Just when you thought Filipino food couldn’t get any more exciting beyond the sizzle of sisig on a hot iron plate, The Bistro Group cooks up a homegrown restaurant concept that is sure to enkindle one’s appetite for Pinoy cuisine.

 

Opening its doors at the third level of Greenbelt 3, Siklab offers local comfort food that are expected to be a notch or two higher.

 

With a restaurant name that literally means “to catch fire” or “burst into flames,” the dishes served here are in their best hot-off-the-grill goodness like the staple Filipino Chicken Barbecue. Guests can also look forward to nothing less than an explosion of flavors even in the most simple of dishes.

 

The restaurant’s interiors are accented with wooden planks and black drop lights that lend a laid-back, almost rustic vibe to the place. But it’s this homey and inviting ambiance that heightens the dining experience at Siklab, creating just the right kind of setting for a satisfying meal.

 

Chef Josh Boutwood, Bistro Group’s corporate chef, personally recommends the star of the menu, the Chicken Barbecue. Chicken pieces are smothered in Siklab’s marinade made of coconut soy sauce, citrus and other spices, and the meat is grilled to exact temperature and tenderness. The smokey aroma and intense flavor of the chicken plus its juiciness and succulence, bite after bite, will delight even the most discerning palate.

 

Other must-try dishes are Pakbet, Pako Salad, Monggo Soup, Kuhol sa Gata,  barbecued Liempo, Grilled Pig’s Ears, Tuna Belly, Bulalo, Molo Soup and Sinigang na Baka.

 

Meanwhile, skewered beef and pork specialties are not to be passed up if only for Siklab’s signature basting sauce.  “Roasted seafood are dipped in blended soy sauce and lemongrass,

while beef, pork and poultry are brushed with a tomato-based basting—all rich and homemade barbecue basting,” chef Josh said.

 

Desserts include versions of caramelized banana, biko and turon.

 

As part of Bistro Group’s portfolio of restaurant concepts, Siklab carries the same brand of customer service, great food and friendly ambiance that the chain is known and loved for. Call 7297431 to 32.

 

Breakfast fare available 24/7

 

Rufo’s Famous Tapa is now open 24 hours a day in Retiro, Quezon City.

 

Rufo’s has endeared itself to food lovers primarily because of its tapa which is soft, juicy and served with a rich, sweet sauce. Other top sellers are juicy liempo, sizzling chicken sisig, tinola, bulalo, boneless bangus and pork chops, among others.  Add fast service 24/7, affordable prices and a casual yet comfortable dining atmosphere and you have a winning formula.

 

Aside from existing branches in Retiro, UST, Timog, Makati Ave., Eastwood, Las Piñas, Macapagal Ave., Vito Cruz, Shaw, McKinley Hill and selected SM malls, expect to see more stores within the next few months, Rufo’s president Paul Izon Reyes said.

 

Their Retiro branch is at “R” Place Building, NS Amoranto Ave., Retiro, Quezon City. For franchise inquiries, call 4776652; visit www.rufos.com.ph or add rufosfamoustapa on Facebook and Twitter

 

Max’s collaborates

with celeb chef

 

After almost seven decades, this homegrown brand continues to create innovative ways to step up the Filipino’s dining experience to a whole new level. This time, Max’s redefines elegance in dining with its new epicurean spread.

 

Recently announcing its collaboration with chef Rolando Laudico, Max’s Restaurant is serving up Max’s Dinner Specials, an opulent array of mouthwatering meals:

 

Seafood Tinapa Pasta, which highlights smoked bangus; Creamy Chorizo Pasta, Max’s gives an innovation; Ensaladang Pinoy with Bagoong Vinaigrette; Tamarind Spiced Sweet Potato Chips; and Grilled Salmon Head and Belly; and Beer-Braised Pata Tim, mildly sweet, slow-cooked pork pata.

 

Buffet dinners across

the Pacific at Acaci

 

Experience dinners with an international flair from both sides of the Pacific in Acaci, the buffet restaurant of Acacia Hotel Manila.

 

Friday buffet dinners are dedicated to the fine city of Singapore. Char Kway Teow, Chicken Rice, Laksa, Satay and other culinary delights from the island-nation will grace the buffet spread.

 

On Nov. 28, diners can look forward to a special Thanksgiving dinner buffet. The hotel’s version of Stuffed Turkey, Chopped House Salad, Sweet Potato Casserole and Pumpkin Pie will be the main offering alongside other equally sumptuous Thanksgiving dishes.

 

Call tel. nos. 7202000 or 5885888. E-mail [email protected].

 

Racks hits gold with its gold pork ribs offering

 

Ribs and barbecue are among the famous dishes from American popular culture, and among the more notable ones are Carolina-style barbecues whose processes and ingredients depend on where one is. For example, South Carolinians prefer to smoke their pork products, such as ribs, with wood chips, while North Carolinians choose hardwood charcoal to provide the smoke. Racks showcases the flavors of South Carolina with its new Carolina Gold Pork Ribs and the Carolina-style slaw. The mustard-based barbecue sauce gives the ribs a unique taste, while the Carolina-style slaw, created to complement the Carolina Gold Pork Ribs, uses a refreshing vinaigrette-based dressing, which makes it a lighter side dish that’s almost like a salad and perfectly matches other barbecue varieties at Racks.

 

Thanksgiving feast

at Richmonde

 

The Richmonde Café at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas gives you more to be thankful for. Be grateful for all that’s good on earth as you feast on well-loved, classic Thanksgiving fare served at

the bountiful Thanksgiving buffet offered for lunch on Nov. 28 and 29 for only P995, and for dinner on Nov. 29 for just P695 net.

 

Indulge in abundant servings of scrumptious roast turkey, flavorful pumpkin pie, an assortment of appetizing stuffing and mouthwatering side dishes, and relish life’s blessings with this exquisite feast.

 

For inquiries and reservations, call 6387777. The Richmonde Café is at 2/F Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

 

New dishes at T.G.I.Friday’s

 

T.G.I.Friday’s recently launched 11 new dishes including three renditions of its Buffalo Wings—Honey Barbecue, Garlic Parmesan, and on top of pasta with a blue cheese sauce.

 

Other dishes are Chipotle Yucatan Chicken Salad; Tostada Nachos and Tortilla-crusted Fish Tacos; and Texmex Mac and Cheese with nacho bits on top.