Two restaurants we visited within the last two weeks offered Wagyu and Angus Beef in different ways. One probably started as a sweets shop but has become a full-service restaurant. In another part of town, a Japanese restaurant’s menu totally made us ignore the usual tempura as we went through a unique array of delectable food.
Sweet Bella Café
Molino Lifestyle Mall, Madrigal Ave. corner Alabang-Zapote Road, Muntinlupa City; tel. 5564247
This place, among many that have sprung up in the complex, has a semblance of a park where benches are ready for promenaders and lights go on at night to illuminate the open-air environs. Sweet Bella is the only one with decorative plants on its patio. The place is small but cozy.
Dining area—While small, it has a mezzanine that can accommodate more diners. The chair upholstery is in fuchsia velvet. A counter of sweets entices diners to see (and buy) while waiting for their orders.
Service—Efficient, although the Filipino chef was a bit wanting in explaining his menu.
Staff—They hand out the menu as soon as guests are seated, take orders for drinks, and proceed to jot down the orders.
Suggested orders—The array combines international dishes. Starters include Grilled Oysters with Oregano Butter, fresh, large and swimming in butter; and Gambas Ajillo with that garlicky taste. Go for a salad. For the main course, choose from the steak lineup, such as the Angus Rib-Eye, which is delightfully succulent and grilled in its juice; or the USDA Tenderloin or Beef Steak, with Caramelized Onion.
The seafood selection includes Grilled Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce or Herbed Crusted Halibut. The sweets are a bit high-priced, but guests can share. The choices are many.
Usual service and government charges are included in the bills. Senior cards are honored.
Rating – 2 Spoons
Mogu Japanese Shinsen Bar and Grill
Serendra, Bonifacio Global City
While we cannot find the word mogu in our Japanese-English dictionary, the restaurant’s tagline says it means bite. Shin means new and fresh, hence the owners might mean every bite is fresh.
This is one Japanese restaurant that made us forget to order the traditional shrimp tempura.
Dining Area—We chose the sofa against the wall, which has a list of the resto’s specialties. The place is not irritatingly noisy.
Service—Commendable. Even the kitchen is quick.
Staff—All male, neat in their all-white outfits. They know what they serve.
Suggested orders—There is a menu by the entrance, and we immediately noticed the Fried Rice made with Wagyu Beef. We made up our mind to have that, but we started with sashimi, which was great. Then came the Salad of Mixed Greens with chunks of chicken, quite filling.
For the main course, we chose from the grill a Blue Marlin plated with Wagyu Rice, the latter truly unique in texture and flavor with bits, quite big, of the beef plus a lot of garlic, which we love! It was moist and subtly seasoned with soy.
The rest of the company got a for-sharing collection called Harami, thinly sliced imported marbled boneless beef short ribs, very tender, served with vegetables, miso soup and rice with edamame (Japanese beans).
They also had another combo of Grilled Hamachi (Young Yellow Tail Fish) and Fried Rice of mixed seafood and vegetables. Tea was the preferred after-meal beverage.
Government and service charges are added to the bill. Senior cards are honored.
Rating – 3 Spoons.