Casa Marikit

It's always nice to find something good and new, especially when it comes to food.  Batangas isn't known for its fine restaurant options, so it's always a challenge looking for a place to celebrate special occasions.  Such was our dilemma for yesterday's Valentine's Day.

We scoured the internet looking for nice dining options.  There's nothing much in Batangas City itself, so we expanded our search to Lipa City.  From there, it was easy to narrow it down to Casa Marikit.  A promise of authentic Italian steakhouse in Batangas was too good to pass up.

Since it was Valentine's Day, we were able to find Casa Marikit easily once we were on the right road.  All we had to do was look at the many cars parked near the area.  Casa Marikit sits beside a Japanese restaurant - Nori, and both restaurants share the same spacious parking area.

Upon entering the restaurant, seeing the many people, and  having seated at our reserved (A reservation was a must since it was indeed Valentine's Day) table, we felt like we were back in Manila, trying one of the good restaurants with nice ambiance and delicious food.  The place was very well designed, with fine interiors and a cool and spacious outdoor area.  

Yesterday being a special day, they had a special set menu for couples that costs 3,000.   Since they still served ala carte from their regular menu, we opted to order from there.  We got the Spinach And Ricotta Cannelloni and the Rib-eye Steak.  Since the place was packed, it took a while for our food to come.  The complimentary bread with pate and tomato-basil-garlic dip helped pass the time.  

Bread with Pate and Tomato-basil-garlic dip - Complimentary

The cannelloni came first.  It was so good.  The homemade pasta with cheese and spinach was richly delicious.  If all their pasta dishes were as good, we would definitely try them.

Spinach And Ricotta Cannelloni - P400

The rib-eye steak was certified Angus beef.  No steak sauce was necessary since the steak was perfectly grilled and tenderly juicy.  It came with baby potatoes and spinach on the side, both of which were also good.  

Rib-eye Steak - P1,350

Overall, it was a worthwhile trip from Batangas City.  It's a near-enough place to get good food that compares to, if not beats, those found in Manila.  The food was quite expensive though, and the prices on their menu don't include taxes and service charge yet.  It's still a good option though for those special occasions.

Casa Marikit is located just right across San Fernando Airbase.  It should have been easy to find had Google Maps not misled me.  Not a mistake I will have again.
Summary:
Taste - 5/5
Value for money - 3/5
Menu - 5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5

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Casa Marikit Ristorante Italiano
Banay-Banay, Concepcion, Lipa City, Batangas
Phone: (043) 312-0454
Mobile: (0917) 869-2354
Email: casamarikit@yahoo.com
Restaurant Hours: 11am-3pm and 6pm-10pm

Bel Piatto

One of the few nice places near SM Batangas City is Bel Piatto.  Acctually, it's just right across the mall's front entrance.  The place looks small from the street, but it's actually part of a bigger establishment with Euphoria Bar & Resto at the back.  Ample parking space (good for 100 slots according to a sign I saw there) can be found at the back.  

The cafe part itself was small, with only a few tables inside.  However, there are also seats outside if and when there are lots of customers.  I also saw one function room that can accommodate a long table for 10-15 people.  

We usually don't each much during dinners, so we just had a sampling of their bestsellers,  according to their menu.  

For our appetizer, we had the Bellisimo Cheese Sticks.  One serving contained 6 pieces with ketchup mayo. The cheese sticks had red and green bell pepper which balanced out the taste of the cheese.  Taste was okay, but it was just too oily.  

Bellissimo Cheese Sticks - P125

For our main dishes, we ordered the Half Baby Back Ribs and the Italian Tempura.  The ribs weren't the fall-off-the-bone kind.  It was  also just okay with its barbecue sauce.  The plating wasn't also appetizing as some excess barbecue sauce was just brushed across the plate.  It was bordering messy.

Half Baby Back Ribs - P165

Almost all of their set meals comes with these Italian Tempura (2 pcs), so we decided to order them too.  The taste and thickness of the batter overcame the shrimp.  We barely felt any shrimp's taste over the oiliness of the batter.  We felt distaste after a few bites.  The ketchup mayo sauce didn't help.  

Italian Tempura (6 pcs) - P250

The place was good to hang out since it has free wifi and some couch areas.  Probably for coffee and conversation.  It was also well lit and nicely decorated.  The doors even had these small red hearts with words of love to commemorate the upcoming Valentine's Day.

I've read online that a lot of people like this place.  I'm not saying I won't go back.  Probably I would, just to try out some of the other dishes and to give it another shot.  But it won't be anytime soon.

Summary:
Taste - 2/5
Value for money - 2/5
Menu - 4/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 3/5

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Bel Piatto Cafe & Bistro
Pallocan West, Batangas City
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bel-Piatto/121116034566342 

A Taste of Batangas

Restaurant and food blogging isn't new.  Several popular ones exist already.  In fact, I frequent some of them as I explore what Metro Manila has to offer to foodies like me.  Whether it be the casual restaurant chain or the hard-to-find hole-in-the-wall, I'm always excited to try the food and experience a meal there.  

So why am I starting my own food blog?  What makes this different?  It's simple.  I only focus on what is available here in Batangas.  

As I leave Manila and plant new roots here in Batangas City with my new wife, we'll explore what Batangas has to offer to foodies like us.  We'll visit different food establishments, old  and new, and post some pictures and our personal insights on what we've tried.  

Together with our opinions, we'll indicate our ratings for 1) the food, 2) value for money, 3) the menu, 4) the ambiance, and 4) the service.  It will be no holds barred, and we will praise and criticize based on our experience, in the hopes of improving the culinary offerings of Batangas.  

Whether you're a foodie/photographer like me searching of a culinary treat, a student or office worker wanting something different than the usual fastfood for lunch, a parent looking a special venue for a family dinner, a boyfriend canvassing for a romantic and cozy date couch, I hope you will find something here for you.  

Come, and have a taste of Batangas with me.