By Invitation: Kitchen 56, Jupiter Street Makati, Philippines

Healthy eating seems to be a current trend nowadays. Lots of restaurants that offer organic/healthy/pure/farm to table on the menu has been cropping up left & right. 

So what makes Kitchen 56 different?  It can be summed up in 3 words: Healthy Local Sustainable.

Healthy. With dishes wherein the vegetables are the highlight; Kitchen 56 takes a bold step to a healthier lifestyle.

Local. Making sure that most dishes are made from scratch makes it easier to source for ingredients locally. 

Sustainable. By creating a demand for local organically grown produce, this in turn helps in supporting local farmers & indigenous communities to continue growing good, clean & healthy crops.      

With that in mind & being carnivores at heart, we were ready for our first taste to a healthier us! ;) We left the ordering to the capable hands of Joseph Hizon. Here's what we had for lunch.. ;p

To start us off, we had the Shrimp Spring Rolls (Php 325). When this came out, I couldn't stop taking pictures; they looked really fresh. From the crisp veggies & herbs to the huge shrimps, this pyramid of rolls is a great start to any meal. Food-Stars Recommendation? Load up on the Lime Hoisin sauce ;)

Next was the Watermelon and Rocket Salad (Php 290). This is arugula with pili nuts, homemade kesong puti, slices of red & yellow watermelon all doused with balsamic vinaigrette. The edible flowers would've brighten this up pretty quick.

From the pasta section, we had their Mushroom Ravioli (Php 400). Biting into these small pasta envelopes takes you into a mushroom coma. Loved that this had kesong puti, adding that Filipino twist was a nice touch. ;)

Beef Bulgogi Soft Tacos (Php 280)

Folded up & Ready to go

Now this is Instagram-worthy. If you've had a taste of Earth Kitchen then I'm sure you've had & fallen in love with this soft taco dish. The soft & tender boneless beef ribs with the kimchi rice, seaweed & greens plus the spicy orange & garlicky white creamy sauce was just yum! ;9 

Chinese New Year 2013 at Romulo Cafe, Jupiter Street Makati

Eating out with friends is always a good thing. The foodie in me knew that GOOD FOOD = A GOOD TIME. Had to make sure that the place would be comfy, fun & yum.

This was the first dinner with Hubby's barkada since.... I can't remember.
Yup, it's been that long. ;)

The place to catch up was at Romulo Cafe, Jupiter Street.

Romulo Cafe, Jupiter Street

We've been here before (To read about our previous review, click here & here) and our favorite food from their menu never disappoints. Dinner was set at 7:30pm. The server guided us to their "basement" dining area. Cool! ;)

Cheese and Vigan Longganisa Dumplings (Php 145)

First up, with V's recommendation, we got 2 of this. This was crunchy but was not able to taste any of the cheese. FS Verdict? Okay lang.

Crispy Squid Heads (Php 200)

With J's recommendation, we had 2 of this. The chili-honey-garlic glaze was yum. The crunchiness was also a win for me. FS Verdict? Liked this better than the longganisa dish.

Flying Tilapia (Php 350)

Not really a fan of fish that's been butterfly-ed like this. The tilapia meat always seems lesser and sure enough, this was not enough for the table. FS Verdict? Nothing special. Even the sauces were quite forgettable.

Delightful Delicacies at Korean Garden Restaurant, Jupiter Street Makati

It's been awhile since we had a chance to try a new restaurant that left us with happy tummies & smiling faces. 

Let me introduce you to Korea Garden Restaurant at Jupiter Street.

The doors open and you see friendly faces all around. They greet you warmly & make you feel quite at ease. 

Decor envy :)

Black & White at Romulo Cafe, Jupiter Street Makati

For our weekly Saturday dinner out, it was decided that we were going to eat at Romulo's Cafe. Honestly, this was our first time to hear of this place. We soon learned that this was already their 2nd branch, the first was located in Quezon City. 

Romulo Cafe, Jupiter Street Makati

Because of wrong directions given, we got lost. After asking the guards at one of the restaurants at Jupiter Street, we soon found ourselves in front of a black & white house-like setting with a brightly lit patio and large windows with glass doors.  Hmmm... is this going to be like a homemade sort of food trip? Wasn't actually in a mood for that. So with fingers crossed, we walked thru the threshold... 

Dinner Date at Mey Lin, Makati

Tired of our usual Jupiter Street eateries, we decided to go back to our old favorite, Mey Lin.

Mey Lin Bistro, Jupiter St. Makati

With ample parking spaces in the building's basement, you'll have no trouble parking your car. Ride the elevator up to the ground floor, get off, walk to the main entrance,  turn right and voila! 

P.S. don't forget to have your ticket validated!

Java-womba at Aristocrat, Jupiter Street Makati

We were craving for Java rice and where better to have it than at Aristocrat! 

They had a bottomless Java rice promo and we were ready!

Boneless Chicken Barbecue with Java Rice

The Boneless Chicken Barbecue was cooked just right with blackened bits. We've been here several times already and it's good to report that they are consistent in their cooking & serving.  Because there was no more bones to contend with, this is easy to eat & quite filling. With its orange goodness, the Java rice is the perfect complement to the chicken.  There was also atchara served on the side.  And of course, this dish won't be complete without their signature peanut sauce. YUM!