Galli Village Cafe

Putariani

3.0

Unexpectedly disappointing. Good thing they have a great all-around cheerful cook/server who'd try to satisfy your requests if possible and keeps on saying "Pasensiya na po..." with every thing that lacks in the resto.I've won a Galli Village Cafe Voucher from website, and since it was going to expire I have to use it. My girlfriend and I went there last Sunday (July 28) and yet to our dismay, the place was closed. We went back today (July 30) and as we entered the place, nobody greeted us coz' there's no people around except for the two customers who were eating their meal. On our own initiative, we get the menu, seated ourselves, and waited for someone who'll attend to us. After a few minutes we saw the server-cum-cook.So we ordered... Of course! Having read about their famed-Paella Valenciana I believe that we ought to try it! But then again, my disappointments seems to be piling up. No more Paella at past 2 in the afternoon!! What can we do but to choose another one from their menu... The server suggested Beef Salpicao and Gambas but since I am allergic to shrimp, we opted for the Beef Salpicao and Angus Beef Tapa. We had an extra order of Carbonara - but, No Carbonara as well! For our drinks, my girlfriend chose the Four Season while I picked the Lemonade - which happened to be unavailable, too! They're even out of Leche Flan!! But at least they have coffee when we ordered one. :)After having been denied of the foods we love to try, our orders came fast. Even though the only staff is like a one-man band, she served us well to the best of her ability.My Verdict:Both the two meals seemed a bit pricey adding into consideration that VAT was not even included in it. Serving size was small, especially, the Beef Salpicao. But taste-wise... I can say that they nailed it! The Beef Salpicao has a certain spice, that gives a wonderful flavor to the tastebuds, complemented with the tenderness of its meat. The Angus Beef Tapa was undeniably gratifying! The Four Season was equally good. Not too sweet and a real thirst-quenching drink! The coffee was just so-so.Though series of unfortunate events happened... I would still say that it wasn't a bad experience after all -- and all because of the very competent, attentive, and apologetic server! Kudos to her!

Miya Kusuma

3.0

First, a little back story: I too was given a gift voucher by website for Write for a Bite, but I was given one for the Makati branch, since I'm from the South. The voucher was expiring, so I called on the last Sunday before expiration to book for lunch at the Makati branch, only to be told that Sunday lunches were always booked by a prayer group, for seven years now. Sunday lunch was the only chance my family and I could go out. I was told to come back later in the afternoon or in the few days before the voucher's expiry, but I didn't have the time, so I let it slide. Beggars can't be choosers after all.Oddly enough, I did end up trying Galli Village Café at the farther branch, in Quezon City, when I found myself in the neighborhood. My dad was looking through a list of Maginhawa restaurants online, saw a picture of paella, and decided it was worth trying. The first thing we noticed on the menu was that all the meals were served with rice We just wanted a little appetizer before our paella, which would take 30-45 minutes.. My dad asked for bread to be served instead, since it's his habit with gambas and salpicao, and delightfully, our friendly server obliged.The gambas and salpicao came about 20 minutes later, and...honestly, it wasn't bad. I'd even actually say it was good, for the price of 195 each. It's just that the servings were so small, about half the amount of how much protein I would usually eat. I understood that it was a way to keep the price down and to cater to the Maginhawa market of students and Teacher's Village residents. The gambas were flavorful though not spicy, while the special spice in the beef salpicao was yellow mustard.The paella arrived about another 15 minutes later, and we knew it was coming when we could smell the "soccarat", the burnt rice at the bottom of the pan, which we loved. Of course, what arrived to our table had some significant differences from the appetizing PR feature shot. There was about 50% less protein. The shrimp, chicken, and chorizo bits were small and few and far in between. Scratch that, the chorizo was actually sweet longganisa. Of course, I wasn't expecting much, recognizing logistical moves to bring the meal's price down to only 495 for a paella big enough to feed 4-5. It was just OK, a tummy filler but not a palate pleaser, something typical of restaurants in a location mostly populated by students on a budget.I guess it just boils down to a matter of preference. I'm not a fan of any "Filipinized" cuisine, specially not the Filipino-Spanish at Galli. If I'm craving for paella, I'd rather go to a straight up Spanish place, even at double the price. If I'm a very hungry student and want cheap eats, then I'd come here. My starving Katipunan dormer years are long behind me though. It's a passable option if you're from Sikatuna/Teacher's Village; but next time I'm in the neighborhood, I'd skip Maginhawa all together and head to Katipunan or Libis instead.

Gino Callejo Chua

3.0

After weeks of procrastination I finally set a date to use my website gift card and went over to Galli Village Cafe, QC branch. Before anything else, I would like to advice anyone trying the place the CALL IN ADVANCE. Seriously. It's not just because of the wait time. It's awesome that they prepare the food as you order. Unfortunately when we went there, we only thought of calling in advance to order the paella. When we got there, the paella was good and ready so we dove right in. Later on we decided to try a few more things out only to find that half the menu was unavailable. :(So, when you're ready to try the place, pick what you want from the menu and call to ask if it's available. Otherwise, the trip is gonna end in a lot of disappointments. Moving on to my review.. Ambience : 4.0 It's a small, intimate place. Perfect for getting together with close friends or even a relaxed date. I don't think you'll be worrying about a rowdy party on the next table. Service : 4.0Superb. We were cheerfully greeted and we never had to wait to be attended. One of the benefits of a small venue is the waiter will never miss you. Food: 3.0We tried four things : Paella Valencia, Angus Beef Tapa, Shrimp Gambas and Almondigas Soup. All of these had stars on them in the menu. And they were all OK. The gambas was the best in my opinion. The paella was good but did not rock my world (there may be bias here as my grandma makes the best paella). The angus beef tapa was a surprise, the beef looked like sukiyaki beef was used to make tapa. It was good, just peculiar. Almondigas isn't even worth reviewing. If you just want something to warm your tummy, it's fine. Overall: 3.5Maybe I'm still unhappy that so many items were unavailable during my visit. Maybe I was expecting too much after reading so much about the place. Overall it was a good experience, it just fell a bit sort of what i was hoping it would be.