The Cafe Mediterranean

G/F Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas, Legaspi Street, Ayala Center, Makati City, Philippines
7519705

Mediterranean cuisine are quite unusual here in the Philippines. But it is not bad if we'll try. :)

The first time I tasted Mediterranean cuisine is when I was in Qatar. And because of the low population and low workforce, they employed alot of of expats. Turkish, Greek, Syrian, Lebanese, and Moroccan Restaurants around.

The Cafe Mediterranean branch I went to is located in Greenbelt 1 - the only Greenbelt left yet to be renovated - so don't expect it to be as beautiful as Greenbelts 3 and 5.

But the restaurant area is well maintained, It is designed like the other Cafe Mediterraneans. Just don't mind the shops and restaurants nearby.

The ambiance gives you a Greek feeling, blue and sunny feeling. Even the smell of mint and grilled meat is really Mediterranean.  Wooden seats and table, tiled walls, grilling station for kebab and gyros, and a fake window overlooking Greek coastlines.

Prices are just the same, in The Middle East I always have my Mediterranean dishes at around 25-30 Riyals. So the price is justifiable.

Waiters are accommodating, a seat was offered right away. Checked out the menu and ordered and waited for a few minutes they served our mint iced tea and our dish.

Mediterranean food is really attractive and nutritious.  Ingredients usually includes fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and herbs. Served in a big, appetizing colored plate.

Iced tea, since mint and lemon is expensive here in the Philippines, we don't usually have it in our drinks. So just to complete the Mediterranean experience, its really nice that they've added this to their drink.

The Tunisian Fish Fillet, It is a cream dory fillet with black olives and tomato sauce with herbs served with regular pita. Costs 275 pesos. Serving is big enough, it is a fact that Mediterranean people are bigger and they eat more. Usually they eat with bread. Side dish is a vegetable, mixed cucumber, onion and tomatoes. Your choice if you're going to add more olive oil and salt. The fish is really tender and firm, when you slice it, it wont shred and the fish meat stays intact. It is really tasty, the tomato sauce and herbs spreads in your mouth and to neutralize the taste the black olives comes in. If you think that you wont get full by bread alone, well, i'm telling you that the meal is heavy. You'll get full eventually.

Mediterranean-Style Grilled Chicken, this is one of the most famous Mediterranean dish. Chicken marinated with a mix of Mediterranean spices and a hint of chili served with a Moroccan rice. Costs 265 pesos. I got curious so instead of having a regular pita on it, I asked for a Moroccan rice. The serving size is acceptable, my plate is full. 1/3 of my plate is my chicken, 1/3 for the rice and the remaining less 1/3 is for my side dish. It is balanced. Its not the typical Filipino serving where half of your place is rice, 1/4 for the dish itself and the remaining 1/4 is a free soup. When I tasted the chicken, oh... its so good. Its real. It feels like I tasted the one I tasted in Qatar that is made by a Lebanese Cook. They captured the Mediterranean taste, the tomato, herbs and the amount of chili is just perfect. They have this Garlic Mayo and Chili Sauce available also you may use it as your substitute to gravy, they made it the right way. The Moroccan rice, they used basmati rice if you'll notice long grains of it. I know because this is the rice cooked by my Indian friends. Theres almonds (i'm a fan of almonds), nuts and raisins. I can taste cinnamon and chili powder. There is also a citric taste, I haven't asked the waiter if its a lemon or orange but the citric taste blends with the chili powder and herb taste. Really Arabic.

Mediterranean food gives you a fun cultural dining experience, rich Arabic-European and attractive taste. Don't hesitate to try few Mediterranean dishes, you'll be amazed how not only tasty it can be but how healthy it is.

Here's my rating
1 - Lowest // 10 - Highest
Food: 9/10
Drinks: 9/10
Customer Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Value for Money: 8/10