ilustrado restaurant

when viisiting the walled city of intramuros, the feelings of nostalgia comes alive and i remember as a kid loitering around manila high school where my mom teaches biology class and oh, it was such a long long time ago since my last visit after i started working professionally. nostalgia rose to ecstatic when we came back a week ago to try one of the famous restaurants in manila, ilustrado. it was established 3 decades ago, well 29 years to be exact and their hispanic inspired space consists of spanish courtyard, a casual cafe decked with art and art posters and a neo-classic main dining room that has several international heads of state. who would have known a precious gem is located within this historical place?

to mark its 29th year anniversary, ilustrado restaurant in intramuros, manila is offering an 8-course degustation menu for the whole month of october and it was created by chef de patron bernice pimentel. the degustation menu utilizes local cuisine and ingredients in an up-to-date fashion. as per chef bernice, “this year, 2019 marks the third year that we have been doing an anniversary degustation and this year, i am not only bringing forth our culinary heritage to the present but also incorporating much more local ingredients."

the food tasting starts with kangkong pesto brioche served with boursin cheese. surprisingly, i have never thought kangkong can be infused in making a brioche but i also thought if they can make a bread out of malunggay, why not? the texture of the boursin cheese is soft and creamy and when you spread it to the freshly made brioche is delightful.

kesong puti croquettes at lato (with baby mesclun and salsa verde aioli) was the second dish. i love the small crunch and creamy texture when you bite the croquette then mix it with the salad on salsa verde, the entire dish is refreshing.

next is a unique dish of oyster laing rockefeller with aklan oysters, chili and coconut milk, topped with parmigiano reggiano and drizzled with lemon juice. it is like laing in a whole new level. i enjoyed this gorgeous dish so much even though i am not a fan of oysters but i don't know, i am a fan of coconut based dishes.

to warm the stomach is sayote egg drop soup with quail eggs and crostini. i am pretty sure i'd be making this dish for myself coz my mom always tells me how rich and healthy veggie this is. a nice hearty soup made of sayote is the bomb!

before going to the mains, we tried burong mangga sorbet to cleanse the palate. there is this kilig factor after scooping in that sorbet. they made it cold and sour so a bit numbness to balance to tangy taste.

for our mains, we had the bbq pulled pork tostadas that gives a hearty bite with slow-cooked pork, filipino-style bbq marinade, re-fried munggo (mung bean) and papaya slaw piled high on fried tortilla. oh man this is good. soft and flavorful meat and the papaya slaw on top gave a nice balance. though i was thinking of bread, the tortilla is perfectly fine and it added crunch overall.

another main, and now with rice, the seabass sinantol. it is a chilean seabass fillet and arugula on top of sinantol rice, a unique twist that imparts a ‘santol’ flavor to the grains. the subtle taste and crisp layer of the seabass is a great complement for the sinantol rice. to be honest, this is the star of the course for me. i could actually eat the sinantol rice alone because it is already flavorful on its own nevertheless, the whole plate is one delectable dish.

last but definitely not the least, the sweet ending. it is a beautifully plated egg pie brûlée with rose crème chantily, strawberry, green grapes, mango and edible flowers. it was colorful and refreshing.

so there you go! overall, the entire course was amazing and how chef bernice uniquely created these dishes were top notch. i would definitely recommend this especially if you are looking for unique and modernized filipino cuisine. the place is romantic and couples should visit as well. kudos to a superb dining experience.

diners have a choice to order the whole 8-course menu or choose only select dishes. each dish is priced separately and the whole menu is at p1,250 plus 10 per cent service charge.

ilustrado is a filipino restaurant located in intramuros. it is one that is committed to bringing the filipino cuisine to a whole new level without sacrificing all the distinct characteristics that make this cuisine special. . this year, to mark the restaurant's 29th anniversary, ilustrado is offering an 8-course degustation menu for the whole month of october. the menu utilizes more local ingredients, transforming them into modern dishes with an added sophistication but retaining its unique filipino taste. 

