Lola Maria's Restaurant

When I got an invite to the launch of eight new celebrity dishes at Lola Maria Restaurant in Legend Villas Hotel, I didn’t immediately said yes, because I have other event to attend that day. But when that event got cancelled I emailed them back to confirm my attendance.

Come Friday night, the traffic is so bad and it’s raining so hard at Makati City! I’m stuck in traffic for almost two hours! I texted them back that I won’t able to come, but they insist that they will wait for me :) So I pushed through.

I arrived there wet and exhausted, and saw other bloggers like Rowena, Abet, Fran, Janed and Richard. Thank God they still here, but they’re already having their dessert! But I’m really thankful that they didn’t leave me there alone. Yey!

Before we start with the degustation, they let me taste test their drinks first. They let me choose between Pandan Iced Tea, Dalandan Slush and Pomelo Slush using mini size glasses. I chose the Pomelo Slush because it taste pure and natural with the right amount of sweetness in it.

These are the eight new celebrity dishes at Lola Maria’s in cooperation with Chef de Parte’ of Legend Villas Hotel, Michael John L. Martinez :

First one is the Prawn Cakes, by top local show car maker, Atoy Llave. It’s an oriental style minced prawns coated with bread crumbs and served with hoisin sauce. It is soft and the prawn flavor will stands out at each bite. Though it’s my first to encounter hoisin sauce (commonly used in Peking duck) I enjoyed it. Six pieces of Prawn Cakes is P225.00

Next is the Fish Pinipig by actress/host Iza Calzado. It’s a cream dory fillet covered with crispy pinipig flakes and dipped in tartare sauce. Cream dory is actually a relative of the hito and the kanduli. But whereas the kanduli is silver, the cream dory is silver and black. This dish is so unique, and it looks cute too. It's crunchy on the outside but it was soft and juicy on the inside. Be sure to dip it on the tartare sauce before taking a bite! Priced at P210.00 per six pieces.

This was the sidings for the Fish Pinipig they served to me. It's a homemade potato chips.

Third one is the Vegetable Quiche by world-renowned fashion designer Randy Ortiz. It's a baked tender pastry crust with fresh vegetables (like asparagus, mushroom, bell pepper, onion, egg, spices, cheese and fresh cream) and topped with dollop of sour cream. It doesn't taste like vegetable at all, that's a compliment I think :) This is P155.00 per five pieces.

Cocido is a favorite of food blogger Anton Diaz, yup it;s him! ;) It's a beef ribs stewed in rich tomato sauce with chorizo and fresh vegetables. Cocido is actually the national dish of Spain and this is the star of the night for me. The beef ribs has the right amount of softness and it was really tasty. The eggplant plant dip that comes with it, is surprisingly yummy too, it complements Cocido very well. P360.00 per single serving.

Cocido is served with a cup of this specialty rice. I don't know what that "V" pandan leave stands for? or it's not a letter :) Their rice is okay nothing extraordinary, maybe because Cocido is already a superstar.

The fifth one of their celebrity dishes is the Rosemary and Garlic Rib-eye by actress Ara Mina. It has the best cut of beef, seared and marinated with fresh garlic and rosemary. Before they served me this, they ask me what doneness of the steak I want,  and let me choose between garlic rice and mashed potato. The girl from Stratos (just in front of me) recommended me to choose mashed potato, so I did, which I didn't regret. For the steak I chose medium rare, which is always my default answer when ask with that question.

The Rib-eye is excellent, just like what I'm expecting. I can taste and smell the rosemary and garlic at each bite. While their mashed potato is to die for, it's the perfect substitute for rice. P650.00 each single serving.

They have three new desserts in their celebrity dishes line. The first one is the Ensaymada Pudding by Ford Supermodel grand winner Danica Magpantay. It's a day old ensaymada with custard, baked and topped with queso de bola. This is P80.00 each.

Next is the Ube and Langka Panna Cotta by actress Sherilyn Reyes-Tan. It's a light Italian dessert of fresh cream, flavored with vanilla bean. P120.00 per single serving. It looks simple but this was my favorite among the three new desserts.

Then, the last but not the least is the Fried Suman at Tsokolate by actress/host/model Wilma Doesnt. Fried suman sa ibos drizzled with authentic native tsokolate. P155.00 per single serving.

Lola Maria is really perfect for a family gathering, reunion with the barkada or for people who just want a foodtrip! The ambiance is cozy and feels like home, the restaurant is not that crowded too. It's just a few walks from the MRT Boni station.



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Lola Maria’s Restaurant, The Legend Villas
Address: 60 Pioneer corner Madison Streets,Mandaluyong City 1550
Contact Nos.:(632) 7022793 , (632) 6320845
Official Website: www.legendvillas.com.ph