First Bite: Lola Cafe + Bar

Lola Cafe + Bar is one of the most recommended restaurants in Tomas Morato. Known for its quaint ambiance and interesting menu, I've been wanting to visit this place for years! And finally, after three long years, the stars aligned and off we drove to this foodie district. 

Hello, Lola Cafe + Bar. 

We visited Lola on a Tuesday night and the restaurant's parking was packed! We were told that we could park nearby as long as we get to have half the car up the sidewalk. 

There were a handful of tables available then but we weren't immediately seated. (I guess they had to check if those were reserved?)

Lola's menu is a mix of different cuisines but most fall under Filipino. I love that there are marks to show which dishes are its bestsellers, spicy and vegetarian. 

I quickly went for Tartufo (PHP310, solo | PHP575, share) while R added Mushroom Chicharon (PHP205), Pork Belly Bagoong (PHP295) and Coconut Chopseuy (PHP350). We also had Dalandan and Ginger (PHP100, glass | PHP180, carafe) for drink.

I was a bit underwhelmed with the serving size of our drink. Lola's carafe was rather small and only good for two servings. At least the Dalandan and Ginger juice was refreshing. 

Mushroom Chicharon was a nice way to start our meal. Paired with vinegar, the fried oyster mushrooms definitely whet our appetite. Serving size though was a bit too small to be shared. 

Tartufo was divine! The mouthwatering aroma of truffle filled the air once our plate was served on the table. And it was not just fragrant. It was rich in truffle flavor too! 

I loved that there were also huge mushroom chunks to add more texture to the creamy dish. The serving size, again, may be small for its price but it was worth every penny!

We initially wanted to get Salmon Sinigang but it was not available during our visit so we went with Lola's bestseller Pork Belly. And it wasn't a bad second option. Tender and flavorful in every bite, the succulent pork belly went beautifully well with the fluffy white rice, pickled mango and pork crackling. It was a burst of different flavors and textures!

I wasn't able to try Coconut Chopseuy but it seemed like your usual stir fried greens but made with coconut instead of cooked with oyster sauce. 

With enough room to spare, we also ordered S'mores (PHP210) and Saba con Macapuno (PHP190). 

I was pleasantly surprised with the serving size as both were bigger than expected. 

The Saba con Macapuno is like your saba con yelo 2.0. Served with sliced saba, macapuno ice cream, dulce de leche and shaved ice, this sweet treat is a light and refreshing way to cap your meal. 

But if you want something richer and bolder, go for S'mores which uses tablea chocolate. Its slight dark notes made it so addictive! I also loved how the marshmallows were perfectly toasted giving it that warm and slightly gooey texture. 

I'll surely be back for more of Lola's tartufo and s'mores! I can't wait to try its bone marrow sisig too!

P.S. Though the place is nice, it can get really noisy given the poor sound insulation. You could literally hear everyone. I highly suggest that you visit this place during its non-peak hours if you're sensitive to noise.

Lola Cafe + Bar is located at 99 Scout Lozano Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City. It also has branches in Podium and S Maison.