basilio's at rizal

there's a new resto in rizal drive alongside the more famous barcino and paul calvin's deli. due to our food addiction we decided to have lunch there yesterday.

the place is called basilio's. there's no nearby parking space but the resto offers free valet. the resto boasts of gourmet comfort food. we got some freebie bread, unlike sakai's foccacia, we got some small cupcake looking breads. dunno what they're called.

the bread was dry, was expecting they were soft like dinner rolls but it was dense and tough. anyway, let's just see the entrees.

we got the 50 clove chicken which was a bestseller as claimed by the wait staff. you get a half chicken with an achara type side dish of carrots and cabbage and a tomato based rice.

the chicken was moist and served with a very buttery gravy which is yummy. jv said she tasted the garlic but i said i didn't. probably because we tried various parts of the chicken. she ate the breast part while i tried the leg part. maybe the chicken was stuffed with the garlic so the flavors only seeped through the breast part. also, if you try eating the chicken, side dish and rice in one bite, you'll discover that it takes like litsong manok. anyway, it was just an observation.

m tried the ribs (not sure if it said baby back on the menu). it was a slab of ribs but it didn't have that much meat which was probably the reason why it was a huge serving. it was slathered with a tomato based bbq sauce. it has this smoky flavor with a hint of sweetness and tartness. i find the flavors perfect for the filipino palate because the sour and sweet flavors complemented each other and i like the smoky flavor. however, it would have been perfect if it was more meaty and tender. we had to request for a steak knife just to cut through the ribs. the mashed potatoes was ok it wasn't the creamy mashed potato that most people love but it complemented the strong flavored ribs.

also got the seafood pasta. i thought the flavor was ok. it didn't have that fishy taste which was probably taken away by the white wine. they used fresh grated parmesan (i think it is parmesan) which somehow overpowered the chopped seafood. and yes, i want my seafoods whole too.

overall, it was okay. none of the dishes we tried really stood out. given that these food items can be found in other restos it does not make you go all out of your way to just dine there.


basilio's
forbeswood heights
rizal drive, the fort