intramuros holds a special place in my heart as it kind of represents my love for history, rizal, and also my 4 years in up manila. it has been a staple tambayan for when i meet with my cousins or high school friends. now, i relish every visit because it not only brings back memories of old college years but also because i can say a lot has changed. before i use to just visit the mcdonalds right by muralla, or the streetfood stands near mapua and lyceum. now, on adult foodie mode, i am treated to more sophisticated restaurants inside the walled city.

one of these places is the ilustrado restaurant & cafe along general luna road. you are welcomed by its old-world charm, like you have been transported to a not so distant era of our heroes and ancestors. the term "ilustrado" itself means "enlightened or learned", and most commonly refers to the middle class who were educated and exposed under spanish tutelage.
the restaurant looks like an old heritage house, fashioned into a restaurant, cafe and events place for a more modern use. very classy, elegant but has that welcoming comforting feel to it.

to mark its 29th year anniversary, ilustrado restaurant in intramuros, manila is offering an 8-course degustation menu for the whole month of october.

created by chef de patron bernice pimentel, the degustation menu utilizes local cuisine abd ingredients in an up-to-date fashion. this year, 2019, marks the 3rd year that they have been doing an anniversary degustation. this year, chef bernice not only brings forth the filipino culinary heritage to the present but also incorporates much more local ingredients.

her focus on local ingredients such as locally produced vegetables, and the use of microgreens, stem from the age old bahay kubo we often teach kids to sing. she mentions that her nephew's bahay kubo rendition kind of follow her everywhere, thus the vegetables making their way into the degustation menu.

the degustation menu consists of 4 appetizers, a palate cleanser, 2 mains and a lovely desert ensemble.

appetizers:
kangkong pesto brioche served with boursin cheese

at first glance, it looks like regular bread laced with malunggay. however, it was a surprise to be kangkong pesto. the brioche bread looks rich due to the generous amounts of butter used, and when you spread the crumbly soft boursin cheese, you are in cheese heaven! the boursin cheese gave a slight salty kick to the rich brioche buns.

kesong puti croquettes at lato (p175+)
- kesong puti croquettes, lato or sea grapes, baby mesclun, salsa verde aioli

this kesong puti croquettes came in a pretty plate strewn with sea grapes, baby mesclun, and dressed in salsa verde aioli. the lato burst with freshness as you bite into it which works wonders with the salsa verde aoili and the crispy texture of the golden croquettes.

oyster laing rockefeller (p195+)
- aklan oyster, chili, coconut, dried taro, reggiano, panko, lemon

another dish that's too pretty to eat. a lone aklan oyster sits with a dollop of laing on top, with sprinkles of reggiano and panko. the lemon not only acts as garnish but provides a bright flavor to the oyster. it is not spicy, so i really appreciated chef bernice's take on her laing.

sayote egg drop soup (p125+)
- sayote or chayote, quail egg, crostini

made more special with the addition of the quail egg, not in the usual harboiled form, but in the utmost raw form. they say the best way to consume the quail egg is raw. this egg drop soups lets you swirl the egg in the hot sayote soup, and you watch it make small wispy beaten threads, making this soup richer and creamier.

burong mangga sorbet

for the palate cleanser, we were served a bright-tasting scoop of burong mangga sorbet with a sprig of red amaranth. the tart mangoes really does provide a refreshing afterfeel, making you ready for the mains.

mains
bbq pulled pork tostadas (p215+)
- slow-cooked pork, filipino-style bbq marinade, refried monggo or mung beans, papaya slaw, fried tortilla

i recently enjoy eating tacos because i love the different textures i get in one slow hearty bite. this gives you a mexican feel, with the fried tortillla and the pulled pork, making use of filipino-style bbq marinade, of course. the papaya gives a refreshing kick, while the refried monggo gives added heft, and a nod to local cuisine. who knew monggo can be elevated to taco status?

sea bass sinantol (p350+)
- chilean sea bass fillet, sinantol rice, arugula

the highlight of my lunch time was when i sank my teeth into the chilean sea bass fillet's crispy skin laced with just the right amount of fat. it felt sinful but decadent all at the same time. the sinantol rice is a great foil to the rich sea bass.

