Exploring Subic

Last April, we celebrated Kyle's birthday at Subic. Since we wanted to maximize our R&R weekend, and out of my curiosity, we booked an overnight stay at the Lighthouse Marina Resort.

We left the Metro around 8 AM and arrived at Subic before 10 AM. Since it was still early for check in, we decided to have brunch at Meat Plus Cafe.

Meat Plus is a famous steak shop in Subic. It's management is responsible for the operations of Tender Bob's (Yes, Tender Bob's is a local company). Other than the items on their menu, you can also purchase frozen meats and have it cooked to your liking, or just have it for take home. I was actually eyeing their burger patties, but we forgot to bring a cooler to keep it from spoiling, so that will be for next time.

From their menu, we selected the Pumpkin Soup, Tenderloin (Php 260), and Combo Meal 7 (Oven Roasted Beef Belly with Soup and Rice - Php 220). Ordering style is pay as you order. Service is a bit slow, so be prepared to wait for your food.

     

The soup was served after about fifteen minutes. It was served piping hot, but the taste was just ok. Well, It's always nice to start a meal with hot soup.

The meals were served about ten minutes after the soup was served.

     

The Beef Belly was a very pleasant and plentiful dish. The meat was very soft, flavorful and had a decent amount of fat on it. The gravy wasn't really necessary and I also found it too peppery. On the contrary, the Tendeloin steak was just sad. It looked like a small medallion of meat, not even enough to satisfy one hungry person. The meat was a bit overdone, but the flavor was ok.

We'll probably go back to buy their frozen meats.

After brunch, we went around the area and bought some chips and chocolates at Duty Free, before finally checking in.

We were welcomed by very accommodating staff, however, the receptionist was a tad slow while processing our check-in. I think she was just new and had to ask everyone around on what she should do. The lobby was quite spacious, but the furnishings looked old and sad. When check-in procedures were finally done, one of the bellboys assisted us to our room. We used their elevator, and it was tiny! The space was just good enough to fit a maximum of three people with few baggage.

Our room: Aqua Terrace Room (Php 7,800) with a king size bed

     

I found the room to be just normal, nothing really fancy about it. The bed and pillows were nice and very comfortable. The bathroom had the basic amenities, and a normal sized tub. After settling in and resting for a while, we went down to their cafe (Sands Resto Grill) to avail of the complimentary afternoon snacks.

We were served with nachos and cheese sticks. It was just so-so, both the cheese sticks and nachos were already soggy. We browsed over their menu and just ordered desserts. We decided to try their Mango Cheesecake and Mango Crème Brûlée.

     

Somebody took a whack at the cheesecake before I could even grab a picture, hehe. The Mango Cheesecake is probably the best mango cheesecake that I have ever tasted!!! The cheesecake itself was really thick and they did not scrimp on the use of cream cheese (instead of just cream or gelatin). The mango flavor was just right, it was really the perfect cheesecake!

The Mango Crème Brûlée was also heavenly! The custard was done right, not too stiff and not too runny / loose. I love the perfectly caramelized cap, which add that extra sweetness and crunch to it.

After our very satisfying afternoon snacks, we went to the pool area and rested on their pool benches. I also took a short dip in the pool.

     

The pool area is very small and the pool has a maximum depth of five feet.

Dinner was a another story since we headed out to Texas Joe's House of Ribs, but I totally forgot to get decent pictures while we were there.

The Lighthouse serves breakfast, buffet style (again, no pictures). The spread consists of both American and Filipino breakfast dishes. Bacon is not displayed as part of the buffet but you can order it from the Omelet station. The food was just ok, nothing to rave about.

Overall, we had a relaxing weekend. I believe that I was able to satisfy my curiosity on what makes this place special, and all I can say is, there's nothing special about the Lighthouse. Rates are even more expensive than my favorite Le Monet in Baguio. For its rate, I would rather book a villa somewhere else.

MEAT PLUS CAFE

Bldg. 65, Sampson Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo, Zambales, Philippines

THE LIGHTHOUSE MARINA

Moonbay Marina Complex, Waterfront Road, CBD , Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales, Philippines

A Touch of TORCH

Torch was introduced to us during a car-club meet. Ever since that event, we've been coming back here when we're within the Greenhills area.

It's located along Connecticut Street and can be a bit tricky to see because it's signage is covered by a tree branch.

The interior has a casual and comfortable feel.



Their menu is also quite interesting, it's like East meets West.

We were in the mood for a heavy lunch so we got quite a lot from their menu.

For starters, Volcano Roll (Php 369.95) and Buffalo Asian Wings (Php 324.95).

    

The Volcano Roll is a baked sushi with tempura, tamago, topped with spice-baked scallops and smothered with cheese and Japanese mayo. I love their presentation! Overflowing, lava-like cheese that makes this dish just delish!

For the Buffalo Asian Wings, we requested it to have less heat, they happily accommodated our request. :) The crispy wings were coated with a sweet glaze, followed by a subtle kick of spice that balances out the flavor. Perfect.

Next dish we tried was the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza (Php 369.95).



Simply put, it's your favorite philly cheesesteak sandwich turned into a pizza. You can never go wrong with this one.

