The Gustavian

Because we all went out of our way to see each other, it almost felt like there was a special occasion to celebrate. The top pick was The Gustavian only because our choices were limited to those within the confines of Eastwood City.

The Gustavian boasts country cooking from the old world, but I didn't find the food to be any different from all the other multi-continental, fusion, sit-down restaurants that have cropped up everywhere. The defining factor of my The Gustavian experience was the lack of air-conditioning; it was so hot that an unsightly fan had to be set up in plain sight. Old world, indeed.

Some redeeming factors were the clearly marked vegetarian dishes, which weren't few. I also loved the chandelier and the wall details. The staff was accommodating and friendly but professional.

The set meal, which includes a choice of soup or salad, a main course, and dessert for Php 420 plus 10% service charge, was not bad. The soup and salad were both fresh and tasty, and the rice in the main course was delicious. Below, tomato soup, napoleon salad consisting of sun-dried tomatoes and grilled vegetables, and salmon.

My mac and cheese with a lone piece of prawn (note, upon checking the menu above, it did in fact say prawn and not prawns) was oozing with cheese. Perfect. Unfortunately, it also had chicken bits in it. I had to choose one item in the menu not marked with a vegetarian guarantee. Great.

Of course, as cheesy as this sounds, dinner was fantastic because the three of us were there. To make the night more fun and a little less grown up, we went to a karaoke place, them to exercise their decent vocals and me to scream my heart out.