My favorite stop during the Metro Angeles Food Tour 2014 (#MAFT2014) is SAB Bistro.  As soon as we arrived, I was already allured by its inviting facade. 


It's strategically located at Mac Arthur highway and has a wide parking area so its very accessible and convenient for diners. 


It's one of the best interiors I've encountered.  The place is bright, homey, clean and cozy.  It is well-lighted with spherical drop lights.  It's got comfortable lofts and minimalist tables and chairs.  It has a clean white brick-designed walls with cute frames containing witty quotes.  Its serene ambiance just makes you feel glad and relaxed. 

Food

Appetizers

♥ Buffalo Wings and Vegetable Crudites with Blue Cheese Dip (160 php)

The Buffalo Wings is covered in a nice blend of spicy and sour sauce.  This is really good rendition of the classic buffalo wings.  

Baked Mussels (170 php)

The Baked Mussels was fresh and cheesy!

Soup

♥ Butternut Squash Soup (95 php)

The Butternut Squash Soup was thick, rich and creamy.  I loved this!

Salad

♥ Salad Sabine (160 php)

The Salad Sabine had mixed greens, caramelized apple slices, water buffalo's milk cheese, cottage cheese, toasted walnut bits and raspberry vinaigrette.  This gained the approval of all my companions. 


Pasta

♥ Pasta La Mer (170 php)

The red cream sauce of the Pasta La Mer appeared to be light and yet it wasn't.  You could taste the richness of the sea with just a forkful.

Sandwiches

Chicken Enchilada Casserole (145 php)

The Chicken Enchilada Casserole may seem like ordinary casserole.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole (145 php)

But, the Chicken Enchilada Casserole is actually a hefty and zesty meal with shredded chicken in white sauce wrapped in soft flour tortilla laid on a bed of sweet tomato sauce (with fresh tomato bits) and topped with mozzarella cheese.   I give this an A+ for creativity and taste.  

♥ Chicken Pesto Sandwich (140 php)

 The Chicken Pesto Sandwich is served in an appealing heart shape with their house potato chips and alfalfa.

♥ Chicken Pesto Sandwich (140 php)

The Chicken Pesto Sandwich is a ciabatta bread toasted like a panini with grilled pesto chicken strips, shitake mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.  I rarely eat sandwiches and I'm hardly impressed by one but damn... this is so good!

Pork and Beef

♥ Beef Salpicao (220 php)

Wow! is what everyone exclaimed upon trying the Beef Salpicao.  Everyone was captivated by its savory, creamy and garlicky sauce.  The beef cubes was also so tender that biting through was so effortless.

Steak & Chops

♥ Wagyu Ribeye (450 php)

The Wagyu Ribeye is a must try!  It's a pretty good steak at such an unbelievable pricing.  I'm told that their wagyu is genuinely sourced from Japan. 

Chicken

Grilled Chicken Fillet with Lemon Butter Sauce (210 php)

My friends enjoyed the Grilled Chicken Fillet with Lemon Butter Sauce.   But, it was my least favorite among the bunch.  I'm impressed at how it was grilled with precision so it was so tender and juicy.   However, the saltiness overpowered the herb flavors.  
 
Fish and Seafood

♥ Seared Salmon with Spinacci (295 php)

The Seared Salmon with Spinacci is a perfectly seared salmon with spinach cream sauce.  By perfectly seared, I mean that it was golden brown crusted on all sides which locked in the pinkish and juicy salmon within.  It is served with mashed potato and buttered vegetables.

Prawn Thermidor (310 php)

Just a side story... While I was taking a photo of the Prawn Thermidor, a foreigner from the neighboring table said to me "Hey wanna take a photo of a diner eating that?"  I politely told him that I had to try it for myself so I can share it to the readers of my blog.  Seeing him finished with his food and drinks and fiddling with his tablet, I asked him for his feedback with his meal.  He said "I've been to four restaurants before this one and I stayed here because this is the best one I've tried."  So I told him "Wow!  I can't wait to try our meals then."

This Prawn Thermidor is indeed as good as it looks.  It's got a mysterious sauce that is blended with the mozzarella cheese.
 

Desserts

♥ Cookie Surprise (110 php)

The cookie surprise is an oreo fans' favorite dessert.  And, I luckily happen to be one. 

♥ Cookie Surprise (110 php)

The Cookie Surprise is their version of the famous wicked oreos or deep-fried battered oreos.  So far, this is the best I've tried yet.  It didn't feel oily and it has sinful but good vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate fudge dip.

