First Bite: Eighteen Bistro

I had no idea that Friday traffic would be this crazy. I had to rush from Greenhills to Tomas Morato before 6 p.m. but I failed. Hence, I had to go back to Tomas Morato the following day to complete my task. And I’m not complaining from working on weekends when I get rewarded with food. After all, Tomas Morato is a foodie destination and thanks to the ever trusty foodie app, looloo, I found out that three restaurants on my must visit list are just a couple of blocks away. And for stop #1, R and I went to Eighteen Bistro.

Hello, Eighteen Bistro!

I have been eying this restaurant ever since I saw a post or two of its PHP18 cocktails on Facebook. I’m not an alcoholic. I just love scoring great deals!

We got to the place around 5:45 p.m. and the place was empty. We ordered Tomato Cream Soup (PHP180), Beef Bourguignon (PHP350) and Spicy Portobello and Cream Cheese (PHP310). We also wanted to avail of the PHP18 cocktails but the bistro was quite strict with the deal and we could only order when the clock strike 6:00. And so we waited. 

The tomato soup, despite its description of being a slow cooked stew, was served fast! (Okay, corny joke.)

It was served piping hot but it had a stench that R negatively reacted to. The server said that it must be the balsamic vinegar. But R felt that it was something else, like a poorly dried dishwashing towel or something.  Despite the smell, the soup was delightful.

It had a thick texture and I loved the sweet yet tangy taste of it. It was like slurping spaghetti sauce with a borderline Filipino and Italian blend. The toasted baguette with cheese was a nice touch.

The slow braised beef in red wine with potato terrine on the side was also good. The meat was succulent. 

There were some fatty parts though which health conscious would not dare eat. But R and I aren’t calorie or cholesterol conscious and so we ate everything.

The spicy Portobello mushroom pasta was a bit on the bland side. It wasn’t spicy at all and I think it was because of the lack of sauce or cayenne pepper. The spaghetti though was cooked well. Ask for parmesan cheese for more taste. 

Around 6:00 p.m., we asked the server which drinks are included in the promo and the server mentioned three drinks. We went with Amaretto Sour and Jim Fizz. 

The drinks were served right away.

I didn’t like the Amaretto Sour as it had this cherry taste (and I hate cherries). I liked the Jim Fizz better as it had a lighter taste. But it tasted more like soda than cocktails. It lack the alcohol kick that Amaretto Sour had. 

Overall, it was a good dinner. The food was delightful. But I’ll skip the drinks next time. 

Eighteen Bistro is located at 51-B Scout Rallos, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.