The RED GARLIC Restauant || Two Parkade, Bonifacio Global City

Just yesterday, we dropped by Bonifacio Global City, specifically ROX (Recreational Outdoor Exchange) to get my 2 siblings' and my father's running shirts for the upcoming run (i.e. Urbanathlon). Since it was a waste of effort to just pick those up, we decided to eat lunch within the area.

We wanted to try something new, so we browsed for a while for some worthy restaurants, then we stumbled upon this store:

Red Garlic from the Outside - Home of great-tasting Pizza and Pasta

The view from the outside wasn't entirely inviting, and one of the staff (i.e. the one who should be inviting passers-by and welcoming customers) was seen chatting with that of another store, and because of these reasons, I hesitated whether we should dine in the place or not.

Good thing my mom asked for the menu. She said it may convince me to try the place out. Well, mission accomplished! It worked. Upon looking at the menu, I realized that this place has the potential, and so I ignored what I've seen a minute before, and finally decided to give it a go!

The Place 

I can't explain why I didn't find the interior fascinating. I know it looked neat, but there was nothing special about it - and not to mention a little bit cramped. 

Red Garlic's Simple and Cozy enough Interior

On the other side, I liked how well-lit the place was and how conducive the temperature was (i.e. cool to cold) for some gastronomical indulgence. Note: You may want to bring some jacket, just in case.

The Food 

Since I already mentioned something about indulgence, why don't we proceed with that? Okay, the first two we had was some salad and appetizers: 

Pear Salad with Walnut & Bleu Cheese || P455

Poached fresh pear in sweet-wine with crumbled bleu cheese, dragon fruit, watermelon on top of fresh salad greens, served with Pom-Cran Vinaigrette

Sweet and fruity - Pear Salad with Walnut and Blue Cheese

It looks vibrant and fresh right? Well, it really was! With this dish, you will already have your sufficient serving of some fruits and vegetables! The taste was fresh, fruity and sweet! I know it wasn't that unique and special, but for me it was great enough to start the lunch experience right! Oh, I also found the dressing so delightful, since it had a playful dance of flavors from the wine, fruits extracts and vinegar!

Santiago Chili Taco Poppers || P255 

Freshly hand-picked chili fingers from Ilocos stuffedw ith Mexican taco filling, wrapped with red jalapeno dough

The best selling Taco Poppers of Red Garlic - this made them famous!

When I was picking what to order, this one really caught my eyes. In fact, even if I had some cough, I still pushed for it! Actually, I first asked the waitress if these were really spicy, and she confirmed what I initially thought - it wasn't extremely spicy - just enough to give you the kick that you want! If it does not suffice, I can give you the kick that you want, deal?  Nah, just kidding.

Anyway, what you'll find a bit special about this was the inclusion of ground beef inside the taco shell wrapping the jalapeno. Also, the dip was just right, although it could have been better and more complimentary. Nevertheless, I recommend you to try this dish out!

Santorini Pasta || P579 

Penne pasta with crabmeat and shrimp tossed in tomato-cream base

One of the best ones I've ever tasted - Santorini Pasta by Red Garlic

I am so proud of this because I was the one who handpicked this order! Why so? Well, we all agreed that this was the true winner for that dining experience! I love how superb this dish was crafted! It offered great and fresh seafood taste you will surely not forget! Yes, the moment we stepped out of the restaurant, I was already longing for it. That was how great this dish was!

Well, the only downside of this dish is the price, but if we ponder on it, I think it's just right because we are taking about "crabs and shrimps" here which are naturally expensive.

