Mango Tree Bistro

I love Thai food.  When we lived in London, we frequently went to this place called Thai Rice.  They had the best salads and curries in our area.

There are only a few restaurants serving Thai food so I looked forward to eating at Mango Tree Bistro.  We chose to dine at their Greenbelt 5 branch.

We reserved a table for 7:30 in the evening.  I arrived early and was seated right away.  They had indoor and outdoor seating.   It was a slow night since only two tables were occupied.

We ordered a variety of appetizers, main dishes and desserts.

Fried Spring Roll

This appetizer is a mainstay in any Thai menu.  Their version is quite good with the sweet chili dressing.

*Thod Mun Goong (Php 280.00)*

Between the spring roll and shrimp cake, I prefer their version of the spring roll.

Catfish salad

I loved the crispiness of the catfish in contrast to the green mango's sour lime dressing.

Shrimp Pomelo Salad

The pomelo used in the salad was a bit dry but the shrimp was cooked just right.

Khaopad Tom Yum Goong

This Tom Yum stir-fried rice with prawns adds a different twist.  You get a taste of Tom Yum soup in every bite. 

*Gai Tha Krai Yang (PhP 280.00)*

The grilled chicken skewered in lemongrass was well cooked and moist.  You can taste the different blend of spices in each bite.  This dish is one of their specialities and I definitely agree.

When we asked for the dessert menu, the server gave us this iPad from where we could order.  Apparently they only have one iPad for the diners to use.

Khao Niew Mamuang

The mangoes were really good but I found the rice to be a bit dry and not as sticky as you would get in the streets of Bangkok.

Tub Tim Grob

This red ruby chestnut immersed in coconut milk and crushed ice is a good ending to a filling Thai meal.

To have a good dining experience, it is best to set aside Php 500.00 - Php 750.00 per person.

*All photos courtesy of MPW Cu.

**We weren't able to capture the price of each dish.  Please use the recommended budget as a guide.

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Mango Tree Bistro

  

a) Ground Level, Greenbelt 5 

    Ayala Center, Makati City

   

b) TriNoma, Level 3

Slice High St

After a filling lunch at Relik, we decided to head over to the newest addition to Bonifacio High Street.

We went inside Slice, a new cafe located beside Jamba Juice.

Since they are on soft opening, the selection was limited to sandwiches, salads and pastries.  Only one table was occupied at that time and we were seated right away.

The cafe was painted in a white and beige palette which was quite easy on the eyes.  

Chairs were upholstered in white and an attractive shade of green.  For me, the best part was the high ceiling which showcased the modern Filipino pendant lights made of steel and capiz.

We chose to sit at the corner with two striped wing chairs.

While waiting, we took photos of the muffin display and the grab and go chiller.

The muffins and coffee arrived in no time at all.  The coffee was presented in a small butcher block with complimentary mini oatmeal cookies.  The cookies were delicious!  If you like crunchy oatmeal cookies with a touch of chocolate then this is the one for you.

The brown platter was a complimentary sampler from Slice.  It consists of plain brownies, walnut brownies and dates & nuts.  I particularly like the dates & nuts slices.

The muffins did not disappoint.

The Choco Yema Muffin tasted really good.  The combination of chocolate and yema which is the local version of caramel could definitely cure anyone's sweet fix.

*Choco Yema Muffin (Php 60.00)*

I especially loved the Cirtrus Burst Muffin.  They used a generous amount of orange juice and orange zest in making the muffin that you could taste it in every bite.  Definitely not for those who dislike the tanginess of oranges.

*Citrus Burst Muffin (PhP 70.00)*

Overall, the muffins were good.  We even bought some to take home.  They will be serving more dishes in the coming weeks and we definitely look forward to tasting them.

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Slice High Street

Bonifacio High Street

Taguig

Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge

I met up with a dear friend to have lunch at Relik to try their Paella.  It took me 40 minutes to get to Global City where the restaurant is located.  Parking is tough to find in that area during lunch.  Luckily, I was able to find a slot in the building it was in.

Since we're having the Paella, we decided to order two appetizers:  Gambas with a Kick and Tinta Negra Calamari.

While waiting for our food, we checked out the restaurant and found it quite charming, in a rustic sort of way.  The brick walls added to a European vibe reminiscent of the pubs in London.

Our food arrived promptly, starting off with the Gambas with a Kick.

*Gambas with a Kick - Shrimps sauteed in garlic, hot paprika & 2 kinds of chili  (PhP 290.00)*

What makes their Gambas different was the added spiciness from the 2 kinds of chili.  We requested ours with less chili.  The shrimp was perfectly cooked with just a hint of the chili we requested.

Next dish that came was the Paella.  This should be ordered a day in advance but we ordered ours the same day we had lunch.

*RELIK's mixed paella - order a day in advance (PhP 820.00)*

The Paella was very good indeed.  It was cooked quite well as the rice absorbed the flavors of the shrimp, chicken, chorizo and bell peppers.  Just don't quite agree that it is good for 8-10 persons as the menu stated.  In my estimate, it is good for 4-5 persons plus a few orders of tapas.  Between me and my friend, we finished almost half of the paella.

Last item to arrive was the Tinta Negra Calamari.

*Tinta Negra Calamari - Fried calamari in squid ink batter, garlic mayo & lemon (PhP 250.00)*

We were not particularly fond of this dish.  I expected it to be crunchy but it turned out to be chewy and a bit bland.  Even the garlic mayo and lemon did not compensate for the lack in flavor.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal in Relik especially the Gambas and the Paella.  Service was quite good.   Cost wise, it would be best to have a budget of PhP 500.00 - 750.00 per person.

I would definitely come back to try more of their specialty dishes.  

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Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge

2nd Floor  Commercenter Building

31st Ave. corner 4th Street

Bonifacio Global City