Last weekend I was invited to a Food Tour at Robinsons Place Las Piñas. There are numbers of local restaurants at the Southern part of Manila that opened a branch at Robinsons Place Las Piñas so going there can be a good chance to explore these food places all in one roof.
So aside from the impressive line of stores that are housed within the mall, we could say that Robinsons Place Las Piñas is also a good dining destination when visiting the South.
That was what our tour was all about - to visit these restaurants and familiarize ourselves with the food that they do offer. Equipped with passion in finding good food and an enthusiasm to explore new place, I joined several Manila bloggers together with the Marketing staff of Robinsons Place Las Piñas in this food tour.
Robinsons Place Las Piñas is not overwhelmingly huge but not too small either. This two storey building stands on a 6.8 hectare land accessible to its target market on nearby residential areas.
The place I deem is very impressive in its design, it sort of reminds of Robinsons Place we have here in Antpolo City.
I was supposed to be celebrating my birthday on the day of our Food Tour. Good thing that my sister moved our little celebration to dinner time so I was able to join some blogger friends at Robinsons Place Las Piñas.
It was well worth it because aside from the fact that we were fed and taken care of really well, kindly staff from Robinsons Place Las Piñas surprised me with cake complete with a Happy Birthday song from everyone including my fellow bloggers. It was a kind gesture I truly appreciate.
The tour started at the Al fresco area of Robinsons Place Las Piñas where different restaurants are lined up. We were a group of more than 10 bloggers and each of us are tasked to visit two restaurants with a partner blogger.
The restaurants on our list includes Ritchie's Diner, Viet Nam Deli Cafe, Famous Coney Island Hotdogs, Borgo Cafe, The Urban Farm, Kat's Cafe, Chef Resty's Roast Beef, Taco's Island Mexican Kitchen, Toho Antigua, and Icings.
The blogger I was partnered with was my very good friend Gerry of Dude4Food while the restaurants assigned to us were The Urban Farm and Borgo Cafe. Both of these restaurants are off shoot of their mother branch also located within the South area.
The Urban Farm is essentially a restaurant that serves healthy grubs while The Borgo Cafe focuses on manly and meaty dishes. I love the fine balance between these two restaurants.
First stop, The Urban Farm Restaurant.
The Urban Farm Restaurant has a main branch located in BF Homes Parañaque City. It caters to people who loves healthy food without compromising the flavors.
The place exudes a healthy vibe made even more lovelier with a touch of different hues of green. There is an open kitchen where people can see the chefs work on their food.
Almost everything on the menu is either organic or chemical free produce. The Urban Farm works with local farmers to provide the ingredients they use in creating their food. They also work with an herbalist for recipe development.
We were already starving that time due to the long travel from Ortigas to South hence, Gerry and I immediately feasted on the food served to us right after taking photos.
On the table:
The Old and The New ~ a plate of pan seared salmon on sauce mornay, chicken on au jus urbanico, and potato croquettes on a bed of marinara.
We were told that The Urban Farm is currently working on developing
new dishes and they will soon launched a new menu for their patrons.
What was served to us was just a sample of food they have on their menu. It is essentially comprised of the old and the new items on their selections, hence the name.
I love everything on the plate but what left a really nice impression on me was the salmon which was light and downright flavorful at the same time. The chicken they used was free-range hence the clean flavor. The marinara sauce was obviously homemade which I deem very palatable.
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
I am a big fan of chocolate and The Urban Farm's Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake was impressive. It is very light considering everything were made of chocolate. We were told that the chocolate they use are imported from Australia and is low in sugar.
Our meal at The Urban Farm was very straightforward and filling. We finished everything on the plate not just because we are hefty eaters but because everything tasted so great.
Next stop, Borgo Cafe.
This I must honestly confess; Borgo Cafe is one of the reasons why I would go back to the South. I am from the East, I wouldn't mind the long travel if only to taste the food again at Borgo Cafe.
