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Sunday, May 18, 2008
Myron, Zuni or Felix? The Battle for the Best Greenbelt 5 Restaurant
Have you ever wondered which is the best among the high-end restaurants in Greenbelt 5? Do you love Myron's Place, Zuni or Felix? If you can only spend on one restaurant, where would it be? Let me know your thoughts on this...
MYRON'S PLACE, GREENBELT 5
Mon Eugenio's Myron's in Rockwell created a blogging controversy in 2006 that generated significant profits to fund the new Myron's Place in Greenbelt. Named after his father-in-law, Myron's place is receiving good karma these days. They enjoy a unique nice location at the ground level of Greenbelt 5 where they have a convenient access to the basement parking and a nice view of the GB5 gardens. We love the dramatic view of the garden vista and we are quite impressed with the Noel Bernardo's interior design. Noel designed the high-end restaurants of Elbert's, Myron's, and CAV (would you know where else?). We love his dramatic, young and unique restaurant designs. You need to see and be impressed with the simple restroom of Myron's.
Myron's Place,
Greenbelt 5, Legaspi Street
Telephone: (+632) 757-8898, (+632) 757-9898
Sandwiches, Burgers, Ribs, Roast Beef, Seafood, House Favorites, Desserts | Small Bites, Spreads, Oysters, Salad, Soup, Pasta | Beverages and Wine
In-Store Theater drama inside Myron's. I love just seating here with a grand view of the garden vista. If you plan to reserve a table, specify that you'd want the spot with the couch area facing the garden.
Gordon Biersch Wheat Beer (P195 + 10% SC). I'm adventurous with food and I'm experimenting these days with food and wine or beer pairing. Myron's have unique grade A beers you can choose from. (Frankly, I'm not familiar with the grading system of beers. Would you know?). I tried the wheat beer and it was very interesting with my meal.
I don't want to rely on restaurant's pairing recommendation, any idea on where can I get training on pairing food with wines or beers?
Moroccan Lamb Shank with Apricots and Almond (P450 + 10% SC).
Rache loves to eat meat these days and this time, she tried Myron's moroccan lamb shank which was quite memorable. She had to use her hands to clean off the lamb shank with a bubble thought saying, "Sarap to the bones...".
Myron's is criticized for using cookbook recipes to serve in his restaurant in Rockwell but I do hope it's not true. Mon is a great cook but he chose to just create the recipes and menu, supervise the kitchen and manage the restaurant. They are coming out with a whole new menu in the next two weeks.
ZUNI, GREENBELT 5
Nand Prasad's Zuni executed their concept really well. They delivered their promise of an elegant dining venue with a relaxed and informal ambiance. They delivered their promise to serve creative continental and mediterranean entrees with meat and seafood cooked to perfection. They have the best restaurant service in Greenbelt 5 that I don't mind paying more than 10% for the service charge. Kudos to Chef Ding Lazona for a job well done in the kitchen. The paintings on the wall and roof, the uniforms of the waiters, and the overall ambiance would remind you of their sister company Duo in Serendra or Chef's Quarters in Malate.
Zuni Restaurant and Wine Bar
Greenbelt 5, Legaspi Street
Telephone: +632 467-3931, 757-0361, 757-0362
Appetizers and Salads | Create Your Own Salad, Soups, From the Grill, Seafoods and Meat | Zuni Specials-Seafoods and Zuni Specials-Meat Pasta, Rice, Desserts, Souffle | Wines Page 1, Wines Page 2
Norwegian Salmon (P485 + 10% SC) with Hollandaise Sauce. I like my salmon to be crispy with no black edges outside, and soft but juicy & flavorful meat. They cooked my dish to perfection in a reasonable amount of time.
Baked Roulade Sole Fillet (P425 + 10% SC) in nantua sauce, stuffed with mushroom, spinach and cheese, served with mashed potato.
Zuni likes to play with the sauces from Nantua Sauce to Ponzo-Wasabi Salsa to Port Wine Jus. Don't be intimidated by their food names. The Nantua sauce, in particular, is the same as the Tomato and Prawn Bisque Soup in their menu. We regretted ordering that soup because we got to taste it in our Baked Sole fillet. Anyway, we enjoyed the play of taste with this sole fillet.
