I don't know about you but I prefer restaurants that are not too overt. I like the ones with on the DL vibe. I'm not suffering from anthropophobia or anything; well, at least I don't think so.
The rows of restaurants at the Tuscany at McKinley Hill will give you just that. They're far away from the main scene - making the ambience more relaxed and mellow - but still not the speakeasy type of restaurants wherein any signage is omitted and you have to know the owner to score a seat.
But of course, the area alone will not be sufficient enough to pique a foodie's interest. It will all boil down to how good the dishes are...and the service too.
Enter the Awesome Secret Foodies Tour by the Mercato Centrale Group. You'll be able to taste various dishes {20 to be exact} at the different restos along the Tuscany area. It's a degustation actually.
For PhP 1,000 {I really don't know how they did the math for this one because I find the price a bit modest for the kind of dishes served and the amount of dishes served}, the trip was worth it!
Here are snippets of what you can expect at the Awesome Secret Foodies Tour:
L.E.S. Bagels
I love x 1000 their bagels and the different cream cheese concoctions! I buy fresh ones twice a week. My favorite fillings are Lox {cream cheese + salmon} and Strawberry. Their brownies are to die for as well! Honestly, I have never tried anything from this restaurant group that's...what's the word...lousy.
Trattoria Poggio Antico
I really liked everything on this sampler platter at Trattoria. I find the Prosciutto con Melone {ham and melon}, Crespella del Poggio {crepe stuffed with ham, cheese and mushroom in truffle oil} and Oyster Sur Pate di Fegato {oyster on liver pate} extra good!
Food Reviews Manila know how much I adore prosciutto. She told Dude4Food how I wolfed down a plate full by myself. Shining moment right there.
Don't let the fancy words overwhelm you. You don't have to pronounce them correctly. I don't. They're just mere translations. Focus on the taste!
B & T Mexican Kitchen
 |
| Nacho Chips with Assorted Dips |
This was definitely a big sampler. I was feeling some subtle signs of heartburn after B & T. The heartburn was definitely worth it though.
 |
| Mango Glazed Habanero Chicken, Chipotle Chicken Pizza, Taquitos Especial with Barbacoa |
Sauceria
 |
| Tuna Tataki |
Sauceria is all about healthy eating, making good with the environment {organically produced ingredients} and concocting dishes with the help of Science.
 |
| Feta, Cilantro and Tomato Cocas |
 |
| Artisanal All Beef Burger with Tuyo Blue Cheese |
Marciano's
 |
| Woody Allen Linguine |
The steak was delicious while the linguine was so-so. It was well seasoned. There was no need for au jus or any other sauce. It was good on its own.
My fellow food warriors were all praises for the sausage. I was so focused on the steak and the potato gratin that I forgot all about the sausages. The Tummy Traveler forced me to eat some though, much to my appreciation. Yeah, that's good sausage alright. It's flavorful, smoky with a tinge of spiciness.
 |
| Dow Jones |
Main Street
If you want great food at an affordable price {what a stupid thing to say; who doesn't want that combo?} I encourage you to try Main Street. Their dishes are amazing starting with the Poutine - fries, gravy, cheese curds - below!
 |
| Poutine |
The Wagyu Burger's so delicious! It's the type of food that you'd stuff yourself with despite the lack of space in your belly just because it's too good to miss. The patty is thick, tender and deliriously good. All the in-betweens makes this one hell of a burger.
 |
| Wagyu Burger |
Planet Grapes
Planet Grapes is a wine place for dummies. Hold that gasp. Allow me to explain further. Not all of us are highly educated when it comes to wine. Take my life for example. I know that there are two kinds: red and white. That's it. See?
I don't really care about the other details unless there's a wine exam that I need to take. I just usually ask, "What's a good dry white or a sweet one?" Simplify your life.
At Planet Grapes, one can be a wine dummy and get away with it. The place is not meant to intimidate. They want to help future wine connoisseurs. That's you! You can ask the experts there.
These are not your average pairings. Surprisingly, they have wine and street food pairings. Who would've thunk? High-low fashion is very in vogue right now. This is high-low wine pairing. I like it!
Balut + White Wine? Never thought it would work but hey, lo and behold it did.
Betamax or adidas + Red? Watcha think? They don't have those yet, by the way.
Sophie's Mom
Sugar and everything nice are the words that best describes this cupcake shop. It's an explosion of everything cute.
I have to admit, I didn't get to try all because I felt and looked like a tadpole by the time we got here. However, the one {Red Velvet} that I did try was delicious; silky, light and not overly sweet.
WHAT: An Awesome Secret Foodies Tour at Tuscany McKinley Hill
WHEN: November 30, 2013
December 7, 14 and 21, 2013
2:00 - 5:00 PM
TICKET PRICE: PhP 1,000/person
WHERE TO GET TICKETS:
Tickets will be sold from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM on November 26 and 27, 2013 at the booth in between Ukkokei Ramen Ron and Marciano's at Tuscany McKinley Hill.
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
(02) 709.98.88
(02) 709.08.88
(0917) 838.01.11
TWITTER: @mercatocentrale
FACEBOOK: Mercato Centrale
FOLLOW ME: @themommist
LIKE ME: The Mommist
0 comments :
Post a Comment
Comments are very much appreciated! Thank you!