We had our heart set on tuna and salmon sashimi, but when we passed by a restaurant offering Corned Beef Sinigang, all the cravings for Japanese food were put aside.
H & I made ourselves comfortable at Windows Cafe, enjoying the calming ambiance as we placed our orders. The menu promised many tasty dishes, and so we chose those that seemed to scream “You gotta try me!!!”
For our appetizer, we chose the Kani Cheesesticks. Crabsticks and cheese rolled in molo wrapper, then fried to a crisp. Each order was served with a wasabi mayo dip. I liked that they looked chunky!
They were delicious. Ooh la la! Windows does not scrimp on their crab and cheese, thank goodness. The crab was flavorful, the cheese sweet, the combination very tasty. Dip it into the wasabi mayo and it tastes even better!
Then came the Corned Beef Sinigang. This is the dish that attracted us to the restaurant, so we hoped it would be good! And it was. The beef was tender, the soup not too sour, the vegetables plenty. Winner!
Next was our order of Baked Bangus. It looks so tasty, doesn’t it? The bangus was coated with fresh herbs and crunchy garlic, served with a side of bean sprouts and vinegar for dipping. Sadly, this dish was a feast only for the eyes.
Even if it looks so flavorful because of the toppings, the fish itself was bland and dry. The fish wasn’t infused with the taste of garlic and herbs. Is this because the fish was baked? Could it have been marinated longer with the herbs and garlic? I wonder. We weren’t very happy with this.
This Chorizos with Garlic and Mushrooms was very tasty. If I could describe this dish in one word, it would be “lively.” The saltiness of the chorizos seemed to dance around in your mouth, balanced with the playfulness of crunchy garlic and the light earthiness of the button mushrooms.
Random pic, taken by H. I think I was wondering about what to get for dessert. See those colored bottles in the background? Each one was autographed by a local celebrity. In one of the bottles, I saw that a local celeb scribbled something about sans rival. I thought, if it’s written on the bottle then it must be good, right? I’m impressionable like that.
And so we ordered the sans rival. It was okay. Nothing that knocked me off my seat. I didn’t even get to finish it. The nuts (PEANUTS!) were plain, the butter cream not creamy, the meringue too chewy… oh well. Not a great way to end the meal.
Will I go back? Sure, I will! In spite of the disappointing dessert, I did enjoy my kickass appetizer. I want to try the other dishes. I know which ones to steer clear of now, and which ones I’ll order again. I’ll definitely be getting the Kani Cheesesticks one more time — the highlight of our Windows Cafe lunch!
*****
We tried Windows Cafe at Robinson’s Galleria. There’s also a branch at Powerplant Mall, Rockwell.
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
ann
January 18, 2008 at 7:24 am (16 years ago)Hello Toni! I want to try that Kani Cheesesticks. Any idea on what particular cheese they used?
lady cess
January 18, 2008 at 8:22 am (16 years ago)i like the pics of the food, but i like your pic the best!
lady cess
January 18, 2008 at 8:23 am (16 years ago)^ i mean, your pic is the best 😀 hehehe!
abby
January 18, 2008 at 8:23 am (16 years ago)naman, Toni eh, torture! 😀 parang masarap yung bangus, sayang it was disappointing!
Cookie
January 18, 2008 at 9:40 am (16 years ago)Yummy food pics!! Sayang naman yung bangus, it looks so good pa naman. I also like the corned beef sinigang at Centro. Not exactly “blows your mind yummy” but still good
Ruy
January 18, 2008 at 9:41 am (16 years ago)I definitely want to have those kani cheesesticks and the chorizo! Two of my favorite things.=)
Next time we’re in Galleria its going to be windows cafe.
Junnie
January 18, 2008 at 10:05 am (16 years ago)Back when we were in the Philippines, we always passed by Windows Cafe. I think they had a branch in Powerplant in Rockwell. Their Kani Cheesesticks are to die for…exag…pero masarap talaga….
so what did you get for dessert? your smile is so 8-year old you…cute. H knows how to capture your best parts.
Em Dy
January 18, 2008 at 10:18 am (16 years ago)I suddenly got jealous. I love kani.
dyanie
January 18, 2008 at 11:26 am (16 years ago)hi toni, cute mo dun sa pic ha 😉
cheesticks, mmmmm yummmy!
sayang at di masarap ang sans rival..
Daphne
January 18, 2008 at 1:14 pm (16 years ago)Wow you order a lot of dishes ha! Was it just you and H dining? hehehe 😀
sha
January 18, 2008 at 1:55 pm (16 years ago)past midnight am suddenly so hungry, inspite the big dinner (fillet mignon) cant wait till i cook again in london but will eat out for sure wag lang turtle steak….
sinigang.. cant even remember last time i had it must be way back october hmmm
BabyPink
January 18, 2008 at 6:38 pm (16 years ago)wow! ako din, gusto ko i-try ‘yang kani cheesesticks. parang ang sarap!
mari
January 19, 2008 at 1:43 am (16 years ago)the baked bangus looks tempting!
Meeya
January 19, 2008 at 1:49 am (16 years ago)tama ba ako, there’s a windows cafe sa may dela costa, too?
nakakadisappoint naman yung bangus! na-sad ako for you. siguro nga, mas ok if they marindaded the fish a little bit, bland pa naman ang bangus to start with. anyway… buti na lang the kani cheesesticks knocked you out, or else: sarado kang bintana ka, hehe.
Leah
January 19, 2008 at 2:14 am (16 years ago)Ang sarap naman lahat…fave ko yun bangus. How do you keep slim with all these food?
Well taken photos…very nice.
Looking forward to your weekend soiree.
Gracey
January 19, 2008 at 5:41 am (16 years ago)OMG, I’m so drooling! I want all that. I’d trade all the cheese and potatoes for bangus and sinigang. Sigh.
sakai
January 20, 2008 at 12:42 am (16 years ago)u should have tried their Soft shelled crabs..
Pinky
January 20, 2008 at 6:03 pm (16 years ago)It was a bad idea to bloghop and read your entry about food during lunch time – now I have this uncontrollable craving for cheese sticks (aaargghh!!!). Anyway, hope the okoy hubby will bring for lunch will at least make up for my “loss”.
Happy new year to you! I super enjoy reading your entertaining posts
Rach (Heart of Rachel)
January 23, 2008 at 8:00 pm (16 years ago)The tempting pictures and the way you described each dish has made me really hungry. I want to try those Kani Cheesesticks.
jeline
January 27, 2008 at 10:40 pm (16 years ago)Toni, kakagutom naman iyan. I haven’t been home in a long time and I miss the food terribly.