dessert
egg pie brulee (p175+)
- bruleed egg tart, rose creme chantilly, strawberry, green grapes, mango, edible flowers

to finish off the meal is a garden of a plate. a fruit-laden cacophony of flavors that acconpany the delectable egg pie brulee. the crust was the right texture and the pie custard was just the right bite. a slight torch to give the sugar a melted lovely sheen. not too sweet, but very rich!

diners have a choice to order the whole 8-course menu or choose only select dishes. each dish is priced separately and the whole menu is at p1250 (plus the usual 10% service charge).

chef bernice herself kind of is an ilustrado, what with her passion to seek a sort of reform to the somewhat mundane dishes she often sees in her travels. she wants todays generation to have a unique filipino culinary experience, in a style that's close to the millennial way of living, with food that utilizes local homegrown ingredients, age-old recipes made better with modern food styling, tastes, and textures. you'll soon realize, that after this degustation, as you exit ilustrado's main tunnel, you come out enlightened and awakened to a new plethora of flavor combinations that chef bernice pimentel has introduced.

the location and ambience is what earns this place it's two stars from my wife and me. we walked in for lunch today while we were doing our walk tour of the intramuros area during our two day stay in manila.

the waiter was quick to take our order but vanished for more than 20 minutes and no one brought us our drinks. even though we ordered for a red wine sangria and an illustrado ice tea, we didn't get any service whatsoever for twenty whole minutes. the bartender just stood there cleaning and stacking glasses as if we never ordered anything and at least two other tables who came in after us ordered and received their drinks promptly within minutes. this left us feeling dejected and ignored. i would have understood if the place was overflowing and there was a backlog of orders but this wasn't the case. twenty minutes for drinks at an empty bar is absolutely unacceptable and speaks nothing but wilful negligence on the part of the management/service staff.

the filipino dip sandwich was dripping and overflowing with fat - both from the beef belly and from an exceedingly heavy layer of melted butter on both sides of bread. there were barely any potato wedges and they were cold. the beef fat was gloopy and gelatinous and not reduced enough during cooking. the entire paper on which the sandwich rested became translucent due to the sheer volume of fat in the sandwich. the horseradish mayo tasted like rancid dairy and like no other horseradish mayo i've ever tasted. the sangria was below average and didn't have enough red wine in it and the other spirit in it overpowered the taste of the wine. the ice tea was cold and refreshing.

it wasn't a nice experience for us, and we've generally encountered friendly and polite hospitality staff on our 25 day vacation around the philippines (coron, el nido, malapascua, cebu city, puerto princessa, and manila). good luck to you.

degustation is the careful and deliberate tasting of various food with an eye towards appreciation of the science and artistry that goes into their preparation as well as their effect to the senses. to mark its 29th anniversary, ilustrado restaurant introduces an 8-course degustation menu which will be available to its patrons throughout the month of october.

come and celebrate ilustrado’s 29th year anniversary through an 8-course degustation, highlighting mod heritage cuisine while using fresh and local (like from their garden-kind-of-fresh) ingredients that’s sure to vocalize lots of ‘oohs’ ‘mmms’ and ‘yums’ from any one of y’all that dines.

for the october feature, chef bernice’s inspiration was the ‘bahay kubo’ song - i can say that the vegetables in the song followed me everywhere making its way into our degustation menu - end of quote.

unlike a buffet or how people would normally demolish food on their plate, degustation (or a sit-down dining) is sampling small portions of the chef’s specialties that’s served in chronology. for short, it’s designed to nudge your gustatory system to recognize, realize and respect each gastro-plated creation.

the full-course meal started w/ the kangkong pesto brioche served w/ boursin cheese. when i think of brioche it’s dense and heavy, but this one had the consitency of a mamon- twas light, fluffy (a lil oily), smelled inviting, served warm and w/ that cheese it was a winner. this set the bar high for the next plate.

