I grew up loving playing games, I mean just about any games, name it, indoor and outdoor games, even sometimes games not meant for little girls. One of the games that I loved growing up were board games, like Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly and Scrabble. I usually play it with my sister and our neighborhood friends when we are not allowed to go out or if it’s raining or too hot to play outside. When I started getting older, I rarely play boards games as my interests changed. But when I have the chance to play them on occasions, I still enjoy doing so.
I find it cool that throughout the years, board games have evolved and that there are establishments that include board games (for the young and adult) as part of their selling points. I’ve visited quite a couple of around the metro and every time I get to play new games that are really fun and interesting. Just a few weekends ago, I visited one at Greenfield District, Mandaluyong with my fellow bloggers which is named Grid x Griddle.
Grid X Griddle Gastrolounge & Gaming is a place that you can visit to enjoy great foods while playing and hanging out with friends or family. I’m guessing the grid refers to board games and the griddle is for the gastronomic part as griddle is used for cooking. The establishment looks quite small when you first see it, but it has a loft or a second floor where you will find both low and regular tables where you can lay all the board and card games that you want to try and play from G x G’s extensive selection of board games. They even have 2 Scythe games that guests can play. The owner/chef of Grid x Griddle, Gerard Marcial, told us that that this game is quite rare and expensive that most places sell them instead of letting their clients play it.
I like how the place embodies a chill atmosphere with perfect mood lighting apt for playing games and dining. Part of their second floor has a huge Scrabble board attached to the wall where the jumbo letters are magnetized which appeals to both the young and old. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the jumbo letters were not available for us to play with. This area also can be used for special occasions or events as the restaurant also has a projector.
In order to use and play the available games, GxG asks that each customer pay a consumable amount of PHP 250, which I find quite reasonable. Of course, we couldn’t let the opportunity pass to try out their food. We tried the following dishes:
GxG Fries – deep fried potato fries, Japanese mayo, topped with generous amounts of bonito flakes. Almost like poutine with its rich thick sauce but married with Japanese flavor through the Japanese mayo and bonito flakes. A good munch especially while you and your friends are playing board games.
Calamari – giant squid cut into strips, spiced with salt and pepper, battered and then deep fried and served with bagoong aioli and vinegar dips. Chef Gerard told us that they use huge squids and cut their bodies into strips instead of the usual regular sized squid and cut into ringlets that’s why it’s tastier and has more bite to it.
Truffle Mushroom Soup – sauteed mushrooms in truffle and cream. This soup was creamy and thick and had quite an intense truffle flavor.
G x G Pasta – spaghetti with salted egg and smoked fish. I guess you can call this pizza a Filipino take on a usually Italian flavor. Good thing that everything came together, and the taste was really good.
Truffle Pasta – a creamy truffle pasta topped with bacon and Parmesan cheese. I like truffle, like a lot! But this lack quite the truffle flavor that I would usually prefer. The truffle soup above had more truffle flavor than this though. Still was good.
Longganisa All-Day Breakfast – garlic-flavored Isabela longganisa, sunny side up eggs, garlic fried rice served with a side of buttered vegetables. I am into garlicky longganisa and I seriously dislike the sweet ones, so I definitely was so for this Isabela longganisa. The longganisa from Region 2 and Region 3 because unlike the Vigan longganisa that also has a strong garlic flavor, the ones from those regions are more on the peppery and garlicky side and way bigger in size than the ones from the Ilocos region.
Sweet Basi Adobo Glazed Chicken – quarter leg chicken sous vide in with Basi (an alcoholic Ilocano fermented sugarcane beverage originating) then glazed in caramelized onion sauce and served with mashed potato and veggies and demi glaze sauce. At first, we thought that the chicken wasn’t properly cooked because of how it looked on the inside, but when we learned that it was sous vide, we understood why it was that way. I like that this chicken adobo version is on the tangy side necause of the use of vinegar and Basi from Ilocos.
G x G Pizza – dilis, eggplant, red onon, tomato, bagoong, ripe mango, mozzarella, cheddar, gruyere with a vinegar dip. This was easily everyone’s favorite during our visit. We were all puzzled as to why the server told us that the vinegar is for the pizza. The fact of the matter is that this pizza is the version of an ensaladang Pinoy and to our surprise, when we dipped the pizza into the vinegar, it works so well! I also liked that the crust remained its consistency even after it a few hours, still crunchy!
Native ensalata ingredients such as dilis, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bagoong and ripe mango on top of a crisp thin pizza crust. This is (surprisingly!) best enjoyed when dipped in vinegar.
Durian Espresso Ice Cream – a creamy coffee ice cream with a twist of durian fruit served with graham crunch and polvoron and then drizzled with chocolate sauce. I was never a fan of durian, I tried many times to like it but I really can’t stomach it even if it’s mixed with other things or made into other food items. I was glad that the durian flavor of this dessert was super subtle so I was able to enjoy it.
