Palette: The Art of Food

JANNA

4.0

This is literally a hole in the wall restaurant where we wouldn't really notice was a restaurant. But it was really good! This is a good find!It's almost two weeks since we ate here for a website meet up (my first!) but I could still remember the food that was served (and outstanding food would usually mark a memory with me).We tried the cane juice, which I found a bit too sweet... Though it is natural with no added sugar. We just added water to compensate for the sweetness (great, as the drink will be enough for two!)For appetizers, we had the adobo pate with crostini which my boyfriend like though he wasn't a big fan of pate in general. I am not a big fan of adobo actually but I like it because it's something new.We also had the nachos, which we enjoyed as the chips were thin and crispy (so delicious that it can be eaten alone). It was like fried wonton. Very yummy with lots of toppings!I liked the tinapa lumpia best of all the appetizers because aside from something new for me, I liked that it wasn't too oily, nor too salty, and I like it dipped with the sweet vinegar. (writing about it makes my mouth water right now)The fish tacos were also good. It didn't taste "malansa" at all, and it has these japanese mayo taste... The sweet taste to contrast the saltedness of the fish. Actually it doesn't taste like fish, and I am guessing it can be served to people who don't eat fish heheBut our crowd favorite was the vermicelli salad! I just love it! The noodles were thin and light and crispy. The sauce was delicious. Even the noodles alone with the sauce is already something I can enjoy!We also had some pasta, the carbonara and the gambas chorizo pasta. The carbonara was good, it was creamy. But the better option for me would be the gambas chorizo, as it is a good combination with the marinara sauce (and the gambas is really good).For the entrees, my favorite was the lamb stew with mint rice. Ansarap!!! Lamb doesn't feel too "malansa" (some may not even recognize it was lamb) but it was just sooooo good with the mint rice. It was soft and easy to chew. I will definitely order this again (when I have money haha but it's definitely worth it!)We also liked the lengua, which was soft. The sauce was just right, creamy and not too salty. It was also served with thin breadlike-sticks; something a bit crunchy to contrast the softness of the meat.I am also not a big fan of callos because sometimes the tomato sauce can be too sour but theirs was just right. It has lots of tripe... so good for me hahaAs I said previously, I am not a big fan of adobo, but their concept was beautifully conceptionalized with one cooked in gata while the other was cooked in binagoongan. It was also good. A new concept.For dessert, my personal favorite was the tiramisu. I am not a fan of tiramisu in general but I liked theirs. Maybe because we can control the coffee amount (and control the bitterness), or it was just very creamy, and it has this crumbs at the bottom. I love it... For a tiramisu heheI am a big fan of cheesecake, and theirs did not disappoint. I usually like mine with full cheesecake not much gelatin but theirs had like half-cheesecake, half-gelatin. So it was still filling, but not so much like most full-cheesecakes.My boyfriends' favorite was the chocolate lava which has warm chocolate goo from the inside and cool on the outside. It has this hint of a raspberry sauce, but I don't quite remember it (my boyfriend does, however)The leche flan was also okay... Though it wasn't extraordinary compared to their other desserts.To sunmarize, my favorite appetizer was the vermicelli salad, followed by the tinapa lumpia and the nachos. My favorite entree was the lamb. But if I don't have enough money, I would get the lengua haha for dessert, I guess my boyfriend and I will have to argue over the tiramisu and the chocolate lava haha though we did say we want to try the PB & J wings next time we visit...Update:We went back for the PB & J wings and the vermicelli salad. The vermicelli seemed to be saucier this time, and it was still as crunchy as I remembered.The PB & J wings somehow reminded us of Kare-Kare wings, but this is sweeter. Though I find the skin a bit too thick with breading, so it kind of feels oily.We also ordered the creamy fish which was on a separate menu. It's very delicious! They didn't skimp on the creamy sauce at all. Actually, the cream was thick enough with the consistency and taste of mashed potato! Yummy!

TC Emre Güney

4.0

Excellent customer service and the food was really good. Our favorite was tinapang lumpia dipped in vinegar. We also tried their Vermicelli salad which comes with extra sauce but I personally don't think you need some more since the salad is already tasty. The nanay's adobo duo was definitely a new twist to the taditional one which was also very filling. Thank you for the 100-peso discount from website! The resto also offers a 10%cashback promo. We'll definitely come back! ^_^

Verdaatilla

3.0

I tend to take a little time to review website-hosted restaurant visits, sometimes to visit again on my own before reviewing. Unfortunately, this has not happened, and some time has passed. This definitely counts as a late post.Palette is a passion project amongst friends, who pooled resources and recipes together into this small neighborhood restaurant. It is a brief walk from the corner of a busy main avenue - E. Rodriguez - so the door is locked, and I had to be let in. In fact, the suggestion here is to make sure a door bell is visible, with a sign, for visiting diners. The menu has a number of interesting items, and since I was with reviewer friends who have discussed many of these items extensively, I'll highlight what I personally thought were their best dishes. Their starters are very decent - whether it's the spinach soup or tomato soup, you will like the flavor and consistency. Their vermicelli salad, which has deep fried vermicelli bits, shrimp, and an Asian-style dressing, is nicely portioned to share.Some have commented that their pasta dishes lacked seasoning; that is easily addressed, they didn't taste bad. I have never been a fan of oil based pasta in my life, and have been quietly polite about that since the beginning of, basically, time - but I liked the mushroom combo in their lightly garlicky mushroom olio pasta. There was oyster mushroom, maybe some shiitake, and definitely some shimeji in there. Nice.There are definitely two items on their menu that for me stand out, and they must make the effort to supply them constantly. First is their Adobo Duo, or adobo cooked two styles. The first style was Bicol-style, stewed till tender, and bathed in a savory coconut sauce. Exceptional. The other approximated Pork Binagoongan, cooked sort of crispy, garnished with shredded mango, sliced kamias (wow!) and topped with garlic. This dish is restaurant quality in any town...the cook in me feels compelled to tell them to keep this dish's recipe components close to their chest.The other dish is their lamb stew, which they execute with a modest lamb neck cut, which is sort of bony but very tasty. The Pinoy palate doesn't always appreciate the quiet, subtle flavors that go into a European-style dish like this, which attenuates the rich flavor of lamb with the sweetness of prunes. Have this dish with bread or eat it with lots of rice, because it's worth it. Desserts are fine too, particularly their lava cake and their cheesecake. A final note on the service, and the music that is often played when the management isn't on the premises. I'm referring to the staff's coy attempt to play music meant for them, and playing it loudly, instead of what's meant for the restaurant's clientele, consistent with the restaurant's image. Not only do I find this disrespectful to the owners; this is a surefire way of losing customers permanently. Diners will almost always forgive slightly less than stellar food, but they will not forget it if the staff are careless with them or the place they work for...As a neighborhood restaurant with homestyle cooking, Palette has a few tricks in its pocket. I've definitely still got that Adobo Duo on my mind.Many thanks to Palette and to website for hosting us on a wonderful afternoon.