Dining in Romulo's

Awhile ago, we had our dinner at Romulo's.  We knew reservations were necessary but because everyone was craving for Filipino dishes, we opted to try our luck.  And we were so glad when a table for eight people were available.  We were seated in the non-airconditioned area of the house-turned-into-a-restaurant establishment along Scout Dr.Lazcano in Timog. 

We ordered dishes that we haven't tried before. 

For starters, we ordered Pinoy Nachos.  These were sweet potato aka kamote chips topped with cheddar cheese, goat's cheese, tomatoes and more.  The kamote was sliced thinly and fried to a crisp but not burnt.  The best thing about this dish is that even though the slices were fried, there was almost no trace of oil.  And that is why I was having second thoughts if this was really fried or it was baked instead.
 

Another appetizer was the pomelo salad.  I truly enjoyed this one.  There were pomelo bits everywhere.  The pomelo was ripened just right hence, it blended well with the dressing.  It was topped with slices of salted eggs and poured with strawberry salad dressing. By this time, I was already feeling almost full. 

My friend and I ordered binagoongan rice while the rest ordered pandan rice.
Just a thought: I never got to eat again my favorite spicy Thai binagoongan rice along Pearl drive in Pasig anymore.  I have been settling for different substandard versions of binagoongan rice. 

Laing topped with  adobo flakes.  It's too bad that the taste of adobo flakes gets lost in the laing.  I would have loved it if it was in a separate dish instead.  Laing is always good.  It's a rice magnet, if you ask me.

I ordered beef kaldereta topped with grated queso de bola.  The beef was good although I prefer it more tender.  Again, the cheese got lost in the tomato-based sauce of the beef.

I don't know what this is called.  Someone ordered it and kept calling it galantina.  It would seem you're eating steak but it's not heavy on the tummy as an actual steak.  This one you can eat without rice.  The dipping sauce is also good. 

I ate the crablets last even though it was supposed to be an appetizer.  I'm not a fan of munching on shells.  It's more bothersome when you're swallowing it.  But this was a good dish, nonetheless.

 

All in all, the dining experience in Romulo was satisfactory.  The dishes lacked the wow factor.  I wasn't at all gushing at the food after every bite.  Somehow, the dishes seemed ordinary.  But I have to say differently about the ambiance and the service.  They have somehow lived up to the expectations of a highly rated restaurant. 

The price was more than satisfactory.  It was relatively cheaper than expected from a restaurant of their stature.  Diners will be able to eat to their heart's content without the usual worry on how it was costing the diners.