The 2PM Makati Lunch

After a 2 hour wait at my doctor's clinic, my hubby and I vowed to reward ourselves with a real good late lunch (it was already 2 o'clock). Given that we were already in the Makati area, we both agreed to have it in our favorite place, Amici de De Bosco (friends of Don Bosco). With its typical cafeteria ambiance and informal charm, the food is enough reason to make you a regular.

Sango Tango
Driving by Amorsolo though, we passed Sango burgers and decided to check it out for ourselves. Just like that, we made a u-turn and went for it. I ordered the master cheeseburger while hubby ordered the chili dog. Surprisingly, the master cheeseburger was served with a generous amount of their version of the chili which wasn't hot at all. Twas more of a thick spag sauce to me than a chili. A grilled beef patty lies underneath with a slice of melted cheese hugging it. The bun was soft and typical, nothing great really, and with its Php116 cost, I'd say it was enough to fill you up but not necessarily make you rave about. I would have wanted the patty to be more flavorful.

Prior to ordering, hubby and I were looking at the menu board situated by the door and one of the staff immediately joined us and offered the specials, one of which is the chili dog, which is why hubby decided to order it. They claim that the hotdog is their own formulation. The hotdog was split lengthwise and grilled. Topped with jalapeno slices and the same chili they used with the burger I ordered, it was actually good. The hotdog's profile was similar to a breakfast sausage, with just the right saltiness, and it complemented well with the other sandwich components.

With our sodas finished, hubby and I decided to have coffee and dessert, still at our favorite place, Amici. While ordering though, we saw on the menu that they have a new pasta addition, vongole gambasetti. Denying the fact that we already had our fill of sandwiches, we decided to go for it and mind our bulging wastelines later. Of course, my visit wouldn't be complete without their coffee - just pure unadelterated Italian coffee, tiramisu and brazo de mercedes.

Amici Fever
So there, I am not really a fan of olive oil pasta, but hubby for some reason has been craving and wanting it for over a month now. But yeah, I won't deny it, we shared the dish (yup, still ate pasta) and it was absolutely worth the wait and calories. If you haven't been to Amici, you'd have to wait around 10 minutes for your pasta coz it is made "ala minute". Two large sized prawns, scallop on the half shell, clams, al dente spaghetti coated with a flavorful balance of white wine, seafood stock and olive oil topped with a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese served with a slice of baguette (crisp outside, soft inside) and smothered with pesto. All at Php180!

To cap off the meal, I just had to get my caffeine fix and their coffee is cheap (php40) and excellent. And the froth, hmm, it is just always there - never fails. I was telling hubby earlier that I was never a fan of brazo de mercedes, until I tried that of Amici. Now, I just need to grab a slice every time i visit. It is neither "egg-y" nor too sweet. The texture is just right, airy for the whites, rich for the custard. Oooh lala! The tiramisu has that delicate balance of coffee liquor and mascarpone. The best thing about it is that you never have to pay for good food at such high costs. Theirs is food at affordable prices.
I had to skip gelato this time though. Until the next visit.


Ah-Amici!