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Celsius Gastrolounge

We've finally tried Celsius Gastrolounge, which is run by a total of 17 ISCAHM students and chefs of different nationalities. I have great respect for ISCAHM students and chefs because their restaurant, Aubergine in the Fort, is consistently voted as the number #1 restaurant in Manila by European foodies. In the 2009/2010 Miele Guide, it's already in the 18th spot behind Antonio's in Tagaytay.

Celsius is named after the measure of temperature commonly used in the kitchen. It is open for lunch from 11am to 3pm, while the lounge on the 2nd floor opens from 6pm to 3am. The food is very good as expected (coming from an ISCAHM culinary education). I just think that the Asian Fusion concept is passe already, and foodies are tired of anything fusion... (Do you agree?)

I hate it when restaurants don't pay attention to children...

First, when they set the table with plates and glasses, they only put them for the adults -- as if the kids don't eat and drink.

Second, kids need to be entertained. It is easy to keep them busy by providing a piece of blank paper and ballpen to doodle with. The good restaurants would have have crayons, board games and toys for the kids.

Lastly, the waiters should know the dishes that kids love in the menu. Usually, kids don't like the spicy ones and enjoy rice or pasta dishes and sweet meals.

You can reserve this Chef's Table (good for 6). It is a bit higher than the normal tables so that you can see what's happening inside the kitchen.

The first floor of Celsius Gastrolounge... We visited past lunch time on a Saturday.

Celsius Gastrolounge Menu: Salads, Soup, Main Courses | Main Courses, Starch Sidings, and Desserts

The second floor lounge of Celsius. I could imagine that this area is great for a private event. It has a bar and an open-air veranda overlooking the street.

Celsius Bar Menu | Shooters, Classics, Celsius, House Wine, Soft Drinks, Beer

Aidan, playing around with the curtain, which has a piano-like effect.

Complimentary bread... Additional bread is billed at P10 each. Kids love bread, so this is always a good starter to keep them happy.

Simmered leg of kambing "Ghoulash" served with garlic croutons garnished with Asian Pesto (P150 +10%sc).

It's a good, rich stew of goat meat, just a little salty to our taste. This was the only dish that was not wiped out immediately.

Hoppers (P299 +10%sc). Sauteed five spiced frog legs. Served with spicy salt, ginger, green onions, garlic chips and chili slices.

Highly recommended -- even for kids. :) Aidan loves eating "kokak". The frog legs were seasoned like the sweet chili garlic we used to enjoy in Rache's ancestral house in Sta. Mesa. It's served with Cinnamon with Star Anise, and Sweet Chili Sauce on the side but we love it just the way it is. Just imagine you are eating chicken wings...

Celsius Tuna Taster (P225 +10%sc). Fresh tuna loin two ways: pepper-crusted and pan-seared meets chopped and marinated kinilaw served with arugula relish tossed in Asian dressing and crispy garlic chips.

I loved the freshness of the tuna! This kind of serving and presentation reminds me of Aubergine-style presentation of dishes...

Chorizo and Spinach Stuffed Chicken (P395+10%sc). Seasoned chicken breast stuffed with chorizo bilbao, cream cheese, and spinach served with wild mushroom cream sauce, cassoulet of vegetables and grilled red pepper coulis.

The chicken was cooked to perfection, with cream cheese and spinach as stuffing. Nice presentation, too. I recommend this for your main dish.

Celsius Baboy (P395+10%sc). Duo of pork: Indonesian braised liempo with southwestern barbecue back ribs. Served over kani-slaw.

The pork was a bit tough to slice and hard to chew. The meat was served on top of tiny pieces of crab meat and coleslaw. The concept was good but I don't think the meat itself was worth the price of this dish.

Chorizo fried rice (P80+10%sc). Smoked bacon, chorizo bilbao, scrambled eggs and black pepper.

The side dishes are ordered separately. We would recommend this rice to go with the meat dishes.

Corn and Cheese Agnolotti (P395+10%sc). Pillows of fresh pasta stuffed with roasted corn, kesong puti, and brunoise of roasted pepper, in bacon garlic cream with crispy pumpkin flowers and roasted cherry tomatoes.

This is perfect for kids. We loved the pillow-like pasta, which is bigger than the usual ravioli. We also enjoyed the generous serving of creamy sauce.

Overall, the food is really good but, at some point, I get tired of fusion food. The second floor lounge is an interesting concept. I have no doubt that this restaurant will be popular in the Tomas Morato area.

Celsius Gastrolounge
#67 Scout Rallos St. corner Tomas Morato, Quezon City
(From Tomas Morato/ E.Rodriguez, go straight towards the circle. Turn right on the last road before the circle, and you'll see Celsius on your left.)

Email: ccelsius@ymail.com
Contact: Jeremy Chua
Email: jeremy0966@yahoo.com
Mobile: +63 918-5803213

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Anton Diaz
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