Abuela's in Somerset Millennium Makati
We have this habit of making the most out of our staycation so instead of dining out while having our staycation at a hotel, we normally try to check out the restaurants inside the hotel. This is staycation tip #1 when travelling with toddlers. We just wanted to do away from any logistical nightmare of having to travel far, waiting in line and ending up with two restless and super hangry kids. The best way is to make a reservation at any of the hotel's food establishments and you can just go down just in time for your meal. Our recent stay at Somerset Millennium Makati was no different. We had our dinner at Abuela's the only restaurant establishment available in the hotel but while it may be the only in-house dining option, we had no idea that we were in for a delightful FEAST!
Come to think of it, there's a bar available in the hotel but for families like us, you will most likely focus more on Abuela's. Don't be fooled by the name. I initially thought it was a Filipino-Spanish restaurant so imagine my surprise when I saw Japanese dishes available in the menu as well. So the story behind this as I was told was that, a few years ago, there was actually a Japanese bar at the ground floor of Somerset Millennium Makati that serves really good Japanese dishes that Japanese executives and locals would go and dine there. As the bar has closed, they have decided to bring these well-loved dishes to Abuela's to ensure that their Japanese patrons will still be able to enjoy their sashimi, donburis and more. Yay for us then!
As expected, our little madame and monsieur were feeling hungry as soon as we arrived at Abuela's and luckily they have their best-selling Abuela's Chips (Php. 150) to keep these two happy and satisfied while we wait for their meal to come out. I love the thin, hand-cut potatoes and the garlic aioli dip was so good! The serving was very generous too. Really good starter indeed!
Since I was dying to try their Japanese dishes, we had the Shake Sashimi (Php. 540) and I tell you, it was so fresh and delicious. Fresh salmon has this slightly sweet taste to it and we enjoyed this very much. They also have hand-rolled makis, ebi tempura and donburi sets too.
We also had their Caesar Salad (Php. 500) which was good for sharing and I love how it consists of crisp iceberg lettuce, bacon strips, croutons and the sauce was spot on. I particularly liked the parmesan shavings too. As we were just enjoying our starters, you can see that it feels like we're having a gastronomical trip to Japan, Spain and the Philippines already.
Next on the list was the Fried Lumpiang Ubod (Php. 340). I guess among the 4 starters that we had, this one was the one that I wasn't too crazy about. It was a bit too greasy for me that I would have loved this made fresh instead, the traditional way.
While Paul and I were enjoying our appetizers, the twins were busy digging in for more Abuela's Chips. They loved it so much! We had to control them though as we have their Chicken Inasal (Php. 660) coming next and we were afraid that they'd be too full to enjoy their main dish. Well, I guess one can never say no to Abuela's Chicken Inasal. It was so flavorful, fragrant and tender. We initially thought they would just split a quarter chicken but who knew that they would have a piece each! I was able to try a small piece and I knew instantly why they loved it. It was probably one of the juicier versions of Chicken Inasals that I've had and it was grilled so well that the marinade really went into the meat thus each bite was just so good.
For our mains, we had the Roast Beef (Php. 1500) and believe me that this is one dish that you should not miss. It takes a while for the kitchen to prepare this but I can guarantee that it's truly worth the wait. We love how the steak was so tender and it comes with a number of sides and two types of sauces (foie gras and mushroom gravy). It's sous vide and roasted so you can feel how it melts in your mouth and the flavor has stayed intact too. This is also good to be shared by 2-3 pax making it so reasonably priced. This was easily the star of the night and we can't help but gush about it after every bite.
Lastly, for dessert, we had the Chocnut Pudding (Php. 280) and the Green Tea Cheesecake (Php. 390) which were both so good. We were actually so full so we requested to have these dessert brought up to our room which Paul and I enjoyed after putting the twins to bed.
Service was also superb as our server Eda patiently answered our questions, provided us with all our requests for the little miss and mister and regularly would check on us if we're enjoying the meal. Abuela's also has a function room available which is perfect for offices nearby that might need a venue for their meetings or team seminars. You get a nice space, good food and superb service.
Check out Abuela's at the 2nd floor of Somerset Millennium Makati. 104 Aguirre street, Legazpi Village, Makati.
