Every time we pass by the Fort Bonifacio area, we couldn't help but notice the crowd Las Flores is drawing. That made us want to try it for quite some time so one evening, we just spontaneously gave it a go.

It's at One Mckinley Place same as Smoper Chicken and Toro Restaurant.  It has a very bright and inviting facade.  It is very attuned to its name "Las Flores" which means "the flowers".  Upon reaching their door, we were quickly assisted and ushered to our table.

The interiors were very homey and cozy. 

I love everything about the place: the plate, glass and wine displays, frames on the wall, mix match of cushioned furniture, lighted candles on every table and more.

As I've researched, this is owned by the pioneers of Barcino.  Since we've had a pleasant experience with Barcino ever since, we had even higher hopes for this one.

Food

Complimentary Bread Basket

The Complimentary Bread Basket was served as soon as we ordered.  Everything on it was warm and moist so we couldn't resist nibbling on them.


Soup/Sopa

Sopa Del Dia (Soup of the Day) (145 php)

We had our Sopa Del Dia split into two.  It was a bit watery cream of asparagus.  It was an okay starter just to have something warm for the tummy.

Cold Dishes

♥ Ceviche de Vieiras con Jamon Iberico (350 php)

Ceviche has always been my kind of thing.  But, it's my first time to try a Ceviche de Vieiras con Jamon Iberico which is a scallop ceviche with ham.  This is by far the best one I've tried yet!

♥ Carpaccio de Calabacin con Calabaza Asada y Salsa de Pimientos del Piquillo (295 php)

Okay, so I guess I'm into raw dishes in general cause I enjoy having carpaccio too.  The usual carpaccio is for meat or fish so I was intrigue by the Carpaccio de Calabacin con Calabaza Asada y Salsa de Pimientos del Piquillo which is zucchini carpaccio stuffed with pumpkin cream and roasted red bell pepper sauce.  It delivers a nice one of kind experience I'd recommend anybody to have. It's a bit pricey though.  Maybe you're paying for the beautiful plating.

Buñuelos de Bacalao con Salsa Romesco y Piñones (395 php)

The Buñuelos de Bacalao con Salsa Romesco y Piñones are codfish fritters with romesco sauce and pine nuts.  This is good but nothing extraordinary.

Setas Bio en Tempura de Cerveza y Mayonesa de Soja (195 php)

Fellow mushroom lovers should not deprive themselves of the Setas Bio en Tempura de Cerveza y Mayonesa de Soja and order it at once.  On a more objective note, I enjoyed this simply because it is mushroom cooked in beer batter.  Not much ingenuity was applied here.


Carnes y Pescados

♥ Pollo Asado A La Catalana (495 php)

The Pollo Asado A La Catalana which is roasted chicken with prunes, shrimp and apricots received a lot of praise that night.  I personally enjoyed the fruity apricots sweet notes that matched the tender chicken well.

Rice/Arroces

♥ Paella de Marisco (Seafood paella) (495 php)

This is one of the best Paella de Marisco or seafood paella I've ever had.  Even Barcino's rendition is pale in comparison.  The price is a steal too!

♥ Paella Negra con Sepia (495 php)

 The Paella Negra con Sepia is also delicious but we  preferred the Paella de Marisco over it.


I don't usually post the bill but this box is too cute not to be shared.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Las Flores is a good modern Spanish Catalan restaurant to try.  We enjoyed our dining experience.  For the food quality, ambiance and service, it's definitely worth the price paid for.

We've recently discovered Smoper Chicken at Bonifacio Global City.  Smoper Chicken is a chicken delivery chain established in 1989 and now has 800 branches in South Korea alone.  With so many branches, it makes one curious at how good this chicken is.   


The store is a bit tricky to spot for the first time especially if you're driving a car since its sign is behind a post and its located between 7-11 and Seattle's Best Coffee.  Finding a parking slot is another challenge. 

Although Smoper Chicken looks humble on the outside, its actually bright, spacious and cozy.

Food
The offerings at Smoper Chicken is so affordable so I bet the employees nearby feast here all the time.

Chicken

Wings Regular (175 php/3 Pieces)

Unlike other Korean fried chicken chains, their chicken is light and golden in color.  You can also opt them to be served glazed with sauce or separate sauce.  We chose the latter so we can tinker with the taste according to our preference. 

Thighs Large (290 php/5 Pieces)

The chicken are as golden as their store sign.  I've never seen fried chicken as look so golden and clean like this before.  There were no burnt marks and it looked evenly cooked.

Drumsticks Large (290 php/5 pieces)

The skin is so crunchy yet surprisingly easy to bite!  Even my little sister who doesn't eat chicken skin couldn't resist them.

Drumsticks

The chicken meat is oh so juicy that each bite was a pleasure!  And, did I mention that they chicken are so meaty and big? 

Original, Spicy and Soy-Garlic (My apologies forgot the Curry)

We had four sauces: Original, Spicy, Curry and Soy-Garlic.  I liked the Spicy and the Curry the most.

Combo Meals

3 Pcs. Fish (165 php)

We also tried the Fish which had the same batter as the Chicken.  It was also as juicy but more tender since its Fish.  This is best eaten with the Curry sauce.

Ala Carte

Surf and Turf Fish & Bulgogi (195 php)

The Fish here is bite size and the Bulgogi was tender with a slight hint of sweetness.  This meal is delicious to pair with rice.

Sidings

Samgak Kimbap (Tuna Rice Triangle) (85 php)

It's my first time to try a Samgak Kimbap which is a tuna rice triangle and I loved it.  In fact, we wanted to order more of this and the chicken one but they ran out of stock.  This is tasty, crunchy with tuna bits and nori.
 

Rice (15 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Smoper Chicken is unlike other Korean fried chicken because their chicken are crunchier.  The meat is the juiciest I've had too.  I also like the separate sauce concept.  This is now my favorite Korean fried Chicken hands down!  I'll definitely come back for the chicken and to try the Patbingsoo which was unfortunately unavailable during our visit. =(

Mother's Day 4-Course Degustation (1200 php) Kids below 13 years old Menu  (600 php)

Toro's Mother's Day 4-Course Degustation

Soup

Sopa De Ostiones

The Sopa De Ostiones is a warm tomato based soup with hint of oyster and served with beans, herbs and spices.  It gives a refreshing beginning.