July 17 2013 – my first time to eat at Grace Park, and guess what I ordered? Its best-selling fettuccine with truffle cream and organic egg!
I was alone when I first ate a Grace Park EXACTLY two years ago. I was new then in my current company and unfortunately, the bus for the team outing left the office without anyone noticing I got left behind. I mean, it was my third day on the job. Who would bother remembering the new kid, right? haha
A good way to start your meal at Grace Park is to order twice baked chicharon with prosciutto and salmon roe (P250)
Always order it. HAHA
So, for lunch, I took liberty of my peers’ absence and rode a cab to Rockwell. I’ve been seeing my friend Chiara’s Instagram posts of her trips to Grace Park before, and when I had that chance, I really made sure I’d eat at Grace Park.
Seafood 3-page salad and squid ink carta di musica with mango mustard dressing (P350)
3-cheese and tomato and sourdough
The thing I first loved about Grace Park was the ambiance. Nothing fancy, the place though was reeking with charm and character. From mismatched cubiertos to the colorful plates, to the deceiving glasses that looked like paper cups, Grace Park was an enjoyable place to dine in. The quirkiness of the utensils and the decor do not confuse or disturb the diner but actually give him a comforting feeling that the place isn’t an uptight venue. With industrial interiors, the restaurant is sparingly decorated. No fuss, no pretense.
At a dinner with friends Abby and Bianca
Roast baby lamb and zucchine (P610)
It might be because it also conveys the owner’s advocacy of the farm-to-table movement, which puts premium on local, sustainable and fresh ingredients. Here, the stars aren’t really the final dishes but the ingredients.
Bad to the bone! Bone marrow with bread.
Have I mentioned I always order the fettuccine with organic egg (P580)?
For my first meal there, I can remember vividly, I ordered a plate of fettuccine with truffle cream and organic egg. I remember how creamy, decadent and warm it was. I caught myself with my eyes closed the first time I tasted it. It almost beat my number 1 truffle cream pasta choice in Manila, which was L’Opera’s. I also had a cold watermelon shake, that was, Thank God!, made with a real watermelon fruit!
Muscovado beef belly (P540)
From that first trip on, I’ve dined in Grace Park several times already. Sometimes, the food is inconsistent. The one dish that I find susceptible to inconsistency is the muscovado beef belly. The first time I had, it was tender, juicy and served warm. If my memory serves me right, it even tasted milky, evidence of the beef’s freshness.
Unfortunately, this order was dry and stringy, almost tough too.
Unfortunately, I’ve had the belly twice when it was served cold and the meat was stringy and even lacking in flavor. I also tried it when the meat was dry and quite tough.
Bulalo on a slide of crusty bread. Haha Milky but deadly!
For the pastas, I do give Grace Park and of course, Margarita A. Forés, the owner, a triple thumbs up. The pastas are always superb – al dente, flavorful and reasonably priced.
Delicious pasta nero with fish roe, cream and scallops. Super good!
Meatballs on creamy polenta (P550)
Admittedly, another vital aspect of gracious dining in grace park is the high standard of service rendered by the staff. The wait staff are very courteous and alert, and they also know how to volunteer which dishes can be paired with one another.
Spaghettini with uni, live shrimp and rucola (P550). This was by far the most unique tasting pasta dish I’ve tried in Grace Park. It’s very light but flavored with subtle tastes of different seafood. Eating it reminds one of the sea.
Lamb adobo served with brown rice (P620)
Grace Park Eton Mess (P275) is a good way to end your hearty meals at the restaurant.
All in all, Grace Park, though relatively young, caters one thing that many restaurants seem to miss: a venue for good (fresh) food that one can be familiar with. The dishes are not complicated or complex to understand but comforting and filling. These are perhaps features of dishes that rely on the food-to-table philosophy. They cannot be overly complicated to do because they demand only what is available and fresh in reasonable quantities.
Creamy beef bone marrow served with toast and lemon
Again. HAHA May change naman. Look, the yolk is cooked this time.
Grace Park, for me too, is the most “personal” among Ms.Forés’ restaurants. For some reason, the food here seems they were “personally” prepared. Unlike in Cibo which features pastas that are almost too perfect/measured that they lack the warmth of Italian cuisine, the food in Grace Park embody the charm of Ms. Forés’ two missed restos: Pepato and Cafe Bola. Thus, Grace Park is the kind of restaurant that even after two years of trying it, for this author, I’ll still be coming back for more =)
A happy diner =)
Cuchara Tenedor 