Lian Rodriguez
New Dishes at Romulo Cafe
Romulo Cafe recently held a tasting event at their Makati City branch in Jupiter Street. At the cafe, media guests were treated to new dishes, as well as to some old favorites. Diners delved into a smorgasbord of delightful Filipino treats, surrounded by the posh, chic-minimalist interiors of Romulo Cafe.
The first round of dishes we tasted started were the appetizers. Three Chef’s Choice appetizers were served. There was the Crispy Squid, made of deep-fried squid, slathered with a chili-honey-garlic glaze; the Tinapa Roll – smoked fish with red egg and tomatoes in a lumpia wrapper; and last was the Chorizo Empanada, the definite must-try of the three. The dish is a buttery empanada dish stuffed with a savory-sweet homemade chorizo – a fave in Romulo Cafe.
After the appetizers, we tried the cafe’s famed Paco Salad, this time served with a new twist. The dish was served with fern fiddle salad with cherry tomatoes, red egg, and scallions, and then topped with Lechon kawali bits, and then served with a special calamansi vinaigrette dressing.
After the greens, we then tasted the excellent Shrimp Pasta with Aligue Sauce. The dish was an excellent choice – spaghettini served with sautéed shrimp in a creamy garlic and olive oil aligue (crab roe) sauce; a perfect pair to the main courses.
For the mains, we tried five dishes. There was Lola Virginia’s Chicken Relleno, Pesang Apahap, Ginataang Langka, US Angus Beef Steak Tagalog, and Cochinillo.
Lola Virginia’s Chicken Relleno was a tasty indulgent treat – roasted chicken stuffed with ground pork, raisins, chorizo, and peas. The Pesang Apahap (Filipino seabass) is also good, a fish dish steamed in a ginger stew with bok choy, and then served with miso paste on the side.
The Ginataang Langka is a welcome palette cleanser before the last two main dishes. After the langka, we had the scrumptious US Angus Beef Steak Tagalog – thinly sliced US Angus Ribeye cooked in soy sauce and calamansi, and then topped with onion rings and served with special pandan rice. Last and definitely not the least is the Cochinillo, a perfect dish for the family this coming holiday season – a crispy roast suckling pig served with Romulo Cafe’s special Lechon sauce.
For dessert, we had Romulo Cafe’s excellent Mango Pavlova, a winning entry in the recently concluded Philippine Daily Inquirer Best Desserts 2018. The dish is a meringue-based dessert covered with cream-filled mango and then topped with strawberries, kiwi, and even more mango. The Suman Latik was also good – fried sticky rice in a shot glass filled with muscovado and coconut milk sauce.
For more information on Romulo Cafe restaurants in Manila, visit www.romulocafe.com
Also Read:
- Chicken Inasal Sisig: New Sisig With A Twist at Romulo Café
- 24 Tasty Filipino Foods You Should Be Eating Now
- 9 Authentic Kapampangan Dishes You Should Definitely Try
- Food Trip: 10 Must-Try Ilokano Food
