Katre Mediterranean Restaurant - Fine Taste, Fine Dining

A long overdue post on one of my favorite restaurants - Katre Mediterranean Restaurant in Tomas Morato! I've been here thrice and loved it every single time.

The place gives off a clean, crisp, fine dining vibe.

During lunch time however, it has that sort of alfresco feel to it with its beautiful table setting.

On to the good stuff! Our first order: Navarin of Lamb with Couscous (Php395). This dish was divine! At first we thought it was rice, but the waiter informed us couscous was a form of pasta (Yes, pasta!). The Lamb was perfectly tender and flavorful, but when mixed with couscous, this dish became simply amazing! I can tell you it's worth every cent.

Our second order: Roast Chicken served with Pasta with Mushroom in Pesto Cream Sauce. This dish exceeded our expectations as well. I'm a bit picky when it comes to pesto, and this one definitely pampered my taste buds. It was the perfect blend of cream, sauce and chicken!

Needless to say, I would definitely come back to have another taste of this amazing experience.

☆☆☆☆☆ (5/5)

Katre Mediterranean Restaurant
103 Dr. Lazcano St., Tomas Morato, Quezon City
(02) 3746650

Sleek Meets Thai at Thai Pan

Thai Pan has got to be one of the more low-profile restaurants I've been to. The place had that sleek modern vibe with its crisp white tables and neutral tones.

My friend and I arrived quite early and only a couple of tables were occupied. This was definitely a place for quiet dates and meetups.

We had Poo nim Clook Nga Thod [Deep fried crablets with tamarind and seafood sauce] (Php240) for our appetizer. The dish could have used more flavor because the crablets weren't as tasty as I've imagined. I strongly believe good food stands out on its own, with condiments merely enhancing its natural flavor.

I am resolved to search for the best Thai curry out there, so trying out curry every single time is a must! Thai Pan's Kaeng Khiaw Waan [Green chicken curry] (Php320) was good. I'm used to it being more spicy though. The presentation could have been better and made more appetizing as well.

Their Pad Thai (P310) was probably the best Pad Thai I've ever tasted and was beyond doubt the highlight of the night. I have nothing but praises for this dish! The presentation was superb - Noodles wrapped in an intricate egg-yolk net and laid out in such elegant fashion. This was ART!

Tada! As much as we'd like to preserve its magnificence, the waiter had to mix everything. Again, this was probably the best I've tasted. The serving was big and good for 4-5 people.

I also love that they have a selection of condiments to suit your palette.

Its stylish interior and yummy Pad Thai easily made Thai Pan one of the undiscovered gems in the Tomas Morato area.

☆☆☆☆ (4/5)

Thai Pan
120 Scout Dr. Lazcano St., Tomas Morato, Quezon City
(02) 352-4926

Sentosa Singaporean Chinese Restaurant Tomas Morato: Thumbs Up!

It's my birthday! :) After days of thinking where to treat my family, I finally decided on Sentosa in Tomas Morato. This was my second time here and I must say my first and second time didn't disappoint at all.

I love their interior! It's modern, well-lit and perfect for family dinners. Servers were quite friendly as well.

While waiting for our orders, we were given complimentary peanuts that we couldn't get enough of. It's refillable, so you don't have to worry about keeping yourself occupied. The best thing about it is it's free!

On to our orders! We had Roti Canai (Php110) in Curry Sauce. This appetizer somehow reminded me of the one in Banana Leaf but this one's more firm and crunchy. The sauce was perfect with the bread! For the price, it was very reasonable as this was already good for 4-5 people.

For dimsum, we ordered Pork Siomai and Shrimp Dumpling (Php85/4pcs), both of which tasted just okay and you can do without. I suggest trying out their more special dishes when you visit.

I was never a fan of Yang Chow, so I decided to get Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Chicken (Php200). I would say this was the perfect alternative to those who want to try something other than the usual. This was good for about 4-5 people.

We also had Pineapple Fried Rice (Php220) which unfortunately I wasn't able to take a photo of (It's the yellow one at the top part of the menu). Hands down, I would choose Salted Fish over this because the Pineapple Rice was just too sweet for my taste and did not mesh well with the other dishes we ordered.

My favorite dish of the night - Singaporean Hookien Noodles (Php240)! This dish was such a pleasant surprise because it may look like your ordinary noodles but it's not. The mix of prawns, pork and vegetables was delicious! It was so good that I want to learn how to make this myself!

