G.U.S. NITPICKS!! (v. 18)

SALA BISTRO





Talk about deja vu yet again. My good friend, fresh-as-a-daisy-looking G., and i were meeting up after not having seen each other for more than half a year (during which i conveniently "forgot" to give her Christmas and birthday presents. . .hehe :D)

We had previously dined at Sala in Malate last year. Since it had transferred to Makati (the new Sala at the PLDT building, where Lumiere used to be; and a new more reasonably-priced version, Sala Bistro, in Greenbelt 3), we decided on the latter resto.

Check out Sala Bistro's interiors below, predominantly full-length glass windows interpersed with dark brown columns, with a high rather drab grey ceiling and bits of chrome and lots of mirrors thrown in.








From what my sister tells me, this place is packed even during weekday evenings. So i guess that's the whole idea behind the glass walls - this resto is 'in', and the place to be seen dining in when you're in Greenbelt.

To me, it certainly isn't the type of place one would go to, if one wanted to have a nice, quiet, intimate dinner.

But anyway, we didn't come here to gawk at celebrities (although G. discreetly pointed out this fashionista couple who walked by), or play amateur interior designer.

Onwards to the food! The original Sala has a well-deserved reputation for excellent food and superior service, albeit at a price that severely dents your wallet.

Let's see how this present incarnation fares.




Garlicky Portabella Mushrooms on Toast with Goat's Cheese (PHP490.00)


This was the most expensive starter, but expense be damned, this was quite a fantastic dish! The mushrooms had real nice chewy texture, and the garlic cream wasn't overpowering.

We overheard the lady dining beside our table tell the waiter that she had preferred their old style of serving this dish, with the portabella mushroom in one whole piece. Either way, it was yummy throughout.




Confit of Lamb Shoulder with Roasted Pumpkin and Crushed Green Peas (PHP620.00)


Being more used to eating lamb ribs, i wasn't totally thrilled with my entree. The meat was tender and flavorful, but for some strange reason, i had to double-check that i was eating lamb, as it felt more like beef. The crushed peas were terrible, though.




Fillet of today's fish cooked in paper (PHP620.00)


The day's fish was grouper, and fresh-faced G. was happy with her choice, although she didn't like the onions. I tasted a bit of this dish, and the fish was indeed soft, yet firm and tasty.

Upon our waiter's prompting, G. had ordered mashed potato as a side dish. Here it is below:




Truffle Oil Mashed Potato (PHP200.00)


As you can see, we had eaten more than half of it already before i remembered to take a pic. Yes, it was THAT good. Not too heavy on the cream, and not too bland, either; just right in taste and texture.

Unfortunately, we both didn't realize how much it cost, until we saw the bill. Talk about sticker shock! :d Yes, this was one incredibly nice-tasting mashed potato (i'd even go as far to say it's one of the best ever i've tasted), but it was flat-out the most expensive one as well!!

For desserts, our waiter was pushing for the Valrhona chocolate tart with vanilla seed ice cream (PHP290.00), and i was sorely tempted to try the Dulche de leche rice pudding with caramel oranges (PHP280.00); but in the end, we both felt so full that we just settled for one scoop homemade Strawberry ice cream (PHP100.00).

So, let's sum up Sala Bistro. Come here, and you'll get a very good meal coupled with unobtrusive service. Just make sure to bring your credit card, since the average bill would likely be PHP1,100.00 to PHP1,500.00 per person.

I can only shudder, though, when i speculate on what type of prices they are charging at the new Sala. Yikes!