About a week ago, I got invited to this food-tasting event in Makati (Hi, Aldous! :)) I was told that the event was sponsored by Galli Village Cafe.
I am familiar with the cafe's Maginhawa branch. They have good coffee. I also love their outdoor patio overlooking Maginhawa. I used to have coffee there while waiting for choir rehearsals to be held at a nearby studio. However, I wasn't able to eat any of their FIlipino-Spanish Fusion food items. I was intrigued.
The cafe is semi-hidden in a small street in San Antonio Village. At first, I wondered why the owners would put their cafe in a place that is semi-hidden, a kind of residential area with not much foot traffic, when they're already in Makati with so many prime spots. It was later on explained to us that Galli Village Cafe intended to be just that: a village cafe. A cozy place you walk by in the village. I liked the concept. :)
Other bloggers were already inside when I arrived (was a bit nervous honestly :| #noob).
The place was quite small, I think it could fit 15-20 people, but it wasn't cramped.
I loved how the place was decorated with pictures and hangings and a whole lot of stuff that were different but made sense together. It was just so cozy and made me feel at home.
A print-out of a collage of photos taken by the owners during their travels
I loved it even more when it was explained to us that the photos and other stuff were acquired by the owners (who are husband and wife) during their travels.
The owner told us they put a map of Israel (the one on the frame) in their cafes as a sort of tribute to their Catholicism.
They even took some in-flight magazines.. Hmm, I wonder if they have one of ours?
Magazines for their customers' reading pleasure.
Yep, they do (I work for PAL). I'm not sure if they're allowed to take those, haha.
Mabuhay Magazine!
That artwork in the frame was commissioned by the owners for the Cafe. They use it in their materials. Hmm this looks like a nice spot for a date, yes? :D
Paintings.
Oh, and they also have outdoor seating. :)
I would love to have coffee here sometime. <3
They served us drinks first. I opted for the iced tea. It was as good as any other iced tea.
Iced tea (Php40.00)
It wasn't long before they served us their ultimate specialty.. Paella!
Paella Marinara (Php625.00 good for 4-5 persons)
I had high expectations from this star dish. Well, they were kinda met. They definitely use good ingredients for their paella, and boy are they generous with the sahog! :) Their paella has shrimp, eggs, peas, peppers, some kind of fish paste, and even chicken! And lots of it! You can just order this and you have a full meal. The rice was cooked to produce just the right texture for paella, soft but not too watery. However, I missed having that oomph of flavor in the rice. For its price though this is okay. I think even more than 5 people can enjoy this.
They also served Arroz a la Cubana. It's a rice meal with I think sauteed ground beef, egg and banana.
Arroz a la Cubana (Php170.00)
I was iffy about trying this one as I do not like fruit in my savory meals. But this dish works. Eating the beef, banana, egg and rice in one bite gave me a satisfying feeling, like all the flavors just melted together. The meat flavor from the beef, a little acidity from its sauce and the carrots, balanced by the sweetness of the banana and the salty gooiness of the egg. Hmmm. I would love to have this for breakfast when I am very very hungry. :D
For those on a no-meat diet, they have Fish Salpicao for you. Funny thing about this dish, I thought it was meat. I thought my tastebuds were malfunctioning until the owner told us that many people think it's meat, because of the texture.
Fish Salpicao (Php230.00)
The dish had a sour tomato-based sauce with a teeny bit of spiciness.
They also have Shrimp Gambas.
Shrimp Gambas (Php230.00)
Many of the other bloggers chose this one as their favorite dish for the night, and I don't blame them. It had good shrimp. It was fresh and oh so full of shrimpy flavor goodness, which is given an extra kick by its spicy sauce. This will probably go well with some sort of alcoholic drink.
The next one is my second favorite, Callos Madrilena :)
Callos Madrilena (Php230.00)
My mom cooks an excellent callos, and to be fair, Galli's was pretty good. The ox tripe was tender and smooth, and was complimented by the garbanzos in it. It had a semi-thick savory sauce.
But my favorite for the night was their Pollo Al Ajillo. :D
Pollo Al Ajillo (Php170.00 as a rice meal)
Mmmmm imagine tender juicy flavorful chicken smothered in thich garlicky sauce and with some spice! I had to stop myself from eating the whole bowl, hehe.
And of course they served dessert. The owner told us that they have not yet developed so much their dessert menu, and they usually just alternate between buko pandan and coffee jelly for the dessert of the day. We had the Coffee Jelly.
Dessert of the Day (Coffee Jelly) (Php40.00)
I'm not a fan of coffee jelly, but this one turned me. The jelly pieces weren't just bitter (like the ones I've tried before) but tasted like actual coffee. The vanilla ice cream and cream sauce were lightly sweet and perfectly blended with the coffee flavor. I ate up the whole bowl :D This was a light dessert.
Ms. Christine Arriola, one of the owners, telling us about Galli Village Cafe.
We were told, however, that Galli might offer churros soon. I'll be on the lookout for that one! :)
The chef, giving us a warm greeting.
They made us feel right at home :)
The owner and the chef.
Galli Village Cafe is the place to go if you want nice, high-quality meals in a warm, feel-at-home environment. However, you got to shell out a little more than you would as compared to other restaurants. You get what you pay for, though, as this place does not compromise on quality.
Thank you for having us! :)
Galli Village Cafe Makati is located at the Ground Floor of YMCA Hotel, 7 Sacred Heart Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City.
They are open daily, from 7:00 p.m. To 8:30 p.m.
They cater, and you can call them for advanced orders (their paella takes a while to prepare) and reservations. You may contact them at 0916 4111248.
Ambience | 4.5 |
Service | 4 |
Taste | 3.5 |
Price | 3.5 |
Overall | 3.875 |
Be happy! ;)
<3 Missy
