Made Simple — Restaurant in Davao City

EDIT: Dined here again and gave the cacio e pepe another try. It's true when they say that all things deserve a second chance! This time around it was a lot creamier and the flavors worked really well with each other -- so far from what I initially felt. Kudos to the team for this opportunity and am honestly glad and impressed with a dish like this since it seems so well thought of - especially for a vegan dish. For a minute there I thought vegan food in general just wasn't that tasty but I was definitely wrong!

Saw great reviews on tiktok so decided to splurge here as a way to treat myself - but I was only met with disappointment :(

While the ambience and service were great, the cacio e pepe I ordered fell way short. It was so bland that I didn't really know what I was eating anymore. It was just like eating plain noodles and the serving was quite big so I was dissociating and forcing myself to finish it already so I could leave as I was really upset for the price I paid. The complimentary sourdough bread was honestly was better.

I'm not sure if I just ordered the wrong item, but I wouldn't recommend...

Location: it’s at the second floor of the building. I didn’t notice it at first.

Place/Ambiance: the place has a romantic vibe. Not a place you can be noisy and cackle like a witch. It’s a classy place for a nice family dinner, a romantic date, or a nice meal with friends. When I visited, it was a Saturday night and only two other seats were occupied. I thought it will get full but it didn’t.

Price: pricey than other restaurants but reasonable for a restaurant like this.

Food: i ordered the salmon toast and the mushroom scallops. They served a complimentary bread first and it was served artfully. However, I noticed the bread seemed a bit hard. Microwaved? I don’t know but I enjoyed it nevertheless. The salmon toast is delicious! The mushroom scallops is vegan-friendly, but for me, I would not order it again next time. 😄

Service: the service is very good. The waitstaff were very attentive and responsive. They knew the food in the menu and gave me recommendations. The kitchen...

And made great. Elegant inside and outside. Friendly, professional and knowledgeable service staff and manager. The basil margarita with seasoned salt rim was delicious. The Spanish white (more of a blush) was light and refreshing. Can you believe the food was better than all that? Believe it. Don't eat too much of the yummy focaccia bread and seasoned olive oil balsamic vinegar. The bean and mushroom soup is full of flavor and has different textures. Fig and goat cheese salad with its sweet tanginess is a perfect transition to the salted sea bass. Just order it. The server's presentation was flawless. The bass was superb, lemon and herbs aromatic. The problem is they serve it three sauces. A chimichurri, a garlic and a chili. All fantastic. Should you eat them separately or together? Yes is the answer. Finally the rosemary olive oil cake. It is worth the extra workout. Made Simple....