FoodMetroManila

It may sound like a snooty, members only joint but step into The Clubhouse and you’ll feel really welcome.

This is a foodie’s haven. Good food and good atmosphere, perfect for taking foodie pictures.

Walls adorned with various knick knacks and some with tons of photographs, beautiful wood on picnic tables (you’ll see that in few), and just an all out laid-back vibe.

As you can see the place is really bright and cheerful, perfect when you want to just relax and enjoy comfort food. According to what I’ve been able to read online, the owners are residents within the area that wanted to put a place they envisioned as a neighborhood hangout.

That would explain why the mall entrance only seemed like an afterthought compared to the outside access.

The mall entrance is quasi-hidden. Despite asking the information desk the location of the restaurant, my friends and I still went past it. If not for the keen eye of one, we would have walked all the way out of the mall and be scratching our heads. If you’re familiar with Metro Manila malls, you may think that the passage way to the “hidden” entrance looks like a corridor leading to a stock room or the loo.

Benny’s classic

You can order them either as single or double. Obviously this is the single. The Clubhouse does not claim their food are authentic, they designed the menu according to their tastes and how they see it to fit in the overall ambiance of the restaurant.

The marriage of flavors from the smoked ham, perfect poached egg, and the creamy hollandaise, all atop an english muffin is to die for! The sides make the plate look crowded but they are stars on their own. The wedges as zesty with the right amount of saltiness and that salad is really fresh.

Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pesto

The first thing that gets to you once this dish hits your table is the smell. You smell the parmesan, the cream, the chicken wafting from the plate and you get excited to dig in. Never fear, that taste you were expecting is exactly what you get. The penne pasta is perfect to get all that goodness of the sauce in every fork.

Tuyo Rice Bowl. Yes, you read that right.

Tuyo. Salty, stinky, some say fishy Tuyo. Tuyo rice bowl. The tuyo with the garlic, olives, capers, and mushrooms actually tastes more like spanish sardines and it was good. I asked the server to have mine prepared spicy. The heat was not overpowering, just enough to give my taste buds a slight jolt.

Anyhoo, I have a couple of complaints about this:

• First, look at that egg yolk. I love myself a runny yolk that oozes when I cut into it. The one they gave me was murdered.
• Second, it was supposed to come with a “morning pineapple salsa”. It did not. Why didn’t I ask the server about it, you may ask? I forgot. I was too excited to eat the bowl. You decide on who’s really to blame in that scenario.

Dessert: Creme Brûlée Cake and Chocolate Lava Cake

Soft, creamy chiffon with some vanilla icing in between topped with custard and a crisp sugary crust. You have to make room for this if you’re here.  It’s a perfect capper.

This also a good dessert. But when it comes to Chocolate Lava Cakes, the one I got from Mister Kabab still takes the top prize.

Ruminations…

The Clubhouse may be the perfect place if you want to relax, dine, and have a great conversation with friends. They also have free wifi so you can stay here and chill for a while even if you’re alone.

It’s near the Gilmore station of the LRT line 2, located within the ground floor of the Robinson’s Magnolia mall. It’s a little pricey but really worth it. Plus you’ll be able to take good pictures almost everywhere in the place.

A little background about me. I love tuyo. If you’ve read my post about CocoHut you’ll also know that I also love galunggong.

I am the child of a finance executive of one of the Philippine’s largest group of companies. I studied in an exclusive school from Elementary to High School and graduated with a degree in Finance from a prestigious institution. I work in Finance for a multinational Insurance company that is arguably the largest worldwide. I’ve eaten at restaurants in New York City.

I love tuyo and galunggong. Before you say “Eww, I’m not having that tuyo rice bowl because it has tuyo”, read through all those first and suck it up and get a bowl. You won’t be disappointed you tried.