First Bite: Dean & Deluca

I always get curious and excited every time I see a new establishment opening soon. But it took Dean & Deluca quite a while before it opened. The place had mixed reviews—some say the original Dean & Deluca is better than the local one (well, I wouldn’t know as all I could afford when I was in NYC were hotdogs and Halal food) while others can’t stop raving about its desserts. There’s only one way to find out… to visit the place and try its food myself.

Hello, Dean & Deluca!

The place was packed when we arrived. Luckily, there was an available table.

Dean & Deluca has a nice selection of dishes and we chose the ones I read were good—Trio Field Mushroom Soup (PHP280), Gratinated Baked Oysters (PHP325), BBQ Braised US Beef Short Ribs (PHP850), and Seafood Medley (PHP980).

First served was the soup and it was lovely. The texture was slightly thick and the truffle cream was divine. I loved slurping it the thinly sliced mushrooms.

Next served was the plate of gratinated baked oysters. I read really nice reviews about this dish but… it wasn’t extraordinary. The oysters were indeed fresh and there was a nice contrast between the grated cheese and the smooth oysters but that was about it. Well, if you’re a fan of oysters, you’ll most likely enjoy this dish.

First Bite: Marketplace by Rustan’s Supermarket

I love grocery shopping! It’s one of my happy places for it gives me extreme happiness whenever I see a new products or my favorite snack that I haven’t seen in ages (such as Tronky). My all-time favorite supermarkets are Pioneer Supermarket (with its highly impressive selection of imported goods) and S&R. A few months ago, I noticed Marketplace, the deli area of Rustan’s Supermarket in Rockwell. I used to ignore it but I see more and more diners in the area so I thought that it might be a good place to have a meal. And a few Sundays ago, I finally got to visit the place.

Hello, Marketplace!

The first thing I saw when I got in was the man who was enjoying a tray of salmon. I circled the place thrice but I couldn’t find it. Oh well.

After a few more minutes, I finally decided to get the following: Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad (PHP220), Bacon Cheddar and Tomato Sandwich (PHP199), Mozzarella and Chunky Tomato Sandwich (PHP165) and Quiche Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese (PHP99).

The Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad was more on the bland side. My mom and sister didn’t really like it as it was cold. But it was meant to be cold and it was actually refreshing.