I tell you, I am deeply impressed with this restaurant.
The Borgo Cafe flagship branch is also located at BF Homes. I have been hearing about this restaurant from some friends and I am glad that this was assigned to us since I have been meaning to try their food out.
The place which has an industrial feel to it was the first thing I fell
in love with. I just love the vibe that this place exudes. The food attendants were very gracious and friendly I almost hug each one of them as I leave.
While the place impressed me from the get-go, the food was another thing that made this place well worth the visit.
On the table:
Angels and Demons Pasta - Grilled shrimps and chicken fillet in cream sauce with chilies.
There's something about creamy sauced spiked with spiciness of the chilies that made me giddy - always. It is an interesting combination of flavor which I was able to find with Borgo's Angels and Demons Pasta.
The serving was hefty it can be shared by two people - that is if you want to share because with food as good as this one, you might want to have it all for yourself.
Butcher's Steak - US Angus Beef Hanging Tender with peppered brown sauce.
Give me well executed steak and I'll be a very happy camper. Gerry and I are both meat lovers so when this Butcher's Steak was served to us, we almost throw an epic high five.
The steak was perfectly cooked in medium well, the serving portion was hefty, and the flavor was downright impressive. It's US Angus after all. The pepper sauce was a thoughtful addition for those who cannot do without sauce on their steak. But we judge the goodness of meat when eaten as it is - all bare without the sauce, and I am happy to report that this one passed to the highest level.
Jack's Bone-In Belly Barbecue
Who doesn't love pork belly? Definitely not I. If the steak impressed me to the core, this Jack's Bone-In Belly Barbecue comes on equal footing. I love the smokey sweet flavor of the pork while its tenderness was equally impressive.
Truth be told, I am salivating while writing about this dish.
Arroz Mixto
This is the dish that almost drove me to an applause upon my first bite. It's called Arroz Mixto but it is basically a paella done the Borgo Cafe way. And dare I say that it is the best Paella I have every tasted by far.
Every grain of rice was full of flavor, and the seafood and meat toppings leaned on the generous side of the spectrum. It was so good my word is failing me to describe how much I love this dish.
Molten Lava cake with Vanilla Ice Cream
For dessert we were served with Molten Lava cake with Vanilla Ice Cream on the side. It was a good dessert, but it didn't overshadow the impeccable awesomeness of the previous dishes served to us.
Another amazing thing about Borgo Cafe, the free soup and salad for every diners who will avail of their food. How generous, heaven bless their hearts!
I sincerely wish that Borgo Cafe would open a branch somewhere in Ortigas or Quezon City area because I have this feeling that they will surely make it big there. But in the meantime, I find comfort that I can always pay them a visit at Robinsons Place Las Piñas anytime I want.
Aside from the two assigned restaurants to us, Kindly people from Kat's Cafe gave each bloggers a cupcake of our choice. I have tried Kat's Cafe's cupcakes before and have written about them so I am already confident about the quality of their products which is by the way commendable.
Our Food Trip at Robinsons Place Las Piñas was short and sweet, but definitely a satisfying one. I am so glad to be able to join this food tour because it opened my eyes that there is a whole lot of reason to visit the South, especially Robinsons Place Las Piñas.
So if you are from that area or if you are planning to visit that part of the Metro, i suggest you pay Robinsons Place Las Piñas a visit and enjoy the beauty of this mall as well as all the exciting enjoyment that they offer.
Robinsons Place Las Piñas
Address: Alabang - Zapote Rd, Las Pinas, Metro Manila, Philippines
Website: www.robinsonsmalls.com/malls_las_pinas.php
Facebook: /RobinsonsMalls
Twitter: @robinsonsmalls
Instagram: @robinsonsmallsofficial
Website: www.robinsonsmalls.com/malls_las_pinas.php
Facebook: /RobinsonsMalls
Twitter: @robinsonsmalls
Instagram: @robinsonsmallsofficial
