Welcome to the Clubhouse!

Last June 30, 2013, we were planning to spend time with my dad since it's the last weekend before he heads back to Samar.

The plan was that he'd go to church with my sister and her family, and then meet up with us at the Divine World Columbary.

They left the family compound early. +maria cessna galecio , Tita Fe, Thirdy and myself left around 10:30 am hoping they'd finish hearing Mass by the time we got there.

We arrived by 11am, and after spending nearly an hour waiting, the Mass still wasn't finished. It was already noon and we were a bit hungry. I called my sister and said we'll be going for lunch and told them we'd be heading to Robinson's Magnolia.

By the time we got to the mall, I didn't get anything from my sister so I guess they were having lunch somewhere else.

It was a mall-sale weekend, so it was the same at Robinson's Magnolia. The reason I wanted to go there was because I was eyeing the Elfa Shelving System being sold at Howard's Storage for a cabinet make over.  There were some items being sold at Howard's Storage, but we were told that the Elfa system never goes on sale since it's an imported product. A discounted price would most likely result in a loss for the store.

A True Value store was nearby so we had to check it out as well. We're on a small house redecoration now so we're buying a few things. I've had my eye on a collapsible ladder, but it wasn't on sale. The roof needs fixing so I really need a sturdy ladder.

There were some great discounted items, but we didn't need them right now, or that they were still expensive and we had other things we wanted to get our hands on first.

We did end up buying 2 boxes of Real Simple Slimline hanger 50pc set. They retailed at 900 pesos each, with a 30% discount. We have the typical plastic hangers at home. These aren't wide enough, so they don't reach the shoulders of the clothes, just midway, so my clothes hang loose and so the clothes get disfigured at the shoulders.

I've always wanted wooden hangers over the plastic ones, but haven't made the transition yet. I thought these 50pc set would be better than the plastic ones at home, and later I can move on to the the wooden versions. These slim hangers really look flimsy and might break easily, which based on reviews, happens almost always, but it's better than what we currently have.

After that, we went and had lunch. Chea had been wanting to try out this restaurant which was tucked away in an easily missed location. It's along the breadth of the main mall, but the door's at the end of a small hallway.

By its location, you'd think that the original plan for the area was for restrooms or as the mall's offices.

The clubhouse

The restaurant's name is The Clubhouse. It seems really more like a diner than a restaurant. Most of the menu are of sandwiches, bread and pastries. As for meals, they seem to offer mostly breakfast menu items.

Most of their menu items are expensive. It's rare you'll see anything less than 200 pesos. Most of the prices for the pastas hover around 240pesos, while for the main menus are around 300 pesos.

Chea ordered the Smothered Pork Chop and Mash (295) and the Four Cheese Lasagna (235) and three orders of plain rice. I asked for a liter of a Four Seasons juice, and a cinnamon roll (60 pesos).

If happiness was a piece of bread

In all honesty, the only thing that I liked (a lot actually), was the cinnamon roll. It wasn't too sweet. The cinnamon not overpowering. The fact that it only cost 60 pesos, as compared to Cinnabon's version at 90 pesos, made me order another one, to go.

Smothered pork chop. Getting smothered didn't help this one bit.

The Smothered Porkchop was actually plain. Nothing terribly special about it. It seems like the meat was just baked in an oven and then smothered with the gravy, which had nothing spectacular about it. The only good thing about this menu was it had two slices of pork chop of fairly decent size that the three of us managed to get enough pieces of it to go through a small platter of rice.

Four cheese pasta. I wish the cheese came in different colors so I 'd know there are actually different cheeses in there because I couldn't taste the difference

The four cheese pasta was also a disappointment. Although it's priced at 235, it's a bit small (and flat). There's barely anything in there. It won't satisfy someone with a hankering for something with a lot of cheese in it. I think you're better of with Sbarro's lasagna.

Good enough

The place is also small, just enough to fit about 30 persons or so. So this place would pack easily. Although since it's in a somewhat discreet location, i don't think that would happen as often as you'd imagine. We were there barely past lunch time and it was only half full.

Maybe we ordered incorrectly, since we didn't ask for the specialties, which again, I think are their sandwiches and their breakfast menus. 

