To the vegetarians and health conscious peeps looking for new things to eat – this is especially for you!

Middle Eastern cuisine is definitely becoming more popular in Manila. We all know the “Shawarma Craze” that happened approximately 10 years ago. While this pita-wrapped treat isn’t enjoying as much popularity anymore, we see Persian restaurants popping out of everywhere and nowhere introducing less familiar Middle Eastern dishes such as Kebab on buttered rice! (choke…)

Needless to say, most of us have probably tried a good number of these places. But we found something interesting in Baghdad Restaurant – veggie meat! Thats right – we have found actual veggie meat skewered as Kebabs and even ground veggie meat in the Shawarma. For the dish reviews, we have Ren, Fiel and a guest reviewer and certified food fanatic too – David from UA&P! Dude we would like to thank you for showing us the good places to eat near your school. I’m sure we’ll have more reviews together here on rarelyordered!

Appetizer – Egg Roll

Well, nothing like an appetizer first before going on the main menu. According to the restaurant management, this is the least ordered appetizer. Thus, even if it does not have any veggie meat, this is something we reviewers collectively haven’t tried before and it is certified rarely ordered.

Fiel: The only impression I got of this after tasting it was that of scrambled eggs, except that instead of putting it on rice or bread like we Filipinos usually do, it was put on Pita. So if you can imagine eating regular scrambled eggs with onions and tomato just that it the filling for pita bread, this really isn’t anything special. I give it a 5/10.

Ren: At first it looks like a quesadilla but the taste is so much different! Basically it has egg in the middle mixed in with a special salsa, wrapped in what seems like a tortilla. It has a soft feel in the inside and a crunchy surface making the clash of texture, a very welcoming part of the dish. But as good as the dish’s texture it seems to lack flavor still as it is lightly seasoned. I’m giving it a 7/10.

David: The dish was presentable to the eyes. However, it lacked taste. Texture wise, it was ok. However, it would have fared better if given a hint of tomato sauce and oregano. (But the latter isn’t exactly Arabic, now isnt it?) 5/10.

First Main Dish – Vegetarian Kebab

Fiel: The flavor in this one is quite strong yet not something that sways you from eating it! It tastes like curry and I have a bias for curry. The texture of the veggie meat is quite nice as it is somewhat chewy too and the buttered rice is nicely but not perfectly done. This is pretty nice and refreshing especially if you are used to the normal beef kebab. It is a wonder why people don’t order the vegetarian kebab here. I give it a 7/10 for meeting my expectations of getting something different from this one.

Ren: As much as everyone is I am not that much of a big fan of vegetarian dishes but this is one of the two dishes that may change my mind. With the the kebab marinated in curry sauce, and the so called “meat” part having a distinct flavor, it gives vegan meat a twist! The rice with the butter on top was a nice touch to complement the dish! For not tasting like tofu I give it 8/10!

David: It was simple, yet utterly exquisite. More fishlike in texture than vegetables, the curry like taste is brought out fully. Wish the serving was more though… 8/10.

Second Main Dish – Vegetarian Shawarma

Fiel: There is no way I believed at first that this was not beef! From looks, texture and flavor it almost perfectly replicates beef! It has everything else a basic Shawarma has – shredded lettuce, tomatoes and onions plus a choice of different Shawarma sauces from the table. The pita is thicker than what you would usually get from an everyday Shawarma stand – and thus it is more filling and less overpowering. For a shawarma, I’d say it tastes a notch above the ones you usually buy from the stand. I give it an 8/10 for replicating beef so well and being a damn good tasting Shawarma.

Ren: This is the second dish that may give me a second glance at a vegetarian diet. As first glance it does not seem to be like to be a vegetarian dish, and even the taste may deceive you! Wrapped in tortilla bread, with onions and vegetables mixed in together with the so called meat. The taste is so uncanny that a vegan, who is against animal cruelty, will say that the taste is criminal! A 9/10, YEY!

