It's been almost a year since I dined here. Last time we did, the resto still does not have their own signboard (only one thats printed in tarpaulin)
We arrived at an early time of 6:15pm, and its a good thing we did because a lot of the seats were already reserved and by the time it was 7:00pm, the entire first floor was filled.
I have yet to see their second floor, but I heard the setting is more of the lounge type where guests can sit back and chill while enjoying the food and drinks.
COOL AS CUCUMBER
I started with one of their popular drinks. It's basically lime juice with big slices of cucumbers and some coriander that makes for a fragrant, tasty and very refreshing drink. This drink is so popular that on that particular evening, I see big groups ordering each a glass.
(You can order the same drink over at Romulo Cafe which is the same owner of Cerchio)
CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP
It's loaded with lots of half-blended spinach (you can still feel the texture of the spinach leaves) that it makes one think one is partaking of spinach stew instead of soup. But there was just the right amount of cream to give it a slight creamy texture. (on my third visit, I'd probably stick with the Pumpkin Malunggay Soup or the Grilled Chicken Soup)
GARLIC PASTA (With Grilled Chicken)
If you're more the seafood person, you can opt for shrimps toppings instead of the grilled chicken. The pasta itself (though firm to the bite) was a little bland even if they advertised it as being a garlic pasta. Come to think of it, I barely tasted any flavor of garlic. The chicken was nicely grilled with bits of char on the meat. But like the pasta, they did come off as a little too bland.
PERI PERI CHICKEN
Last time I had this chicken dish, the meat were a little on the dry side. This time around, they did a better job (though there were still some dry spots, especially the white meat) Overall, the chicken was moist and was very flavorful.
The rice that comes with the chicken (the server called it Pilaf Rice, but I will double check on the spelling) is one of the best tasting rice I had. It's fragrant, very flavorful and even had this subtle crunchy texture (courtesy of some finely chopped nuts)
By da way, you can order the Pilaf rice separately.
PORK SISIG
Plating was nice and pleasing to the eyes. They mixed some mayonnaise into the sisig for a more creamy texture. As for the crunchy texture part, I would have preferred that the crunch would come from the sisig themselves instead of the finely chopped onions and chicharon. Nontheless, this sisig dish would definitly go well with a serving of rice. (or a few bottles of iced cold beer)
CARROT CAKE
I'm not really a dessert person but we still thought about trying a piece of something before calling it a night. I asked the server about desserts and he proudly recommended the Carrot Cake. (He says its good, not overly sweet and even healthy)
This is probably one of the few times I've eaten a carrot cake with actual bits of carrots that can be visibly seen. (or is it perhaps I don't eat that much cake in the first place) And you can actually taste the sweetness of the carrots.
However, unlike what the server told us, we still find this piece of cake to be too sweet for our taste.
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On a personal sidenote:
I really commend the servers here for their excellent service. Not only are they quick on their toes, this is one of the few restos in which the servers are quite knowledgeable about the contents in their menu. They would in fact take the time to really explain to you what the dishes are all about and what some of the ingredients are.
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CERCHIO Grill and Lounge address is at: # 76 Sct. Limbaga almost at the corner Tomas Morato, Quezon City
Directions: From the Timog-Tomas Morato Rotunda, take Tomas Morato going into the direction of E. Rodriguez. At the second intersection (with Congo Grille to your right as landmark) turn right and you should immediately see the signage to your left.
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