Filet Mignon Medallion || P699 

Salty and disappointing Filet Mignon Medallion of Red Garlic

Although I am extremely proud with the photos I was able to take on this dish, I am not happy with how this Filet Mignon Medallion tasted! The saltiness of the sauce and the bacon wrapping the beef completely devoured all the flavors we should have enjoyed. Also, it wasn't as tender as expected considering we had it cooked "medium-well". For these reasons, this dish deserves a loser tag! (Well, that's aside from the fact that it was super expensive!) Order at your own risk! *haha*

*Update 1/15/2014*

Fisherman's Catch (Fish and Chips) || P339 

The not-so-special-not-even-the-dip-is-good Fish and Chips of Red Garlic

Oops, another bummer here. This Fish and Chips was the group's least favorite during my second visit. The fish was of good quality; however, the frying wasn't as commendable (evidenced lack of crispiness). Plus the batter's taste failed to pair up well with the fish itself. Oh, the sauce didn't help as well - it was completely bland! Good thing everybody still appreciated the fries!

Florence Pasta || P369

Spaghetti with smoked bacond sauteed in herb-olive oil, tossed in roasted garlic cream sauce and garlic-parsley parmesan, finished with truffle oil

Creamy Florence Pasta of Red Garlic

Red Garlic was on a roll as far as the pastas are concerned because this Florence Pasta was good! Well, the overall taste of the dish could be somehow likened to a carbonara, but it had a few twist such as the presence of a more herby taste. I adored it because of the reinforcing flavors of cream, garlic, herbs and truffle oil. Take note, however, that this is heavy in the stomach the way most cream-based pastas are!

Louisiana Pasta || P449 

Juciy blackened grilled chicken, broccoli florets in penne pasta with creamy roasted garlic cream cajun pasta sauce

Full of spice and love - Louisiana Pasta!

Now, if you have an adventurous palate, you will definitely find excitement with this pasta dish! There was a playful blend of creaminess, spiciness, subtleness and more! This was the first time that I tasted this mix of flavors, so I practically enjoyed this one so much as well!

 Cinco de Mayo (Five Cheese) Pizza || P449

Red Garlic's own Italian sauce with mozzarella, cheddar, ricotta, fontina and parmesan cheese topped with special herbs

Celebrate the taste of different kinds of cheese with Cinco De Mayo!

Baja Mexicali Taco Pizza || P359

Red garlic's own version of taco pizza

Baja Mexicali Taco Pizza of Red Garlic

A closer look of the Baja Mexicali Taco Pizza

I enjoyed both of the pizzas in a way similar to that of the way I usually enjoy them, but don't treat this as a bad thing. The pizzas were great, especially this Taco pizza because of the diversity of toppings; however, I was still looking for a tiny bit of uniqueness in the taste that will make me go bananas!

PS: Amount of serving wasn't bad as it looked in the menu - this was something unusual. *haha*

Thai Bagoong Fried Rice with Sweet Pork || P349 

Thai Bagoong Fried Rice with Sweet Pork - Definitely heavenly!

I don't have quite a handful of benchmark for this kind of dish, but I have to admit that this Thai Bagoong Fried Rice was overly fantastic! From the playful blend of unripe mangoes and bagoong to the soft, tender and sweet slices of pork! Hands-down to this ultimate treat!


Red Garlic in a Nutshell and Rating Overview

Place:  ★★★☆
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★☆
Price:  ★★★☆

It was a great thing I did not back out when I doubted whether to go in or not in Red Garlic. If I did, I wouldn't have met one of the best-tasting pastas I've ever had!

Although the food was great (except for those tagged as "losers"), Red Garlic still needs to iron out some things with regard to its service and staff. Waiters should be checking out once in a while, and the manager should have dropped by.

Still, despite the somehow expensiveness of the dishes in Red Garlic, I recommend this for you to try out! Oh, be sure to focus more on the pastas first and then pizza when you order, since others may not be that great such as the Filet Mignon Medallion well except for the Thai Bagoon Fried Rice. *wink*

Red Garlic
Two Parkade, 30th St., cor. 7th Ave.
Bonifacio Global City, 1634 Taguig
No Service Charge
Contact No.: (02) 856 2822

Parts of the Menu and Prices:

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