FELIX, GREENBELT 5
Felix is yet another Chef Florabel restaurant in Greenbelt 5. I love their creative menu and would have raved about it if they were able to execute it well. In the foodie circle, it is either you love Chef Florabel's restaurants or never to eat in any of them. I just think that if Chef Florabel is not in the restaurant, the food is not consistent. The restaurant was named after the chef's father so I do hope they can stabilize the kitchen really soon. I personally don't like the oldie accomplished crowd it attracts and the untrained service.
Felix,
Greenbelt 5, Legaspi Street
Telephone: (+632) 729-9062
Hot Bonite Bread with Olive Oil, Basil and green/red pepper. This is something to rave about in Felix.
Dyesebel (P400 +10% SC). Luscious baked John Dory stuffed with shrimp & taro in coconut cream, served with white rice and fried eggplant. I love laing but do you think it taste good as it looked?
Ternera (P795 + 10% SC). Oven Roasted Veal Chop with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, and Broccoli Flowers
In Conclusion, the best Greenbelt 5 restaurant for me is Myron's Place because of the Noel Bernardo's design, a grand view of the Greenbelt 5 garden vista, and (I would like to believe) original recipes cooked to perfection ala Myron's. I'm not an expert, so I would be interested to hear your comments and opinion. What's your vote Myron, Zuni or Felix?
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. Copyright 2008.
May 18, 2008 in 04. Restaurants that are worth to try once | Permalink
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Anton, thank you for your very nice comments. However, I am amused about the impression that we "use cookbook recipes". Our culinary team (Chef Monique, Chef Mel and myself) discuss, develop, and test each and every dish that comes out of our kitchen. We do our research, just as the other chefs from the Tivoli Grill do, but we execute our dishes according to our training, and eventually, our liking. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, diba? :)
Posted by: Ramon Eugenio | May 19, 2008 10:28:52 AM
we celebrated mother's day at myron's, the food was really really good. my mom and her friend were exclaiming over it and not complaining about the price tag attached to the food (and that's saying a lot). I have to say my experience with the greenbelt branch was more pleasurable than when we first ate at rockwell. And I do have to agree with Rache, the lamb shank was really good. First time i was able to finish a meat of that size on my own, though the meat was fork tender enough for me not to use my fingers to clean the bone.
Posted by: Anne | May 19, 2008 10:40:16 AM
I think you and your family were in Felix when we ate there (for the third time which is unfortunately our last).. they had a price increase, food was so-so and service was a major disappointment (the last two times ive eaten there, things were much better).. couldnt agree with you more with the observation that if Florabel was there more often.. things would be different... sadly i wouldnt eat there again (they had a choosy supervisor who would favor their more"accomplished" older gents and was sending the wrong vibe)
Myrons was a hit or miss.. ate there three times, nice resto but in the words of my mom who had a cold at that time, her sniffies vanished due to the salty food. though i thought their mojito chicken was tasty.
In my opinion, Zuni and Chateau are still tops for the GB5 especially Zuni's service (still very gracious after 6 months) plus love Zuni's outdoor seating (we had to restrain ourselves from going there too often because of the whole wallet burn).
Posted by: Chris Juan | May 19, 2008 11:53:54 AM
Hi Anton! About your inquiry on where you could get training for wine and food pairing, I would recommend Chef Gene Gonzalez's CACS. They have a three-day wine seminar which is actually part of their diploma course, and I joined the class of my sister who was a student there at the time. Its a really good introductory course because it gives you a quick look at the basics , such as wine regions, grape varieties, dominant notes and flavors per region and variety, etc. And, besides, I'm sure you know that Chef Gene is always great fun;-)
Wine Depot has regular tastings and wine dinners, and I think Jerome Philippon of Sommlier Selection also has classes in his Pasong Tamo Ext. cellar. For the technical stuff, such as appelations and terroirs, there are a lot of books out there on those topics.
