The Girl + The Bull made my trek all the way from QC to the south worth it. I’ve been wanting to check out this place for ages. But I’ve always been deterred by traffic and distance. Also, any time someone says “BF Paranaque/Las Pinas” or anywhere south, it’s no-man’s land for a girl from the North like me. However, now, on a sunny Saturday, led by my stomach, I was determined to make it all the way to the famous Aguirre Ave. Thankfully it wasn’t that hard to find because the directions they gave were pretty clear. 346 Aguirre Ave, across the Southland apartelle, after the 3rd stoplight from the main entrance gate.
Across the street
It was the perfect setting to my reunion with my good friend, Shiela, who’s an excited mom-to-be!
I thought the place was quite pretty. It’s intimate but not cramped by any means. Minimal modern decor, lots of white, clean and well-lit. Just the way I like my restaurants!
Here is the seasonal menu. Like with any restaurant that uses fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, the menu is bound to change according to what’s available.
We ordered the mushroom salad to share. I can eat this forever and ever amen. The flavor profile, the textures are perfectly concocted. The earthiness of the mushrooms, sharp bleu cheese, sweet walnuts, the tart balsamic dressing, the crunch of the vegetables. Delicious. I hope this becomes a menu staple.
We also ordered the 80/20 burger upon the recommendation of Foursquare users. Yummy indeed! The burger patty was juicy and meaty without being greasy. The onion jam, arugula and other magical stuff in it were great complements to the dish and brought out flavors of the beef. We gobbled up all the veggie chips. We wished there were more. Though we weren’t a fan of this gougere bun because it became soggy, mushy and weird in the end (when it soaked up the burger juiciness).
The fried chicken is a dish that makes an appearance only over the weekend. Our server recommended it quite enthusiastically so we ordered it. As with our previous two dishes, we also enjoyed this. We liked the crunchy outside and soft juicy meat. We wished that they removed the skin of the chicken before they breaded/fried it because it did not add anything to the dish and worse, made the chicken look unappetizing. The breading is what gave the chicken true crunch and taste anyway. I peeled the skin off my chicken and it still tasted wonderful. The meat is great with the glaze and all that other sauce on the plate so make sure to smother that sauce on everything.
We passed on the famous twix and other desserts. Maybe for next time. I’ve sworn off sweets and started cutting back on my food intake (though my food blog entries would say otherwise) in preparation for my weeklong paleo meal plan. So my Girl + Bull meal was my “last indulge meal.” No regrets. Such a good meal, I am already planning my return! Just going to wait til the menu changes so I can try more dishes and see the versatility and skill of their chef. I hope they maintain their quality and don’t become too commercialized with all the hype and rave reviews they are getting.
Lastly – MAKE RESERVATIONS. Don’t waltz in without calling in advance because they WILL turn you away. They only have 7 tables so they can’t accommodate last-minutes and/or large parties without prior notice.
The Girl + The Bull
346 A. Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque
0905 572 2556
https://www.facebook.com/thegirlandthebull
After breakfast, we head straight to Tiaong, Quezon for stop #2 on our culinary journey.
Here we met artist Augusto “Ugu” Bigyan, known for his unique, world-class pottery.
After exploring his property, fondly called a Pottery Garden, he showed us how to make Kulawo. This is a dish made from burnt coconut milk, onions, garlic, salt, pepper and fresh eggplant. Traditionally, it is served with puso ng saging but in this case, eggplant will suffice as an option.
After his demonstration, we were treated to a huge buffet spread with delicious dishes – pako salad, mussels salad, kulawo, prawns in gata, bbq shortribs, freshly made calamares, grilled fish with mango and tomato salsa. For drinks we had fresh buko juice. For dessert, we were served ginumis. All of it was delicious. I was too busy eating to take photos. I wasn’t even hungry yet but I ate heartily anyway. That kulawo… yummy. I have to figure out how to make that at home.
Here’s my mom’s coverage on the food: https://iamjulienne.com/2014/08/29/delicious-lunch-tiaong/#.VA3KGmPCcUo
After all that food, my mom and I purchased some home decor. They were on sale, 51% off for Ugu’s 51st birthday.
