Melo's

Naadiah Mazlani

3.0

Summary: Final verdict of 2.5, but I’ll round it up. It’s not a horrible place, the quality’s just really low for this price point, and you could find much better at maybe half the price. Maybe just come here for dessert. Also, the menu prices posted on website are WAY misleading.Service - 2It doesn’t get a 1 because the staff were all friendly and polite, but it takes more than that to be good staff, especially for a “fine dining” restaurant. They were incredibly disorganized and slow. At one point a group of waiters converged on one table, which was several waiters too many and resulted in a few of them hovering and doing nothing, while several other tables needed fixing and people waited to be seated. The same thing kept happening. There were a lot of staff just standing doing busy work, and there were three at their counter area alone, but it still took so long to get anything done, like get the bill, ask for a Menu, etc. Even the table next to us started mumbling about how long they had been waiting for the bill. Also, the manager(?) was disorganized and did things with unecessary bustle.Food - 3When we were there, they were only offering four course meals. You could choose your main course and between soup or salad, but there was a set appetizer (calamares) and a dessert of the day. The good thing is that the serving sizes were generous - each individual calamares serving was the type you would order for sharing at another restaurant, and the salmon I ordered was a bit bigger than at most other restaurants (I order salmon almost always). The steaks are ordered on a per oz basis so I guess thats pretty uniform. The downside is quality was average (at this price point, decidedly below average). The salmon was bland, and I had to rely on the garnish for all the flavor. The steaks my family ordered were so-so. I could get much better salmon at Wholesome Table for P400, or steak from the carving station at Nostalgia’s buffet. It was okay, but it wasn’t anything special, and on the whole I could recreate the meal elsewhere for much cheaper. The reason I bumped it up to 3 was because the dessert was really, really good. The night we went it was tiramisu with strawberry garnish, and really, I havent tasted better tiramisu. Although, this was the one course they had small servings for, which was just sad.Ambiance - 4It wasn’t anything special, but there was nothing wrong with it.Value for money - 1You get everything I mentioned earlier (average food, bad service, ok ambiance) for an average price of 2.5k a person!! That wouldnt be TOO bad - IF you’re lucky enough to actually like the appetizer/soup/ salad of the day. But I kind of like getting to choose what food I eat, and eating food that’s not just okay, especially for 2.5k. BTW this didnt include drinks.

Marga Mananghaya Suratos

3.0

Celebrated mother's day here since the 1st restaurant we tried to reserve didn't honor our reservation. I was excited to be eating at Melo's since it would be my first time and it is awarded as one of the best. Plus, it looks posh and classy.For today, they have a special menu: main course of your choice (choose from the menu), toasts with liver pate for appetizer (one plate for four people), caesar salad or classic onion soup, and a strawberry, white chocolate pudding with graham crackers for dessert.Most of my family ordered different kind of steaks. My mom had the salmon. I got the fisherman's pasta, while the kids ordered duck breast and foie gras carbonara. Sadly, they do not have a special menu for the kids.I wasn't able to try the steak, but they said it was okay. My dad who ordered the Wagyu New York Striploin Grade 5A said it was tender at first but got tired of chewing everything so he wasnt able to finish it.My pasta included mussels, clams, scallop, squid, fish, and the highlighter 3pcs of tiger prawns in tomato and cognac sauce. This pasta dish is delicious and the serving is generous. The only sad part was the three tiger prawns are so small, a suahe would look bigger.For the carbonara, the duck breast was a little tough, but the foie gras is very tender with a texture of a chinese-style pork blood. The pasta itself has the right consistency as well.My mom's salmon was also good. It looked big at first, but she was able to finish it. The fish is light but the hollandaise sauce is a little too salty.For the appetizers, the caesar salad was okay. SImple and nothing fancy, not even in the garnishing, just a flat layer of lettuce with dressing. The onion soup was very salty though.Dessert was good. Layers of white chocolate and chiffon with strawberry slices.Service was fine. The staff was eager to serve us and keep us updated on the developments of our dishes. There was a little misunderstanding awhile ago though when my sister-in-law requested for the pasta to be changed into spaghetti instead. The staff agreed at first but when the dish arrived, it was still fettucine. He failed to mention that the pasta cannot be changed.Be warned though. When you ask what is good, the server always points to the most expensive thing on the menu. It may really be that good, but the prices are shocking.Anyway, at least I have tried to eat here for the experience. I do not understand the hype this restaurant is getting, but I find everything too expensive for what they offer. The food is not even exceptionally good.

