Just Like Lolo Used to Make

For our anniversary, H surprised me by taking me to Lolo Dad's, which apparently has quite a reputation. Aside from having terrific food, it also has one of the priciest menus around (entrees for about P1,000 up). You've been warned: This place is not for the faint of heart, er, wallet.

On the inside front cover of the menu, you'll find the story behind the resto's name. A 10-year-old girl narrates that, when she was younger, she would call her grandfather "Lolo." But then she would hear her parents call him "Dad," and so she started taking after them. Told to call him "Lolo," she would get confused, saying, "Lolo...Dad...Lolo..." so in the end, she decided to call him "Lolo Dad." The resto itself is the grandfather's old house and the menu supposedly features some of his favorite dishes .

I apologize in advance for what is potentially a vague post; I, unfortunately, wasn't able to take notes that night, and was so excited to eat that I forgot to take a pic of our appetizers! But I did remember to take a pic of one of the highlights of the meal:

Before our entrees were served, we were given sorbets* in little teapots--the kid at the next table marveled at the streams of smoke courtesy of the dry ice hidden inside the pot. The sorbet served its purpose, cleansing our palates for the next dish.

I ordered halibut served on a bed of open wild mushroom ravioli. I took a bite, fully expecting my teeth to sink into some tender fish, but was surprised by the nata-de-coco-like consistency. I later realized that my fork had landed on some scallops!

I'm not a big seafood person, but this is something I enjoyed.

H, of course, ordered meat, but neither of us could remember exactly what it was. Most likely sirloin...One must give props to this place for presentation though.

We didn't get any dessert, planning instead to go to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (my coffee place of choice since, well, I don't drink coffee and they've got a wide selection of teas), but in the car, we both realized we were stuffed and instead headed home.

So, the verdict. I think it's a resto that's worth visiting at least once. (I've heard wonderful things about the foie gras.) But Zucchini's remains to be my favorite resto!

*Sorbet (or sherbet) is mainly frozen fruit puree. Unlike ice cream, it contains no milk.

Lola Dad's is located at 899 President Quirino Ave., Malate, Manila. You can contact them through (02) 524-2295.