#danielaeats: meat depot

For our Father's Day dinner last week, my sisters and I bought frozen steak from Meat Depot in BF Homes along Aguirre Avenue. We got rib eye, about nine half inch slices of it for less than Php 700. It was more affordable than expected and the quality of the meat we got for dinner was pretty good, so I was curious to know the experience I would get if I dined in.

I tried out the place last Saturday and ordered Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed for about Php 311 + Php 100 cooking fee, sauce and a side. 

When you enter, the first thing they make you do is pick your meat from the freezer. Once you've chosen your cut, you decide the cook you want, the sauce (for this I chose mushroom), and the side (either potatoes, fries or rice).

We got there around 7:00pm so the place was full, and we had to wait around 30 minutes to be seated. While waiting, we already picked out our meat + cook, sauce and side. We got our dishes at around 8:15pm. It was a pretty long wait (so was getting the bill), but we were all quite contented with the turnout.

The mushroom sauce I had was good, but the spicy pepper one my friend got was much better. I chose medium rare for the cook on my rib eye and they got it pretty good. I just wish I chose a piece with more fat for more flavour instead of prioritizing the size of the cut (gah, what hunger can do). We all got free barbecue for their anniversary treat and extra mash and rice because our waiter was extra nice. All their waiters are! Anton got his pork chop which was much bigger (if i'm not mistaken his piece was Php 210 + Php 100 for the cook, side and sauce), and he really liked it. It already had a barbecue marinade so I didn't mind having it with the mushroom sauce though he still wanted the spicy pepper.

On my way out I was thinking of what I would decide to choose for my next visit since I felt I could've gotten a better piece. Little did I know that I'd be having my next one just the day after.

I went back to the Depot with my family the very next day for Sunday lunch. I arrived a bit late so when I got there, my mom had already ordered the Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed again for me, but this time, a piece with better marbling, mash, and the spicy pepper sauce.



I enjoyed this meal so much more the second time around because the piece had a good amount of fat in it and I enjoyed it with the spicy pepper sauce. My parents, on the other hand, got Angus, which was a bit more expensive and bigger in size, but was so much better. Soft and flavourful without needing much sauce to enjoy it.

The service this time around was faster since we went pretty early and were one of their first lunch customers for the day. I enjoyed my food more during the second visit, and I would recommend you try it out if you're in the area. It's a good place to buy your meat and dine in, just try to get there at a good time so you don't wait so long. They no longer take reservations so you have to go early.

283 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes Paranaque
(02) 501 0845
Restaurant in front of Tides
You may start shopping for meat as early as 8AM

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: ble

I just realized I haven't had an entry in this blog for the month of May and it's already the 31st! May by far has been the busiest month of the year (travel, bazaar, work), extremely exhausting (the heat made everything ten times tiring), but definitely one of my favorites. I welcomed May in Taipei, joined my first 10k run, worked on Common Ware's second bazaar, surfed and chilled in Baler with the Seabiscuit Films Team, vacationed in a beautiful house in Matabungkay, and worked in between. I was a bit unsure as to how I would finish all my work and vacation at the same time, but I'm so glad I was able to pull it off. Now that the month's over, I'm feeling absolutely hashtagblessed! I had to.

I'll probably write about it in more detail in the following days, but to start, here's Ble.

It's a quaint Greek little restaurant in BF Homes, and you might have a difficult time finding it because (1) it's tiny, and (2) it's sort of hidden. The restaurant has two branches, one along Aguirre and one along El Grande. The Aguirre branch is quite small and can accommodate less than ten people at a time, so my friends and I decided to visit the newer one along El Grande which could sit more people.

Ble outside looks like a house. To spot it, just look for a Blue and White bungalow. There's a small sign outside with the restaurant name but since it's just a stand on the ground that's less than a meter tall, you might not spot it. 

Upon entering the place, you'll first see the outdoor area where customers could choose to dine (but in this heat, it might not be an option). When you reach the house you'll see this (photo above), cute small little place covered in Blue and White cabinets, walls, and furniture. A hint of Greece in an unexpected place, filled with the cutest nautical details, from ships, to ropes, to lamps, and patterned plates. 

