Dining for One: Chef’s Bistro

Chef’s Bistro is a quaint hole-in-a-wall operation with pleasantly homely interiors, a fusion of cuisine, but heavy on the comfort food aspect. Their bestsellers are delicious crisp salads with citrus vinaigrette, warm pumpkin soup and plated meals. Similar to Katre, quite hidden in Tomas Morato, Chef’s Bistro does not boast the popularity nor the food that the other boldly delivers.

A one floor restaurant that exhibits white ceilings, large glass windows (not much of a view though – just neighborhood gates), dark wooden tables and long comfortable benches. During lunch service, I had to be aware of the bored waiters who only had me for their customer. Though I love the privacy and service attention, having no diners during lunch, even if it is in Tomas Morato (known for its nightlife), shows me that the crowd in this area hasn’t clicked with this restaurant and I have empathy with the problematic lunch expense the owners of this restaurant might have.

After ordering my Salmon Fillet (with Pistacio Beurre Blanc, Buttered Vegetables and Herbed Mashed Potatoes at P288.00) and Bistro Iced Tea, the waiter serves me my water. Now the result of idleness comes into play. I slowly sip my water waiting for my food to arrive, when the waiter serves me my iced tea. To my surprise, he gets my water (after me just holding it and still was half full), serves me my tea, and walks halfway to the kitchen with my water! The other waiter seeing the grave mistake returns my water, but turned me skeptical, if I ever wanted to drink from it again.

My salmon fillet arrives with the salmon on top of the mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables. The chef played with the design of the sauces as line wisps were created. The plating (to my opinion) was wrong. The highlight of the fillet was the skin and it should be served skin side up, and then the vegetables and lastly the mashed potatoes. It came to me with fish meat side-up, mashed and then veggies. Also, the Chef shouldn’t have played with my sauce!

The salmon, though properly seasoned and moist, had a soggy skin. Crackling salmon skin is always my highlight of great prepared salmon. The mashed potato was like starchy cake. Very starchy, not creamy. It had specs of dried herbs (rosemary and thyme). In combination it had a bad mouthfeel. I loved the sauces though, delicious nutiness of the pistacio complementing the fish and butter. The restaurant branded iced tea was nothing special – just orange juice and iced tea.

Next time I visit Chef’s Bistro – I’m sticking to the salads.

Chef’s Bistro

94 Scout Gandia Tomas Morato

(Behind Citibank Morato)

Quezon City

414-4515

Dining for One: Katre

Katre Mediterreanean Restaurant offers flavorful and healthy dishes combining tastes of bitter, sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Located in a hidden corner along Tomas Morato, this two-floor restaurant evokes a minimalist setting. Entering Katre, with its numerous framed newspaper clippings at the walls, white and starched linen tablecloths, and wooden blinds makes the restaurant slightly more formal than the casual dining atmosphere that the websites indicate it to be.

Lunch diners are middle-aged, corporate groups, chatting with their collegues or busy answering their phones. Indeed I saw the chef, but he was more concerned roaming his chic establishment with previous old-time customers. Diners were commonly eating the famed Adobo Flakes with Bagoong Rice or the Hearts of Romaine appetizer.

I had already eaten dinner here once, but the lunch staff, wearing black tees and white aprons around their waist, were, as I observed, far too many with the number of customers. But service was polite and outstanding.

I dined first on Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup (P160), served with tortilla crisp, tomato brunoise, parmesean and parsley. This was probably button, shitaake, and portobello mushrooms, sauteed and blended with cream. The tortilla crisp turned soggy, but I found the aciditiy of the diced tomatoes in the soup a welcome accompaniment to the creaminess of the dish. Though brunoise is a technique used as garnish, specially for consomme, I did not see the tomatoes when it was first served. The hidden tomatoes was used as palate play. The parsley framed a slight herbal and fresh taste, while the parmesean contributed to this already umami-flavored dish.

For my main course, I ordered a Grilled Tuna Served with Ceviche and Jalapeno in a Weck Bun (P250.00). It took the service close to 30 minutes to serve my sandwich. Expecting something different with my prolonged sandwich, it came with a Grilled Tuna and Lettuce served in a football shaped bun sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The dish was accompanied with Wasabi-mayo, Beet Puree, Pickled Jalapeno, Tomato Brunoise, and Fried Onions. The atmosphere of the restaurant did not call for me to chow down a giant bun having 4 inches of height. I would have preferred, if the chef served it tartine style (open-faced) instead. Since, I had a problem slicing the crispy armored shell of the bun with a knife. The tuna though perfectly seasoned, did not look appetizing, as I investigated the insides of the sandwich, further. No char-marks. Just grey colored meat. I enjoyed the palate play from the spiciness of the wasabi and jalapeno, the tart acidity from the tomatoes and the sweetness from the beet puree. The chef should remove or improve the onions as its soggy exterior proved anything remotely edible.

Ended my meal, though not completely satisfied with the outcome, with outstanding front of the house service, will try Katre one more time, but this time sticking to the common dishes served.

Katre Mediterreanean Restaurant

103 Dr. Lascano St., Brgy. Laging Handa

Quezon City, Metro Manila

(02) 373-4705