Hoolizbeth

1.0

The only reason I am giving this restaurant a star is because I can't give them a zero and anyway, they were right in the doneness of the steaks we ordered. I had several complaints that I was in the verge of raising my voice and that I had to contain my anger. Here are the reasons why I was terribly disappointed and appalled with both their food and service:1. Bread. Complimentary bread served were cold. Gave us 2 meager-sized bread and never offered for re-fill. Other lower-scale restaurants offer bread re-fills and they even have bigger sizes of bread so I don't understand why this restaurant can't or don't practise such things2. Soup. Soup was also a tad cold; not warm enough to fit to the standard of normal soup, which is SUPPOSED TO BE WARM BECAUSE IT'S SOUP! Warm soup should be a basic thing but I guess that's too hard for them to observe.3. Foie gras. Quantity of foie gras was very little for a hefty price of Php6804. Steak. The steaks served were near stone cold. The taste was a bit bland. I was looking for a tastier steak. They should have put a bit more pepper and salt. Their steaks were just a bit bland and that's about it. That's how they tasted. Nothing special except that it was very tender as we ordered Australian Wagyu Ribeye Grade 9-10. I was also disappointed with what I ordered. I felt that the meat served to us have been sitting inside their chillers for quite some time. Why? My rare steak was NOT at all juicy and no blood outflow anywhere. Rare steak should have a bit of blood spills here and there, right?? And to finish off my detailed review, here's what happened on the other hand in terms of their service:Epic Fail # 1Me: Are the prices quoted net prices?Waiter: Ah if umorder po kayo ng steak for example ito, 498 per oz and kung gusto n'yo 8 oz so 498 x 8.Me: Hindi. Ang tanong ko if net na ba 'to.Waiter: Opo net na po.Me: (I already knew na inclusive na ang tax pero may 10% service charge pa) Sigurado ka? As in wala nang tax or service charge??Waiter: Ah meron pong service charge pa.Me: (Rolls eyes)Epic Fail # 2Me: May crabmeat ba pumpkin soup n'yo?Waiter: Medyo busy po ang kitchen ngayon pero sige ask ko po if may crab and corn soup.Me: Hindi! Sabi ko if may crabmeat ba kako 'yung pumpkin soup n'yo??Waiter (seemed confused): Wala pong crabmeat.Me: Kasi I read somewhere sa internet na may crabmeat 'yung usual pumpkin soup n'yo. So dun ba sa complimentary pumpkin soup din may crabmeat?Waiter: Ah wala po ang meron lang crab sticks sa ibabawMe: Okay nevermind. (Rolls eyes)Epic Fail # 3Waiter: Ano po ang doneness ng steak?Me: RareWaiter: Okay po medium rare.Me: Sabi ko rare! (Rolls eyes again)Epic Fail # 4We were about to leave the restaurant but we were just waiting for the receipt. I overheard their Restaurant Manager, Blessie, asked her staff if we have already paid the bill. The staff said yes. Then she approached me..Manager: How's the food po?Me: Well, okay lang. Wait. Are you the Restaurant Manager?Manager: Yes po.Me: Okay. May mga complaints ako. 'Yung waiters n'yo hindi attentive. 'Yung waiter namin hindi nakikinig sa mga sinasabi ko. You should train them nang maayos.Manager: Bakit po ma'am?Me: Kasi when I asked if may crabmeat ba 'yung pumpkin soup, he said he will ask the kitchen daw kung may crab and corn soup eh di naman 'yun ang question koManager: Ah pumpkin soup or seafood chowder lang po kasi talaga ang choices dun sa complimentary soupMe: Isa ka pa! Hindi ka rin nakikinig!Manager: Ano po ba 'yun?Me: Ang sabi ko nga, I asked if may crabmeat 'yung pumpkin soup pero ang sagot sa akin ng waiter eh check daw n'ya if may crab and corn soup!Manager: Ah okay poMe: And then when I asked for rare steak sabi n'ya medium rareManager: Okay poMe: Saka 'yung bread n'yo, ang lamig. 'Yung soup, malamig. 'Yung steak may konting-konting init pero malamig pa rinManager: Ah baka po kasi since rare ang steak n'yo kaya malamig na dahil saglit lang nilutoMe: Pero kahit na, ang lamig na ng steak. (Thought to myself: Hindi ganyan 'yung tamang way ng pagsagot sa concern ko)Manager: Ah okay poMe: Ang dami ko pa sanang complaints pero I said to myself huwag na kasi super hungry na ako. But then again you should train them on how your waiters answer. He said kasi na "matatagalan po ang foie gras n'yo dahil busy po ang kitchen". I don't freaking care if busy 'yung kitchen n'yo kasi I'm your customer! Hindi ko na problema 'yun kasi problema n'yo 'yun! Ang proper response dapat ay "Apologies po. Sa ngayon po kasi overwhelming ang mga orders since may function din po. Pasensya na po if medyo made-delay 'yung order." Ganun dapat 'yung response n'yo. I am not even from F&B industry but I know how you should properly respond. Anyway, heto na naman ako baka magalit na ko.. (Nanginginig na boses ko sa pagpigil ng galit ko)Manager: Paalis na po ba kayo? Gusto ko po sana bigyan kayo ng dessert. Me: Hindi na. Paalis na kami. (I wanted to say, ay hindi naman kami paalis! Wala trip lang namin na palabas na kami sa door!)Manager: Kung gusto n'yo po sulat n'yo comments n'yo sa papelMe: No, I'd rather take this sa website and social media.Having stated the series of unfortunate events with this restaurant, I'd say that this is a total rip-off. They charge so much on the food but the food was mediocre, the service was terrible, the interiors of the restaurant did not have the 'upscale' vibe or fine dining vibe (as if I am just eating in a common Chinese restaurant), and they don't maintain cleanliness in their toilets. I wonder, where do the money go if they're charging too much?? Mamou restaurant's steak tasted way better, cost cheaper, and had the classy atmosphere when you dine in there (my only comment was that, the steak was very oily)After all these disappointments, our total bill was worth almost P12,000!!!