We eat to live. That's a fact. But some of us eat just for the sake of filling up a hungry stomach or in some cases, eat just because we feel like it. Seldom we ask ourselves if the food that we put in our mouth is healthy or if it was created from the finest ingredients worthy of the money we spend on it. My philosophy on food is "If it's worth it, spend!" That's why when Chad of Ambush Online invited me to take part in a food tasting event that he was organizing last December 4, I was intrigued by the "Artisan" resto that is Sauceria and I immediately said yes. As far as I know, the artisan concept meant everything is painstakingly made from scratch. I assumed: the longer you make the food, the higher the price is. But lo and behold, I was in for the surprise of my life.
So let me tell you about Sauceria. Where everything is artisan-style, naturally and freshly made… from scratch!
Sauceria, viewed from the outside emanates a homey feel (as seen in the following photos),
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| daytime |
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nighttime
Its interior has a sort of techno-art deco with an interplay of bricks, stainless steel and copper. Much like the food that Sauceria offers, the restaurant's look is also a fusion of different elements. The idea is to set different moods for different dining times. Sauceria serves lunch, dinner and even after hours! Soon: breakfast. |
Allow me first to share the secret behind the good tasting food that you are about to see (and possibly drool over) as told by the owner/artisan/food-lover, Mr. Earl Palma. Sauceria's food is considerately cooked with the right temperature in mind. You see, there's science in cooking! Same as how you boil water or how you cook meat to soft, juicy perfection, every food (that requires heat to cook) should be done accordingly with the right temperature.
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Sauceria's not-so-secret weapon: infra-red temperature gun. They use this to
measure the right temperature in cooking. Right heat = Good eat! |
Now let's get to the good part. The food! For starters, we were offered our choice of drinks. There's calamansi, ginger and iced tea. I ordered calamansi. It was raining that day and extra protection from the sniffles won't hurt. I needed Vitamin C! Haha.
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| Calamansi soda - freshly made and yes, they make their own S-O-D-A |
I'm a big fan of salads! Just thinking of the lush, green, crunchy veggies and the oh-so-perfect vinaigrette of Sauceria makes my mouth water. Here they served us with two kinds of salads.
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| Ceasar salad at Php160 p/o |
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| Garden salad with vinaigrette dressing at Php110 p/o |
It's time for the pasta! I prefer red sauce over white but what Sauceria served us that day made me change my limited preference over white sauced pasta like carbonara. I appreciate how the sauce of the carbonara was creamy yet not bland and it tasted right - for a white sauced pasta that is. Don't even get me started with the pomodoro. Oh man!, it was great! Sprinkled some chilis over it and I simply could die. It's pasta heaven I tell you! See the bread on the side? You simply can't miss it. The fresh taste of it is all to the fact that Sauceria makes and bakes their own bread!
Sarap!
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| Pomodoro at Php210 p/o |
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| Carbonara at Php240 p/o |
And now let's get to the highlight. The pizzas!!! If only I'm half of a glutton as I was, I could've finished them all. Thank God I was with (new-found) friends who helped me finish everything (well, almost everything).
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| Charsiu pizza with mango at Php390 p/o |
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| Margherita pizza at Php300 p/o |
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| Ham and mushroom pizza at Php300 p/o |
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| Spanish sardines pizza at Php330 p/o |
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| Salted Egg and Ampalaya pizza at Php250 p/o |
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| S'mores pizza at Php300 p/o |
Here are my top pizza picks:
1. Salted Egg and Ampalaya Pizza - It's not even that bitter! This is a surprising mix of salty and slight taste of bitterness but all in all, I loved it. This is a must try.
2. Margherita Pizza - I just love the taste of green herbs mixed with tomatoes and cheese
3. S'mores Pizza - chocolate, marshmallows and mango tidbits. 'nuff said!
While waiting for the last pizza to be served (the S'mores!!!), I was able to have a warm-up for my sweet tooth with this...
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| Mango Yogurt smoothie - yummy! |
For fear that we might have a cheese overdose with all the pizzas, the owner - Mr. Earl Palma, made a
pahabol for us. This usually comes before the main course but with us, food enthusiasts that we are, we didn't mind. Appetizers or not, good food is still good food.
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| Tuna Tataki (goof for 4) at Php320 |
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| Nachos grande (baked with cream fraiche, beans and jalapeno; good for 4) at Php360 |
This is the Finale for me (and Twinkle). I'm a coffee drinker but not half as discerning and critical as she was! She speaks coffee lingo and man, she's really good at it. We were able to enjoy half a cup (each) of the famous (and expensive!) Civet coffee. Civet or Alamid (as commonly known here in the Philippines) is made from the beans of coffee berries which was eaten and defecated by the nocturnal mammal. Once cleaned, sun dried and processed, Civet coffee lives up to it's reputation as the world's most expensive coffee with its sharp yet clean coffee taste. Coffee lovers must at least try this once in their lives.
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| The most expensive coffee ever! Civet coffee at Php360 per cup |
So who are these new found friends who shared these delicious feast with me that I was referring to earlier? Here they are.
Sauceria Restaurant was founded on the concept that healthful and natural food can taste better than the commercial preparations. MSG and artificial chemicals are a big no-no and the flavorful taste all comes from natural ingredients. Being the true artisan that they are, Sauceria (as I've mentioned earlier) makes everything from scratch! From yogurts to cultured creams, to mayos and even ketchup! Sauceria also support local farmers. They source out the products that they use from marginal and cottage businesses and even from forest dwellers for their civet coffee!
Overall, I'm giving Sauceria a 9 out of 10 stars. The food, ambience and pricing deserves a gold medal. The staffs were even friendly but the only catch was the time the food was served, which I understand is the result of the food being prepared and cooked as ordered. Read: A-R-T-I-S-A-N. Meaning: F-R-O-M S-C-R-A-T-C-H. Piece of advice, If you're in a hurry to eat, go to a fast food restaurant. But if you want to be on for a treat, eat at Sauceria. I tell you, it's worth the wait!
Sauceria Restaurant is located at 25 Boni Serrano Ave (fornerly Santolan) corner Sunrise Drive 1111, Quezon City
For questions, reservations and the like, you can email them at
sauceria@gmail.com or you can simply call (02) 584 3967
Like Sauceria on Facebook
HERE.
PS: Before leaving, I ordered a S'mores pizza to take home for the family but when I asked for the bill, Mr. Palma said that it's on the house. Aww… nothing beats kindness to cap off the day. As you can see, Sauceria is not just big on taste but also has a big heart. Thanks sir!
Thank you Sauceria! Thanks Chad! And oh, don't forget to check Chad's video blog! It's
ambushonline.tk
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