Romulo Cafe blew me away

If you're taking out your boyfriend's parents and they're the traditional Chinese kind, I'm sure you're tearing your hair out like I do each and every time. With "traditional Chinese", I mean 1.) very particular with cleanliness and look of the restaurant, 2.) very conscious of price, 3.) very criticizing of food. In a nutshell, very keen on AFFORDABLE FOOD PERFECTION. Is there really such a thing? 

If you are like me, do what I usually do. Pretend it's not your choice at all unless they're gushing about how good the dinner was! That's when boyfriend lets me take the pride of having made the reservations. Otherwise, he'd say it was his choice. Yup, lucky girlfriend. HA.HA. :) 

Thankfully, so far my effort in researching restaurants and checking reviews online have paid off. They are still under the impression that I have good taste in food. (Which is important since I think they're afraid that I'd feed their son oily, cholesterol-loaded food. Worse, with bad tasting unhealthy food. In short, they're afraid I'd kill their son early and unhappy from high-blood. Teeheehee.)

Romulo Cafe is another restaurant I recently added to my success list. 

The moment we stepped in, the very amicable staff asked if we had reservations and led us to our table. The menus were handed out without any delay.

While the men picked out what to order, we took in the design of the restaurant. I haven't seen anything like it in Manila. The black and white theme along with the intricate design gave a very classy and exclusive feel. The walls were peppered with framed portraits of Carlos P. Romulo which would draw much interest from any history buff and even those who are just curious. The decor made me a little nervous about the price of our dinner.

Turned out, the prices are perfectly reasonable matched with a true Filipino taste we Pinoys would be proud of.

Ginataang Kohol Php185

If you want to be sosyal, call it "the local escargot". The ginataang kohol was cooked in coconut milk in a very delicious way. Three out of four says this is the best dish of our meal! All I can say is yum, yum, yum!

I wasn't able to get a picture but we also had Beef Bulalo, as in bone marrow boiled with soup. It's really hot and tasty with real bone marrow unlike in some restaurants that you don't get a piece of the expensive bone marrow part, and orr only Php390.

Bangus Belly in Banana Leaves P285

The milkfish was pan-fried perfectly (like anyone could really do it the wrong way except for me.). The sauce it came with was mayonnaise-based and so didn't really sell well with all of us. We all preferred it with soy sauce and they did provide us with a soy sauce-based which was a lot better. Perhaps, a more "open-taste bud"ed would appreciate it the way it is.

Boneless Crispy Pata Binagoongan P650

No need to say it! I already know. Dining with "dual citizens", we shouldn't have ordered such a cholesterol overloaded dish but everyone enjoyed this yummy dish! It's actually my first time to try crispy pata and binagoongan made into dish. I found it really good and malinamnam, as in every (not just one) taste is savory.

Baked Lemongrass Chicken (half) Php250

In everyone's dictionary, baked is synonymous to healthy. Much to our joy, it's not at all as healthy as we thought. Meaning, it's so flavorful! The supposedly healthy chicken was generously brushed with the chicken inasal oil making it really katakam-takam. 

All the while we were eating, I was sort of nervous since the food we were eating weren't the healthiest dishes but I was relieved that Romulo's Cafe got a stamp of approval. The parents conceded that it's fine to eat unhealthy yummy food once in a while. I guess they did like the restaurant. It's clean and posh, delicious and inexpensive! 

True, it's not exactly the best Filipino food, but it could certainly vie for the top 10! And it did get elected in 2011 Best Restaurants. :)

ROMULO CAFE, MAKATI

148 Jupiter Street 
(corner Comet, a block from Reposo) 
Bel-Air Village, Makati City

478-6406, 822-0286