Mang Inasal

Marc Deckor Sabado

Date night last Friday was at Pampas, and the experience was delicious.First things first: Everything we ate was scrumptious. We had the hangar steak with a side of mushroom salpicao, and while the steak could have been warmer,  it was tasty and tender. I am a big fan of mushrooms, so I enjoyed the salpicao quite a bit. There were also some yummy small plates, including a beet salad which sounded unglamorous but was actually delicious; the sweetness of the beets was a nice counterpoint to the tangy dressing. And it went nicely with the Crab Cakes which were crisp on the outside, juicy and savory on the inside, with a wonderful spicy creamy mole sauce. The Chorizo con Morcillas was another small plate that was a little oily but still very good. Service was solicitous and very quick; they were pleasant and courteous without being cloying or hovering too much. The only thing I can complain about is that when I called to reserve a table, I asked what kind of whisky they had, and the lady I spoke with promised to call me back with a list, but she never did. This was not a dealbreaker but it did make me wonder about their service. I'm grateful that they quelled my fears when I finally showed up. As far as decor is concerned, the place has the perfect lighting: Bright enough to see what you're doing but dim enough to set a warm, romantic mood. The ambience is homey, with lots of wood, wall sconces, comfortable u-shaped sofas framed by drapes, and bistro chairs and tables. One caveat: There is only one unisex rest room for an establishment that not only bills itself as a bar but also looks like it can accommodate 60-80 people. I would not want to be around on busy nights. Also on another note, there is no available parking yet on this side of Uptown Place; you need to park across the street, in the mall basement.  And the basement parking is hideously designed, confusing as hell, and lacking in helpful signage. The good part of that is, you will be ravenous by the time you get to the restaurant. So just go with it :)

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Monika Nabillya

This is the kind of snack place I'm willing to line up for no matter how long the line gets, and every branch I walk by always has a line. I honestly miss the old Custard flavor for its simplicity because both options are now very sweet. From simple and sweet, now you have to choose between sweet and sweeter. But as a sweet tooth, I'm totally okay with the new set-up: Pastillas de Leche and Choco Fudge. There are days where I crave one or the other and my last visit was for Pastillas. Hot and cold, we enjoyed every single bite from the mall all the way home!I recommend eating a box with friends or considering it as a cinema snack instead of the usual popcorn and chips. :)

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