Reviews Lampara

Had a memorable eCQ week of subscription meals from Lampara last week. Best dishes were Japanese Curry Beef, Satay Lilit, Arroz ala Cubana, Fish Sisig, Chicken Teriyaki, Pastel Chicken and Pepper Beef. Each dish were unique and tasty. Served with rice; 2 dishes per day. Good for one person each meal.

Everything was so good! DIY degustation :) it's very affordable compared to others

this place is so chill - like if you wanna sit and have a real convo w/ people and enjoy amazingly gorgeous and hefty servings of posh and quality food, here’s a good choice.

tucked away from the (how do you say it) clamorous crowd of poblacion proper, lampara is a cozy yet eclectic dining space that welcomes any adventurous eater as they serve you a diff twist of their filipino offerings.

the appetizers were mind-blowing! a mix of healthy and an excuse to say that diet starts tomorrow, hehe. amongst what was served (rice cups, dinakDUCKdakan and tofu) the dinakDUCKdakan was what i enjoyed the most- i was looking for rice but i was shy.

4/5 of the big plates were ordered except the steak. just took pictures of it coz i already ate before coming to dinner though my group swore by how tasty and satisfied they were of the meals.

i, on the other hand, got to enjoying the dessert, YEMA & TSOKOLATE. the description on the menu left me barraging the server so many questions on what it was, looked like, what to expect, but all he said was it was good. so i put my faith in him, and tada, it was! luscious and creamy yema in a cookie crust cup w/ whipped like chocolate fluff and malagos choc pieces was just divine. i wanted to lick the plate clean but i was in a company of business people so i told myself to remember GMRC.

after the meal, you can just relax and while away the time in their veranda w/ a cocktail or 3 on hand.

We decided to give this new place a try and we were really happy that we did. When we got here it was pretty full. The place isn't too big so I guess it would be best to have a reservation beforehand. But the vibe of the place is really great. It's a nice place for hanging out. The dinuckduckan was highly recommended by the staff and it was really good!! The dish is big. If you guys aren't heavy eaters this is good for 2-3 people. This was good too. The duck was so tender and juicy. Plus the fried egg part was also a nice touch to it. The pork belly was soooo good. This is definitely one of the best porky belly dishes I've ever had. It's so sinfully delicious. The tsokolate and yema dessert was also good! The star of the night for me though was the Melon Milk dessert. It was so so so good. If you've been to Toyo and had their desserts (their desserts are the bomb) I would say that this would be at par with the desserts there. It's so good. You cannot leave Lampara without ordering the melon milk dessert. Overall this place was really great. Despite the place being full our servers were all very nice and attentive. 🤗

The place is quaint, and the food is awesome! When we went here for a product audit, the people were really nice and they explained the food items. I didn’t get to take a picture of my favorites which were the rice cups, tofu, and their veal steak.
The price is pretty much beyond my usual dinner budget but I’d definitely come back here.

Say hello to Lampara Neo-Filipino Bistro! Recognized as one of the greatest restaurants in the area, it’s not surprising to find Lampara jam-packed as soon as it opens. It was quite hard for me finding the restaurant signage as I came early this morning but, if you are familiar with OTO, you just have to cross the other way. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor apartment complex at 5883 Enriquez Street. As soon as I stepped in, I was greeted by the cozy enclave of iconic mismatched-styled chairs and unique-hanging lamps. While I can tell that the approach is quite modern the owner made sure that the place would feel homey which you could just eat, sit anywhere you like and relax comfortably. The place also offers an al fresco area for those who would like to smoke.

This is one of the hidden gems of Poblacion. Fancy fine-dining place with delectable dishes (while a few selections) at not so pricey prices.

We had the tofu with pork floss and crispy bacon. The cold tofu was hard on the outside (hindi nadudurog as you get it), yet tender on the inside. The pork floss was tasty and crispy, I think they make their own. Bacon was crispy and it wasn’t too salty as well, all the flavors balance each other out to bring out this perfect tofu dish.

We also had the rice cups which were savory and yummy! The rice papers were fried to crisp, filled with either longganisa bits with gata flavored sauce or the refreshing combo of bean sprouts and tofu. The former was savory and tasty whole the latter was more refreshing and pang-alis umay.

We had the duck leg with puff pastry filled with liver pate. The pastry was baked to perfection to crisp, achieving the flaky yet creamy puff. The duck leg was also cooked well as its tender throughout, as you taste the flavors of soy sauce, salt, and pepper across the meat which I think was marinated with adobo sauce. The skin was crispy as expected. It was also served with kangkong which complimented the dish well.

