Rustic Mornings

Hello everyone! I apologize for the lack of posts lately. My family and I recently moved to a new house so all I've been doing has been packing and unpacking cardboard boxes. Now that we're pretty much settled, I finally have some free time to blog again. Boy, did I miss it!

Anyway, aside from the move, another exciting thing that happened this April was that I celebrated my birthday! I had no idea I was in for quite a surprise. I told my boyfriend, Martin, I wanted to try Rustic Mornings in Marikina City since I love “hidden” restaurants with a beautiful cafe-like ambiance. I was all set that the two of us were just going to have a simple, quiet brunch together to celebrate my birthday. Upon arriving, I saw four people sitting down, covering their faces with menus. To my surprise, they were our friends! I had no idea Martin planned this whole thing for them to be there. It definitely made me so happy to celebrate my special day with good friends in such a beautiful place.

Speaking of a beautiful place, as the name suggests, the whole design aesthetic of the restaurant is rustic. The weathered furniture, white and blue color scheme, empty glass bottles, and eclectic mix of vintage kitchen tools creates for a charming space. You can choose to dine outdoors or indoors. I like how there are pocket garden areas outside which provide privacy even though you're in an open space. As much as I wanted to stay outside to get the complete garden cafe experience, it was too hot so we opted to eat inside.

The rustic theme extends all the way inside the restaurant with additions of fine china, making you feel like you're in your chic grandmother's house for a big family brunch.

I was actually looking forward to their breakfast offerings but since we were there by lunch time, Martin had already pre-ordered from their lunch menu. Oh well, I guess I now have a reason to go back there... which I definitely plan on doing.

Summer heat was on full blast so we cooled down with some of their best-selling fruit shakes. We had Super Juice (Pineapple, Orange, Mango, Carrots, Lime) and Super Sunrise (Pineapple, Orange, Strawberries, Red Grapes). Both of them were so fruity and refreshing! I could so use a glass right now as I'm typing this post on a hot afternoon. 

For starters we had some salad. I have to say, their Caesar Salad is one of the best I’ve ever had. I love how the dressing seemed to be made from scratch and not just any generic bottled dressing which is unfortunately the case for some restaurants. The dressing was nice and salty, especially because of the generous serving of parmesan cheese, but it didn’t overpower the fresh romaine lettuce at all. My friend, Bea, even said she would have been all good with just that salad alone.

The Asian Salad was just as good. I love how fresh and crisp the vegetables were, especially the carrots which added a nice crunch and sweetness. The dressing has the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

For the mains, we pretty much sampled all of their lunch offerings. My favorite is the Creamy Tomato Curry Kofta Balls. The Kofta Balls (which are sort of like Indian meatballs) were tender and very juicy. However, what really sold this dish to me was the sauce. It’s thick and creamy, unlike the usual watery curry sauces. The flavor of the sauce is milder than usual curry sauces, which is good especially if you’re not a fan of strong spices. It was so good I literally poured some sauce on my rice, and ate it even with the other viands. 

We also had Beef Ribs which is braised in a hearty tomato-based sauce. Beef tends to be tough if not cooked properly but this one was very tender. It’s somehow similar to Kaldereta but without the spiciness and the vegetables.

The Cheesy Chicken Fricasee was a hit with my friends. It’s chicken cooked in a cheesy, cream-based sauce with some vegetables. I normally really like cheesy, cream sauces but there was a hint of sweetness in this sauce that put me off a bit. But overall, it’s still a delicious dish.

For fish, we had the Grilled Fresh Soy Tuna Belly. Tuna is one of my favorite fish, and I like how firm and meaty this was which shows how fresh it is. The soy marinade is quite subtle, allowing you really taste the flavor of the fish.

Of course, no birthday celebration is complete without some cake and blowing of candles. Mine happens to be on top of a Frozen Braso de Mercedes. My love affair with Braso de Mercedes as far back as when I was a little girl, but serving it frozen made me want to marry this slice of cake. The egg white was so light and fluffy. Since it was frozen, the custard part was so cold that it felt like eating custard ice cream. It just made it so much better! 

For dessert, we also had some Key Lime Pie which was so dense and rich that each bite you took was a mouthful! It was so dense I could literally bite through the custard. I love how the citrus flavor of the lime cuts through the sweetness, and the crumbly crust adds a nice texture contrast. However, it had a slight bitter aftertaste (probably from the zest) which was a bit unpleasant for me.

A beautiful location, good food, and even better company -- I really couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday.