A trip to Plana's Pantry is like visiting an old friend's home. It is "all about simple, honest, generous, delightful food, and good relationships" (quoted from their Facebook page).
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Ready for another food adventure? :)[/caption]The restaurant is a month old, which opened last September 1 2014 and is owned and operated by husband and wife tandem from a family with a passion for food.
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Full of new and repeat customers! :)[/caption]Aside from operations, Ms. Rachel Plana is hands on with the restaurant's aesthetics — from custom-made furniture to wall decorations to dinnerware. Every nook and cranny of this little piece of heaven on earth is definitely Instagram-worthy! <3
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Colorful chairs! :)[/caption][caption id="attachment_3759" align="aligncenter" width="360"]
Books to keep kids occupied :)[/caption]
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Outdoor seating while waiting or those who want to smoke :)[/caption]
Her husband, on the other hand, is busy with the kitchen creating tasty Filipino and Western meals the way it should be.
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By the counter / kitchen :)[/caption][caption id="attachment_3754" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Oregano and Basil, grown right at the restaurant :)[/caption]---
It was a Saturday and I had dinner with some food blogger friends. While everything we tasted was delicious, I'm sharing with you my personal favorites:
I was happy to wait for my meal while munching on some Mushroom Salpicao. Each piece was cooked just right and absorbed the garlic flavor. It was gone too soon haha!
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Mushroom Salpicao - P130[/caption]I never had lamb before (as far as I know) so Lamb Masala was my main meal for the night. Was it malansa? Not at all! The meat was tender with a smokey flavor and a light kick. I believe I made a good choice since my bloggers friends also enjoyed the dish. :D
Ms. Rachel highly recommends their Lengua and I'm glad she did! It was the best I ever had for the longest time! For a second I forgot this was made with ox tongue because it has melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. We kept coming back for more :)
Their ice cream are a different story, homemade by Ms. Rachel's husband and son. Using fresh and natural ingredients, each flavor was rich and creamy. The chocolate wasn't melted thoroughly, giving it texture which I liked very much. The strawberry one has bits of the fruit itself too. Did I tell you what you can see on the photo is their single serving portion? Your choice to share or not hehe :P
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Chocolate Rumble & Avocado Mambo - P60 (single), P110 (double)[/caption][caption id="attachment_3792" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Strawberry Lane. Photo by Cristal. Thank you! :)[/caption]In between meals, I sipped some Calamansi with Honey. It was light, refreshing and perfect for the heavy meal we had. If you must, order the Malunggay-infused version (photo onset with the Lamb Masala).
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The group also ordered Battered Fish & Shrimp with Frizzy Fries for appetizer (crispy brown with light batter), Angus Rib Eye Steak, Plana's Sisig (reminds us of our Vigan trip), Gindara Steak (lemony Black Cod fish), Meltique Steak (meat was buttery c/o marbling technique), and Hickory BBQ Ribs (barbecue flavor was not overpowering for me, meat was tender as well). All rice meals comes with a side serving of vegetables.
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Battered Fish & Shrimp with Frizzy Fries - P155[/caption][caption id="attachment_3770" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Angus Rib Eye Steak - P380[/caption][caption id="attachment_3771" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Gindara Steak - P250[/caption][caption id="attachment_3772" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Meltique Steak - P350[/caption][caption id="attachment_3767" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Plana's Sisig - P230[/caption][caption id="attachment_3773" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Hickory BBQ Ribs - P265[/caption][caption id="attachment_3765" align="aligncenter" width="427"]
Supersized Lemonade - P65[/caption]That was a lot of meat (and a lot of food for me and Alice since we came from two different food events beforehand) so we had hot tea to aid with digestion ;)
Plana's Pantry is a place where I'd like to spend time catching up with friends or family over good food. Or somewhere I can finish off creative tasks as it is full of positivity and inspiration. The ambiance is very homey and the hospitality in their service is from the heart.
Thank you Ms. Rachel for having us over and Cristal for the invite!
Plana's Pantry
50 Domingo M. Guevara, RL Bldg., Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Operating Hours: Mon - Sun, 10:30AM - 11:00PM
Follow them on Facebook
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Looking for restaurants near California Garden Square?
- Tipsy Beans
- Plana's Pantry