I was with my past special someone; we met again after 8 years. Walking along Remedios St. where his house is nested, we both laughed about our past and talked about our present. As we reached a corner restaurant in Malate, which sort of had this evocative vibe to it, we both bid goodbye. He went his way while I entered the restaurant with a dim ambiance.
It felt like I was on a time machine when I saw the interiors of the restaurant – wooden floors, wooden chairs, and tables, (which I am guessing is made of Narra) lamps, fresh flowers, and French windows greeted me. It was refreshing and kind of melancholic when you take a peep through the window where the old Remedios circle can be viewed.
Nevertheless, I was fully aware that I was at the present because I was with the people I had recently known. The celebration for that particular night was for the 35th year anniversary of The LJC Group. We were fed like hungry soldiers who just fought a battle because we were served with a full course meal.
Café Adriatico’s Appetizer
Gambas al Ajillo P 250.00
This shrimp in garlic dish is flavored Catalan (or Mediterranean) style. The way it is seasoned is perfect for me – not too salty which I find delicious.
Hummus with Pita Bread P168.00
This is another Mediterranean dish and it was my first time to try it. Hummus is an Arabic food spread or dip made from chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil among others. It tasted like a dressing. Also their pita bread was well-baked. It surely was a new experience trying it with black olives.
Cream of Two Mushrooms P110.00
This one is a combination of buttons and shiitake mushrooms. The soup is scrumptious.
Café Adriatico’s Main Meal
Pilaf Rice
The serving of rice signals the arrival of the main course. By the way, pilaf is a kind of rice cooked in a seasoned broth.
Blue Marlin Provencale P425.00
I very seldom get the chance to eat fresh Blue Marlin, and I was glad I tasted one that night. The fish is topped with tomato and caper sauce that lends a tangy taste to it.
Garlic Pork Leg Espagnole
It is a Spanish style pork leg with fried whole garlic cloves and potatoes on the side. We were told to eat the meat together with the garlic cloves. As for me, the garlic is slightly caramelized. What is entirely intriguing is the green dipping sauce which is called parsley con garlic. As a whole, I’d say that it is pretty much like a high-end crispy pata. Moreover, we were the first set of people who were able to taste this! Yeah, of course I want to brag about it!
US Tenderloin Steak Solana
This pan-fried steak topped with onions, shiitake mushrooms, buttered zucchini slice – which I barely noticed because it is drowned in peppercorn sauce. The meat is so soft and was well-liked. However, we were almost full and we wanted to have room for desserts so we didn’t finish it.
Buttered Vegetables
This has broccoli, asparagus and carrots, a perfect dish to condition ourselves for the dessert.
Café Adriatico’s Dessert
Mango Crepe P150.00
It is a flambéed fresh mango topped with chocolate syrup. From the ranfe of one to five, with five being the highest, I’d give this dish a 3.
After the meal, we were given a book about Larry J. Cruz, the founder of LJC Group, along with a Chocolate Decadence whole cake. The dessert isn’t over for us yet, after all. Since the next day would be my birthday, I made this as my birthday cake, hahaha! Can you say perfect timing? The cake was very moist and the light brown filling reminds me of yema in liquid form. I super love it. It is priced P175.00 per slice but I don’t know how much the whole cake costs.
Café Adriatico Chocolate Decadence
Just like Larry J. Cruz, we all get old but the question is, how do we want to be remembered? For Sir LJC, he wants to be remembered by sharing to us his superb choices that will surely be enjoyed by people today and in the future. Happy 35th year The LJC Group!
Ambiance: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Serving: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Taste: 4/5
Café Adriatico Address: 1790 M. Adriatico St., Remedios Circle, Malate, Manila
732-8220
Mon – Sat: 7 AM to 6 AM; Sun – 7 AM to 4 AM
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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but not swayed to write positive reviews. All opinions are my own. Photo watermarks are from my old site.
