Our first stop in our weekend adventure was to have lunch at La Esquina in Splendido. Splendido is a sprawling property with a golf couse, clubhouse and some pretty swanky homes. I always thought the you cannot go to Splendido unless you forked in a few million bucks to buy property. When I learned that there are two restaurants there that are open to the public, I was quick to book us a lunch table at their Spanish restaurant, La Esquina.
La Esquina is situated right beside the golf course at Splendido. Our table had a fantastic view of the golf couse and the surrounding mountains. What a great view while having lunch.
La Esquina offers classic Spanish cuisine. For starters, we had the Chorizo Splendido. We unanimously vote this as a perfect dish to start your lunch. The chorizo was so good. The chorizos are a little spicy and it has a hint of vinegar in it. I just love it. I may have to come back just for the Chorizo Splendido.
Next, we had the Pollo Croquettas, or chicken croquettes. This is flaked chicken breast rolled in milk batter and fried. The Pollo Croquettas are so yummy and creamy. The dish comes with a Hollaindaise and a marinara sauce. The Pollo croquettas are so goog by themselves even without the sauce. If you must have the sauce, the Hollaindaise is very good as well.
Hubby and I shared the Caesar's Salad. The Caesar's Salad was not very good. I suggest to choose another salad. The dressing was not very creamy and the serving (even if not shared) is very small.
I had the Bacalao Alla Viscaina. A fish dish with Marinara sauce. I suggest to skip this as well. The fish is very salty and for the price of P400 plus, it's simply not worth it.
Both hubby and Tony had the Steak Charlemagne. Steak Charlemagne is a tenderloin steak in mushroom sauce served with mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables. Both hubby and Tony finished their off quickly because they were hungry. The steaks were ok, according to hubby.
Gerry and the rest of us also shared the Paella Christina. If you order paella, it takes an hour (no kidding) to have it done. Be sure to pre-order so that you don't have to wait like we did. Paella Christina has seafood and chorizos in it. The paella is very good with just the right balance of flavors, and yes, we finished the entire thing. This is just the half order but it's good for two to three people.
Splendido is a nice place to visit. Be sure to go to the viewing deck to get a nice view of Taal volcano and the golf course.
All in all, I would still recommend to eat at least the appetizers at La Esquina in Splendido, despite the mishaps with the Bacalao and the salad. The view is spectacular and the service is superb. Despite the long wait for the paella, the taste was worth it (I must say though, Amalia's Paella is still better). Be sure to try the Chorizo Splendido and the Pollo Croquettas. You're gonna enjoy eating them. The restaurant is a little pricey if you have the Paella, Steak Charlemagne and the Bacalao but, the some of the entrees and appetizers/tapas are competitively priced.
Happy dining!
1 comment:
La Esquina in Splendido is open Saturdays and Sundays only (not sure if they are open on holidays). We had the run of the place while we were there. So quiet, we could hear ourselves chew our food. Splendido management should put in much greater efforts to publicize the place.
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