mushroom fritters – Jellybeans in the City

So, what is comfort food?

It is a repast that triggers nostalgia or sentiment in someone: your mom’s signature chicken soup, crispy fried chicken that your family treats you too when you get good grades, or freshly baked pan de sal whose smell waft into your nostrils as you walk by the panaderia.

This is food ingrained with our personal memories, and aside from sating our hunger, it also soothes out soul.

This is the kind of food that Chef Robert serves. Hearty and tasty, his dishes remind us of the food that mom used to serve at home for Sunday brunch, or the ones your titas used to make for family gatherings while also introducing new ways to enjoy classic Filipino viands.

Together with my fellow foodies, I visited the newly opened Chef Robert branch in Greenhills, where the restaurant transfered after closing its branch in Banawe, Quezon City. Carlo, the restaurant’s marketing manager, and Chef Robert himself was there to welcome us and give us a taste of the restaurant’s signature offerings which included:

Mushroom Fritters (Php195). A light starter for the meal which has the crispy feel of chicharon (pork rind) but less of the guilt. It is well complemented by the restaurant’s house vinegar blend.

Salad Rolls in Kani Mango (Php145 solo | Php245 regular). A fresh way to enjoy salad rolls, this has Japanese element to it with an interesting interplay of salty flavor from the kani and sweetness from the mango.

Bicol Express Pasta (Php225). According to TV host and foodie Tonipet, this dish is “matapang, masarap saka malasa.” This is a pasta dish that you will definitely come back for.

Alamang Fried Rice (Php175). Good for up to four people, it goes well with many of Chef Robert’s viands.

Tofu Sisig on Eggplant Torta (Php265). The smokey flavor of the eggplant lends well to the savory tofu.

Bangus Sisig (Php205 regular | Php325 big). A bit sweeter than the usual sisig, it also makes for a healthy alternative to the classic pork sisig dish.

Crispy Kare-Kare (Php345). Crispy deep-fried pork belly slices accompanied by steamed veggies in a rich peanut-y Kare Kare sauce and accompanied by bagoong (fermented shrimp paste).

Crispy Embutido with Egg (Php205). The holiday staple embutido is given a makeover by coating slices in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and deep frying them to a crispy golden brown. These are accompanied by garlic fried rice and sunny-side-up egg, making it a hearty breakfast meal.

Coffee Jelly (Php140). Cubes of coffee jelly in a sweet cream and topped with a scoop of ice cream, a perfect cap to the meal.

With these flavorful and hearty dishes, it is easy to see that Chef Robert brings his ten years of culinary experience to bear to serve mouth-watering fare to San Juan city denizens.

Thanks to Dom of Around the City by iDomne and Jen of Sand Under My Feet for extending the invitation.

Have an appetite for pasta? Check out Chef Robert’s Unli Pasta offer! For only Php299 get unlimited refills of your choice of pasta among Bicol Express Pasta, Linguini Alfredo and Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti. Your order already comes with refillable red iced tea and a single serving of coffee jelly. See if you can beat the current record of eight refills!

Chef Robert is located at Os2 Providence Building, 55 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan City, open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11.30am to 9pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 11am to 9pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 2556309, +63 917 8654780 or +63 933 8664503.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Filipino restaurants: