My friends and I recently decided to meet up in the Tomas Morato area on the condition that we try a restaurant we haven't all been to before. As the food blogger, they left it to me to do the research on new must-try places, and the promise of honest to goodness French and Italian food swayed me to suggest Eighteen Bistro.
Upon entering the restaurant, the first impression you'll get is how small the place is. It can only seat about eighteen people, but it only takes a few more seconds of looking around the place to slowly change your perspective from small to cozy. From the classic dark wood furniture mixed with industrial steel light fixtures, to framed inspirational quotes against a wall of liquor, the place is a snug place perfect for a romantic dinner or for having an intimate meal with close friends and family.
One glance at their menu, and I instantly knew I would love the place. I love how the place is semi-casual but their menu is so classy that you feel like you're in a fine dining restaurant. Seeing words like Moscato jus, potato terrine, and feuilletine crunch almost made me want to order with a French accent.
However, my love for Italian food will always triumph so I went for one of their best-sellers, the Chicken Parmigiana. This is a dish that's composed of all things that I love -- chicken, cheese, and tomatoes, and yet I've been let down too many times by mediocre versions of it where the chicken is usually dry, is drowning in tomatoes which makes the crust soggy, and worst is topped with cheap, salty cheese that just overpowers everything. Eighteen Bistro's version though, is hands down the best Chicken Parmigiana I've had. The chicken which is served on a bed of mushroom rice pilaf is absolutely moist and tender that you can cut through it like a hot knife cutting through butter. I love how the tomato stew is spooned on top of the chicken rather than underneath because it keeps the beautiful golden crust crunchy. Then, it's topped with a generous amount of really good mozzarella cheese and finished with fresh basil. It was so delicious I literally couldn't stop thinking about it days after.
Martin also had one of their best-sellers, the Spicy Portobello and Cream Cheese pasta. While mushrooms and cream are a classic combination when it comes to pasta, I love how they put a twist to it by using cream cheese for that slight tangy flavor which contrasts well with the earthiness of the portobellos. The spiciness from the cayenne pepper cuts through the richness of the cream which lets you have as much as you want.
As if the food wasn't great enough, we were pleasantly surprised when we were offered Php18 cocktails. Yes, eighteen pesos. If I'm not mistaken, you can have their cocktail of the day from 6-9pm for only Php18. Who were we to resists such a good deal so we had their Mai Tai which was so refreshing you wouldn't think it's a cocktail until it suddenly sneaks up on you.
I could think of eighteen reasons why I love Eighteen Bistro, but I'm pretty sure the ones I've mentioned above are enough to convince you to go check them out.
