Special Features
Where To Go for the Best Date Night: Lockdown Edition
With the new granular lockdown, a lot of restaurants are opening up again and these ones assure us that their staff are fully vaccinated to help us achieve the best date night ever!
With a little more freedom because of the modified lockdown, a lot of restaurants are opening up again for dine-in. That means fewer dishes to wash at home and more food choices to be had. While Grab, Pick-A-Roo, LalaFood, and Food Panda have been godsends in answering all our cravings, it’d be nice to go out again and have a change of scenery. The best part is a lot of these restaurants had all their staff vaccinated so their customers can enjoy a well-crafted meal with little worry.
1. Cibo
The very first among the Fores family-owned Italian restaurants has always answered everyone’s craving for Italian food. From single serves to Famiglia-sized pasta, Cibo’s approach to Italian food easily earned kids’ seals of approval whenever they want to eat pasta. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser is the Linguine ‘La Foresta which has stewed tomatoes, mild black olives and stab bacon. Or, for the more adventurous ones — Linguine al Nero ought to make a memorable photo with everyone’s teeth and tongue black with squid ink.
2. Lusso at Greenbelt, Makati
If your older kids are planning to bring out their “special friends” for the best date night ever, Lusso’s perfect for that. As a luxury and high-class restaurant, Lusso elevates Italian food to a whole new level. Dishes such as the traditional Osso Bucco are served on a mellow saffron risotto and even the Crab Fat Ravioli sounds simply divine! But don’t forget to start with an appetizer like the Truffle Potato Crisps. It’s still a classy joint after all.
3. Grace Park at Rockwell Center, Makati
From farm to table has always been an important component in Italian cooking. Grace Park reinvents that with elements from Filipino cuisine such as the Muscovado Beef Belly and the Lamb Adobo. They even have Baked Scallops that are garnished with fish roe from Capiz. They even have a ketogenic selection by offering Cauliflower Rice to go with their mains. For those who are locavores, want to help the farmers in any way they can besides buying their wares, going to Grace Park in Rockwell’s perfect.
4. Saboten at Serendra, BGC
Hailing from Shinjuku, Tokyo — Saboten’s main fare is their Tonkatsu that is crispy on the outside and melts in your mouth on the inside. But they have a variety of other Tonkatsu like the Menchi Tonkatsu which has cheese and is a guaranteed kid favorite and they also have katsu-style seafood and chicken. A lot of their Katsu-style dishes come with the typical shredded cabbage and miso soup to help cleanse the taste buds so it’s more fun to enjoy.
5. Stella at Bonifacio High Street Central, BGC
There’s a clear difference of smokiness and flavor between a pizza that was cooked in a regular oven and one that was wood-fire cooked. While their original Mozarella pizza is a shoo-in for cheese lovers, the Stella Margherita is a guaranteed pleaser especially with the roasted tomatoes adding some acidic accent to mellow the richness of the cheese. With all their ingredients being locally sourced, their pizzas will show you why farm to table ingredients really count.
6. Farmer’s Table, Tagaytay
How about a little something a few minutes outside the metro for some fresh air and food made from fresh produce? Farmer’s Table’s famous for getting local ingredients and transforming them into magical dishes. Their Hothouse Cauliflower and Brocolli is a spiced, vegetarian take on Buffalo wings. And their Filipino-style Aglio Olio made with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, tinapa will impress despite its simplicity.
7. Fumizen, Quezon City
For those who are craving hotpot, Fumizen has unlimited hotpot with different slices of beef and pork and some veggies. Lying along Sgt. Esguerra near Bohol Avenue, Fumizen offers both alfresco and indoor dining. Their Katsu is also one of their main selling points and even have it as a ramen set. For those who are looking to splurge on date night, their Wagyu Katsu or their Tenderloin Katsu‘s just too good to pass up especially with the juiciness of the beef just melting in your mouth.
8. Livestock at Uptown Parade, BGC
Looking for Crispy Pata? Livestock’s one of the best places to look. Their Crispy Pata is so soft that you use a popsicle stick to cut it. Livestock’s specialty is making pork the main star of the dish. To start off the meal, they have Chicharon 3 Kinds in the form of Bulaklak, Chicken Skin, and Bituka. If pork isn’t really a flavor for the night, then there’s the Chipirones Al Aljillo which is baby squid tossed in olive oil and garlic. Don’t forget to finish the night off with some of their drinks. They have a lot of craft beers to try out.
9. Alba Restaurante Español
Paella, Callos, Lengua — All the good old Spanish food’s available here in Alba. Their specialty lies in their variety of Paella like their Valenciana, Negra, and Marina. Their dishes with their Spanish Chorizo are good too and they have just a melt-in-your-mouth Canonigo which is a must-try. For their meats, Legua Sevillana and their Callos a la Madrileña are just soft and stewed perfectly. But if ox isn’t really anyone’s thing, the Pollo al Ajillo works too with their spicy garlic sauce.
10. Mario’s
An old Spanish restaurant with a nice, simple, and quiet ambiance, Mario’s has a been a long time date place especially those in the QC area along Tomas Morato. They have bread bowls for soup with their heartwarming Clam Chowder. And their specialty? Rockefeller Oysters, they even serve it with mozarella cheese and spinach. Just make sure to squeeze some lemon juice on top and sprinkle some salt to taste the full experience of flavors.
The best date night is a safe one!
Although these restaurants have staff that is completely vaccinated, it’s still best to follow all safety protocols. Being vaccinated may prevent us from suffering the severe effects of COVID, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t catch the dreaded virus. Besides, it’d be a shame if we all suddenly lose our sense of smell and taste after a wonderful date night. Oh, and be mindful of the curfew hours because getting caught is not a good ending for any date. Enjoy and stay safe.
