OUR AWESOME PLANET: Mother's Day at Grassi's

Beat (pronounced as Be yat) Grassi's is back. For the foodies who missed Grassi Fine Dining in Benpres or the original Grassi Cafe in Rockwell, check out the comeback of Grassi's Cafe in Alabang Town Center.

Can you still remember the time when Grassi's was the place to be when the Rockwell area was just starting? Sadly, it was forced to close down when the Power Plant Mall and the strip of restaurants opened.

Now, it is back. This time, though, it is inside Alabang Town Center, providing good food at less than P300 per dish with the same Cafe ambiance. We decided to celebrate Mother's Day by welcoming Grassi back into the restaurant scene. :)

Grassi's has a fine dining feel but with casual appeal. In the center of the cafe is a curtain of steel cords, separating the elevated wooden portion of the restaurant from the bar area.

The kitchen seems to have poor exhaust since the entire restaurant was engulfed in smoke. I do hope they can fix it because I don't want to smell like food after a great meal at Grassi's.

The meal started with a serving of bread that is crispy outside but soft inside. We like to dip our bread in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese.

Grassi's Lobster Bisque (P220 +10% SC)

We ordered all the soups on the menu, including the tomato and the pumpkin soup. For us, the Lobster Bisque was the best. The soup had a watery consistency but it was full of flavor.

Grassi's Organic Garden Greens with Spicy Shrimp (P195 +10% SC)

We were hoping to order the Arugula Salad, which is the best salad on the menu, but it was out of stock. We settled for the Organic Greens with tiny but tasty shrimps. It was OK.

Check out Grassi's simple menu: Grassi's Menu | Desserts Menu . The serving size of most of the dishes is good for one person.

Pan-fried Beef Tenderloin Tips on Marsala Mushrooms sauce with Spinach Spaetzli (P270 +10% SC)

The spaetzli (spinach fried into small dumplings, coated with eggs, flour and salt) was interesting. The tenderloin tips were soft with just the right mushroom sauce.

Crabmeat Lasagna with Grilled Prawns on Basil Chardonnay Sauce (P290 +10% SC)

The lasagna was presented like a small island in the middle of the chardonnay sauce. I liked the mix of red and white sauce on the crabmeat. My wife was not impressed though.

Bucatini with Gorgonzola and Basil Sauce (P280 +10% SC)

Bucatini is like fat spaghetti with a straw-like characteristic because of the hole running through its center. It was simple.

Slow-Cooked Braised Lamb Shank Moroccan Style with Vegetable Couscous (P430 +10% SC)

This is the most expensive item on the menu -- but it is also the yummiest. It was served still smoking hot from the kitchen. The lamb meat literally fell off the bones and absorbed most of the flavor. I would have preferred the couscous to be served like rice instead of like a mashed potato.