birthday, I had this complimentary Toblerone Cheesecake delivered with a joyous birthday song.  This is their best-seller and I'm so glad that its still as good as when I've enjoyed this decades ago.

Carrot Cake (215 php/slice)

When we got home my family surprised me with Old Swiss Inn's Carrot Cake which they must have bought while I went to the restroom or turned my back haha! =p  It's also good as it was moist and not too sweet.  But, my heart is already captured by their Toblerone Cheesecake a long time ago and I'm quite loyal when it comes to matters of the heart you see...


Tip: Watch out for their price roll back promos on their Anniversary Day (August 25)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
There's no better place for Authentic Swiss and European cuisine like the Old Swiss Inn Restaurant and they've got their 70 years of credibility to prove it!  I'd definitely loved to go back again.  But, now that I'm the one paying... I have to admit it that price is a bit steep.

The place is elegant and cozy at the same time.  It had framed photographs hanged on its walls.  The chairs are well-cushioned perfectly matching the black tables.  The dimly lit yellow lights sets of a mellow feeling.  It was a Sunday night and we were surprised to see the restaurant packed (most of them are Tsinoys like us).  I also noticed Chef Chris Locker seated in one table fiddling his Macbook Pro personally overseeing his restaurant.

We were quickly provided a glass of water and napkins were placed on our laps as soon as we sat. Our server was patient and eager to help us in ordering.

Food

Complimentary Bread

Service is really quick.  Upon taking our orders, we were provided their Complimentary Bread with a pesto in olive oil dip.  The bread was warm and soft.  It was a great starter.  I grabbed just one though looking forward to the dishes to come.  As soon as we finished this bowl, we were again provided a new batch but we didn't get to eat them anymore as our orders came one after another.

Panizza

♥ Genovese and Kristina Panizza (790 php)

Seeing how we had a difficulty in deciding what to order, our server told us that we could order two flavors in one panizza.  We were told that the Kristina is their best-seller so we picked that one and option for the Genovese because we wanted to try a pesto panizza.  Kristina is a flavorful panizza with bacon, ham, caramelized onion, sun dried tomatoes and mushroom.  On the other hand, Genovese is a pesto-infused cheese sauce topped with shrimp, grouper dices and capers.  Although its difficult to choose between the two, I would prefer the Kristina.

♥ Verena and Paco Panizza (790 php)

The Verena is a tomato and truffle oil enhanced cheese sauce topped with scallop, prawns and sun dried tomatoes.  My mom loved this because of the chewy sun dried tomatoes.  While, I found the Paco the most interesting among all we've tried.  Paco is topped with fine slices of herb chicken fillet, smoked bacon, portabello and golden mushrooms, capers and slices of kalamata olives.

Arugula and Alfalfa (90 php)

Each panizza comes with one bowl of Arugula and Alfalfa.  But, that wasn't enough for us so we ordered an extra.

My Rolled Panizza

My Kitchen's panizza is definitely unlike any other we've tried before.  The panizza is surprisingly thin and pleasantly chewy but not soggy at all.  Moreover, it was exploding in flavors from the cheese, herbs and other ingredients.  To my amazement, the toppings seemed to cling to the dough very well too.  

Risotto

Risotto Kristina (850 php)

Kristina seemed to be dominating the menu.  But, the ingredients in the Risotto Kristina is different from the panizza.  It had huge chunks of salmon fillet, prawn tails, mushrooms, broccoli and asparagus.  The sauce is creamy with a hint of truffle oil and parmesan.  It was a something good to try for a change but I did not find it captivating.

Pork

♥ Grilled Home Made Italian Sausage (750 php)

The Grilled Home Made Italian Sausage had three kinds of Italian sausages with lentils, thick fries, caramelized garlic in red wine sauce.  Everything in this plate complements each other to produce a wholesome meal.  I enjoyed alternating the sausages and see how much they could balance each other off together with the lentils and fries.

Dolce

♥ Lemon and Lime Cheesecake (320 php)

The Lemon and Lime Cheesecake is one of the best cheesecakes I have ever tried.  The flavor is a nice medley between sweet and tangy.  But, it was the perfect texture that made this sensational.  It was creamy but not too dense.  I enjoyed every bit of this: the almonds, crispy crust and even the lemon peel on its sweet lemon sauce.  And, even though its price is hefty for a single slice of cake, I felt that this was worth it.

Gelato

Hazelnut Gelato (150 php)

We already ordered our the Lemon and Lime Cheesecake, when Chef Chris comes to our table and asks us if we enjoyed our meal.  He then tempts us by saying that they now offer new flavors of gelato: Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, Hazelnut and Rum Raisin for an introductory price of 150 php.  Of course, we took the bait and ordered the Hazelnut.  I've tried Hazelnut flavors of various gelato before and often found it too sweet for my taste.  But, this one tasted just right that even my brother who wasn't fond of sweets loved this.  I also found the generous bits of hazelnuts enjoyable.  However, in terms of texture, it wasn't as creamy as I expected.  It melts too quick for a gelato too.  Since their gelatos are relatively new and still on the testing phase, I hope they improve this.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
My Kitchen by Chef Chris is a must stop when craving for panizza.  Though many establishments now serve panizzas, the panizza pioneer is still unmatched.  The first class service is also commendable.  The staffs are quick and attentive.  And, although the price is a bit of the high side, their serving sizes are generally good for sharing.  I would definitely come back for their panizza and try their other selections next time.  Any recommendations? =D

In the midst of the busy commercial plants and residences in Otis Paco, you can find Robinson's Otis.  Aside from the Robinson's supermarket, Robinson's Otis offers a lot of dinning place selections such as "The Old Spaghetti House" or TOSH for short.  It's a causal dinning place with a brick house ambiance perfect for a family meal together or a gathering with friends.



Appetizer

Appetizer Basket (210 php)

The Appetizer Basket contains three items listed in their appetizer menu.  It includes the Calamares (Only comes with a mayo dip though), Chicken Fingers and Onion Rings.  Its the best option to order when you're dinning with a group as everyone has their own preference or when you have yet to try out their appetizer varieties.

Spaghetti

♥Seafood Marinara (195 php)

Their Seafood Marinara is marked as their best seller in "The Old Spaghetti House" menu.  is rich in seafood ingredients that adds flavor to the natural tomato taste of the red sauce.  The pasta is cooked perfectly making the noodles enjoyable to eat.

Gambasetti  (195 php)

The Gambasetti is another one of their best sellers.  This dish is filled with shrimp and tomato chunks.

Pasta Meals

♥Eggplant Parmigiana w/ Penne Pomodoro (165 php)

Not only is the Eggplant Parmigiana w/ Penne Pomodoro a healthy choice, it is also very delicious!  This is one of our favorites at TOSH.

U.S. Beef Bistro Steak w/ Parmesan Spaghetti  (245 php)

Java Mocha (99 php)

This Java Mocha taste like sugar milk!  It made my throat sore and yet I failed to appreciate the mocha taste.

♥Matcha Green Tea (99 php)

The Matcha Green Tea is delicious!  Love the rich green tea taste complemented by the cool creamy sensation.  I will certainly order this again.

♥New York Cheese Cake (210 php)

As stated in their menu, the New York Cheese Cake is imported from the Cheesecake Factory in the US.  This is a must order in every visit!

Strawberry Funnel Cake w/ Cream (110 php)