when the kesong puti croquettes at lato was served, it was not only aesthetically pleasing (thanks to the butterfly pea flower) but it left me in awe- who knew that lato complimented that fried kesong puti?! amaziiing!

the oyster laing rockefeller waltzed its way into my face and that too was an indescribable feeling. the laing wasnt as spicy as one would perceive it to be, it meldes well w/ the subtly sweet oyster, drizzle a lil bit of lemon juice and it can take all the money i have in my bank account.

a mellow serving of the sayote egg drop soup came into the picture. raw quail egg was dropped into the hot soup, so all y’all need to do was give it a lil whip to cook then break a few pieces of crostinis in the soup itself for a more comftable consumption.

to ready the palate for the main course, the burong mangga sorbet was served. brace yourself, because this not only cleanses the palate but it packs a whole lotta zing to wake anyone’s pessimism in life.

now, the main course. their bbq pulled pork tostada catered to the filipino palate. it’s a bit sweet, loved the papaya slaw and i was amazed w/ the texture of the tostada - crunchy yet after masticating on it, it felt velvety as if it turned into mashed potatoes, really goooood!

the main main course came next and that chilean sea bass was heavenly. the lightness of the fish and the bold flavor of the santol atop it and incorporated in the rice was genius.

aaand for dessert, we had the egg pie brulee. though the puff pastry and the custard were a bit tough, i like the ‘crack’ factor upon slicing through it and that rose crème chantilly was the bomb! as if i was having soft meringue.

for the drinks, we had the ilustrado iced tea w/c was concocted to incorporate penot- yah, a lil liquer is harmless, haha. also, coffee and teas were served to complete this fine dining experience.

what’s good about their menu is that, the full-course meal can be customizer or if your feeling to consume only a plate or two, then your welcome to order just that. btw, this 8-course du jour is available this october, so catch ‘em before their new menu comes to play next month.

the place is spacious. the second floor can become a venue for special events like wedding, indoor ballroom, debut meetings, etc. they also offer packages for wedding ceremonies, baptismal reception, socials, corporate events, etc. the place looked very traditional but it was elegant and classy. it maintained a cozy and romantic ambiance.

service is excellent. the servers were easy to get the attention. they always fill our glasses with drinks. the servers are well-dressed and they treat you like a vip.

ilustrado restaurant offers an 8-course degustation menu for this month of october to celebrate their 29th year anniversary. it was created by chef de patron bernice pimentel. she explained that she's not only bringing forth our culinary heritage to the present but also incorporating much local ingredients.

we were served the following dishes from the ilustrado anniversary degustation menu this october (in order):

kangkong pesto brioche served with boursin cheese - the brioche was so soft, it literally melts in your mouth. the pesto gave it a nice flavor. the boursin cheese was a perfect complement for the brioche. it was creamy similar to cream cheese with a little garlicky taste. it was a good starter!

kesong puti croquettes at lato (p175.00+) - it was very light. the greens were fresh and crispy.

oyster laing rockfeller (p195.00+) - the taste of laing is dominant to the oyster. the oyster was big. feel free to squeeze the lemon to add more flavor (but even without the lemon, it's still good!).

sayote egg drop soup (p125.00+) - good to warm your stomach. the taste is mild.

burong mangga sorbet - the palate cleanser. it was smooth and the taste is sour.

bbq pulled pork tostadas (215.00+) - i thought it's just a quick bite i was overwhelmed to see that it was filled with huge serving of slow-cooked pork with the filipino- style bbq marinade. the tortilla was crispy as expected. feel free to use your bare hands as you eat it.

sea bass sinantol (p350.00+) - the sinantol rice has a unique twist , giving a santol taste to the grains. the sea bass is tasty. i don't usually eat fish but this one is different!

egg pie brulee (p175.00+) - our dessert. it's a sweet egg tart with a roasted whip cream giving a distinct taste served with fresh strawberries, green grapes, mango, edible flowers.

this set menu is priced p1,250.00 + service charge but diners have the option to select and order the dishes they only want (will be priced separately).

i'll also add. ilustrado restaurant is one of the participating restaurants in the restaurants against hunger campaign by action against hunger.