I never really liked Sweet and Sour Pork (Php240) but ordered it because my younger brother loves it. I actually found it just okay.

One of the few vegetables I eat is asparagus, and to my delight, I saw one vegetable dish that had it: Sauteed Asparagus with Scallops in Thai Chili Paste. The asparagus was very crunchy and tasted really good with the scallops and the sauce!

My mom loves fish. The one I ordered was Catfish with Shrimp Paste (Php240). The fish was really good and the use of bagoong as the sauce was really unique. You could also opt to use the normal soy sauce if you find this too peculiar for your taste (but I recommend you try this out!).

Lastly, we ordered their Singaporean Cereal Prawns (Php395/5pcs). I've been in love with Cereal Prawns ever since I tried the ones from No Signboard Seafood Restaurant in Singapore. Sentosa's version is definitely one of the must-orders when you visit them. The dish had a generous serving of cereal that you find yourself cleaning up the plate even after the prawns are gone!

Hurrah for desserts! We tried out their Bandung Rose Milk Tea with Tapioca Pearl (Php90) and Chrysanthemum Iced Tea (Php85). For those who are fans of flower drinks, the Rose Milk Tea is definitely worth a try! The Chrysanthemum Iced Tea, on the other hand, was truly refreshing and relaxing.

And because it was my birthday.. I got FREE dessert! They gave me Gula Melaka (Php85), which was Malay for sago pudding with palm sugar and one of the most popular Malaysian desserts. It was sooooo sweet, too sweet that I ended up giving it to my little brother who was more than happy to finish it.

I'm definitely coming back. Thumbs up for Sentosa! :)

☆☆☆☆ (4/5)

Sentosa Singaporean Chinese Restaurant
Thompson Square, Tomas Morato St., Quezon City

Teriyaki Boy's Oyako Don

Now, this ultimately made the first half of my day (the second half I completely owe to my favorite 2 pc crispy strips with rice in KFC).

Teriyaki Boy's Oyako Don is a very low-profile donburi in the vast portfolio of known dishes in this restaurant. This is actually just the second time I ordered this and this I owe to one of my good friends at work. I have perenially ordered my regular Sukiyaki Beef Teriyaki Don until I finally realized it was one of the most sinful dishes ever invented in the planet - beef bacon strips (yes BACON! which is one of the oiliest food in existence) topped with egg and coupled with probably 2-3 regular cups of rice.

I recently switched to this healthier yet completely filling option in T-boy. At Php160, you already get your quick fix! It's rice topped with steamed chicken and egg strips - tastes just right and not bad at all for someone who plans to go on a diet. :p

So for those of you out there who haven't heard of this yet, go try it out. With less oil, you get almost the same amount of happiness derived from its more sinful counterparts!

The Banapple Experience

The warm colors of red and yellow welcomed us when we stepped into the cozy Banapple bakery cafe in Il Terrazo, Tomas Morato. My sister was hunting for the great meaty pasta she tried with her friends before, and she did find it!



The good-for-two Trio of Sausages Fettuccini was filling and meaty [Php160]. It wasn't too creamy nor bland. Even though my sister and I shared this, I seriously think one person can easily finish this in one starving day.



The Banapple experience wouldn't be complete without dessert. Looking through the cakes and deciding what to order was a feat.



Honestly, everything looked too sweet for us. Even their famous Banofee pie looked too sinful with that thick layer of icing. Finally, we decided on taking the strawberry crunch cheesecake [Php85/slice]. It was a good choice, tasty but not too sweet. Cheesecake lovers should have a taste of this.





The cafe interior gave off a very youthful and homy vibe, as evidenced by the splash of blues, reds, greens and yellows.
























Prices were reasonable, with entrees ranging from Php135-Php170, pastas ranging from Php150-Php160, soup and salads ranging from Php70-Php120, sandwiches ranging from Php110-Php160. Cakes were priced around Php80-Php95 per slice, while smoothies cost Php90.










The only problem with the place was that it was quite warm inside, and the place a little too cramped for its customers. Overall, my Banapple experience was a good one and we'll definitely go back again.

01.02.10
Marisse :)

Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes |
Il Terrazo 2F Tomas Morato |
1030am-12mn |
+632 4132675 |
www.banapplekitchen.com |