First Bite: Soil Modern Dining

The words “softopening” attracts me like a fly to light and the thought of being one of thefirst ones to sample a new restaurant’s offerings delights me… a lot. And just like any typical night, I browsed through the looloo app and a review caught my attention. Soil Modern Dining, a new player in Molito is on its soft opening. It was just perfect as I was going to visit my aunt who lives in Alabang that weekend and R was game to head there for early dinner. Yay!

Hello, Soil Modern Dining.

We were greeted by nice modern, industrial interiors and I was instantly charmed by its simple yet beautiful table setting. 

Since we got there a tad too early (Soil resume operations at 6PM for dinner service), we decided to just wait outside and enjoy the cool breeze. We headed back after 20 minutes and took the bar seats, right across the open kitchen.

We ordered Bone Marrow Escargot Spread with Lemon Brioche and Onions (PHP180) for appetizer, Tea Smoked Salmon with Potato Gnocchi, Atchara and Orange (PHP335) and Pan Seared Duck with Fresh Pasta, Foie Gras and Mangoes (PHP400) for mains and Basil Lemonade with Blueberries (PHP80) and Warm Tarragon Tea with Star Anise Syrup (PHP80) for drinks.

While waiting for our meals, we were given complementary malunggay bread with seaweed butter. It was served warm and it sure hit the spot. I loved the softness of the bread and the lovely crunch of the crust. I also fell in love with the subtle salty taste of the butter. It was great!

I was still savoring the delightful bread and spread when our appetizer arrived.

I loved the wooden serving plate where the bone marrow was placed. It added a bit of warmth (aesthetically) to the food.

I scrapped a bit of bone marrow, sprinkled a bit of salt and spread it on a piece of bread and it tasted… oily. The taste of the bone marrow escargot was very weak and it was overpowered by the buttered bread. I then realized that this dish is best to be enjoyed without the bread or have a bite of it after getting a taste of the bone marrow escargot. Without the bread, it was actually a tasty dish. It was still oily but it had a nice light taste perfect for an appetizer.

My Tea Smoked Salmon was served next and it was a lovely sight.

The salmon was cooked just right. It wasn’t overly cooked hence leaving the rather small slab of salmon very fresh and moist. It was like enjoying salmon aburi! I also enjoyed the potato gnocchi which was so soft and slightly seasoned to give more flavor to the dish.

The unique atchara (made with some wild greens instead of shredded papaya relish) gave a nice sweet taste and the salted egg cream added a bit of saltiness. It was a great balance of flavors and definitely a must order dish.

Cebu Food Stop: Maya Mexican Restaurant

Cebu has become a foodie haven with restaurants serving delectable dishes. And with its more casual and laidback vibe, I wouldn’t mind living here stuffing myself with lechon. Anyway, since we wanted to maximize our last night in Cebu, we decided to head out and visit Maya Mexican Restaurant. Honestly, I wasn’t keen on leaving Crimson Hotel in Mactan for some fajitas but when they said that it’s beside La Marea… let’s just say that I changed my mind.

Hello, Maya Mexican Restaurant!

The Book of Life inspired restaurant sure screams Mexican vibe with its display of colorful skulls and masks.

I browsed Frannywanny’s blog about this place and since she raved about Asada Fajitas(PHP695), I decided to order that. Other dishes we ordered were Nachos (PHP395), Tinga Quesadillas (PHP295), Carnitas Quesadillas (PHP295) and Mini Tacos (PHP335 for 3 mini tacos). We ordered one more dish but I totally forgot its name and they could not accommodate our request for additional guacamole because they ran out. :(

First served were the quesadillas and I loved the crispy pork confit (carnitas) quesadillas more than the chicken (tinga) quesadillas. Both are filling though with its warm roasted tortillas with charred onions, cilantro and sweet pepper for crunch.

The nachos were served next and it was a beautiful mess. I loved the generous serving of cheese, refried beans and salsa! It was a great dish for sharing. 

You have to eat it fast though if you want your nacho chips to stay crispy.

I went to fajitas heaven with the Asada Fajitas. The grilled Angus beef was delectable. The soft and scrumptious beef tasted even better with the frijoles (beans), Mexican rice, peppers, and onions.