Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel

Buenísimo is a Spanish word which means excellent or really good. This is also the aim or catchphrase of the restaurant I was invited to visit a few days ago: Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel. Buenisimo is a recipient of the Philippine Tatler’s 2009 Best Restaurants award only on its 6th month in operations. It is a sister company of the well-known and 26-year old Cafe Ysabel in Greenhills, San Juan owned by the Gonzales family (who happens to be a family of renowned chefs in the Philippines). 

Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel is located in the Tomas Morato Quezon City, an area of Metro Manila that is a popular dining destination. The restaurant offers modern Italian & Spanish dishes, and also Asian Fusion, Filipino and French cuisines as this restaurant was inspired by the owner's several gastronomic travels to France, Italy, Spain and various parts of the Mediterranean. 

Buenisimo is a fairly small restaurant that can accommodate around 30-40 pax. Yet exudes a cozy, modern minimalist mixed with classic antique style interiors; using natural light from the huge windows that encloses the area. This place is perfect for small gatherings and business meetings as it doesn't have any fancy decors, keeping it traditional to give its clienteles a refreshing and classy, yet a non-intimidating, atmosphere.

Buenisimo's dishes are based on the comfort food dishes that the owners have been enjoying Sunday family lunch at their ancestral home. they have also incorporated a lot of flavor & ingredient mixtures from their travels around Asia and Europe while using locally produced ingredients to cater to the Filipino palate. I was invited by Zomato PH to try their dishes and here are the items that were served to us:

Appetizers:

Lengua (ox tongue) with Crispy Garlic - this was cooked the salpicao way. The meat was super tender and there was not a hint of rancidity which some ox tongue dishes have. I didn't taste the garlic flavor that much though, but this was definitely one of my favorites among all the dishes that were served to us.

Double Pepperoni - I love that this pizza had a thin and crispy crust and loaded with lots of mozzarella cheese and pepperoni which I truly enjoy. 

Pastrami Sandwich - Who doesn't like cheese? I know I do! And this sandwich was also loaded with cheese that i felt my heart exploding with too much joy!  but I have to say that the rye bread was quite hard to slice; I don't know if its consistency is really like that. Nonetheless this dish was a complete treat. However, I find the french fries that came with it too oily.

Main Course:

Truffled Mac and Cheese - I love mac n' cheese, but to be honest the cheese flavor in this version of Buenisimo had too much cheese flavor and not the milky-cheese I'm familiar with. 

Angry Sauce Pasta - This is my super favorite among all that we got to try at Buenisimo. I'm not a fan of spicy due to my low tolerance to it but this pasta had the right spicy flavor to it that suited my taste. the seafood flavor was also very distinct yet not overwhelming. This is a must try!

Salmon Passion Fruit Hollandaise And Sous Vide Egg - Quite the odd pairing of salmon and egg (well, at least for me) but then I'm biased with every dish that involves salmon. The fish was cooked properly which I really enjoyed. the pasta that came with it was ok. But this dish is packed with so much flavor which anyone would surely enjoy. 

Crackling Pork Ribs - This came with cranberry bits, gravy and garlic and the presentation was pretty awesome. The fat was too much for me though and the meat was a bit salty. Good thing that it came with rice and cranberry bits, gravy and garlic, which somehow lessened the saltiness. 

Bacon Steak with 65 Degree Egg with Mild Mushroom Ragout - Though the fat was melting, I find tat the meat portion of the pork was quite salty. The fries like the one I mentioned earlier was too greasy.  I like my eggs well-done so this dish was my least favorite of all. 

Desserts:

Creme Brulee sampler - The creme brulee came in 3 flavors: mango, dulce de leche, and regular. I loved this trio especially the wonderful caramelized sugar topping. My favorite among the three would be the dulce de leche because I like my desserts the sweetest as possible. 

Chocnut Cheesecake - I was astounded by the presentation of this dessert, it was a complete work of art with the cage made of sugar. But the taste of this cheesecake diminished my excitement, the flavor of the chocnut nor the cheese that I was looking for was not present. 

Drinks:

Lemon Mint Water 

Buenisimo - ripe mango, passion fruit and mint

Watermelon Shake

Green Mango Shake

Butterscotch Slush

White Chocolate

What impressed me with Cafe Buenisimo is how the dishes were plated or presented. I'm not particular with it, but it somehow helps with one's dining experience. The servings are reasonable enough. Although since this is a fancy and quite on the high-end side-kind of restaurant, prices may be quite steep for some.

As for the service, I think it was ok. I had my favorites plus I truly enjoyed my Buenisimo shake and the company of my co-Zomato foodies. Well, after all, food is best enjoyed with people who loves to eat good food just like you do.

Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel 24 Scout Tuazon St. Barangay Laging Handa,  Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Store Hours: Mon-Sun 7:00 am - 11:00 pm Contact No: (02) 410 5050 Email: ilovebuenisimo@gmail.com Website: www.ilovebuenisimo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/Buenisimo-by-Cafe-Ysabel-73767548431

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