First Bite: Frank & Dean Café x Kitchen

After a heavy brunch from Locavore, my favorite foodies and I craved for some sweets to cap the meal. We read mixed reviews about Frank & Dean so we were a bit hesitant to head there. But the bright sun made the decision easier for us. Since Locavore and Frank & Dean are within the same area, we opted to just give it a try and see if it is really a waste of tummy space as others say. 

Hello, Frank & Dean. 

The place was rather empty when we got there around 1 pm. Only two or three tables were occupied and they didn’t even seem like customers. Apparently, we were right. They were scheduled to showcase their talents during Frank & Dean’s Common Ground (which serves as a venue for local artists to be heard and discovered). We decided to stay for a while since we heard that they will be serving free coffee and pastries for the ones who will watch the show. (Hey, don’t judge. It was a tempting offer.)

As much as we like free treats, we also try our best to be loveable customers so we ordered Paprika Fries (PHP190) and Beignets (PHP60). 

These two dishes were served in less than 10 minutes and we ate it as slow as possible to give us a reason to stay a bit longer. 

The beignets are like bavarian munchkins without the filling and left inside the fridge to be forgotten for weeks. The doughnuts were quite hard and not worth its price. It says a lot when you only had to pay PHP60 yet feel that your order was still a rip off. It was a really sad dish. 

At least the paprika fries did not disappoint. It was just like the ones I get from Pablo’s Pub. (Trivia: Frank & Dean and Pablo’s Pub in Forum are under the same owner.)

First Bite: Bondi & Bourke

I have been eying Bondi & Bourke for several months now. I have read countless reviews about this Australian steak place and all claim that the succulent slabs of meat are worth fighting for...against the unforgiving Makati traffic. But Makati is a strange and far land, or so on weeknights for me. To cut things short, I never had the chance to visit. Till last Friday night.

Hello, Bondi & Bourke! 

Thank you for opening a BGC branch. You made me so happy! 

I met up with some of my favorite looloo foodies at Melt, their second stop (third for C) that day. After our impulsive Flatiron visit to try the raved about Coffee Pie (PHP220), we headed to Bondi & Bourke for a heavy dinner. (J had to rush to Makati and R had to meet up with her boyfriend and left us alone with our steak night dream.)

While waiting for A to return after parking his car, we ordered a bowl of Garlic Fries (PHP95). I was absolutely famished when it arrived as it was already past 8 then. 

The fries were served in 10 minutes and though the fries were thick and crispy, the garlic powder was not spread evenly. Some fries were too garlicky while some were bland. 

To rightfully utter "Thank God it's Friday," we also ordered Australian Prime Rib Eye Steak (PHP2,190), Truffled Crab Carbonara (PHP630) and Chocolate Lamingtons (PHP145). A also ordered a bottle of red wine Crackerjack River (PHP1,000/bottle). 

The pasta arrived first and it was delightful. The noodles were al dente and the truffle taste was strong enough to be appreciated. 

The sauce was flavorful yet not overwhelming. It was one of my favorites that night. I only have one concern though... I could barely taste the crab meat. 

The rib eye steak arrived after 10 minutes or so and T was just in time for it! (We were already done taking photos when she arrived.)

With high expectations, we each took a morsel of meat and popped it inside our mouths.