A Festive Celebration in Ilustrado Restaurant

Ilustrado is a fine dining restaurant tucked in the hidden walls of Intramuros. This fine dining restaurant serves Spanish-Filipino dishes. Since 1989, they make sure to serve food that is top-notch and can pass as world-class.

The ambiance of Ilustrado brings you back to the past. It is evident through the architectural design of the place and its setup. The place will make you feel like you’ve experienced what it is like to be in during our grandparent’s time. They can also cater to your events. With that said, it is perfect not only for tourists but also for those who enjoys food and culture.

E X P E R I E N C E

Christina and EJay invited me to this event and I am glad I said yes. All of the bloggers who attended this event got the chance to meet the owners, Bea and Bernice Pimentel. Their goal is to introduce Ilustrado to the millennial market since it is usually our parents and grandparents who knows about Ilustrado. Since Christmas is around the corner, Chef Bernice whipped out a course menu that is perfect for a festive celebration.

While waiting for the other bloggers, we were served a bread basket with a few of their specialty dips. Among all the dips served, I would have to go for their Boursin Cheese (Php165, 4oz).

For our appetizer, we were served Baked Eggplant in Filo Pastry. I enjoyed this dish because I am a fan of eggplant. It also has white cheese which creates this creamy taste. Aside from white cheese, there’s also olive and sun-dried tomato.

After the appetizer came the main entrée. These were the Paella Ilustrado, Stuffed Chicken Relleno, Adobong Bagnet w/ Taba ng Talangka, Callos Madrilena, Twice Cooked Angus Beef Shortplate and Pasta Espanyola.

Among all the main dishes served, I would have to go for their Paella Ilustrado (Php 1,295) and Stuffed Chicken Relleno. Their Paella Ilustrado consists of the ingredients for a typical paella but they added local annato for a twist. I would definitely get Ilustrado’s Paella over Barcino. Their Stuffed Chicken Relleno consists of chicken relleno with tomatoes and banana on it. The way the chicken was cooked was splendid. I could still remember the taste of the chicken on my mouth.

Lastly, we had our dessert which consists of Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies, Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies, Baked Cheesecake and Chocolate Fudge Cake.

What I love about their cookies is that it’s not too sweet nor sugary. Improvements can be done on the Matcha Cookie. I was trying to look for the actual taste and look of the matcha cookie. With their cakes, I would have to go for their Baked Cheesecake. I am not exactly fond of cakes but there’s something about this cheesecake that would make me want to get another serving. I highly recommend their Baked Cheesecake.