Let's go back to 2018. The moment I heard the news that a BENCH/ Cafe was opening their flagship store, I was so thrilled. But then I found out it was in Bonifacio High Street, I was devastated, especially when some of my friends who work in and near the area informed me how delicious their meals are.
I live and work on the North side of the Metro so travelling there would be difficult but not anymore! Fellow North peeps, BENCH/ Cafe just opened their fourth branch and it is located at the Triangle North of Manila or simply Trinoma. You can find them at the ground floor right across Landmark department store and beside Mister Donut.
The Cafe
While I was walking out of the new Landmark building, I saw a huge glass window giving me a glimpse of a restaurant. It looked really beautiful and calm that I couldn't help but stare at the place. When I finally got out of that building, I turned left and realised that was actually BENCH/ Cafe.
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From the outside, you can already tell that BENCH/ Cafe has a relaxing atmosphere. When you enter, you will see their simple and bright interior - brown and white walls, black and white floors plus artificial greenery.
Take note, I was there for a blogger event (Thank you to my #WeLoveToEatPH peeps.) so don't be surprised by the amount of food in this post.
The Food
First, let me share with you the dishes that were served.
Tinapa Cones (PHP129)
Binagoongan Caesar (PHP149)
Beef Tendon Pares *new
Pamilya Style
Good for 2-3 persons)
Dancing Fish (PHP350)
Fried Chicken (PHP460)
Sisig Skillet (PHP249)
All BENCH-TO
comes with vegetables, Bench salsa, atsara and steamed Ifugao rice.
Bagnet Kare-Kare (PHP399)
Inasal na Liempo (PHP269)
All Day Meryienda
Pork BBQ Skewer (PHP189)
Pancit Guisado (PHP219)
Dessert
Flan B (PHP155)
Banana Con Yelo (PHP109) | Mais Con Yelo (PHP100) | Ube Halo-Halo (PHP149) | White Halo-Halo (PHP119)
Turon Ala Mode (PHP89)
Muscuvado Milk Teas
The Verdict
My friends were right! BENCH/ Cafe does offer delicious food. If you haven't been to this cafe, they offer local flavours. They upgraded Filipino classic dishes by fusing Filipino with Filipino. For me, that is so much better because our local flavours especially our traditional recipes are great.
Would you like to know what my favourite dishes from BENCH/ Cafe are? Take note, I enjoyed all but there are those that I would like to try again along with my family.
Because I'm the type of person who would eat dessert first, my top one is their Flan B. Chef Carlo Miguel, Corporate Executive Chef of Foodee Group Concepts said he used his grandmother's leche flan recipe. Honestly, I believe him! When I tasted that Flan B, it does remind me of my Abuelita's recipes - traditional and does not skrimp on ingredients nor taste.
Besides that, I also loved the flavours of thei r Tinapa Cones which is made of crispy lumpia cones filled with tinapa mousse. Yes, tinapa mousse. It's not the sweet kinds but the savoury kind.
Next is the Beef Tendon Pares. What I love about this dish is it has a tender and smooth texture. It is served with rice and a sunny side-up egg on the side. It's absolutely great for brunch, lunch and dinner.
And lastly, their Bagnet Kare-Kare which is so crispy complemented by their homemade peanut sauce is a must-try. What's great about this dish is it's under the All BENCH-TO menu. This means that it comes with vegetables, Bench salsa, atsara and steamed Ifugao rice.
And that's it! But honestly, all that is listed in this blog post are delicious. If you prefer the ones I chose or the ones I didn't, it is up to you. All I know is people who love Filipino dishes should really try dining at BENCH/ Cafe. And if you have balikbayan friends or friends from other countries, I think BENCH/ Cafe is a good place to introduce them to Filipino food.
You can find BENCH/ Cafe on the ground floor of Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City right across Landmark department store and beside Mister Donut.
*Since I was there for a blog event, expect that I will return and update this blog post if needed.Happy eating!