Aside from the cinnamon roll, their saving grace are probably the staff. They were extremely friendly especially with kids. They smiled a lot and they were playful with Thirdy. Thirdy really felt at home and he walked all over the place and the staff looked genuinely amused with kids. 

I'd probably give this place another shot just because of the staff. Maybe we should try their sandwiches next time.

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Relish it!

Last Sunday (6/23/2013), +maria cessna galecio and I, were taking Thirdy back to his grandparents' place in Antipolo. Along for the trip was Chea's youngest brother, Cyrus, and their aunt, Tita Fe.

On the way to Antipolo, we first dropped by at Centris Sunday market to buy fruits for Thirdy. He loves avocado so Chea went to buy some. I bought some orchids for my brother as well. We were also on the lookout for some bread for Thirdy.

Thirdy loves soft bread. There was this flaky turnover in Starbucks that he loves. He also loved the garlic bread sticks from Bigoli. He nearly finished an entire stick on his own.

There were some stalls that were selling bread and pastries, but we ended up with some small monays that looked as soft as ensaymadas. A pack cost 60pesos, but we managed to haggle it down to 45 pesos (on account that it was past lunch and they were packing up soon).

We then dropped by a supermarket in Quezon avenue to buy milk. I also bought some herbed bread sticks to see if Thirdy would like those as well.

After that, we opted to have lunch as it was midday already. We decided to head off to Relish, a new restaurant along Scout Limbaga.

A very ornate design

As expected, the parking lot was packed. It was fortunate that there was still an available slot so we parked and went in.

The insides were very modern. However, there were smatterings of ornate designs. The receiving lounge for example had ornate sofas and high back chairs. They also had an ornate chandelier (which Thirdy likes and kept reaching for). Their place mat also had very ornate print.

Their chairs were modern filipino. They were a plastic version of rattan chairs, both the frame and the weaving.

They had a display wall filled with vintage ceramics. Overall, the place was clean, pleasing and well lighted. We were seated on the first floor. We were told that the second floor was bigger but I didn't bother to go up the stairs and check it out.

The menu is a bit expensive. Probably about 100 pesos more compared to your typical non-fast food restaurants. However, I think it's acceptable considering the service and the food being great and all.

I left it to Chea to order for us while I was busy playing with my son.

She ended up ordering Slow Roasted Beef (which had 3 slices), Pasta Carbonara with a piece of bread, Sisig and 4 plates of rice.

Slow Roasted Beef Belly with Au Jus. 

As I mentioned earlier, the menu is expensive. So Chea decided to go with the Slow Roasted Beef Belly as it had 3 slices, enough for her, me and Cyrus. The mashed potato would be going to Thirdy.

In the menu, you'd find that the beef was slowly cooked for 4 hours, which meant that the beef was really, really soft. And I really mean soft. I tried picking up an entire slice, but it kept breaking apart from its own weight. I had to scoop the broken pieces slowly onto my plate.

I didn't bother with the gravy in the small ceramic cup. The beef was slathered with its own juices (au jus) . The slow cooking took away the usual beefy flavor leaving with an almost bland taste. Still, the very soft and tender meat was a pleasure. It almost melts in your moth.

All rice!

However, the rice felt stiff and dry so it somehow clashed with the tender, juicy beef. So I suggest just eating the beef with the mashed potato.

Thirdy looking at the food.

Tita Fe doesn't eat beef, so we ordered sisig for her.

Relish sisig is a very creamy sisig. Imagine the creamy sisig from Dencio, and imagine it more creamier. The meat isn't made up of ligaments and the usual parts. Most of them are pure meat, and cooked until they're crisp and brown. It's not as salty as the typical sisig you order.

The sisig is the one up top. I didn't get to take a focused picture . Maybe next time.

Chea also ordered pasta. I'm not sure what the exact dish was, but it looks like spaghetti alla carbonara. It's tastes exactly what you'd expect it to taste like. The spaghetti was a bit under cooked. But not too much. The bread is also what you'd expect of a crusty french bread: dry and tough.

Overall, it was a pretty good dining experience. Although I think I like it's neighbor, Cerchio, a bit better.

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