Team Kaladkarin invited me to this intimate eat up with fellow food bloggers and we were welcomed by the owners of Ilustrado, Bea and Bernice Pimentel. I love how both of them are passionate about everything that is Filipino and their vision to reach out to the younger generations to showcase the best of what the Filipino Cuisine has to offer.

INSIDER TIP: Ilustrado catered and brought its world-class Filipino-Spanish cuisine to various events and meetings of the visiting foreign delegates.

Ambiance 
The ambiance of Ilustrado gives you a trip to the past and brings you back to the classic dining scene. The place has a lot of elegant embellishments, vintage furniture and antique design which gives it a very historical vibe. I just love how cozy it is and feels familiar, very homey.

Ilustrado can be very intimidating by how it looks because it feels like you have to be formal or wear a proper attire when dining here. Everything seems proper, the place is quiet and doesn't look any modern at all. Good thing they have these other branches such as the Pasteleria Ilustrado in Alabang, Solstice by Ilustrado in Rockwell and Cafe Ilustrado in Makati which is less thematic making it more attractive to a wider group of audience.

FOOD 
First thing, we were served In-house dips (Boursin Cheese, Cheese Pimiento, Butter, Liver Pate, Spicy Cheeseball) paired with toast bread and biscuits. All of them were good but Boursin Cheese was my favorite! 
These dips can be bought in mini jar containers and are the perfect Christmas gifts this holiday season!

The second dish that was serve was the Eggplant in Filo. 
It's baked grilled eggplant wrapped in Filo Pastry. What I liked about this was the Feta Cheese and Cream Cheese inside that made it really exciting to eat. It reminds me of eating an unassuming Xiao Long Bao that usually looks dull on the outside but will surprise you when you munch on the inside.

Adobong Bagnet with Taba ng Talangka 
Ilustrado's very own version of the Philippine National Dish. 
This is thrice-cooked tender pork belly simmered in soy-vinegar & spices making it even more rich with crab fat. The pork skin is really crispy AF and the taba ng talangka sauce complements the dish well. 
Sinfully good! I would give this 10 stars if 5 isn't enough.

Paella Ilustrado 
This is Paella done the Ilustrado way! 
It has chicken, chorizo, prawns, clam, squid, tomatoes and many more 
This is my 2nd favorite dish that was served during the night. I love how they cooked the rice. It's soft, moist and flavorful. There's zero umay factor so it's a must try for rice lovers like me! The seafood were cooked well and the serving is definitely good for sharing.

Callos Madrillena 
A hearty & extra thick version of the traditional Madrid Dish.
A savory ox tripe stew made with garbanzos, Chorizo de Bilbao, Pimienton, and Bacon Slab. The ox tripe melts in the mouth making you want to beg for more!

Angus beef lathered with wild mushrooms, roasted vegetables, pesto, marbles potatoes and brown sauce. Most of us liked this dish but it wasn't so special to me. It wasn't hot anymore when I ate it cause I was busy taking photos haha so the beef became a little saggy and the sauce already dried up. Texture wise though it was still good and the beef was so tender!

Stuffed Chicken Relleno 
Chicken fillet topped with cheddar pan gravy. Yuuuum! 
I love how this is overflowing with sauce and best paired with plain rice. Filipinos love gravy so much that some U.S. fast food chains in the country would even offer unli gravy due to public demand. Haha! So a big thumbs up to this!

Not everything goes well with Paella to be honest and a dish as tasty and flavorful on its own like this could be enjoyed already with a hot plain rice.

Dessert 
One of the things I didn't expect that I will love in Ilustrado would be their desserts. 
The owners spoiled us so much and served us overflowing sweets on the table. ️

Assorted Cookies and Sweets 
(Double Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies, Banana Wallnut Chocolate Chips Cookies, Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fuge Brownie, Tres Leches)

The quality and consistency of the food that they serve is what makes Ilustrado stand out among the rest. The owners are very hospitable and all the servers were really attentive to our needs. I believe that Ilustrado will continue its success because of their vision to serve high quality food, timeless dishes and give each and everyone who will dine here an unforgettable cultural experience.

Ps. The Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros offers a variety of venues and function rooms for special events and corporate meetings.  They also have branches in Makati and Bonifacio Global City. What’s more, they offer a complete Catering Service package to bring the Ilustrado signature entertaining to your special events.

Thanks Ej Bunag of #ilovetoeatph & Team Kaladkarin for the invite  
I will definitely be back in the future!

ILUSTRADO
Address: 744 Calle Real del Palacio (Gen. Luna), Intramuros, Manila
Store Hours: 8m to 9pm Weekdays; 8am to 6pm on Sundays
E-mail: dine@ilustradorestaurant.com.ph; catering@ilustradorestaurant.com.ph
For Reservations: http://www.ilustradorestaurant.com.ph/reservations/
Branches:
- Café Ilustrado at the 4th Level of SM Makati
- Pasteleria Ilustrado at Ground Level, Madrigal Entrance, Alabang Town Center

Social Media Accounts
 #ilustrado #ilustradorestaurant #weddingsbyilustrado #ilustradocatering #paellalove

Website: http://www.ilustradorestaurant.com.ph/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilustradorestaurant/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilustradorestaurant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dine_ilustrado