2nd's, Fort

2nd's is the restaurant in the corner of Quadrant 3 in Bonifacio High Street (beside Agave and across Cav) which used to be Magnet.  It is located on the second floor, so I'm assuming that's why its called 2nd's.  I like their food and the ambiance.  Its very intimate and private, good for family dinners and dates. 

I tried their bestseller, the buffalo bacon chicharon.  I was excited to try this because this is the one they are famous for.  But to my dismay, it did not meet my expectations.  It was too sour for me and did not have the crunch a normal chicharon would have.  It was like a thickened bacon with the texture of Marty's vegetable chicharon in a sour barbeque sauce.  The blue cheese dip made it tolerable.  My family and I were not able to finish this dish. So i'll rate this 1 out of 5.  You may opt not to try when you are in 2nd's.

Buffalo Bacon Chicharon

For the appetizer, we ordered the Angus Salpicao Foie Gras and after just 10 minutes when it arrived on our table, it was gone!  This dish was so good, my family and I loved it.  The beef was soft and tender with just the right amount of salt.  Almost perfect, i'd say.  There was even small chunks of fat, that were so rich and tasty.  I got the privilege to eat the only piece of foie gras served on top of it(unfortunately, there was only one piece) and it was unforgettable.  Even after months later, I could still recall the taste and texture of this one and it always makes me want to go back to this restaurant.  This is a simple dish that's flavorful and definitely worth trying.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

Angus Salpicao with Foie Gras

 The smoked caprese salad was very healthy and refreshing.  I liked the combination of the cheese and fresh tomato layered on top of each other with its sauce(I forget what the sauce was).  If you want a new twist on your salad, try this one!  It won't fail you.  This has got to be a 3 out of 5.

Smoked Caprese Tower

Smoked Caprese Tower

 The 2nd's bistek tagalog was my dad's order.  It was also good, its not like your usual bistek at home but there is a resemblance with the taste.  The beef was soft and tender as well and the sauce flavorful but it was not something we have not tasted before.  I'd say its an upgraded version of the home-made bistek tagalog.  I'd give it a 3 out of 5.

2nd's Bistek Tagalog

Oh the lamb shepherd's pie... This is my favorite!  It's lamb steak at the bottom, covered by mashed potatoes then sealed with melted cheese! Oh, I just love this dish!  It's filling and very satisfying.  Each bite makes you want to eat more of it.  I just can't get enough of this dish.  It's a 5 for me!

Lamb Shepherd's Pie

For dessert, we ordered the one with the longest name.  It sounded interesting so we tried it.  It was just cake on a beer glass.  It wasn't so bad.  We enjoyed sharing it.  It was light and creamy and not too sweet.  Bitin. I'd give it a 2.

Rum Cake and Mascarpone Trifle

 Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5.    The main course meals are good! Very satisfactory and worth trying!

New Orleans at Resorts World

I had a dinner date last Friday night with my friend/cousin John.  Earlier that day, I told him I will only go with him to Resorts World(he's there every fridays) if he'll treat me for a steak.  He agreed! So right after work, off I went to RW to meet with him.  The only steakhouse there that we're familiar with is the New Orleans Bourbon Street Steaks and Oysters  so we chose that.  We got a good table outside the restaurant for a better view of the people passing by and for some air.  The inside of the restaurant seemed a bit too crowded for me.  When I opened the menu, my goodness, it was filled with photos of yummy-looking food!  They have a wide range of choices for the customers.  The prices were not so bad, although the steaks were quite expensive.  Instead of getting a thick chunk of the rib-eye steak, I opted for Limjoco's Pork Belly since I know I wouldn't be the one paying for it.  I'm always shy to get what I want whenever people treat me out.  I chose the pork belly because I got curious of the dirty rice and veggies that go with it and the price wasn't so bad.  It only costs P350!  John ordered what he usually orders; the beef tenderloin tips and extra rice.  He also got us one order of dynamite roll and salmon sashimi from Mr. Kurosawa(cross-orders are allowed for a good tip).

Our order came in an instant!

The Dynamite roll was really good.  It had fresh raw salmon on top sprinkled with chilli dust.  The rolls came with this watery red sauce, it was so hot!  If you have high tolerance for spicy food, this won't disappoint you.  It almost made me cry after one roll but it still didn't stop me from consuming more.  Dynamite, it is!

My order was a lot! There were 2 huge slices of grilled pork belly, I had to place them on another plate.  It had more fat than meat but it I didn't mind.  It wasn't oily at all.  It tasted like a normal grilled liempo cooked at home.  I'd give it a 2 out of 5.  It tasted better when dipped in soy sauce.  My dirty rice was good!  It went well with the pork belly dipped in soy sauce.  I'd say it wasn't so bad but I wouldn't order it again.  I'd come back for their baby back ribs! Very tempting!

The tenderloin tips, for me, was the best. I wanted to swap orders with John but was too shy to do so.  It was tasty and the meat was juicy and soft.  It's like Beef Salpicao, only better.  I will definitely try this again!  I give it 4 out of 5.  I would probably go well will the dirty rice or a java rice.

Oh well, I'd suggest you try it for yourself! Two thumbs up for New Orleans!