Esmeralda Kitchen
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We had our lunch here last 4/28/23 1PM. We wanted to go somewhere with delicious food and this place did not disappoint us. Food - the food here at first glance is really expensive but the waiter was actually able to advise us as to what certain entree is good for sharing even if it says solo. We ordered the brick chicken which has 4 slices and since there are 3 of us, we shared. We also ordered the steamed mahi mahi for sharing as well as the rice. My boss ordered coffee from their bar. They also have bakery side but we did not check it. The food is actually delicious. For health-conscious people this place has healthy set because most of the sauces are green. We can also tell from the texture that they are using healthy oil, not the fat ones. Ambience - this place has a really nice ambience. The decor is well thought and everything just gives you the alta feeling. There were even a group of elderly women having their get together there. You can really feel the sophistication in the whole decor. Service - there are two things I want to emphasize here. The service is good and bad. It was good in a sense that our server was actually able to give good recommendation for more affordable and shareable entrees. The bad part are 1) when we billed out, it took them almost 20 minutes to give our bill which was also after my boss asked another waiter to follow-up on the bill. 2) This part made me not like the service... We were still eating and although it was evident that we were still eating, the server took some of the plates where the food was served. Yes we were almost done but is it not customary to let the customer finish eating before taking the plates? This actually was more shocking on the next table because the elderly guy was still taking food from his bowl but the server (a lady) took his bowl away. The poor manong was shocked. 3) This part actually made my boss angry. After the long wait for the bill, my boss gave her credit card and after more than 10 minutes, she was angry because she does not find it comfortable to give her credit card to other people for that long. Not to be paranoid but it was not normal. All in all the whole experience was not good. We enjoyed the food but the service really needs improvement. Food 10/10 Decor 10/10 Ambience 10/10 Service 5/10
Dark ANGELDark ANGEL
20
this is my fourth time to eat at Esmeralda Kitchen. just to disclose, i am not close/related to the owners. i merely discovered the restaurant through its facebook account. i always reserve through their mobile number posted on their site. and i always get a seat every time i eat there. i think it is best to check the site for updates and shifts in their operating hours. there are times when it is booked by frequent patrons for birthdays and anniversaries. It's not ideal to walk in. call beforehand. i find the staff respectful, prompt, and efficient. this afternoon, i brought my former students, who are now executives of top corporations, and a lawyer-friend from berlin. they all agreed that what we ordered is comparable to what makati and BGC offer. we had herbed malunggay rolls, tita esme nachos, pancit puti, crispy kesong puti and squash blooms, tita esme clubhouse sandwich, lasagna, tsokolate di batirol cake, ube sweet corn turon sundae, la mestiza, lemon grass pandan tea and cucumber mint shake. there were 4 of us, and our bill was just over 3000 pesos. we were so full and satisfied, we decided not to have dinner when we got home. how i wish they would someday have a branch near UP and ateneo. that will make me go there more than once every week. maraming salamat po 🙏
Jose Wendell CapiliJose Wendell Capili
10
Appetizer : The crispy kesong puti triangles and cheese-filled squash blossoms with the sweet Iloco reduction was an excellent starter. Light and not too heavy to leave room for the eagerly anticipated upcoming mains. Mains: The Tinumok was surprisingly good! I've never had laing prepared this way. The coconut bits in the wrapped minced pork added flavor to the filling. The Kare-Kare was similar to the way my Grandmother prepares this well-loved Filipino dish, I.e., no shortcuts. The Adobo is another dish worth having. The 3-in-1 style mix of pork and chicken pieces were perfectly complimented by the sauces. The different cooking method of the prawns in Suahe Sinigang was delightful. However the soup that was served in a small pot was lukewarm. Soup should always be served piping hot. I was a bit shocked that extra serving of the soup was chargeable. We wanted to ask for more soup hoping it would be hotter than the first serving but decided otherwise as we didn't want to risk paying for another lukewarm pot of soup. Desserts: The halo-halo ni Esme was not bad but not very good either. It is hard to make a bad halo-halo but even harder to make a very good one. In other words, it's a safe choice. The turon sundae on the hand is much more enjoyable than the halo-halo. Definitely and highly recommended. Coffee: I tried the latik-coco cream coffee to end the meal. It was very aromatic and enticing. Sadly, it didn't taste that special for me. If I didn't smell the aroma, it was just like a normal Cafe latte. The unanimous feedback from my family was that food MUST always be served hot if it's meant to be hot. I must commend the staff for their attentiveness. It would be nice if they are more familiar with the ingredients of their dishes. The overall ambience of the restaurant was pleasant and bright.
