Mad about FOOD

Experiencing Sands

At the end of a long stretch of hotels and restaurants along Waterfront Road in the Subic Freeport stands a relatively new landmark known as The Lighthouse. I took this photo in early 2007, when the place was in its final phase of construction:

          
The boutique hotel has since been fully operational and has been getting good feedback for its well-appointed rooms and captivating location (facing the beach). Late last year, I went back there again and had lunch at one of its restaurants called Sands.  It offers an international menu consisting of seafoods and grills and features al fresco dining, but we opted to eat indoors. The restaurant's interiors are elegant and inspired by the sea, making the place ideal for intimate dinners.  

I was, of course, with my Bea and a dear Subic-based friend of mine, Cleofe. For starters, we shared a bowl of fresh mushroom soup (P120). It's a mixture of shiitake, button and grilled oyster mushrooms--three of our favorite fungi--simmered in beef stock and then pureed. The flavor of the grilled oyster mushrooms was so well defined and the soup had a thick and creamy consistency, which made it as comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day.

         

What followed was an entree called King Dao (P200)--"braised pork belly in a flavorsome oyster sauce, orange and star anise." While the liempo wasn't exactly very tender, the sauce exuded the right balance of salty and sweet that made it very appetizing to me. The following photo doesn't give much justice to the dish, but it was splendid and the serving was generous.

         

We also ordered pockets of mahi-mahi (P290) to satisfy our craving for fish. The dish looked rather complicated but, simply put, it's "mahi-mahi fillets with prawn and mushroom paste cooked with white wine served with crab fat sauce." It came with some steamed vegetables on top of mushroom risotto, which provided a wonderful match for the fish. Needless to say, it's a complete and satisfying meal for the figure-conscious.

         

The Lighthouse Marina Resort may not be a five-star hotel, but its restaurant Sands has exquisite culinary treasures at very reasonable prices. With its nightly entertainment of relaxing piano music, Sands may just be the perfect place to unwind or just watch the magnificent sunset when in Subic.

For more information, visit the website of The Lighthouse Subic .

Spotlight on Cibo

At the start of this new year, quite uncharacteristically, I hankered for some good old pasta dish. So I resolved to finally give Cibo a try. I've been ignoring the Glorietta branch for years because, to be honest, I've always been intimidated by the restaurant's ambience, the menu and its loyal patrons.

Last January 3, I thought of having lunch at Cibo in Glorietta but first decided to explore the newest addition to that oasis in the heart of the Makati jungle: Greenbelt 5. It is another upscale development that is drawing many business people and fine dining afficionados to the area. To my surprise, and as fate would have it, there is a new Cibo branch in GB5. So that's where we ended up having our first restaurant adventure for the year. The place is well-lit (with natural light coming in from outside), quite spacious, has bright, cheery orange chairs and pristine white walls--a stark contrast to the Glorietta branch, which is dark and cramped.

         

Now on its 11th year, Cibo (Italian for "food") is the oldest of chef/restaurateur Gaita Fores' babies--the other two being Pepato and Cafe Bola. Ms. Fores is known to be very particular when it comes to her ingredients and food preparation so Cibo still remains a favorite among the elite and serious pasta lovers. Since it was my first time to eat there, I had to stare long and hard at the extensive menu. And because it was just me and Bea, we had to forego the soup and antipasto. I ordered a single serving of spaghettini alla Russa (P318+)--pasta tossed in white sauce, bits of smoked salmon, a hint of lemon and chives and garnished with lumpfish caviar. It was delizioso (can't go wrong with salmon) and very, very filling. The focaccia had a nice slightly burnt flavor to it and evens out the creaminess of the pasta sauce. 

To quench our thirst, we had fragola (fresh strawberry shake - P110+), which made my Bea so happy. She truly loves strawberries, and the shake was a lovely shade of red and adorned with a sprig of mint. Very refreshing!

For dessert, I was initially interested in the mango panna cotta but opted for the crema bruciata di arancia (creme brulee orange - P135+) instead. It had an intense citrus taste that was bordering on 'too tart' but it was a great way to cleanse the palate after a heavy meal.      
         

Cibo - Greenbelt 5 (2nd Level)
Overall rating:☻☻☻☻- good food, wonderful service, nice ambience, good value for money