To start, my friends and I shared the dip platter which had Hummus, Babaganush, Tzatziki and Olives, and pitta bread. We were five girls, so the pitta it came with wasn't enough. If i'm not mistaken we had five extra orders just so that we could finish the dips. My personal favorite was the Tzatziki with Olives. The garlic was a little overpowering (which I liked) and it was a good add on to the Beef Souvlaki I had. The flavours of the dips were strong but delicious, so having it come in a platter is perfect so that you could alternate it as you go. 

For my main I got a Beef Souvlaki. Upon ordering it I was thinking that maybe I'll be needing an extra dish because a wrap wouldn't really get me full. But as I was eating it, I realised how heavy it was. The Souvlaki was good and flavourful, but the wrap was way too heavy for me. It was actually the same pitta bread we had with our dips used as a wrap. It was thick and dominated the whole thing, so I got pretty full after just a few bites. I think I would've enjoyed it more if it was thinner so that I could get more of its contents with the wrap. Sayang, the flavour was already there!

Despite the heavy wrap, I'd definitely go back to try out more of their dishes. I enjoy Greek food once in a while and I think this place got it good!

If you'd like to try it out:
410 El Grande Avenue, BF Homes
0917 721 7488

 Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: bamba bistro

A special dinner for a birthday and a graduation.

We wanted something close by so we could head home right after for drinks. First on the list was Bamba Bistro since it was highly recommended by me, my sister and parents.

The Artichoke Crostini P290 - Artichoke, Basil puree, Ricotta, sweet balsamic, almonds

There's not much I could say about this starter since I had a small bite. I enjoyed the Ricotta but didn't taste so much the Basil, sweet balsamic and almonds.

Mesclun Salad P354 - assorted fruits, Feta, Grilled chicken, Papadom chips, house vinaigrette

A refreshing starter amongst the many filling starters we had. I enjoyed the fruits and greens altogether, and the house vinaigrette was good too.

Sangria. Love the jars and also the Sangria! You should order this when you pay the place a visit. It could sometimes be too icy that you have to wait for it to melt a bit so you can sip more drink out of your straw.

Huevos Flamencos P210 - Chorizo, Ham, Ground Beef, Stewed Tomatoes, Egg

Hands down, my favorite anything from this place. The flavor of the different meat altogether with toasted bread is to die for. It usually just comes with 3-5 slices of bread so you're bound to get an extra order. It's also so good that you munch on it so much as a starter that you end up getting almost halfway full by the time your main course arrives.

Braised Beef P320 - Slow cooked Sirloin simmered in a Sesame Soy Sauce with Crispy Sprouts and Cream Cheese, served with French fries

More Sangria.

No photo:

Porcini Crusted Steak P995 - Grilled Angus Ribeye, Duckfat Corn Kenels, Arugula Salad

I think this dish would've been excellent if our piece was less salty and peppery. One bite from the one we were served had way too much seasoning, it was hard to get a second without alternating it with another dish.

 Duck Ravioli P495 - Duck, Ricotta, Porcini mushroom cream sauce, Truffle

This was good, but very heavy. It's definitely a dish for sharing if you plan on eating other dishes (or even if it's the only dish you plan on getting). Maybe if the bite sizes were a bit smaller and there was a little more flavor in the duck too, it could be excellent. 

Classic Caesar Salad P220 - Romaine lettuce, Bacon, Croutons, Parmesan cheese

A simple dish done well. At first it wasn't being touched in the table, but once I tried it and found that it was pleasantly more delicious than most of the Caesar salads I've tried, more people attacked it.

The Morning After Sandwich P310 - Ham, Cheddar cheese, Fried egg, Mozzarella, Truffle oil, Honey, served with French fries

A recommendation from my sister which I absolutely enjoyed (of course, there's Truffle!). Another Bamba favorite because I enjoyed the levelled up breakfast for dinner meal. It's also pretty heavy so I suggest you share it with someone.

The place is pretty small and gets full right away so I suggest you make a reservation. Despite the full house though I must say they served us pretty quick! Definitely a place to visit when in BF.