David: In my humble opinion, THIS IS NOT VEGETABLES!!!! THIS IS BEEF!!! The look, the texture, the taste and consistency perfectly mimics that of ground beef. It certainly is a dish worth eating again. 9/10.

When we went: Friday, around 1130AM on June 27, 2008
Where it is: Baghdad Restaurant (David please fill this in) in front of the University of Asia and the Pacific
Budget range: P100 – P160 gives very satisfying portions per person.

Probably Italian cuisine is something that most of us have experienced one way or another. We are all familiar with the usual Italian course of pastas and pizzas, but have you ever wondered whether it was truly Italian? Pasta is of course, already standard with fast food joints, and we even have purely dedicated pizza places, but they serve it in the well-known American Style, or suited to fit the Filipino palette such as the Italian-scorned Filipino “Sweet Spaghetti with Hot Dogs.”

So after hearing of a real authentic Italian Restaurant we knew we just had to give it a try! Its called Bellini’s the place is hard to spot as its across Rustan’s supermarket in Quezon City, and inside the Marikina Shoe Expo. We were served by an excellent waiter, Rolando S. Salazar, who did not only served us but also entertained our questions, knew all the technical Italian food terms, strove to give us what we wanted and was very cheerful in this dining experience. When you go there, make sure you ask for him!

Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)

Fiel: This is very pretty grissini because it has the cute “twirl” at the end of it. It does a perfect job of being that crunchy, well-baked tasting, I-want-more-after-each-stick-I-eat appetizer. A give it a 7.5/10.

Ren: Simple, it didn’t have any superstitious flavor or kick into it. But it does a good job being an in-between and before the course making it a very good appetizer. A 8.75/10 is a good merit for it.

Anchovy and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta in Chili Olive Oil

This is so Rarely Ordered – it is not even part of the regular menu! Many thanks to waiter Rolando S. Salazar for recommending this. According to him, this is an authentic Italian dish.

Fiel: One thing – I hope that once people read this and decide to eat at Bellini’s, they would unhesitatingly order this one! It was so good in the sense that just eating the pasta brings out every main ingredient’s flavor in harmony. The anchovies, sun dried tomatoes, chili olive oil and the Parmesan cheese we eventually topped on to it were all significant to its taste. At this point, this has been the best tasting Italian food I have ever tasted. It is a 9.5/10 for me!

Ren: Its definitely not the usual pasta that I have come across. Usually you’ll find it smothered with heavy sauce or overloaded with toppings. With looks alone you can see that the sauce is just very light and translucent, with only a few toppings of sardines and sun dried tomatoes look deceiving. But after just tasting it you can feel the distinct flavors in your mouth. A little bit on the spicy side but not enough to burn you out. I give it a 9/10!

Parma Ham and Arugula Pizza con Fungi

Fiel: For those who do not know what arugula is, it is a leaf vegetable that has a herby-bitter taste usually eaten raw as part of a salad. Let me make it clear: I HATE arugula! I do not eat nor order it. No. No. Never. I was a bit worried then about this one – until I tasted it! Oh my, the saltiness of the super thin and juicy Parma ham clashed with the shredded arugula creating a unique, yet simple taste. The crust was stone-baked to perfection as it had a softness to it that felt like bread but with the flavorful quality of a true thin crust pizza. When I put chili oil and Parmesan cheese, it was absolute heaven for me. I found out today that I like authentic Italian food! For meeting beyond my expectations and making me like a dish with an ingredient I hate, this qualifies as my first 10/10!

Ren: The pizza is just kept simple overall. Simple thin crust, simply put toppings, of ham mushroom, cheese and arugula. But as soon as you take a bite into you can taste how simple the pizza tasted. You can distinctly taste each ingredient as the flavors don’t mix mash brashly and leave you wanting for more. The key word for this dish? Simplicity. For keeping it solid I’ll give it a 9/10!

