Heartburn on the Day of Hearts
Valentine's Day
Hamil and I generally avoid the mad dating rush on Valentine's Day (the cheesiest of all holidays, but, as Hamil would say, not all people have a reason to celebrate so we might as well). This year, we opted to stay at my place, feasting on steak (marinade courtesy of my dad--it's his specialty), mixed veggies, and Pancake House mashed potatoes (in my opinion, the best damn mashed potatoes you could find). We had a bit of sprakling red grape juice (hey, I love it, so geroff my case. Hehe), then had some red wine and cheese. Ran out of the good stuff so had to make do with Quick Melt! Yummy nonetheless. All this while watching UFC on cable. How...romantic.
The day after...
For our post-Valentine's Day date, we decided to go back to Zucchini's Grill and Vinotek along Timog Ave. We'd been there once before and had been meaning to go back, but it's the kind of place that's reserved for special occasions (perhaps because of the price?). It's small and cozy, and while it's quite swanky, it's not stuffy at all. In just two visits, it has become one of my all-time favorite restos.
Our first time there, we ordered the tomato soup, the ravioli (if I remember correctly), and the chicken and mushroom risotto, all of which were divine. After almost every bite, we would literally shake our heads, saying, "Ang sarap!" So good that we were tempted to order the exact same thing on our second visit. In the end, we opted to try something new. Well, except for the tomato soup, which I started off with. Hamil decided to try the French onion soup. It was pretty good, but I'm still dreaming about the one from Heaven N' Eggs!
While waiting for our main course, we couldn't help overhearing a couple beside us. They were possibly on their first date, and the guy was just going on and on about...himself. Zzzz. But I digress. So I went for the pasta with lobster in white sauce, as I had never tried lobster before and was wondering what all the fuss was about. The pasta was kind of swimming in sauce, but still, I wasn't disappointed. Hamil couldn't have any as he's allergic to lobster, and I couldn't finish the hefty serving by myself. I discovered that lobster tastes a lot like prawns, only with a different texture. I think it's a bit more fishy than prawns.
*Random food fact: Italians actually treat pasta as a first course--not a main course--or even as an appetizer. Traditionally, poor people would eat it first as an inexpensive way to fill up; appetizers (pork, etc.) were generally seen as a sign of prosperity. The correct noodle:sauce ratio is similar to that of salad and dressing: the noodles should be coated with but not drowning in sauce.*
Hamil's order was a winner! Red snapper and chicken on mashed potatoes and some spinach. The serving was pretty big (but he had no problem polishing it off) and it was fantastic! You know how food in all different restaurants often taste the same? This dish had this terrific sauce which I'd never tasted before, and up 'til now I'm wondering what was in it. I would recommend this to anyone who's going to Zucchini's.
For dessert, I had me some panna cotta. Their version was unusual in that it had a very thin crust made of what tasted like white chocolate. It wasn't as creamy as one I recently tried at Gourmet's Cafe (this suited me just fine though, since I had just had pasta with white sauce), but the crust made it super rich. Hamil tried brewed black Lavazza coffee, supposedly a really good brand. Had a sip and it was a pleasant surprise for a non-coffee drinker like myself. If all coffee was this good, then I wouldn't mind drinking it. Hamil explained that there were 15 (or was it 11?) standards by which coffee is evaluated. He said that this particular cup "didn't have any flaws."
All in all, a highly satisfying dining experience. You can be sure you'll find us in Zucchini's again once we find an excuse, er, special occasion.
Rating
Food: 4.9 out of 5 (If the pasta had a bit less sauce, I would've given it a perfect score...ordinarily, it would be 4.5, but everything else I've tried in this place has been perfect, so I didn't wanna totally penalize it for a bit of extra sauce!)
Ambience: 4.5 out of 5 (I would choose different light fixtures, but I think most people would just notice the nice yellow glow.)
Service: 5 out of 5 (The staff is very attentive and polite.)
Price: 3 out of 5 (Really just for special occasions, unless you're loaded! Our grand total was about P2,700.)
