Timog Avenue is one of the places in Quezon City which people associate with food and dining. A lot of different restaurants have opened in the area over the years, all of them coaxing customers to try whatever cuisine and delicacies they have to offer. While some of the restaurants serve good food, some just don’t make the cut for me.

I was raised in a family who loves food and loves discovering that next big thing. We’ve been to different small restaurants that are tucked away from the busy main roads and found them to be extremely satisfying. One of these gems is Katre, a Mediterranean fusion restaurant along one of the smaller streets off Timog Avenue and is just a few steps away from the famous Alfredo Steakhouse.

We went to Katre last Sunday to have our family dinner. It was great that the Boyfriend was also able to join us for the evening. To start the meal, the family had Thai Salad, which was a mixture of sour, spicy and sweet. Next, we had Pita with Hummus, Tahini and Yoghurt. Out of the three spreads included with the pita, my favorite would have to be the hummus, which is a paste of pureed chickpeas, oil and lemon juice. The Thai Salad and Pita dish will cost you Php185 and Php90, respectively.

The six of us ordered different dishes for our main course. My Dad had Striploin with Garlic Rice (Php350), while my Mom ordered Adobo Flakes with Rice (Php250). The Adobo Flakes dish came with a fried egg.

Mons, my eldest brother, had Chicken Weck (Php250). It was a chicken sandwich served with side salad, onion rings and honey mustard sauce.

Pointyman, my other brother, had Seared Tuna with Black Ink Risotto (Php315). He said that he didn’t quite agree with the wasabe sauce dabbed on the tuna, but the taste of the squid ink risotto worked well with the tuna ceviche and the seared tuna.

The Boyfriend ordered a pesto dish with grilled chicken strips on top (Php285). I remember having that dish during my first visit to Katre and I enjoyed it very much. I’m happy to know that the Boyfriend enjoyed it as well and might have plans to go back to try the other dishes.

Lastly, I had Pasta Puttanesca with Grilled Chicken (Php275), pictured below. It was a pasta dish served with grilled chicken on top and two slices of garlic bread. Overall it was a nice dish, something that I wouldn’t mind ordering again. However, my favorite would still have to be the one ordered by the Boyfriend.

Apart from the good food and nice presentation, what I love about Katre is the ambience. It’s a small and quiet place, very cozy and romantic. It makes you forget about the traffic and busy main road just outside. The lovely Sunday dinner that we had at this restaurant was not our first, and it’s definitely not going to be our last.

***Katre is located at 103 Dr. Lazcano Street, Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City. They’re open from 12noon to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm Tuesdays through Sundays.

My Brother, Pointyman, treated the family for lunch last Sunday at ClawDaddy Crab House and American Grill at the Shangri-La Mall branch. We had our seats reserved prior to the lunch hour to ensure that we have our seats ready when we come in. Ambiance was pretty laid back, and the menu was filled with dishes that would delight any seafood junkies out there. Serving proportions were pretty large so everything was pretty much made to be shared.

My Dad ordered Oysters Rockefeller for our appetizer. It’s made up of ten huge oysters topped with parsley and parmesan cheese. Add a pinch of rock salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon and you’re in heaven! This was my personal favorite. A serving costs roughly Php300.

Brother Dear ordered the Smoked Salmon Salad for my Mom, who’s not as crazy about peeling shrimps and crushing crab with a rock as the rest of the family is. The salad was made up of your usual salad greens, olives, tomatoes, three to four pieces of rolled smoked salmon and slices of mandarin oranges. And what’s the verdict? The salad dressing made it a tad too sweet for my taste, but I really liked the salmon. The Smoked Salmon Salad costs approximately Php230.

The main star of the entire meal, though, is the Crab and Seafood Boil. It’s a huge platter consisting of a crab, prawns, clams, mussels, roasted corn cobs, marble potatoes, a piece of sausage and a couple of suahe (smaller shrimp). It comes with a slice of fresh watermelon, wedges of lemon and a bowl of melted butter. The entire set is also served with two steaming bowls of clam chowder and a pitcher of iced tea, lemonade or soda.

The Crab and Seafood Boil was a mass of delightful things. It was a great dish to share with the family. The only downside was since we are seafood loving individuals (well, four out of us five), the entire set felt like it wasn’t enough. The waiter said the set was good for four to five people, but for me, it really felt like it was only made for two. Anyway, just in case it crossed your mind: No, we did not order another set, thank you. The Crab and Seafood Boil costs approximately Php1,060.

In the end, with our fingers smelling a little unpleasant, Pointyman asked for the finger bowls to be brought to the table. The little bowls filled with hot water and a slice of lemon ensured that after a few dips, our fingers no longer smelled of shrimp but of lemon. I was pleased.

There was really nothing like eating with your bare hands while wearing a bib (Yes, the waiters tie these “Who’s Your ClawDaddy?” bibs around your necks to make sure you don’t mess your lovely top while smashing the shell off your crab claw). If you, however, want to be prim and proper or you just feel embarrassed getting your hands dirty peeling prawns and crabs, I suggest you go for their pasta dishes and save yourself from your imaginary embarrassment.

But just like what Pointyman said, “It’s all part of the fun!” So go ahead, dig in and get your hands dirty. No one’s going to make fun of you.

***ClawDaddy Crab House and American Grill has branches at Shangri-La Mall, Ortigas and at the Bonifacio High Street.

My Brother and I dined at Cyma TriNoma branch last Wednesday.  We had Lamb Gyro (approximately Php195) and Taramosalata (costs Php175), which is Greek caviar served with wheat pita bread.  As if those two dishes weren’t good enough, we decided to end the meal by ordering Milopita alamode, which is a type of Greek apple pastry.  Both of us agreed that it was one of the best desserts we’ve had lately.

Milopita is a dessert made of small phyllo pastry triangles stuffed with apples.  They’re then drizzled with caramel sauce and accompanied by candied walnuts and vanilla ice cream.  It costs Php175 (and an additional Php40 for the ice cream).

I love dining at Cyma, and when you decide to give it a try, go for these dishes that my Brothers and I recommend:

Spinach and Artichoke Fondue (Php350)

Cyma Caesar Salad (Php245 for solo, Php360 to share, Php580 family size)

Chicken Souvlaki/Kabob (Php280)

Other dishes would be their Chicken Gyro (Php140), and the Meatless Moussaka (for the vegetarians! costs Php250).

***Cyma Restaurants can be found at the following: Level 6 Shangri-la Mall; G/F Greenbelt 2; Level 4 Trinoma Mall; and at D’Mall in Boracay.  Visit their official website here. Remember to come early as the restaurants fill up pretty fast and you might end up in the Wait To Be Seated list.