We boarded the bus last because we couldn’t decide on what to purchase. Woops. We finally settled on some pretty wall decor.
On the way home, we were treated to nice views, bright blue skies, empty rural roads and rolling farmlands. (Until we hit traffic on C5 but I shall not get into that).
To read more about Ugu Bigyan’s Pottery Garden, feel free to check out my mom’s entry (she has more photos) – https://iamjulienne.com/2014/08/23/ugu-bigyans-pottery-garden-restaurant/#.VA3I3GPCcUo
After we got over the initial awe of The Luxe Bus, we proceeded on our trip. Like I said I knew nothing about this trip, except that it was a culinary tour.
After a scenic drive (here are some photos)
Our first stop was Sulyap Gallery and Cafe in San Pablo Laguna.
The Cafe is absolutely gorgeous. It’s in a restored traditional Filipino house.
Here we had a hearty breakfast of Beef Tapsilog, Bangus and some deliciously rich batirol (hot chocolate). Mom had the longganisa lucban.
Shortly after breakfast, the owner, Rod came out to talk to us about the house, cafe and its origins. He is passionate about preserving rich Filipino heritage and tradition. One of his projects is restoring old houses back to their original glory. He relocates the houses to their compound (where Sulyap is) and converts them into Bed and Breakfast rooms. It’s awesome.
After breakfast, we had a stroll through the grounds onto the museum which used to be a school.
Now it showcases various furniture, home decor and other knickknacks. They tell a story of the evolution of Filipino homes through the decades. This is also an outlet for Rod’s passion as he himself is the museum curator. He took us through a lively tour of each of the rooms, offering up a wealth of knowledge. His enthusiasm is infectious.
After that we checked out the rooms and the gardens.
I would love to come back and stay here some day.
Sorry, I purposely didn’t take that many pictures because it’s a place you should visit and see for yourself 🙂
Today my mom and I joined a culinary tour to the south. Truth be told, I hadn’t paid much attention to the details of the tour because I’ve been busy and fighting off a cold. So I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The call time was at 6:30 and in our usual manner, mom and I were running late. I was vaguely aware that the tour company had said that we would travel in style but the I was not at all prepared for what greeted me when I got on the bus.
Leather seats, hardwood floors, mood lighting, personal entertainment systems, fancy interior trims, bus attendants that bring you coffee/drinks of your choice, bus chauffeurs in uniform. I had to pick up my jaw off the floor.
They have a drink list. Sorry for the blur.
I love the branding on the coffee and water. I also got to charge my phone. Beyond awesome.
A few minutes into departure, much like an airplane flight attendant, the bus attendant makes a few announcements about the bus.
1) Emergency Exit is 5th window on the right.
2) Fasten Seatbelt.
3) If there’s anything you need, just call.
They even give you noise cancellation headphones for the trip. I didn’t use mine but mom did.
Amazing. Amazing.
I want to rent this bus. I don’t know yet where I will go and who I will bring (because it’s not cheap) but I will find a way.
www.theluxebus.com
It breaks my heart to know that a man who has brought the world (myself included) so much joy and laughter, struggled through his life and final days with depression and substance abuse.
I know much will be said about Robin Williams over the next few days. I would like to pay my own respects, albeit on social media, but a remembrance nonetheless. I grew up with his characters and as an adult, appreciated his more “mature” stand up performances. His impact on my life might have been just through the movies but it is significant, special and I will miss him terribly.
The silver lining is that we are blessed with the legacy of his work. Undoubtedly (no pun intended) his movies will be all over the media, replayed on TV and googled on the internet. I know most of his work but what comes to mind now is his role as Chris Neilsen in What Dreams May Come. If you haven’t seen this movie, you should. (bring tissues!) In it, his character dies and searches the afterlife for his wife. Appropriately, he says – “A whole human life is just a heartbeat here in Heaven. Then we’ll all be together forever.”
Thank you, Robin Williams. Rest in Peace.
