Angel’s Kitchen in Greenhills

It must be at least 5 years since my first (and only) visit to Angel’s Kitchen.  Quite ironic that it’s the places that are fairly near that you don’t get to.  I think I did try to grab a meal here, but the place was packed and parking was a bitch.  That’s gotta be a great sign, right?

I was actually quite happy during my first visit.  I still remember the dish I ordered maybe 5¹ years ago.  I got a taste of their Ostrich Salpicao, which was surprisingly not gamey and tastes a lot like beef².  But I decided to try some of the other things in their menu.

Despite the fairly easy parking this time, there was still a bit of a wait.  Not that I’m complaining.  But as soon as you’re seated, you’re served some bread and a spread of pate-like dip.  There maybe some tuna there or something, but it’s really good.  We wipe off that dip in no time.

Then there’s the customary Angel’s Kitchen Special Blend Iced Tea.  Not a big fan of this.  Too sweet.

I ordered one of their signature dishes, the Lamb Curry with Apple Raisin Chutney.  They serve this with white rice and I have to say that I really enjoyed this.  Not many places cook lamb well.  They’re usually hard³ and really tough to chew.  They use the shank part and it was really tender.  The absolutely great part of this is: fat, which like Marc said, great on meat, not so much on women⁴.

The bone is great for flavor as well, and I’d probably put some bone-y punch line here, but I’ve exhausted my sexist remarks for today.

The sauce is not spicy at all.  That’s usually a fail on my part when it comes to curry, BUT I’d make an exception this case.  Why?  Well, the flavors are nice to start with.  The curry is more Indian, but I think there’s a hint of Japanese-style curry.  It really goes well with the lamb, which I have to say (again) that it was cooked well.  I’d prefer if they made the curry spicy.  Even just a hit of chili powder would’ve made a big difference.

The chutney and the rice were… well chutney and rice.  I thought I’d hate the chutney, but I didn’t.

My mom and sister decided to share a dish and got the Mexican Fish Burrito with Lime Mayonnaise and Cucumber Salad, which is good for 2.  First of all, it comes out in a wooden chopping block.  It’s almost always great when a dish is served in a wooden block.  OK, I’m exaggerating, but it’s usually a good sign for me.

It comes with about 3 tortillas so it’s a bit hard to divide it equally.  But, I think it’s a great value dish.  The tortilla was great IMHO.  Not too soft, not too hard.  Plus, the veggies they use are all as fresh as could be.  They use this for the salad as well which had a hint of spice to it, so that’s always good.

The fish was fried well.  Wasn’t too oily and I was actually surprised how clean this dish is, especially for a deep-fried one.  It could use a bit more seasoning or some more spices to the batter, but I’d be happy if I order this one again.

I didn’t get to try one of their signature dishes, the Original Pinakbet Rice with Lechon Kawali and Chocolate Bagoong, which won some award a while back.  Seems good.  It’s deep-fried pork belly after all.  And every table seems to have an order.

And this being known for its desserts, we ordered their Rustic Apple Pie with Butterscotch Sauce, which won some award as well.  Not a fan.  Too sweet and I mean really really sweet.  The crust was nice, but it the whole thing kinda fell apart a bit.

Still, I like this place.  Feels homey and they have some interesting things in the menu.  The kitchen is right in front so it’s really clean food that they serve.  Probably not one of my top places, but one I’d come back again and again.

Angel’s Kitchen in Greenhills 2012-01-11

t must be at least 5 years since my first (and only) visit to Angel’s Kitchen.  Quite ironic that it’s the places that are fairly near that you don’t get to.  I think I did try to grab a meal here, but the place was packed and parking was a bitch.  That’s gotta be a …