The pork was also cooked perfectly with a refreshing lemongrass marinade that made it less nakakaumay. The portion wasn’t too fatty nor too lean, making the dining experience more balanced. The skin was crispy, though it could be further improved. The sweet-ish sauce also complimented the refreshing mildly kick of saltiness flavor of the protein.

The yema at tsokolate dessert was the best way to end the meal. It had lots of elements in it. Just give it a try and see for yourself.

Had an amazing time. Service was superb. Ambiance is also perfect for romantic dates and barkada hang outs. They have wide selection of drinks too. Would definitely come back to try their other dishes (chicken, etc.).

Poblacion has been one of the hottest areas for restaurants these past months. Home of some of the establishments raved by taste makers, taking a stroll in this neighborhood would lead to a gastronomic experience. Such was the case for us last week. And our first stop: Lampara. 

Hello, Lampara Neo-Filipino Bistro.

Lampara’s gourmet and out of the ordinary menu has been making rounds in the food blogging community. Yesterday, we finally got to visit and had the pleasure of meeting Chef Rj, the man behind this ingenious concept.

While the approach is modern as shown in the combination of local and foreign ingredients, Filipino cuisine serves as the base and inspiration of everything they offer here in Lampara.

Since Chef Rj trained in Enderun, techniques are inclined to French, it is evident in both presentation and style in their dishes. Lampara can be your closest thing to a fine-dining, degustation Filipino restaurant.

Our team indulged in 5 plates paired with 4 artisan cocktails here. It was our first of four stops in our own version of Poblacion Food Crawl.

From start to finish, everything we had was a discovery and appreciation of food and drink combinations we all have never had before.

The Rice Cups (Php 220) was your shot appetizer, meant to be taken in one go. Immediately on the first bite, you will instantly feel bursts of flavors! It comes in two kinds, Longganisa + Ubod + Aligue and Bean Sprouts + Peanuts + Tofu.

Next was a fancy version of a Filipino salad, Ensalada (Php 180). It has frisee lettuce greens and salted egg to taste with a spread of mashed eggplant similar to hummus in texture.

The Pork (Php 380) was one of our stars. It’s a stellar display of craftsmanship and creativity. You have really crispy porchetta, seasoned with star anise and black vinegar reduction, and then topped with tasty pork floss. It was redundantly delicious!

The next main, Tanigue (Php 420) was equally impressive. This is your Bistek Tagalog made more sophisticated and lighter. It has soy, citrus, and sweet onions.

Yema & Tsokolate (Php 220) was a supreme treat to cap off a gastronomic journey. This dessert accomplishes an attempt to bring forth multiple tastes in one go. It has elements of sweetness, bitterness and saltiness through malagos, condensed milk, honey, barley and salt. This was an art form as well.

Despite the fact that am not into alcohol, I enjoyed sipping all of their own special concoctions. Each one had its own distinct character, as every cocktail utilized unusual mixtures.

Here is a rundown of what our group had:

Pana Kakana Kana (Php 350)
-gin, cardamom, black pepper

Asiong (Php 350)
-gin, black currant, cinnamon

Gasera ni Simoun (Php 380)
-rum, grapefruit, rosemary

Gayuma ni Albano (Php 350)
-tequila, guyabano, campari

The drinks I don’t find pricey as I witnessed the craftsmanship in making them and the generous amount of alcohol they put in.

Lampara is your new destination in the now very competitive Poblacion. It will definitely light up your palate and elevate your dining experience.

Lampara is the new place to check out in Poblacion with a swanky homey interiors, interesting signature cocktails and a pricey menu.

Signature Cocktails..
If you want something sweet, go for Gasera ni Simoun (Php380) and Gayuma ni Albano (Php350). I really like the burnt flavor of the rosemary in the Gasera ni Simoun.

If you want less sweet and more bitter flavor, get the gin-based drinks of Pana Kakana kana (Php300) and Asiong (Php350).

Food Menu...
My favorite was the Duck Leg (Php680) confirm of duck with liver paté and kangkong served with a cup of plain rice.

The Pork (Php380) was a thick slice of porchetta/Lechon belly with pork floss.

Tanigue (Php420) was nicely cooked but serving size was to small.

My other favorite was the dessert of Yema & Tsokolate (Php420) with malagos Chocolate, condensed milk and honey.

Everything we ordered was good, never mind that we were given only the 6-7:30pm window to enjoy a very early dinner. We love that it’s very Filipino, albeit with a modern twist. Not the typical Pinoy Kare Kare, sisig and Sinigang medley, but a “reintroduction” of truly Pinoy dishes in a far better presentation and combination.