I guess the best way to learn is just to really keep drinking and experimenting with food pairing. I started appreciating wine when I was in college, and more than a decade later I'm still learning and developing my palate. I think its important to expose yourself to all kinds of wine (moderately-priced to expensive, new world and old world,etc.) just to have a greater awareness as to what is really good wine, or wine that is all hype but does not deliver. With all that being said, just enjoy and drink up!;-)
Posted by: chinkee | May 19, 2008 2:04:35 PM
Hi, Anton.
I love your site! =) I think Zuni is the best among the 3 restaurants. They offer the best service and their food is perfectly prepared every single time.
Posted by: jackie | May 19, 2008 2:50:16 PM
Hi Anton,
Hands down I'd pick Zuni. We've gone there several times and they are always consistent - good food and good service. Always! Same goes with Chateau 1771.
Pepper Lunch was also good. We have been having lunch there three days in a row.
Posted by: susan | May 19, 2008 3:25:10 PM
oh my... is that the kind of food they in felix? looks pretty scary. i heard that florabel trained in le souffle, but le souffle doesn't serve food at looks & tastes unappealing. how sad to put up a resto in G5 with this low caliber. tsk tsk tsk.
Posted by: 18 ramos | May 19, 2008 9:28:51 PM
among all the gb5 restaurant, if there is a place i wanna try. Its Zuni.... dunno why.. but the others seems not interesting enough...
Posted by: Hiro | May 19, 2008 11:36:35 PM
Hi Anton, I hope you can take this constructively.
For someone who reads your blog regularly and as a foodie who dines out a great deal, I feel I have to express my disappointment in this particular blog entry of yours. I have to point out that a lot of what you wrote is mislead
First and foremost, there are many other restaurants in Greenbelt 5, most of which have blogged about already. This post makes it appear that there are only three restos in this entire GB5. Perhaps you should've pointed out that you were referring to the ground floor establishments only, in which case, you still failed to mention Chateau 1771.
By using the term 'high end', you make it seem that these restos are pricey, which they are not.
Also, when you said that Myron's created a 'blogging controversy', I got the impression that they were involved in some major incident in the blogosphere. It took a while for me to realize that what you meant (at least what I think you meant) was that you were impressed by Myron's being blogged about by two well respected bloggers. I don't know how or why you would classify that as a blogging 'controversy' or 'buzz' when, after Googling, all I found were your three major blogs that have since covered Myron's, one of which is yours. I was most concerned about your statement "Mon Eugenio's Myron's in Rockwell created a blogging controversy in 2006 that generated significant profits to fund the new Myron's Place in Greenbelt." It gives the impression that your blog is largely responsible for the Rockwell branch's success that it was able to gain enough profit to finance the new Greenbelt 5 branch. Is this a fact? Or were you just guessing? I find it hard to believe that blogs can be the reason for its success. Many people who dine out don't even read blogs and there are so many other factors involved in the business (food quality, service, location, etc), all of which contribute to a resto's success or failure.
Lastly, I would like to remind you that the the main point of dining out is the food itself. That is the main product of any restaurant. It seems like the preference of Myron's being your choice as the 'best' hardly had anything to do with the food. You liked the view and the bathroom, but those two are just parts of the resto. You didn't like Felix for the "oldie accomplished crowd it attracts". What does this mean? What kind of crowd were you expecting or what would you prefer? And why should that matter? Again, I'd like me remind you, it's the food you should be focused on, more than anything.
Personally, I have yet to try Zuni, so I will reserve my judgement as to which resto in GB 5 I prefer. For now though, my default is Fely J's. The late Larry J. Cruz, who should be recognized as the father of the Filipino Bistro, has done an awesome job with the cuisine of Fely J's.
Peace.
Posted by: Michael Smith | May 21, 2008 11:09:57 AM
Hi Thanks for the feedback and rest assured I take them constructively. (Otherwise, I would have deleted it :) I'm usually not pikon or take things negatively (except when vulgarity is involved).
In the same way I can express my opinions in the blog, OAP reader's can voice their opinions in the comment. I really value them and I thank you for writing the comment.