from october 1 to december 1, participating restaurants offer dishes from their menu which are tagged as 'dishes that feed more'. every time a customer orders the chosen soliditary dishes, a portion is donated to the restaurants against hunger campaign. the chosen dish for ilustrado restaurant is paella ilustrado.

overall experience is excellent and it is highly recommended to dine here. thank you.

its good to be back in intramuros. so much have change since my last visit. i was able to drop by early here in intramuros to have a 8 course degustation lunch in ilustrado. thanks ej b. for extending the invite to us.

so ilustrado is now celebrating its 29th anniversary. wow i always remember this place since i have attended a few wedding reception here. this wedding stick to my mind because of how classy and filipino the reception is. for this year anniversary they are having 8 course degustation menu for php1,250+. this menu that chef bernice crafted is her take on a very millennial way of attacking filipino dishes. i like this idea because when you think of ilustrado its not the place you would think the millennial generation to have a meal. first thing that come to your mind when its ilustrado is your dad or mom kind of place. but with this its ilustrado way of saying to the people we are swak for any generation.

so here are the 8 dish included in the menu:
🔅kangkong pesto brioche served with boursin cheese - at 1st look i thought it was malunggay pandesal hehe. but after having one of this brioche i was completely wow with it and can't stop munching more of it. the brioche was perfect rich and i love the pesto flavor of it. the boursin cheese is an added bonus that gave it more flavor.

🔅kesong puti croquttes at lato (175php)- this is one of the dish that look super classy but when you see the ingredient it's very filipino. love the kesong puti turned into a croquettes ball goes perfectly with the lato.

🔅oyster laing rockefeller (195php)- one of my fave in the menu. never imagined that my fave bicol laing will go so well with oyster. its so good. a little squeeze of lemon to make it perfect!

🔅sayote egg drop soup (125php)- look so plain but at the bottom of the soup is the quail egg drop. your typical creamy sayote soup with the kick of the quail egg.

🔅burong mangga sorbet - this one is the palate cleanser to prepare us for the main dishes. refreshingly sour. it like having a spoon of green mango shake.

🔅bbq pulled pork tostadas (215php)- this dish felt like influenced by mexican. fried tortilla topped by bbq marinade pulled pork with a layer of monggo and topped again with papaya slaw. this is perfectly eaten with a bite of everything at once. love the crunchy texture with the different contrasting flavor of the ingredient. so simple yet so good!

🔅sea bass sinantol (350php)- another bicol dish incorporated in their menu. this time the sinantol. another fave bicol dish of mine. the sea bass was perfectly cooked and i love that the one served to me was the one with bit of fat. love it! the sinantol gave it a bit of sour flavor which is again amazingly goes well with the sea bass flavor. already craving for more of this.

🔅egg pie brulee (175php)- never thought of doing that. giving your classic egg pie a sweet caramelized sugar on top. great way to end the meal.

**price indicated are if you order the dish instead of the course meal

overall for 1250+ this is a great deal. you have a great place, service and awesome gastronomic journey.

available for the whole month of october.

to mark its 29th year anniversary, ilustrado restaurant in intramuros, manila is offering an 8-course degustation menu for the whole month of october.
the menu was created by chef de patron bernice pemintel. the menu utilizes local cuisine and ingredients in an up-to-date fashion or the millenial way.
we started our degustation with kangkong pesto brioche served with boursin cheese. the bread was soft and i love the combination of the pesto and the boursin cheese.
next, we had the kesong puti croquettes at lato with baby mesclun and salsa verde aioli.
oyster laing rockefeller, it’s aklan oyster, chili, coconut, dried taro, reggiano, panko and lemon. i like that the oyster does not have that much “fishy” taste to it because of the saltiness of the laing.
sayote egg drop soup. it’s a creamy soup that uses quail eggs instead of the usual chicken eggs.
to cleanse our palate, they served us their burong mangga sorbet. it’s made of pure mangga that’s a bit sour.
next is bbq pulled pork tostadas. it’s slow cooked pork, marinated in sprite which is a very filipino-style of marination.
for our main, we had sea bass sinantol. it’s chilean sea bass fillet, sinantol fried rice and aragula.
and last, for our dessert we had the egg pie brulee. it’s bruleed egg tart, rose creme chantilyy, strawberry, green grapes and mangoes.
diners have a choice whether to order the whole 8-course menu or choose only selected dishes from the menu. the whole menu is priced at p1,250 plus a 10% service charge.
overall, it was a great experience. the menu was thoughtfully created.
thank you so much to chef bernice, to the owner and to all the staff who were so kind and took care of us and made our experience wonderful.

