Red Panda Bistro

I’m still amazed with how Kapitolyo transformed from a quiet residential area to one of the busiest foodie destinations in the Metro. I remember how we’re limited to two options, St. Gerald’s (a homey café near my school) or Three Sisters (one of the pioneers in the area that sells delicious barbecue and pancit bihon). Now, I have so many options that I also need my toes to count it.

The spotlight this time is on Red Panda Bistro. I planned to try this place out with N a few months ago but the menu didn’t appeal to us so we went to Gostoso instead. I was still curious about the place though so when M invited me for dinner, I suggested Red Panda.

Since the cuisine is Chinese, I wasn’t really that ecstatic in choosing what to eat. Plus, I was so embarrassed for arriving late and looking harassed with uncombed hair. Anyway, we decided to go for the following: Roast Duck Dumpling (PHP115), Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Gratin (PHP380), and Chinese Style Ossobucco (PHP490).

First served were the dumplings.

Roast duck meat, celery, shiitake mushrooms, carrots—it wasn’t anything fancy but it was okay. Unfortunately, it left a bad impression when the wonton wrapper was too sticky to the point that it won’t separate from the paper wrapper (which is not edible). Well, it frustrated M… quite a lot.

Next served was the broccoli and cauliflower cheese gratin. I loved this one as I like broccoli. I loved the mix of the chewy texture of cheese and the slight crunch of the broccoli and cauliflower. Plus, the taste wasn’t overwhelming.

But the slow cooked beef shanks dish was the best one that night. The meat was slow cooked so it was so soft that you don’t even need to chew! It also had a slight sweet taste which is quite something expected from Chinese dishes.

It was a good dinner. But it might take me a while to visit this place again as there are just too many new restaurants to visit.

Walking on the streets of East Kapitolyo tonight made me realized how big the transformation is from years back. It used to be just Charlie's.

Red Panda caught our eyes for its huge space and nice exterior. Yes, the red signage with a panda helped too.

We realized we should have eaten here instead. Their menu is so extensive! They offer both Chinese and Western dishes. East meets West. The menu is fantabulous, it's like a well designed book.

Since we had entree elsewhere, the focus here were drinks and desserts. The drinks were of great value at a Php 100 each. Each glass is composed of multiple fruits and other concoctions. They were creative but too sweet for our liking. Maybe tell them to half the sweeteners? The Blue In Hawaii was better then the Sweet Sunrise.

The desserts! The must have is their artistic and innovative Green Tea Brazo de Mercedes. Its cool not only for temperature but its for sheer layers of character. It's fluffy, crunchy, light and sweet all in one bite.

Forget about the 3 Colored Butchi. It's only color same same elsewhere.

I like the warm service here too.

Splendid find for a modern Euro-Chinese fusion in the main road of Kapitolyo. Wide range of appetizer to the main entree down to their sweets. You'll also have an array of wine to go with your choice of food. Defy the customary red and white wine food match.

Walk East Capitol Drive, the main street of Kapitolyo, and feel like you're on a food tour around the world. A recent addition to the restaurant row is Red Panda, which celebrates French and Chinese cuisine.

Since its opening, we've dined there twice.

On our first visit, we tried their Wanton Noodles and found it reasonably priced and very good. The soup was served warm with very filling dumplings and good quality noodles. Even the congee was good. The Shrimp Dumplings were also impressive with its paper thin wrapping and tasty filling.

I had the Portuguese Sardines on our second visit. The sardines were served alongside red egg, salad and choice of rice (garlic) and egg (sunny side up). I loved it and finished it all off.  We also tried their omelette. It was unlike the usual ham and cheese because the cheese was sharp and the ham very tasty.

The bottomless coffee was also a hit among our group as was the house tea.

There were some hiccups on our first visit, less so on the second. The Portuguese sardines and scallop dumplings were not available on our first visit. Yet they served me garlic rice when I had to change my order to Wanton Noodles. Billing took a while. They forgot to bill us for a can of Coke but billed us a higher priced lemonade when we only ordered the regular one. On our second visit, billing was already brisk and the Portuguese sardines were already available. There was just some miscommunication with the kitchen about the number of orders when two in our party of four ordered the same thing. I'm sure service will just get better.

The see through kitchen, main dining area, bar and deli occupy the first floor while up a flight of stairs are two function rooms, each seating about 20 people.

The entire restaurant is pleasantly decorated. I particularly like the potted plants that hang on the walls outside the restaurant because they add a sense of greenery and keep the restaurant cool.

There is a dedicated parking area in front which is able to accommodate 4 cars.

What also makes Red Panda attractive is its extended operating hours. Open as early as 7AM, it's a good choice for breakfast after Sunday mass.