So it’s Monday and you actually got enough sleep over the weekend, which means you’re ready and all revved up for the workweek to start, full coffee mug and savory breakfast sandwich in hand. Your morning soundtrack begins with Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger to get you through the barrage of weekend emails and then, “Oh my God.” Is that a request to schedule a high priority lunch meeting for later? By today?
You feel your pulse in your neck and the tension rising in your cheeks but don’t reach for that brown bag to rapidly breathe into just yet.
Here are some of our foolproof restaurants picks you can count on when you’re under pressure to deliver:
Restaurant: Chateau 1771
Address: Level 1, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City
Contact number:Â (02)Â 729 9761/729 9760
Who to bring: Bosses and clients
Good for: Lunch and Dinner
What to order: Chateau’s classic Pasta Chorizo and organic Vanilla Brick Spring Chicken are refined yet simple enough to enjoy during a business meeting, and the famous Coffee Pie will surely end the meal on a high note.
Insider Tips: Try the Business Lunch menu, a three-course menu alongside two main appetizers. If entertaining more than numerous clients, Chateau 1771’s function rooms offers a more intimate at private setting.
“An important meeting place for discerning minds and refined palates†is how Chateau 1771 is vividly described in one of its online sites. A bright and cozy restaurant strategically located in the midst of metro’s Central Business District, Chateau is the perfect place to wine and dine bosses and clients. Its wide array of exquisite Swiss, Italian, and French creations will surely satisfy even the most discriminating of palettes. (By GREGGY V. VERA CRUZ)
(Parmigiano Ravioli)
(Butter Baked Oysters)
(Vanilla Brick Spring Chicken)
(Coffee Pie)
Restaurant: La Cabrera
Address: 6750 Ayala Avenue
Contact number:Â (0905) 290 0703
Who to bring: Meat-loving guests
Good for: Lunch
What to order: Steak, steak, steak! Take a bite out of the ojo de bife (rib eye) or bife de chorizo (striploin). The Panceta Marianda en chimichurri (pork belly marinated in chimichurri), polito grillado (grilled chicken) are great grilled alternatives as well, all catering to people who love their meat dishes.
Insider Tips: La Cabrera features unlimited lupa, or side dishes. These refillable sides can range from hot to cold, with choices such as pureed pumpkin, assorted vegetables in vinegar, and Chef Juan’s recommended candied garlic.
With exciting flavors reminiscent of the South America’s colorful cuisine, La Cabrera will surely spice up your lunch break! La Cabrera is the first Asian branch of the famed Buenos Aires parrilla (steakhouse), which was named as the 17th best restaurant in Latin America for 2014 in San Pelligrino’s prestigious annual list. The restaurants succulent Argentine carne dishes, will surely convert even the most avid of herbivores. (By DOUGLAS CANDANO | Photography by TAMMY DAVID)
(Marinada en chimichurri)
(Pollito grillado)
Restaurant: I Am Kim
Address: Basement Level, Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Oranbo, Pasig City
Contact number:Â (02) 542 2558
Who to bring: Colleagues
Perfect for: Lunch
What to order: Any of the bibimbap combinations are great, as diners can pretty much mix and match what they’d like to include in their rice bowls. The Korean fried dumplings and pork and beef crepinettes are the perfect complements to any bibimbap too.
Insider Tips: Check out I am Kim’s afternoon menu, which serves unique burritos and quesadillas with an oriental twist!
There is truly something for everyone at I am Kim, a restaurant which plays around with the classic Korean bibimbap dish. With unique and versatile combinations such as the Bacon Egg Chicken (B.E.C) bap, and the flavorful powerhouse Umami Bap, I am Kim will leave your tastebuds aching for more. A customize-your own bibimbap option caters to even the most discerning of eaters.(By MONICA ARANETA – TIOSEJO | Photography by RAMON JOSEPH J. RUIZ)
(Umami Bomb)
(Steak and egg bap)
(Salmon and tuna bap)
(Korean fried dumpling)
Restaurant: Ogawa
Address: The 2nd Floor of the Fort Entertainment Complex, Fort Strip, 5th Ave. corner 28th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
Contact number:Â (02) 886 4994
Who to bring: Bosses and clients
Perfect for: Dinner
 What to order: Any of their grilled skewers that are perfect for sharing and having a little of everything
Inside Tips: If you’re in a hurry (and on a budget) Ogawa’s Japanese Bento Lunch Sets such as the Kaisen Chirashi Sushi and Unajyu To Cha Soba Zen, will leave both you and your wallet satisfied.
Fueled by the promise to use nothing but the finest meat, freshest vegetables and exceptional seafood, Ogawa is a restaurant built upon Japanese culinary heritage, which puts a premium on freshness and excellence. As a result, every patron’s dining experience will be the most authentic in the metro — a gustatory feast, not just on flavors but on the setting, plating and overall ambience as well. (By SYLVIA REYNOSO – GALA)
(Fish in signature sauce)
(Grilled and not fried; meat dishes here are filling and guilt-free)
Restaurant: Wildflour
Address: We recommend the Wildflour branch on the ground floor of the Net Lima building, 26th St, Taguig.
Contact number:Â (02)Â 856 7600
Who to bring:Â Snackers and light eaters
Perfect for: Breakfast, brunch and meriendaÂ
What to order: Satisfy your sweet tooth with Wildflour’s Tarte Flambes and Valrhona Chocolate Pot de Crème, or bite into savory entrees such as the best-selling Croque Madame and Reuben Sandwich.
Inside Tips: Wildflour is home to the New York cronut’s closest doppleganger. (A cronut is a sinfully delightful cross between a croissant and a donut).
Packed from the get-go when it opened in BGC in 2012, Wildflour turned into a full-blown restaurant that doesn’t scrimp when it comes to servings and calories. And yet it continues to be a favorite haunt of both titas and slightly pre-millennial ladies (and gents) who lunch, or brunch — because Wildflour is chockfull of midmorning-like treats no one could possibly down before 9 a.m. (like the oozy, melty, and buttery hunk of its bestselling Croque Madame). (By SYLVIA REYNOSO – GALA)
(Just one of the endless choices of pastries at this cafe)
Restaurant:Â Krazy Garlik
Address: We recommend the branch on the 3rd floor of Greenbelt 5, Makati Cit.Â
Contact number:Â (02) 501 3752
Who to bring:Â Colleagues
Perfect for: Casual meetings for lunch or dinner
What to order:Â Â Start off your krazy adventure with a bang by ordering hot Cheese Dynamites. For the main course, share in the cheesy garlicky goodness of the Garlik Snowflake Pizza, and a Garlicky Krispy Pata cooked to perfection.
Inside Tips: Can’t make it to Krazy Garlik during lunch break? You can order Krazy Garlik online and through 87878 for a garlicky party you and your co-workers can enjoy in your office!
Feeling the workday blues? Why not go on a krazy gastronomic adventure? Celebrate the superb flavors of garlic and spices at Krazy Garlik! You and your co-workers will come together, as you feast on a wide selection of sumptuous, yet affordable dishes! Check out delightful items that come from Eastern and Western influences such as the 30 Kloves T-Bone and Krispy Crust Tilapia. (By SYLVIA REYNOSO-GALA)
(The 30 Kloves T-Bone)