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this is a late post. i want to share my experience with this resto. we celebrate our 10th monthsary sa restaurant nato. the food was delish. the waiters are accommodating. the ambiance was good the service was superb. i have a little surprise for my girlfriend and the waiters help me with it. all and all good restaurant a must try!!

the place is nice, decent and classy.

was there early at 8am and while they already open, the service is not soooo pleasing. it was rush. servant /waitress was not reallt ready by such our.

the food though, were all nice. homemade waffles and chicker are delicious.

place is classic.

💕date for two: exquisite 5-course menu
💌total: p1600

overall:
intramuros, the walled city, has never been the same as before. the streets are already littered and the crowd from the homes and schools increased over the years. there are few remaining areas that have been maintained though, the paid-establishments, churches, and of course, the restaurants.

for our anniversary, we have availed deal grocer’s exquisite 5-course menu for 2 at ilustrado for only p1600. this is our first time at this filipino-spanish restaurant and we are so excited to try it. we’ve read so many good reviews in all platforms, and heard much of a great deal about this.

before we enter the resto, we roamed around their courtyard. they got a good place for outdoor functions. it was well covered with trees and plants, a refreshing feeling at this point.

this is ilustrado’s main entrance. upon opening of the door, a staff at the counter under the staircase welcomed us warmly.

paintings, antique hardwoods and local plants surrounded the interior. this area was the start of our travel through time. it’s like leaving the modern world and entering to a historic colonial era.

as we were led to our table, we got this feeling of being one of the rich intelligentsias walking to a banquet hosted by our fellow ilustrados. imagination aside, the hall was quite empty at the time we sat down, probably because we arrived a bit early than the usual dinner time. as time passed by, we can already see fellow couples, families, group of foreigners coming by. a trio of musicians were serenading everyone by their light instrumental pieces.

bread basket – we got freshly baked bread buns in a huge basket, paired with their signature duck and chicken liver pate, and butter as well.

demitasse of shrimp bisque– this rich, thick and creamy soup set us in to our coziest state. it was perfect for the rainy night, with a very unique flavor that expanded our taste database.

baked eggplant with black olives in filo pastry – we swear, even after a few weeks, we’re still chatting about how good this appetizer was! at first, it looks like a dull salad with a big wonton on the side. we’re actually a bit worried about the eggplant since we’re meticulous on eating eggplant dishes. at the end of the day, it turned out to be our personal favorite. the inside was a smooth, flavorful yet not overpowering baked goodness. we cannot sense any seeds at all. the wrapper, and the pesto and tomato sauces were the cherries on top. all these created one gastronomical masterpiece.

paella ilustrado – we actually lowered our expectations for this. we’ve read in the reviews that the rice was somehow dry. but that’s not the case, surprisingly, we enjoyed this! it’s not dry at all. the blogpost we’ve read was way back 2014 so we guessed they’ve already improved this one. we love the generous serving of rice with huge chunks of meats and seafood! every scoop from the skillet was bursting with flavors – tasty and wonderful blend of natural spices.

adobong bagnet with taba ng talangka – there were seven choices for the entree. other options were callos madrilena, bagnet with kbl sauce, morcon plaridel, kalderetang kambing, fish and chips, and chicken and wine. we were intrigued of adobong bagnet with taba ng talangka, and expected more from it since adobo is a filipino classic. it was just okay, nothing spectacular. we cannot see any chunk of taba ng talangka though, maybe they blended it in the sauce just to enhance the flavor. nonetheless, it was fine. or maybe the paella just overpowered this dish. will still order this the next time, should anyone ask.