Hamil and I generally avoid the mad dating rush on Valentine's Day (the cheesiest of all holidays, but, as Hamil would say, not all people have a reason to celebrate so we might as well). This year, we opted to stay at my place, feasting on steak (marinade courtesy of my dad--it's his specialty), mixed veggies, and Pancake House mashed potatoes (in my opinion, the best damn mashed potatoes you could find). We had a bit of sprakling red grape juice (hey, I love it, so geroff my case. Hehe), then had some red wine and cheese. Ran out of the good stuff so had to make do with Quick Melt! Yummy nonetheless. All this while watching UFC on cable. How...romantic.
The day after...
For our post-Valentine's Day date, we decided to go back to Zucchini's Grill and Vinotek along Timog Ave. We'd been there once before and had been meaning to go back, but it's the kind of place that's reserved for special occasions (perhaps because of the price?). It's small and cozy, and while it's quite swanky, it's not stuffy at all. In just two visits, it has become one of my all-time favorite restos.
Our first time there, we ordered the tomato soup, the ravioli (if I remember correctly), and the chicken and mushroom risotto, all of which were divine. After almost every bite, we would literally shake our heads, saying, "Ang sarap!" So good that we were tempted to order the exact same thing on our second visit. In the end, we opted to try something new. Well, except for the tomato soup, which I started off with. Hamil decided to try the French onion soup. It was pretty good, but I'm still dreaming about the one from Heaven N' Eggs!
While waiting for our main course, we couldn't help overhearing a couple beside us. They were possibly on their first date, and the guy was just going on and on about...himself. Zzzz. But I digress. So I went for the pasta with lobster in white sauce, as I had never tried lobster before and was wondering what all the fuss was about. The pasta was kind of swimming in sauce, but still, I wasn't disappointed. Hamil couldn't have any as he's allergic to lobster, and I couldn't finish the hefty serving by myself. I discovered that lobster tastes a lot like prawns, only with a different texture. I think it's a bit more fishy than prawns.
*Random food fact: Italians actually treat pasta as a first course--not a main course--or even as an appetizer. Traditionally, poor people would eat it first as an inexpensive way to fill up; appetizers (pork, etc.) were generally seen as a sign of prosperity. The correct noodle:sauce ratio is similar to that of salad and dressing: the noodles should be coated with but not drowning in sauce.*
Hamil's order was a winner! Red snapper and chicken on mashed potatoes and some spinach. The serving was pretty big (but he had no problem polishing it off) and it was fantastic! You know how food in all different restaurants often taste the same? This dish had this terrific sauce which I'd never tasted before, and up 'til now I'm wondering what was in it. I would recommend this to anyone who's going to Zucchini's.
For dessert, I had me some panna cotta. Their version was unusual in that it had a very thin crust made of what tasted like white chocolate. It wasn't as creamy as one I recently tried at Gourmet's Cafe (this suited me just fine though, since I had just had pasta with white sauce), but the crust made it super rich. Hamil tried brewed black Lavazza coffee, supposedly a really good brand. Had a sip and it was a pleasant surprise for a non-coffee drinker like myself. If all coffee was this good, then I wouldn't mind drinking it. Hamil explained that there were 15 (or was it 11?) standards by which coffee is evaluated. He said that this particular cup "didn't have any flaws."
All in all, a highly satisfying dining experience. You can be sure you'll find us in Zucchini's again once we find an excuse, er, special occasion.
Rating
Food: 4.9 out of 5 (If the pasta had a bit less sauce, I would've given it a perfect score...ordinarily, it would be 4.5, but everything else I've tried in this place has been perfect, so I didn't wanna totally penalize it for a bit of extra sauce!)
Ambience: 4.5 out of 5 (I would choose different light fixtures, but I think most people would just notice the nice yellow glow.)
Service: 5 out of 5 (The staff is very attentive and polite.)
Price: 3 out of 5 (Really just for special occasions, unless you're loaded! Our grand total was about P2,700.)
Labels: date place, Italian
posted by Tisha at
6:18 PM
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