For our main dishes, we got the Beef Short Plate (Php 249.95) and Salpicao Medallion (Php 449.95).



The Beef Short Plate (left) had hefty servings of tender beef belly with a generous amount of fat in it, served with garlic parsley rice with a side of beans and carrots. This was probably the best dish I had during our meal. The beef was just bursting with flavor and the fat, oh the fat, the words escape me.



The Salpicao Medallion is certified Angus Beef wrapped in bacon also served with garlic parsley rice with a side of sauteed French beans and carrots. We preferred it well-done. They serve this dish on a sizzling hot stone to prevent it from getting cold and greasy easily. The plating gives this dish a good first impression, but there was really nothing special with the steak.

Torch is a good place for simple, casual dates and budget friendly, feel-good food trips. We really enjoyed and were greatly satisfied with our lunch.

TORCH

Home Studio Building, 63 Connecticut Street, Greenhills, San Juan City (02-4773771, 02-5020000)

Dining at the BACKYARD

During our drive home from work, we stumbled upon a hidden gem along the lines of Sgt. Esguerra. We normally shy away from this street because parking is just really bad. Luckily there was an available street parking that seemed to be awaiting our arrival.

Backyard Burgers is a small quaint restaurant besides a car wash station.  It offers a wide selection of burgers, sandwiches, sides and drinks. They also allow customers to use their creative juices and customize their own burgers with their wide array of add-ons.

For starters, we got the Onion Rings (Php 60) and Buffalo Wild Wings (Php 150).



I love that the Onion Rings are cut thin and with the right amount of breading. We requested for some ketchup and mayonnaise to be used as dip. The Buffalo Wild Wings was served with bleu cheese dip. It was a bit too spicy for my liking. Given that Kyle doesn't like and has a low tolerance with spicy food, he didn't give it a try.

For our main dish, we got their Truffle Burger (Php 215) and Beef Belly Cheesesteak (Php 150)

    

Both sandwiches were served on some kind of wax paper. This was actually a turn-off for me since the cheese stuck on the wax paper, which made it messy and quite hard to eat. I hope that they improve on how they serve their food.

Kyle's Truffle Burger had a 1/2 pound, mozzarella stuffed patty, and was loaded with shiitake mushrooms on top of the cheddar cheese. The burger patty was well seasoned and perfectly grilled preserving all of its juices. The mozzarella oozed out from Kyle's every bite.

My Beef Belly Cheesesteak was filled with beef strips (Yes, there's meat hiding underneath :p ) and loaded with mushrooms, bell pepper and onions with a generous amount of cheese sauce. The beef was just so tender with the right amount of fat, and the veggies and cheese gave out complementing flavors. This sandwich made my night.

Backyard Burgers offer affordable, quality and delicious food. It's really a bang for the buck!

You don't need to break your budget just to get good food, you just have to look for the hidden gems ;).

BACKYARD BURGERS

52 Sgt Esguerra Street, South Triangle, Quezon City (02-3844140)

Right on CUE!

I've been wanting to try this particular restaurant in Bonifacio High Street (BHS), mainly because of all the good things I have read about it.

We were finally able to dine at CUE Modern Barbecue last May.

For starters, we ordered their Good 'Ol Chicken Skins and Bone Marrow & Steak Tacos. For our main dish, we decided to try the Angus Beef Belly.

The Good 'Ol Chicken Skins (Php 145) is served with 2 types of dip, Red and Green Chili Sauce and Sweet Honey. I tasted it first without dip, and loved how crunchy and tasty their version is. I found it a bit peculiar for chicken skin to be served with honey, since the main purpose of the dip is to lessen the oil. Lo' and behold, it worked perfectly with the chicken skin! The sweet honey gave it a caramelized taste which I loved. Kyle liked it better without any dip. I guess this is more of an acquired tastes, specially for those who like to dip their chicken skin in vinegar.



One of the best ideas to serve as an appetizer the Bone Marrow & Steak Tacos (Php 485). This way, it can be eaten in moderation. Given Kyle's love for bone marrow and steak, this is the perfect dish for him.



A spoonful of soft, sinful bone marrow combined with steak chunks, carefully placed on a flour tortilla, rolled into the perfect bite! This is just pure bliss! Unfortunately, I only had one serving since I didn't want to fill myself before the main entree arrives.

My entree choice was the Angus Beef Belly (Php 695), 200 grams of beef braised in dark ale and mustard crusted. You get one free side dish for every from The Chopping Board. We chose the mashed potato for our side dish and salsa verde for the sauce.



The meat was really fork tender and had a strong mustard flavor. I really didn't like how the mustard overpowered the flavor of the beef. I actually scraped of the mustard crust for me to be able to fully enjoy this dish.

All the dishes that we ordered did not fall short from our expectations. The only down side that I could find from Cue is their price. Admittedly, they are on the high-end side of the market and is not for those who are budget-conscious.

A major plus factor for this place is their very cozy interiors. It has a very homey and relaxing feel when you dine in here. Definitely coming back!

For the detailed menu, please click on the following links:

Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12

 

CUE Modern Barbecue

Space NELG 105, Lower Ground Floor, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City  (02-6214052, 02-2121212)