Sweet House Wine

Fiel: Its sooooo smooth! For those who like drinking flavorful wines and spirits this is truly for you. Most sweet wines that are already commercialized tastes like spiked grape soda juive (don’t get me wrong, I find nothing wrong with that). If you like sweet wine and you like flavorful wines, then you have to try the only Italian house-made wine I know of. This merits an 8.5/10.

Ren: Here we find a rare occasion of a restaurant with an in-house wine. I’m no connoisseur of wine but this wine I find very excellent. Unlike most alcoholic beverages it doesn’t hit you with a hard hitting flavor but it slides smoothly in your mouth a good way to get things going! 8.75/10 for this drink!

Pharaoh’s Delight (Fig Gelato topped with Pistachio)

Fiel: This dessert can be described in one word for me: interesting. Shaped like a pyramid, is tastes like vanila ice cream with pistachio at first but when it melts, it tastes like honey! I really do not know how figs taste but this is really entertaining. I give it an 8/10.

Ren: Ice cream for dessert is not new to the most of us but this Gelato Ice cream is. Other than the creamy flavor of the dish what struck me most was the sweet crystal after taste that kicks in after the ice cream melts in your mouth. For that surprise the score would be 8/10!

When we went: Friday, lunchtime on July 4, 2008.
Where it is: Bellini’s – If you can go to Cubao (Ali Mall, SM Shoemart, Gateway, etc.) you can get here. A bit secluded but fairly easy to find, it is in the Marikina Shoe Expo across Rustan’s. Ask directions from Ali Mall or from Rustan’s and you should be able to find it.
Budget Range: Not very expensive. About P250-P400 per person depending on how much and what you want to order. If you want to order everything from appetizer down to dessert, expect to dish out more than P550.

Bangus

Usually, this fish is usually just either fried, stuffed, mashed or made into Sinigang. However in Bangus Restaurant, we find very unconventional ways of cooking it. We chose the three we found most interesting in the menu and put them here for your delight!

Bangus Lumpia

Fiel: This is a great new twist to our favorite fried lumpia! Other than the enticing taste of the bangus, the main difference of this from regular pork lumpia is the texture. It is smoother and it slides down much easier since the mashed fish meat is much softer. The seasonings and spices used in the mashed fish meat was great too! The dip however, didn’t match the dish itself and I preferred to eat it as it is. This gets an 8/10.

Ren: A different approach to the ever popular lumpia. The fish was grounded well the meat was juicy at most, and the sauce just gave the right kick in comparison to the calm taste of the lumpia. I give it a 8.5/10.

Bangus Kare-Kare

Fiel: I did not think much of the kare-kare sauce as it was not viscous enough and the bagoong was not flavorful enough. The fish was a bit dry too and it did not go well with the sauce. All in all, it just seemed to be too bland for me. This is a dish that could have worked, but not this time. 4/10.

Ren: Well for the Kare Kare part, it was like a regular Kare Kare. The taste of the Bangus fish just didn’t mix or wasn’t there with the creamy broth. and the fish was dry of sorts. But a good thing to try but not a favorite. Another nice “to-try” dish for me 7/10.

Bangus Belly in Tamarind Candy Sauce

Fiel: This must be the best bangus dish I have tasted as far as I can remember! The tamarind sauce was not overpoweringly sweet or sour – which is good because you could really taste the fried bangus belly. The belly was cooked just right too – as the “fatty” taste in my opinion, would not dissuade non-fatty eaters from liking it. The fried kangkong leaves with it were crispy and blended well with the sauce too! My only qualm about this one was that there wasn’t enough serving! This is a 9.2/10.

Ren: The sauce is definitely the highlight of this dish! It was sweet and had a bit of its well known tangerine flavor. With the fried fish and vegetable give this dish a bit of a balance. A decent surprise 8.75/10 for me!

When we went: Last July 26, Saturday at around 1PM
Where it is: Mall of Asia!
Budget range: A bit expensive because of the lack of huge servings. Expect to pay P200-P300 per dish on the average that is good for 2-3 people each if you order 2 or more servings.