Torch, UP Town Center

May 25, 2014, after celebrating our 17th anniversary of being together at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas Center, and braving the Greenhills bazaar, we decided to have a late lunch over in UP Town Center.

There were several new restaurants in the area and Chea wanted to try one out in particular, Shrimp Bucket.

We arrived sometime around 3pm, and proceeded directly to the place. However, it was a bit full. Also, they didn't have a sign that they accepted credit cards, so we decided to look someplace else. I had some cash on me, but didn't want to limit my menu options to what I can afford paying with cash. And I was too lazy to wait for someone to come out (or me to go in to their resto) just to ask if they accept credit cards (which they do based on a review on Zomato).

So we decided to look around to see some of the newly opened establishments.

I like taking pictures of placemats

We ended up with Torch. They have a branch in Greenhills that we've never been to, so this was a chance for us to try them out.

The place was amply lit, with the outdoor light flooding into the place with the floor to ceiling glass wall on one side and the main counter and kitchen directly opposite it.The inside of the establishment could probably fit 50 people or so. The tables and chairs were wooden, with just enough space in between to walk around in.

There were 4 tables outside, which were full of people. We later noticed that most of them were the staff, and it was their off time.

I think the place is good for family gatherings and for large groups, kinda like Shakey's or Pizza Hut. Even the menu is designed for those demographic in mind especially with their pizza and large servings.

Chea wanted to try out the Angus Beef Tapa and the Salpicao Tenders, while I wanted to try out their omelettes, but those were breakfast items and were only available up to 10:30AM. It was too bad since they were the cheapest on the menu.

Bottomless red iced tea. It was hot. And I was thirsty. 

We ended up ordering the Salpicao Medallion. It had two pieces, which was good enough for Chea and myself. We also ordered a Panizza for Tita Fe, a bottomless red iced tea for me, and a Panna Cotta for dessert. Chea asked if we could have half of the Panizza made as seafood, and with the other half made with angus beef, to which the staff agreed.

Seafood and Angus Beef panizza. Really good.

The red iced tea and the panizza arrived first. I couldn't wait for the steak, so we tried out the panizza. Both variants had mozarella cheese, although the beef variant also had white cheese. Anyone who likes thin crust would love their panizza. It's crunchy but not too brittle. The angus beef was flavorful, and so was the shrimp. I picked them off first, before downing the slice of pizza.

Later, the steak arrived and I was a bit surprised. There were indeed two pieces, and were about a little over an inch high, and about 3 inches in diameter. For 480 pesos, it was pretty cheap. I remember ordering a tenderloin over at Chops Chicago SteakHouse at ShangriLa and that thing was expensive.

Thirdy awed by the big chunks of still smoking beef in front of him. He tried blowing out the smoke

The steak was served on top of a marble slab, with a small flame underneath. The steak was still sizzling, and there was smoke coming off the steak. Thirdy spent a few moments blowing at the steak from his high chair.

A bit blurry but you can see Thirdy huffing and puffing at the steak

I took the rightmost piece and split it in half. I gave half to Chea, and then I proceeded to slice up my half with the steak knife since we were only given one. I then handed off the knife to Chea when I was finished.

I didn't notice the bacon on the piece that we got, but after eating I had the chance to look at the other piece, and I saw some charred part of the steak. When i tried to pull it off, it was then that I noticed that it was a strip of bacon wrapped around the sides of the steak.

Anyway, the steak was good, but wasn't that flavorful. It wasn't too charred, and the middle parts were still pinkish, but it was a bit dry. Maybe I should've gone with a medium cook rather than a medium well. It was also slathered with a small amount of gravy, so Chea had to ask for more, as it tasted a bit bland without the gravy.

With each of us having a plate of rice, we managed to eat just one piece of the steak, the other, we were able to take home.

The fruits are sweet.

Later, we had the Panna Cotta with fresh fruits at 180 pesos. It had slices of mangoes, grapes and kiwi, most of which were sweet. The gelatinous milk was creamy and wasn't too sweet so that was a pleasant experience.

Our final bill was around 1,500 pesos I think. A bit expensive for just a party of three. But to be honest, none of the main dishes are exactly cheap. Most of them are upwards of 300 pesos, with a few at around 220 pesos and more. So I do think it's best that you come here as a larger group and share everything.

If there were only about 3 of you or less, you should come in early, and go for the breakfast items instead.