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.
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
