
Was recently invited by fellow blogger JENN for a little foodtrip. Our destination was this small intimate resto-cafe near Commonwealth Avenue. I don't normally travel to this part of town so I was a bit concerned at first with the directions (as I easily get lost) but it turned out to be quite easy to locate. (directions are at the bottom of this page)
Here are a few (no, make that many) of the dishes (and desserts) we tasted.
PASTA KAI-VIGAN

Nicely cooked pasta with subtle flavors so that you can still taste the pasta itself. The Vigan Longganisa were a tad too salty for my taste though. Good thing they weren't heavy handed on the parmesean.
CHORIZO CON MOZZARELLA

Much like the Vigan Longganisa from the previous pasta dish, the chorizos here were a bit on the salty side. So mostly, I set aside the small pieces of chorizo and just concentrated on the pasta and the sun-dried tomatoes.
Now what it is with sun-dried tomatoes that always seem to tickle my interest?? So far I've tried them with pizzas and now with pasta, and they all tasted great.
TENDERLY YOURS BEEF TAPA

What really intrigued me when I saw their All Day Breakfast lineup was the "Fluffy Parsely Egg" included in the dishes, so I said to JENN that this will be (at least) one of the dishes that I will order. For the egg, it turns out to be scrambled egg with a light drizzle of parsely. The parsely didn't really add any significant flavor to the egg though I really liked the fluffiness and creaminess of the egg. It did come out a little bland, but was just the perfect balance when taken alongside the beef tapa.
The Beef Tapa were somewhat tender and seasoned just right. If I'm not mistaken, I detect a hint of worchestershire sauce in the beef.
HICKORY BARBEQUE COUNTRY RIBS

Of all the food we've eaten that night, (and it was a lot of food, considering we were only three in the group) this would probably be my least favorite dish. The meat was a lttle on the dry side and though the sauce had a good flavor, I think it was just a bit too strong for my taste. It probably would have been better if I had taken the ribs with the rice. But after 2 pasta dishes and a breakfast meal (which also comes with a serving of rice) I might be too stuffed to try out the other dishes.
DORY WITH TOMATO-PESTO CONFIT

The day before we were to set out on our food trip, JENN e-mailed me a picture of their menu and I was instantly intrigued at this dish because of the tomato-pesto combination. I normally am not fond of the strong pungent flavor of pesto but curiosity got to me and I told myself that I will order this dish just to see how it will blend with the tomatoes.
I think it was the best decision of the night (for me at least)..... the tomato-pesto combination was just so good that I kept on eating the remaining sauce on the plate even after we had consumed the Dory.
And speaking of the Dory. It was a perfectly cooked piece of fish that almost melts in your mouth. (Definitly my favorite dish for the night)
BEEF STEW MAGNIFICO

Judging from the looks of the dish, with the leeks and the sesame seeds, I knew this would be koran inspired. After the first bite, I knew I was right. Whats nice about this version is that unlike some other restaurants (korean restaurants included) this one is not overly sweet. The beef are 50/50 as some pieces were tender while some were a little on the tough side.
This dish will definitly go great with a serving or two of plain rice.
DARLING STEAMED CREAM DORY


Compared to the Dory with the Tomato-Pesto Confit, this one had a more subtle (but nonetheless good) flavor. The fish is also nicely cooked that its neither too dry nor too raw. At first we didn't know what those slices of brown thingy were. But after tasting it, turns out it was ginger. I personally am not a fan of the taste of ginger. But they managed to make the flavor of the ginger lighter that I find myself chewing on the remaining pieces.
PARMESAN CRUSTED GARLIC SHRIMP

A bit of a controversy here, this was the last dish placed on our table. And while we were still sampling the other dishes, this shrimp dish spent a significant amount of time in the table. I wasn't sure if it was the way it was cooked or that the shrimps had been resting for too long but by the time we started tasting this dish, the shrimp had already a mushy texture.
Texture aside, the flavors for this dish are also good. A nice subtle flavor of garlic and parmesan cheese that didn't have that flakey texture when it gets cold.
I promised myself I will try this dish again at the soonest possible time if only to see if the freshly cooked shrimps would have a better texture. (I already invited some friends to join me after the holy week holidays)
Next comes the dessert part, we were actually planning to have just 2 slices of whatever we fancy that was displayed in the cake chiller, but ended up getting to taste a total of 5 slices.
FROZEN BRAZO DE MERCEDES

I'm not fond of desserts, moreso if they are cakes or pastries. But of course with the egging of TEQUILASUNRISE that I at least try a bite of each dessert, I lifted up my cute little fork and took a small bite or two from each of the cakes.
I actually cannot remember how a Brazo De Mercedes tastes like since its probably been decades since I last tasted one. But I did enjoy the frozen graham that was at the bottom of the dessert.
PISTACHIO SYMPHONY

A cake that is not overly sweet and comes with a nice crunchy texture. Something I think my parents will enjoy.
PECAN CHEESECAKE

It had a slight sour aftertaste which I think is common in regular cheesecakes. One bite and I was off to the next cake.
MANGO SYMPHONY

Somewhat similar to the Pistachio Symphony except it comes with some mango slices in between the layers. I'd definitly choose this over the Pistachio (because I love mangoes)
CHOCOLATE NIRVANA CHEESECAKE

I can't help but compare this with Annabel Lee's Double Dutch Cheesecake. While both cakes are delicious (kinda like eating chocolate ice cream), I think this one scored a little higher because its less sweet and had that darker chocolatey taste. At the end of the night, this was my favorite among the desserts we had.
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2 hours, 2 pasta dishes, 6 entrees and 5 slices of cakes later, all I can say is "WOW" followed by "BURRP". It had me thinking .... when was the last time I had such comforting yet refined food ???? I promised the friendly people of FELICITY RESTI CAFE I'd be back soon with other friends in tow. (actually I did come back a couple of days later, but thats for my next post)
FELICITY RESTO CAFE is located at:
2nd Floor Unit F, Holy Spirit Drive
cor. Don Antonio Heights, Quezon City
Directions: Coming from the Quezon Memorial Circle, take Commonwealth Avenue going into the direction of Fairview. Upon reaching Ever Gotesco, look for the nearest U-Turn Slot. After the turn, slowly make your way to the right side of the highway and make another right just under the first footbridge you'll see. (A shopwise grocery also serves as your landmark)
Once you enter the street, go straight and after the 2nd intersection (a Cakes To Go bakeshop to your right serves as landmark) turn left and you should immediately see the signage of FELICITY to your left. (2nd floor)
I love the pictures of the Pistachio Symphony and the Chocolate Nirvana!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for coming with us, friend.
@Jenn ..... and thank you for inviting me to tag along. If not for you, I wouldn't have known of this fine place. I already taken some of my friends to dine there again and they too enjoyed the food.
ReplyDeleteNext up is probably another set of friends that I will accompany here and then my parents. hehehehe