Belgian Wanderer by Vagabonds: YEY
I am always suspicious of establishments that say they sell "artisinal/artisan" this and that. As a badge of expert work done in pride and specialized skill, the term can easily be used as an emblem of blatant pretensions at its worst or a novice marketing spin at its best. As such, put "artisan" in your name as a restaurant and you automatically run the risk of expectations soaring into stratospheric heights.
I seriously had doubts with the chicken wings. in most cases, experiments are usually love it or hate it scenarios (inasmuch as the risk of the aforementioned act of putting "artisan" in your restaurant's name, you either live up to it or you fail miserably, putting your status under further scrutiny). Fortunately in this case, I liked it.
It's not much to look at but this is a winner. Well, at least in my book. I guess the choice of belgian chocolate (if it was really belgian chocolate they used) was a good move as it wasn't offensively sweet. Any sweeter and i would have said MEH (obviously, i don't have much of a sweettooth).The chicken was cooked through and through, the skin maintaining its crispness despite the chocolate bath, and the meat retained the moisture you would want from a properly fried wing. it was seasoned well while the chili flakes provided some heat to make it interesting. the pimiento dip is a bit questionable though. It's "sweet-ish" so I find it a bit redundant given the chocolate coating. i suggest they make it saltier or ditch it altogether. but that's just me.
One order is quite a lot so i suggest you order this for sharing. Also, this is best consumed hot as the chocolate tends to harden and that changes the overall feel of the dish.
Ibiza Chicken with Chorizo Pilaff: YEY
It was pretty gruff for a chicken dish, heavy with spices, primarily cumin (as compared to "light" spices such as thyme and rosemary; well, i just made that up so don't kill me). I'm guessing paprika, and pepper were also generously used.
The chicken was moist and the light grilling gives a mild charred taste which was interesting. The bold-tasting tomato gravy ties in the Spanish influence, but a quick check online doesn't seem to reveal any specific reference to an "Ibiza Cuisine" (as it is called Ibiza Chicken) as you would have with more distinct regional Spanish variations such as Asturian, Cantabrian, Galician and Manchego dishes. But as my knowledge on this matter is limited, I stand to be corrected.
The chorizo is mixed in the pilaf so you get to eat it as the ground meat which flavors the rice, instead of it being a meat sausage. In simpler terms, imagine a longganisa taken out of its casing and mixed in a sinangag, that how it works.
This dish has layers upon layers of flavors that a foodie would truly enjoy. However, for normal diners, the spices may be too strong and overpowering. If you want something simple, go for their steaks instead.
P.S. They need to improve on their plating. I know it's not a fine dining place but for a restaurant which has the word "artisan" in its name, they really should know better. It took me a good 10 minutes before I can finally get a proper assemblage of elements on the plate for my shot.
Steak and Eggs by Vagabonds: YEY
As the third dish on my eatlist, Vagabonds' Steak and Eggs makes it clear that the people behind this jewel knows exactly what they are doing. This dish wasn't life changing but my gulay, they did it really well. The meat was agonizingly tender, far from what i expected (i'm a bit picky when it comes to steaks). It was on the salty side, but intentional or not, the experience was a good one since it was being served as a viand. It felt like an upgraded breakfast for dinner, and i'm all the better for it. If that wasn't pinoy enough (steak with rice), you have a cup full of gravy on the side which you can pour over your rice and eggs. A tip though, you might want to ask the waiter to skip the salt on the eggs. Take note that it's hanger steak, so don't expect marbling or any of that unjustified pretense to which we have been accustomed to judging steak with. This was lean meat done right: deep beef taste, thick and juicy. I'm not surprised that the steaks are one of their bestseller. Ask for the steak-for-sharing option if you are planning to load on protein.
Sans the hyperbole, Vagabonds serves good food, no question about it. But to be quite frank, "artisan/artisinal" is not the word that comes to mind. At best, the restaurant was "crafty." "Vagabonds" as a concept was quite clear in the menu, with different parts of the world being represented in episodes through the food in which a certain place is known for. I appreciate the occasional experimentation on the dishes, but the menu is more of a love-it-hate-it scenario. The question of cohesiveness has been a nagging issue right from the start. Taken in isolation the food were individually superb. However the entire dining experience felt a bit concatenated, and it was a stretch to connect the Spanish Chicken with the Belgian Wings and the Steak and Eggs. The restaurant lacks the eloquence but makes up for it entirely through clever improvisation, which I believe is a feat all on its own.The quality of the food was quite compelling and it served as Vagabonds redeeming quality. My suggestion, unless you are dining as a group, choose one section of the menu for each visit and save the rest for the next.
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