baked cheesecake – for the dessert, mango jubilee was the one originally on the fine print but the waiter informed us that it already ran out, so they provided us choices for alternatives – the cheesecake and/or the ice cream. this was actually an advantage for us as we got to try both. the cake was the simplest cheesecake we’ve had. there were no decors, toppings, nothing – just the cake itself, which stood out on its own. taste was just right, not too sweet and not to bland.

sampaguita ice cream – we’ve savored every drop of this ice cream. at first small scoop, it tastes super weird and we’re like confused for a few seconds if it’s good or not. on the next scoop, maybe already filled up our entire mouth, we were convinced – awesome flavor! smells really good, too! it’s not everyday we got to eat our national flower, so we enjoyed every moment. this was a masterpiece that made us proud to be a filipino. two scoops were definitely not enough as we were left wanting for more. it’s a good thing we’re already full from all the foods we had.

it’s so good this one deserves a close up photo. seriously guys, this dessert’s a must-try!

coffee and tea – at the end if the course, we were asked if we prefer coffee or tea. again, we chose to have one of both. the coffee was pre-packed, alongside with brown and white sugar, and fresh milk. we were impressed with the selection of teas. the waiter opened a huge box filled with different flavors of twinings tea.

the stars of the night. in the middle of our dinner, these three fine gentlemen left their post and hopped from one table to another, accepting song requests for them to play. this was the beginning of the life of the resto – they were magnificent! they made everyone so lively and we can see from our table that everyone’s enjoying every song. all of us were singing along and just simply, genuinely so happy. they put big smiles on our faces and our hearts. they deserved all the applauds they got that night.

we will recommend ilustrado again and again. the service we got was so warm, we were well-attended to. foods were obviously astounding. ambience and music was exquisite. ilustrado is a gem of intramuros. we went home with good memories to add to our book.

value for money: we got more than what we paid for! this was, so far, the best dinner experience we ever had. we cannot wait to be back, and hopefully next time, we can share it with more people that we love.

#datefortwo at ilustrado

this is not my first time to try ilustrado restaurant located at intramuros, manila. i’ve been to ilustrado when we had a business lunch with my colleagues way back 6 months ago. i was fascinated with the beautiful set-up of the place it really jives with intramuros. it has 3 division. they have a casual dining when you want to dine alone. at the other side, it’s a fine dining, that really looks romantic, good for dating. and the last part, the garden and 2nd level of the restaurant where you can celebrate your special occasions and events.

we were seated at the fine dining part of ilustrado restaurant, as the management launched christmas tienda 2017 and let us try the following amazing dishes:

appetizer
🎄bread basket with ilustrado dips - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄baked eggplant with filo pastry - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

“both appetizers were really good the bread basket blends well with the cheese pimiento, liver pate and cream cheese dip of ilustrado. the eggplant was so lite and flavorful, it’s a good start.”

main entree
🎄paella ilustrado - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄stuffed chicken relleno - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄adobong bagnet with taba ng talangka - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄callos madrilena - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄twice cooked angus beef shortplate - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄pasta espanyola - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

“all the mains were really flavorful and tasty. my favorites were adobong bagnet with taba ng talangka pairing with plain rice enhances the flavor of the dish and paella ilustrado, what can i say? everythings on it - seafood, chicken, vegetables and rice. yum!”😋

desserts
🎄matcha chocolate chip cookies - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
🎄banana walnut chocolate chip cookies - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
🎄double chocolate chip coconut cookies - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄baked cheesecake - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🎄chocolate fudge cake - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

“i really love the baked cheesecake, the best cheesecake so far...

if there’s something to improve, maybe they could add more matcha flavor in their matcha chocolate chip cookies.”

overall, our lunch was filled with fun and generosity. the staff provided excellent service too. good job! definitely, i will be back again.

thank you ilustrado for having us.

#ilovetoeatph 😃❤️