Lori is credited for that blogging controversy. That entire Myron incident is now a marketing case study in the Philippines on how blogs can actually be powerful marketing tools. You can ask Mon Eugenio directly when you dine in Myron's.
I agree that the main point of dining out is the food itself but that's not my only criteria. If I base my assessment on the food only, then Zuni wins -- no doubt about it.
However, lately I give more weight on the overall experience and not just the food. In the case of Zuni, I find the ambiance boring already because they just reapplied it from Duo, Chef's Quarters and the French corner. Got criticized for that Hooters blog post because I commented about the entire experience and not mentioning that their food sucks. Oh well, learning...
Since this is an anonymous comment, I do hope to meet you in a restaurant in Manila to chat some more about life and food in general...
Again, Thanks so much for the constructive feedback.
Posted by: Anton | May 21, 2008 9:26:25 PM
people seem to have forgotten that this is a "blog"!
you have grown so big(no pun intended)anton, that people expect a lot more from you!
all part of growing up.
MABUHAY KA, ANTON!
Posted by: mabuhay | May 21, 2008 11:11:15 PM
I agree on that! This is a blog right? Freedom of speech!
People have known you... I'm glad that I'm getting updated, just checking out on the places you've been at. SOMETHING NEW...SOMETHING FOR ME TO SEE! =) I don't care of whatever your comments are. It may be good or contradicting...but that's for me to find out...if we have the same point of view.
Whatever it is, the only thing I can say is, TWO THUMBS UP for you Anton!!!
Posted by: nice | May 22, 2008 2:47:19 AM
Even if it is a blog, bloggers need to be responsible enough to fact check and state facts. I agree with Michael Smith in that I too am disappointed with your GB5 post. Take this particular paragraph for example:
"Myron's is criticized for using cookbook recipes to serve in his restaurant in Rockwell but I do hope it's not true. Mon is a great cook but he chose to just create the recipes and menu, supervise the kitchen and manage the restaurant. They are coming out with a whole new menu in the next two weeks."
1. Myron's is merely the name of the resto (It is the name of Mon Eugenio's father-in-law). It's not "his" restaurant.
2. I could not find any reference to your claim that they use cookbook recipes, even so, there is no crime in using cookbook recipes in any restaurant business. Even great chefs use cookbooks, especially for traditional dishes.
3. Mon Eugenio is not a cook, afaik.
Posted by: Anonynous | May 22, 2008 7:56:59 PM
Magtalo-talo ba sa article na ito? hahaha walang pakialaman may kanya kanya tayong opinion. Ang maganda o masarap sa kanya ay hindi nangangahulugan na maganda at masarap din sa akin yun lang yun hahaha.... Anton Sige lang sulat lang ng sulat kasi I got a lot of information from you....
Posted by: Rhoda | May 23, 2008 5:46:56 AM
I'd say it's all a matter of personal taste and preference. There are some restaurants that foodies all over rave about, but my bf and I don't see the point.. while some restos are undiscovered secrets just because they do not receive the same exposure, nor 'connections' as the others. Heck, my bf and I don't even like the same restaurants to begin with.
Your blog is an amazing guide to what's NEW around the metro and around the Philippines, but we readers still have our own free will to make up our mind about something when we've tried it for ourselves. Diba? Good exposure (blogs, articles, TV features) will bring NEW patrons to try out a resto, while it's the overall dining experience that will keep LOYAL patrons coming back for more.
I've only tried Felix among the three, so I can't really choose because it would be unfair to the other two. Haven't eaten at Florabel in Podium either. The food at Felix that night had a few hits and misses. But it was the salad that I loved more than anything else. Will I go back? Maybe I'd try a new place instead.
Your blog is a PERSONAL blog, and you're free to say whatever you want. :) Sikat ka na kasi. Keep on eating and writing about it!
Posted by: Pepper | May 23, 2008 10:35:52 AM
This is Anton's personal blog and so whatever he writes is a reflection of his personal beliefs and opinions. The basis for his judgments and criticisms are his own and I don't think anyone should be questioning that. Then again, he is putting his thoughts out there for everyone to nitpick, so I'm sure he's totally aware of the repercussions. I also don't always agree with everything he writes, but its obvious that he puts a lot of effort in making this blog as informative as it can be, and I appreciate that.
