Sidebar at El Pueblo, Ortigas

I would say that aside from food, one of the things that got me raving about when it comes to restaurants are beautiful interiors. I have said that before here at YedyLicious, as a matter of fact, I have few favorites in mind. When I was introduced to Sidebar located at El Pueblo in Ortigas Center recently, I realized that it was a welcome addition to my list of restaurants and bars in Manila with beautiful interiors. The first time I set foot at Sidebar, I know from the get go that I will be coming back.

A part of 1771 Group of Restaurants, Sidebar is literally a bar on the side of well-known Cafe 1771. Often overshadowed by the aforementioned cafe, little did I know that Sidebar is equally worth raving about. And I am not saying that because I fell head over heels with their great interiors, but because aside from its aesthetics, they do serve impressive dishes that complements the cocktails and other alcoholic beverages they offer.

In a nutshell, Sidebar at El Pueblo Ortigas caters to those people who enjoys having a good time over cocktails and great food with their friends. Its sister cafe, Cafe 1771 on the other hand is an all-day dining restaurant dishing out hearty meals. We were told that cross-ordering is possible so you can enjoy the best of both worlds while dining at your chosen spot within the vicinity of both. I was able to take a peek of Cafe 1771 and believe me when I say that the interior is equally to die for.

There couldn't be any apt way to spend an awesome cocktail session at Sidebar than to share it with your friends. I was lucky enough that two of my best food buddies were able to join me and it was such a great night all in all. Comfortable place, good food, and great company, that night, I couldn't have asked for more.

Our cocktail night started with the parade of cocktail goodies we all devoured with gusto. Beer-Battered Quail Eggs (Php150) is Sidebar's chic rendition to the well-loved streetfood known as kwek-kwek. And chic it was, as its flavor suggests the distinct taste of beer without overbearingly so. Chicken Skewers (Php120) was one of my favorites that night. It does have the tug of war between sweet and savory flavor that I want and the meat was so tender, a proof that the chicken was grilled to perfection.

Pulled Pork Sliders (Php230) was another stellar of a dish. Slow-baked pork luxuriously coated with Sidebar's special barbecue dressing. I love the added touch of cilantro as it pushed a refreshing touch to the rather hardcore savory flavor of the dish.

The New Sisig Experience (Php240) was indeed a new way to experience sisig. It is basically presented like a sandwiched wrapped and looked like it more than anything else. Wrapped in soft tortilla and generously peppered with tomato salsa and cilantro, it comes with Cachaca also known as premium Brazilian rum. It was an interesting dish in itself, but I escaped adding the cachaca since I am not big on rums, I guess next time I will just man up and try to experience the complete package altogether.

Now, what really got me mad raving about was Sidebar's very own chef Gus Sibayan's Salmon Crudo (Php280). This rendition is ceviche by nature only a million times better because of the fresh salmon. I love how distinctively refreshing this dish was and my friend Gio and I both agreed that it was the best dish of the night.

As if the feast were not enough, we also had a serving of Sidebar's Salbacho Pizza (Php450). Tagged as Sidebar's staple, its name was derived from the main ingredients that made up this pie; salami, bacon, and chorizo. Thin crust pizza is always a winner to me, so I must say that i did enjoyed my fair share, but my heart still belongs to the salmon crudo.

Another revelation that night was the Oyster Shooters. It is technically fresh oysters from Aklan, swimming in shot glass full of alcohol. Three alcohol variants are available; Lemon Drop (Php95/shot), Sake (Php80/shot), and Bloody Mary (Php950shot). Of all the three it was the Lemon Drop Oyster Shooters that we got to try. I was a bit hesitant at first but upon gulping one shot glass, I was THIS close to having a set of nine (Php700) all to myself.

Sidebar has an impressive line up of cocktails and other alcoholic beverages. Some of the noteworthy are; Mojito Punch, Amaretto Sour, B52, American Pie, Chocolate Martini, and Golden Rush. I could go on forever with the list of drinks that one should not miss, but then again, whether you choose your own poison or rely on recommendation, good times are guaranteed when you're at Sidebar.

Sidebar is constantly revamping their menu to cater to the ever changing needs of their customers while some of the well-love dishes remain. They have been in the business for years now and being introduced to it just recently made me feel like I have missed on a lot. But that's no biggie, at least I have more reason now to visit them again and again.