G x G Beverages – we tried their Freshly Squeezed Lemonade, Houseblend Iced Tea, Chocolate Frappe, Dark Hazelnut Latte Frappe and Cafe Mocha. Among them, I really liked the Café Mocha because the chocolate and coffee flavors were so balanced.
You may have noticed that it seemed that most of the dishes were inspired by Northern Philippine cuisine and paired with international flavors. So, I guess it’s safe to say that the food at Grid x Griddle are mostly fusion. I forgot to ask Chef Gerard if he’s Ilocano or one of his partners with restaurant is. We also weren’t able to play much of the games at the time of our visit because it was raining and everyone wanted to go home right after we were done taking photos and trying GxG’s offerings. But the next time we visit, we vouched to play a couple of games. I miss playing Ticket to Ride and Exploding Kittens, so we’ll probably start with those two.
GRID X GRIDDLE
The Hub at Greenfield District
Mayflower St., Highway Hills,
Mandaluyong City
Contact Nos: 0927 879 4686
Facebook: facebook.com/gridxgriddle
Grid X Griddle Gastrolounge & Gaming is a place that you can visit to enjoy great foods while playing and hanging out with friends or family. I’m guessing the grid refers to board games and the griddle is for the gastronomic part as griddle is used for cooking. The establishment looks quite small when you first see it, but it has a loft or a second floor where you will find both low and regular tables where you can lay all the board and card games that you want to try and play from G x G’s extensive selection of board games. They even have 2 Scythe games that guests can play. The owner/chef of Grid x Griddle, Gerard Marcial, told us that that this game is quite rare and expensive that most places sell them instead of letting their clients play it.
I like how the place embodies a chill atmosphere with perfect mood lighting apt for playing games and dining. Part of their second floor has a huge Scrabble board attached to the wall where the jumbo letters are magnetized which appeals to both the young and old. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the jumbo letters were not available for us to play with. This area also can be used for special occasions or events as the restaurant also has a projector.
In order to use and play the available games, GxG asks that each customer pay a consumable amount of PHP 250, which I find quite reasonable. Of course, we couldn’t let the opportunity pass to try out their food. We tried the following dishes:
Calamari – giant squid cut into strips, spiced with salt and pepper, battered and then deep fried and served with bagoong aioli and vinegar dips. Chef Gerard told us that they use huge squids and cut their bodies into strips instead of the usual regular sized squid and cut into ringlets that’s why it’s tastier and has more bite to it.
Longganisa All-Day Breakfast – garlic-flavored Isabela longganisa, sunny side up eggs, garlic fried rice served with a side of buttered vegetables. I am into garlicky longganisa and I seriously dislike the sweet ones, so I definitely was so for this Isabela longganisa. The longganisa from Region 2 and Region 3 because unlike the Vigan longganisa that also has a strong garlic flavor, the ones from those regions are more on the peppery and garlicky side and way bigger in size than the ones from the Ilocos region.
Sweet Basi Adobo Glazed Chicken – quarter leg chicken sous vide in with Basi (an alcoholic Ilocano fermented sugarcane beverage originating) then glazed in caramelized onion sauce and served with mashed potato and veggies and demi glaze sauce. At first, we thought that the chicken wasn’t properly cooked because of how it looked on the inside, but when we learned that it was sous vide, we understood why it was that way. I like that this chicken adobo version is on the tangy side necause of the use of vinegar and Basi from Ilocos.
G x G Pizza – dilis, eggplant, red onon, tomato, bagoong, ripe mango, mozzarella, cheddar, gruyere with a vinegar dip. This was easily everyone’s favorite during our visit. We were all puzzled as to why the server told us that the vinegar is for the pizza. The fact of the matter is that this pizza is the version of an ensaladang Pinoy and to our surprise, when we dipped the pizza into the vinegar, it works so well! I also liked that the crust remained its consistency even after it a few hours, still crunchy!
Native ensalata ingredients such as dilis, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, bagoong and ripe mango on top of a crisp thin pizza crust. This is (surprisingly!) best enjoyed when dipped in vinegar.
Durian Espresso Ice Cream – a creamy coffee ice cream with a twist of durian fruit served with graham crunch and polvoron and then drizzled with chocolate sauce. I was never a fan of durian, I tried many times to like it but I really can’t stomach it even if it’s mixed with other things or made into other food items. I was glad that the durian flavor of this dessert was super subtle so I was able to enjoy it.
GRID X GRIDDLE
The Hub at Greenfield District
Mayflower St., Highway Hills,
Mandaluyong City
Contact Nos: 0927 879 4686
Facebook: facebook.com/gridxgriddle
Instagram: instagram.com/gridandgriddle
For more information, complete menu and restaurant reviews, check out their Zomato profile:
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