I have also visited Felix recently and unfortunately I was quite disappointed. Under-seasoned steak, friendly-but-highly-unprofessional waiters... not worth the money. Classic example of all hype but no substance. Hopefully the owners take all this negative feedback and do something about it. Sayang naman...
Posted by: chinkee | May 23, 2008 2:03:16 PM
Anton, you haven't done this for a long time. Sana more to come :) I remember that the first time I stumble about your blog is through this Thai comparative report :) Hehehe.
Posted by: cathy b | May 23, 2008 8:50:45 PM
It's a blog! if you wanna read it... go ahead... the rest is all up to the reader. Btw Anton, have you done a TV guesting na?
Anyways, me and my friends tried Zuni last Friday. 8 of us. We were seated indoor at the farend long table by the wall.
I ordered the "Baked Norwegian Salmon in Filo Pastry filled with prawns and mushrooms in creamy peppercorn sauce served with risotto and side salad." The order didn't take long to arrive. All througout the meal I was anticipating looking forward to have a taste of the Prawns... isang half centimeter lang ang prawns and nasa dulo pa ng filo pastry and it was my 3rd to the last bite. Or were the Prawns minced? If it was I didn't taste it. Good thing the white wine was already lifting my spirit so didn't feel like complaining or calling their attention anymore.
Also about the service, we called the waiter several times... he was just a step away and he couldn't hear me. They were not very attentive. Except for the 2 tables in front of us they were paying very much attention to. The other table was a group of foreigners. The other table was a 4seater where they sang Hapy bday to the celebrant.
Sori kinda bad but sharing my experience lang. As a first timer, after spending 900bucks I can't rave about Zuni. Will not reco it as well. Good thing they are situated with a garden view and once you step outside it is soothing and calming.
My dinner meal last week at Katre(Mediterranean Fusion Cuisine) in QC is still unforgettable.... food, ambience, service, pricing ... superb.
Posted by: Che | May 26, 2008 12:53:01 PM
mabuhay ang Tapsi ni Vivian!!!!
Posted by: 18Ramos | May 27, 2008 10:27:58 AM
I'm afraid that Felix will get panned a lot because of the Richard Goma connection. I planning to visit all three. they all look good. And I believe Anton that you are an expert. Well, we all are expert when it comes to dining.
Posted by: lee | May 27, 2008 5:24:58 PM
Just to comment on what Michael Smith said about the GB5 restaurants not being pricey. It's all relative and if Anton commented that they are pricey then he has every right to refer to them as such in his blog site.
Over the weekend, I ate at Myron's in Rockwell and had one of the best wagyu burgers I've ever had. The Caesar salad wasn't good, though. The croutons were too buttery and the dressing tasted like it came out of a bottle rather than freshly made.
Anton, OAP is my website of choice for new restaurants and places to see. Keep on blogging.
Posted by: genie | May 28, 2008 4:51:53 PM
Peace! i think it is safe to say that a meal that costs more than P362(minimum wage) may be considered as pricey.
i think even the tans, sys, gokongweis,razons, ayalas, cojuangcos, at yong mga "TUNAY" na mayayaman(at hindi gucci-guccihan lang) will agree!
Posted by: mabuhay | May 28, 2008 11:30:02 PM
ZUNI is the best!!
In my first experience in Zuni..best food..best service..CHEF DING congratulations!!..
Posted by: carla | May 28, 2008 11:39:52 PM
really? i haven't commented on the risotto and the salmon. the risotto they served was more like a fried rice, not creamy at all... swear. the salmon, was getting dry na. this is their bestseller accdg to the waiter. the combination is actually supposed to be really good. if that's the case, zuni is a hit and miss too. i hope they can be consistent.
for the meantime,will try myron and other restos.
Posted by: che | May 29, 2008 10:46:20 AM
planning to try felix, ang ganda kasi ng review sa phil star... but after reading this, parang i'm having second thoughts about it. is it really not that good?
Posted by: mel | May 30, 2008 4:19:55 PM
