Away from the hustle and bustle, a resto worth the detour

HOMEY The old house has a second floor that now reeks of 1950s mod. —Photos by Margaux Salcedo

There is a new hidden gem in the Greenhills area!

Qui is not in Greenhills per se but on a street just past the row of parols (Christmas lanterns) on Gilmore. It is an old house that has been converted into a very mod restaurant.

This restaurant is a winner on all fronts. First of all, there is parking. Then, there is ample space: there is ground-floor seating as well as second-floor seating. And then there is a spacious patio where dogs are allowed! There is also a private room that seats about 10 pax on the second floor. The only setback is that the second floor is not wheelchair-accessible.

The restaurant has a private room on the second floor.

The food is a win, win, win. Chef RJ Ungco, who trained at Les Roches in Switzerland and who has consulted for Peri Peri, Esmeralda, and Spatzle, among other restaurants, has created a worth-a-detour menu.

If you come for breakfast, make sure to try the champorado. This is no ordinary champorado. Half is traditional; half is the creative concoction of Chef Rj: maja blanca champorado. It has all the feels of champorado, except that it tastes like maja blanca!

For lunch, the chef recommends the roast pork belly, which they describe as “juicy and crispy pork belly with a glazed vinegar reduction” but with the twist of being served “on a bed of spiced creamed spinach.”

Pan-Asian creations

I would recommend the Kare Kare Stone Pot Rice. This is a very interesting way of serving kare kare. It comes practically boiling, as in you will see bubbles on the stew—it’s that hot! But the meat is very tender, and the rice is served not separately but underneath the beef. This makes for a very tasty protein and starch pairing! The Great Doodler, who was my date when I visited, got so engrossed with the dish that we got really serious about scraping off the tutong (the rice at the bottom that has become crispy and stuck to the bowl).

FOR BREAKFAST Chef RJ Ungco gives the best of both worlds: maja blanca champorado.

They also have good duck, but don’t have this after the kare kare, as the vibrance of the kare kare outshines the more refined duck.

You can also just come with friends for drinks, especially because they also have live music on certain nights, playing jazz or bossa nova. The drinks would pair well with sisig, which comes with nachos.

If you are on a diet, have the steak and watermelon salad, which gives you the best of both worlds—meat and leaves!

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AL FRESCO The restaurant has a large patio perfect for a garden party.

he menu has a wide array of pan-Asian creations: from fried chicken to stuffed squid to laksa to an Asian barbecue platter. All have Chef RJ’s signature of emphasized but well-balanced flavors.

They also offer dessert but trust me, you won’t have space in your stomach for these anymore!

I can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the menu! INQ

Qui Pan Asian Brasserie. 14 Castillas St., Valencia, Quezon City. Open daily except Mondays. For reservations and inquiries, call 0917-8678811. Follow @quimanila on Instagram.