♥ Chocolate Heaven (160 php)

The Chocolate Heaven is inspired by the Frozen Hot Chocolate of Serendipity 3 in New York which is chef Saira Yap's favorite.  It says in the menu that the Chocolate Heaven is good for sharing.  Well, it was so good that it didn't even reach my end of the table.


Cakes

♥ Red Velvet Cheesecake (145 php)

I am never a fan of popularly loved red velvet.  But, this Red Velvet Cheesecake is simply to die for!  This beats the pricier red velvet cheesecake of Italianni's.  The red velvet and cheesecake was so well-matched. 


Beverages

House Blend Iced Tea (55 php)

Other Metro Angeles Food Tour (#MAFT2014) Posts
Abe's Farm
Angeles Fried Chicken 
Binulo Restaurant
Cottage Kitchen Cafe
Historic Camalig Restaurant
La Rose Noire (factory visit) 
Mother's Cake House
Prism Lounge
Salt Restaurant (Breakfast Buffet)
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm very pleased with my dining experience at SAB Bistro.  Aside from the beautiful and serene ambiance and hearty food, the staffs are very courteous and friendly.  The young owner chef Saira Yap is also very hands-on and passionate with the cooking and management of her restaurant.  I believe that is the essential ingredient in the making of eery successful establishment.  It's also a great hang out place because it has the fastest WiFi among all restaurants in Pampanga.  I can't wait for their branches to open in Mc Kinley Hill Tuscany Estates and SM North Edsa.

Soups

♥ Braised Four Treasure Soup with Crab Roe Small (480 php)

The Braised Four Treasure Soup with Crab Roe was a delicious bowlful.  I think the clan was all in agreement on this one.

Appetizer

Appetizer Sampler: Soya Goose, Chilled Pomelo Fruits  with Wasabi Sauce, ♥ Qing Dynasty Fortune Chicken, ♥ Fried Softshell Crab with Eggplant and Pork Floss

Every dish served in the sampler was very good.  But, I guess we were all expecting the Chilled Pomelo Fruits with Wasabi Sauce to have something spectacular like the rest of the items served but it's just that.  It's healthy and refreshing but not worth paying for if it was me.

Pork, Beef & Lamb

♥ Sauteed Beef Tenderloin in Black Pepper Sauce Small (960 php)

The Sauteed Beef Tenderloin in Black Pepper Sauce is the most exquisite kind of pepper steak I've tried with the soft beef tenderloin cubes, onion and corn. It's tastiness made it a winner.

Seafood

♥ Pan-fried Codfish Fillet in Light Soya Sauce

The Pan-fried Codfish Fillet in Light Soya Sauce was simply fried and battered with light soya sauce.   But, the quality of the ingredient as well as the execution is superb as it was flaky and clean-tasting. 

Live Seafood: Fresh Crab

Baked Crab with Dried Scallop and Onions (190 php per 100 grams)

I don't usually like to get my hands messy but this Baked Crab with Dried Scallop and Onions will really keep you cracking and sucking for more.

Live Seafood: Prawns/Shrimps

♥ Fried King Prawn Balls Coated with Cornflakes (1,000 php/small)

The Fried King Prawn Balls Coated with Cornflakes is one of the most popular dishes in Summer Palace.  You could probably tell by that how good this!  The crunchy cereal complements the soft king prawns well.

Poultry

Peking Duck First Course (3,300 php)

I just love Peking Duck whether its laid on a wrapper with hoisin sauce and rolled to be eaten like this...

Peking Duck Second Course: Minced Duck Meat Bedded on a Lettuce (3,600 php)

or like this Minced Duck Meat Bedded on a Lettuce.  It's only on occasion do I get to enjoy it because it's heavy on the pocket.

We also had some Birthday Noodles and Sauteed Fresh Mushrooms with Broccoli which I forgot to take a photo of.  Both were typical for me.

Desserts

Deep-fried Crispy Banana Balls filled with Red Bean Paste (160 php/order)

It's my fist time to try this Deep-fried Crispy Banana Balls filled with Red Bean Paste as this is not a typical lauriat dessert.  It was surprisingly good despite the  mysterious appearance.  It's got bannana and red beans within the crunchy pancake-like coating .  I wanted to eat more but my bulging tummy was already protesting.  

Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Almond Jelly and Sherbet (155 php/order)

After a long course meal, the Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Almond Jelly and Sherbet was a nice light way to end it.