Pablo GonzalesPablo Gonzales
00
our new favorite Filipino restaurant! (in order of the photos) we had crispy kesong puti, palabok, lechon sinigang, dinuguan, pusit and gising gising (1 photo), arroz caldo, sisig, kaldereta, and kare kare. as you can sew in the photo, the sinigang soup is separated from the lechon so that you have a choice of tasting the crunch of the lechon before pouring the soup. the crunch remains even as it was submerged in the soup so we really liked it. you can ask for more soup though that will cost an additional 50. the puto that comes with the dinuguan is made differently—crispy, as opposed to the traditional soft puto. the photo of the arroz caldo is blurry because it was far away from me and i was enjoying my meal too much to bother getting up. i had a taste of it eventually and it was so good! my favorite though was the gising gising with dilis; soooo delicious i love love LOVE it. everything was well prepared, tasty, and balanced. we had 3 orders of rice that was listed for sharing and we were only 5 people. my only complaint is the atmosphere, that was ruined because of the other table's noise. they really can't do anything about it but we could hardly hear ourselves talk and even had to raise our voices over the loud discussions of the other table.
Ash CAsh C
10
Wow! Great food, service and atmosphere! We only booked for 10PAX but ended up to 16. We're pleased that they accommodated us in celebrating my sister in law's birthday. Ordered the following dishes: Balbacua de Visayas - Esmeralda’s version is one of the best Balbacua I’ve ever tasted. The broth is so rich and the spice level was just about right. That’s bone marrow though, it was so good! Lechon Belly - skin is crispy and meat is tender. Ratio of fat and meat was about right. Cooked to perfection, I remember, I can’t stop eating it. Pancit Puti - great idea but I was not a fan. It lacks seasoning. Fried Calamari - dish that needs to be ordered every time you visit. Perfectly cooked. Sauce compliments well with the calamari. Tinimuk - it was not my favorite. I love dishes with coconut but it did not hit the mark for me. Dinuguan - pork was tender and great balance of saltiness and sourness the way my pallets like it. Pork Flower Chicharon - crispy / not overcooked and tasty! A must appetizer while waiting for the main dish. Home Style Fried Chicken - properly plated and looks great. Did not had a chance to eat the chicken. Great dining experience. We’ll absolutely going back again and highly recommended.
Christopher UsitaChristopher Usita
00
You can tell that it is a quite famous restaurant since we saw a good amount of people outside that are waiting to be seated. Fortunately, We made a prior reservation so we went straight to our seats when we got there. Food was good and the servings were generous, the menu says "solo" but it can actually feed 2-3 people. The interiors, ambience, and their service were superb. Edit: On our second time dining here, we opted to try other dishes. We were hesistant to order their chicken inasal since we can easily get some from fastfood chains, we still end up ordering it and to our surprise it was very flavorful, beyond compare to those served in fastfood. We also don't usually order adobo when eating out, but we're very glad we did, it's a must try. Their adobo rice is very good as well. I just hope they can serve other desserts other than shaved ice-based concoctions. Overall, we were still very impressed on our 2nd visit. Can't wait to be back to try their other dishes.
Sharah VillademosaSharah Villademosa
20
Nearby Attractions Of Esmeralda Kitchen
Plaza Noli
Museo ng Pag-Asa
RedDoorz @ PIY Margal Sampaloc Manila
RedDoorz near PNR Espana Station
RedDoorz Plus @ Banawe Quezon City
RedDoorz @ P Florentino Street Sampaloc Manila
Plaza Noli
4.2
(377)Click for details
Museo ng Pag-Asa
4.9
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RedDoorz @ PIY Margal Sampaloc Manila
3.2
(58)Click for details
RedDoorz near PNR Espana Station
4.1
(37)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Esmeralda Kitchen
Ma Mon Luk
Lam Tin Tea House
Bulalohan sa Ramirez
Bulalohan sa España
Le Village Lifestyle Park
Bulaluhan Sa Laon laan
Myons Cuisine
Lokasyon MNL
The Original Pares Mami House - España Branch
Elar's Lechon the Original
Ma Mon Luk
3.9
(1.1K)Click for details
Lam Tin Tea House
4.4
(758)Click for details
Bulalohan sa Ramirez
4.4
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Bulalohan sa España
4.2
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Address
43 Mayon St, Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City, 1114 Metro Manila, Philippines
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+63 917 831 7533
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4.6
(232 reviews)$$
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attractions: Plaza Noli, Museo ng Pag-Asa, RedDoorz @ PIY Margal Sampaloc Manila, RedDoorz near PNR Espana Station, RedDoorz Plus @ Banawe Quezon City, RedDoorz @ P Florentino Street Sampaloc Manila, restaurants: Ma Mon Luk, Lam Tin Tea House, Bulalohan sa Ramirez, Bulalohan sa España, Le Village Lifestyle Park, Bulaluhan Sa Laon laan, Myons Cuisine, Lokasyon MNL, The Original Pares Mami House - España Branch, Elar's Lechon the Original
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