This is a busy busy week for me, but once in a while, you get a nice surprise in your email that soothes away the tiredness. One of which is a simple Thank You note from one reader who I corresponded with last week.
I get questions here and there on restaurants to go to for a special date or a family affair. A few years back, I remember an old college friend (my band mate Jason) even contacted me to recreate a “love stunt” I pulled in college. Months later, he told me it saved his relationship that time. I get lucky to help out like that sometimes. I try to play cupid at times with friends doing simple introductions here and there (I even set Bubba up with a girl before when we were still friends LOL). I digress.
It was just the Valentines weekend and it’s usually around this time that I get the most questions from different folks. I know it takes a while for me to answer the comments portion of the blog or even respond to most of the emails –unless it looks urgent (my apologies!). A particular email last week caught my attention.
I want to protect his identity in case his girlfriend reads my blog so let’s just hide him under the name CDG 😉 (Anyway, let this be my informal sum-up of suggestions on where to dine for ambiance.)
CDG’s Email (reduced for easier read):
Would just like to ask for your help as to where to take my girlfriend this Sunday. I’m never really good at fine dining, etc etc so my food-cabulary is severely limited.
What steak house can u recommend?
I read about duo and mamou and but I also negative reviews about them on various websites and blogs, which for me is automatically a no-no. I’m running out of places to choose from. right now i have a “back up” reservation at 22 prime. thing is though they dont serve alacarte only buffet on that day so that kinda sucks.
Price is not that much of a factor.. more of the ambiance of the place and of course, the food! Elberts unfortunately is fully booked already. Aside from chinese and italian restaurants 🙂 if you have other places to suggest feel free to do so.. 🙂 Need your help 🙂 thank you 🙂
Peddler’s Response:
Duo and Mamou steaks are quite okay but Serendra might be really crowded this weekend. I think it’s a good idea to stray off the usual crowd.
You want a quiet romantic upscale ambience? Or any? Have you tried Urameshiya in Little Tokyo? It’s not a typical quiet sweet place but it has a different vibe –more like being transported to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Japan. Their beef is quite good but you have to grill it on your table –it’s more interactive and fun (unless you go really hungry then the wait is a b*tch). How’s that for you? And maybe you can research a Haiku (Japanese poem) or do your own Haiku for your girlfriend –a sweet funny one.
22 Prime is relatively nice –you can even go the lounge beside it and have wine after with piano music playing in the background. If you’re still going there, don’t miss out ordering the Rick’s Cheese Bread (I love it!). I’m just not sure though that buffet is the way to go because it kinda kills the romance if you have to stand up and get your food and line up for it if ever.
You want to try Ninyo in Katipunan? But I experienced some hits and misses there too. Ambience is relatively okay –think rustic, old house, beautiful garden way.
Check out My Mother’s Garden too –simple house with a nice garden in Manila. I was just there the other night. I think it’s 1K per head if you order the tenderloin with your set meal (appetizer, pasta and dessert).
I think the place we end up choosing will always be relative (and at some point will have elements outside our control). The trick is to add a creative personal touch to the whole experience –little things/details go along way. What is your girlfriend’s interests and favorite cuisine? That might help more with picking a destination. Although I think time is of the essence.
Oh for an upscale ambience, you can also try the steak at Aubergine, Café on the 6th, or if Antonio’s is not fully booked, that’s almost a foolproof date place 😉
Luxury in Food and Ambience- Cafe on the 6th
CDG’s Response:
yeah youre right about serendra. plus the fact that we’re almost always there everyday because thats near where we play underwater hockey.
the urameshiya sounds good but id really wanna stay away from any cooking. 🙂 i can cook fried stuff but when it comes to dates id rather leave the cooking to the chefs. hehe my girlfriend included. she cant cook to save her life 🙂 hehe
yeah youre right about 22 prime jane i was really looking forward eating there but not having an ala carte option really killed it for me. its not really a sweet date if the two of you pig out in front of each other right? hehe
i got an email from another restaurant in discovery though.. restaurant 5? have you eaten there? attached is their set menu.. tell me what you think 🙂 i really have no idea what those are though. 🙂
ninyo yeah i tried eating there already and wasnt really satisfied.. my gf doesnt really have any preference.. though we’d rather really stay away from italian and chinese food .. (shes chinese and eats chinese food at their house all the time hehe)
i already inquired at aubergine and unfortunately no reply from them yet.. i think i may have found the perfect place though.. i read your blog about cafe on the 6th and really liked it. as much as possible i want steak and seeing the angus rib eye on your blog made me really hungry. i also called already and made a reservation.. another good thing is they serve ala carte!
im plannin on just ordering everything you posted in your blog.. that should be enough 🙂 they have a set menu though but would u recommend that? do u have a course suggestion? 🙂
so right now its cafe on the 6th, and then 22 prime. 🙂 restaurant 5 is another option. why does all of em have numbers? 🙂
thanks so much for the help jane. really appreciate it. my gf is really special to me and i just wanna make her feel that. 🙂
(Jane’s Thought: How sweet!)
Peddler’s Response:
Haha, you’re right, what a coincidence that your option all have numbers. Why do they brand their restaurants with the floor/level it’s located in? 😉 So you don’t forget where to go? Haha.
Café on the 6th is okay, I’m not sure about how they fare during weekends. The steak I ordered was pretty good as far as I can remember. My friend liked the ribs but I remember seeing her struggle a bit with getting the meat, but she didn’t say anything –so just a heads up. I didn’t try their soup but maybe you can order the steak to share, another entrée, soup and an appetizer. You should be fine.
The set Valentine meal sounds pretty good too –the lobster salad and the beef tenderloin caught my eye. I’m not sure if your girlfriend is fond of fish dishes but I don’t remember trying Barramundi fish fillet yet (unless I just wasn’t aware of the name of the fish). Do you like tartare –it’s like mashed meat or something –texture closed to gerber baby food (most of the time served semi-raw)? Not many like it.
Just to be sure (unless you’re feeling adventurous like I do sometimes), I’d say stick to the familiar. Ala carte works fine because you can choose exactly what you want and no surprises.
A friend of mine likes Restaurant 5 in Discovery Suites. I’ve never tried it so I really don’t have any substantial opinion other than relaying hers. Service and food are good in Restaurant 5.
Well, I hope you enjoy your Valentine evening whichever place you choose.
You’re very sweet to take time to really think this date through and make your girlfriend feel as special as she is in your life. If you have time, let me know about your experience.
Oh, you can also check out Lemuria.
CDG’s Thank You Email:
hi jane!
would just like to thank you for all your help 🙂 dinner was perfect at cafe on the 6th. place was very cozy and intimate plus there arent that much people around. i think there were only 3-4 aside from us!
we didnt order the set menu.. i just ordered what you posted on your blog and they were all really good! we loved the steak 🙂 she ordered lambchops 🙂 which was good too!
again thank you 🙂 looking forward to more of your food blogs. 🙂
CDG, don’t kill me for posting this 😀 Appreciate your Thank You note.
Trivia:
Dear John Letter (I recently watched the movie), according to Wikipedia is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_John_letter
A “Dear John letter” is a letter written to a husband or boyfriend to inform him their relationship is over, usually because the author has found another lover. Dear John Letters are often written out of an inability or unwillingness to inform the man in person. The reverse situation, in which someone writes to his wife or girlfriend to break off the relationship, is referred to as a “Dear Jane letter”.
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reminds of advice columns on newspapers. must be really flattering 🙂 oh and thanks for the info about dear john, learned something new today
Nice thought. I like it. Thank you for posting