 
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Summer Palace offers top-notch quality Chinese dishes with excellent Chinese fine dining ambiance and service.  If you're looking for a place to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine that will surely satisfy your guests, then definitely put Summer Palace into consideration.  Private functions rooms are available and they accommodate special arrangements.

The best perks of staying at Widus Hotel and Casino is having the complimentary breakfast buffet at Salt Restaurant.  Upon entry, I was already excited by the numerous diners who seemed happy with their breakfast.


Salt Restaurant has a grand interior that is befitting for the main restaurant of the first and only five-star hotel in Pampanga.  Its a 120-seater restaurant with half of the area allocated for its buffet selections.


I have only tried a few hotel breakfast buffets.  But, as of the moment, it has the widest breakfast buffet selection I have ever encountered.  The buffet is offered from 6 am to 10 am.  Staffs will inform you at around 15 minutes before 10 am that it is the last call.  Gosh! I was so giddy when I saw the frozen yogurt machine. Now, shall we proceed...

Food

Cereal Station

Cheerios and Fruit Loops

Pastry Station

Hard Rolls, Pan De Sal, Ensaymada, Mini Croissant, ♥ Blueberry Muffins and Danish Pastry

They have a lot of pastry selections from the basic breads to the sophisticated danish ones.  I tried the Hard Rolls and Blueberry Muffins.  They have this cool rotating toaster where you get to drop your pastry and see it toasted and drop at the other end.  I used that for my rolls assisted by a staff.  That's another plus for Salt. All stations have an assigned staff so assistance is instantaneous.


Pastry Spread

Chocolate Syrup, Peanut Butter, Blueberry Preserved, Strawberry Syrup and Orange Marmalade

The popular choice, as I noticed, is the Chocolate Syrup.

Cheese Station

Cheddar Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese

On the cheeseboard are slices of Cheddar Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese. 

Salad Station
You can make your own salad or choose a salad already prepared.

♥ Apple Salad

I opted for the Apple Salad which has a mix of red and green apples which seemed like a great choice as it was delicious!

Kimchi Station

♥ Kimchi

The Kimchi is really good.  I guess it has to be as the hotel is partly owned by Koreans and most of their clients are Koreans.

Waffle and Pancakes Station
There is an interactive Waffle and Pancakes Station were you can have freshly cooked waffles and pancakes and choose from honey or maple syrup (I'd like to note that it was an excellent Grade A maple syrup).

I loved my Waffles which I drizzled with maple syrup that I had to return for another. 

Dimsum Station

♥ Siomai

I have a really high standard when it comes to Dimsum.  I am rarely impress with dimsums served in buffet.  Wow!  Their Siomai is really good.  It belongs to the league of top-notch expensive Chinese Restaurants like Li Li's Restaurant or Gloria Maris.

Shabu Shabu Station
At the Shabu-Shabu Station, you are entitled to chose you toppings and sauces and then hand it over to the chef so he can cook it in their flavorful broth.  You can come for it after a few minutes.  I'm really glad they have this station. =)

♥Shabu Shabu Bowl

This is one of the best Shabu-Shabu I've had.  Their ingredients are really high quality.  I think this is at par with Tao Yuan and other Hot Pot specialized restaurants.

Main Course
Here are some of the main course, which I didn't get to try.  Others are on my plate. =)

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Potato Bravas

Baked Tomatoes

Bacon

Boiled Egg and Scrambled Egg

String Beans

Tocino

My Plate
Some of the main courses I tried are: ♥ Sausage, ♥ Rattoutille, Pesto Pasta, Fish Fillet and ♥ Tapa.  All of them were good!

Frozen Yogurt Station
As for the Frozen Yogurt, unfortunately it ran out at 9 am.  The staff informed me that they had no more plans of refilling since its an hour away from the end time so I missed it. =(

Fresh Fruits Station and Juice Station

Fruits: Papaya, Pineapple, Orange and Apple; Juices: Grape Juice and Orange Juice

They also serve Brewed Coffee upon request.

Other Metro Angeles Food Tour (#MAFT2014) Posts
Abe's Farm
Angeles Fried Chicken 
Binulo Restaurant
Cottage Kitchen Cafe
Historic Camalig Restaurant
La Rose Noire (factory visit) 
Mother's Cake House
Prism Lounge
Sab Bistro

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Salt Restaurant offers an impressive 5-Star breakfast buffet.  I highly recommend it.