This is a good review to do since I’ve talked about restaurants in Tagaytay in my previous posts. Sanctuario actually originated from Tagaytay as well but they recently set up shop here in Manila. I was very pleasantly surprised to find out just this evening that they have a branch at mecca of pirated DVD’s – Metrowalk, Ortigas! Sanctuario is a pleasant reprieve of classic and timeless Filipino classics compared to the usual noisy and a bit rowdy bars in Metrowalk. Sanctuario is cozy, quiet, and warm which makes it really stand out. In Tagaytay, Sanctuario was known for their Bulalo Soup, Lamb Chops, bread, and fresh salads. Let’s put them to the test!

QUICKIE FACT SHEET
Name: Sanctuario (Originally from Tagaytay)
Location: Metrowalk, Ortigas
Type: Filipino Food
Price Range (per dish): P100 – P300

Full review after the jump.

First, let me send a shout out to my Tita Toots who was the one who sponsored the dinner. Hahaha! It’s a good thing she treated me out since I’ve been thinking of what to post next for this blog. Thanks Tita! j00 Rock!

Anyway, on to the review. I’ll start off with the Bulalo Soup. What is it with Tagaytay Bulalo recipes? They all taste so good! However I will go out of a limb here and say that Sanctuario’s Bulalo Soup trumps all the other Bulalo dishes I’ve tasted in terms of flavor. There wasn’t too much meat since the emphasis is on the soup and not on the actual Bulalo. Note that other from the vegetables and the meat, they also added noodles to the mix which is actually very nice. Up next is the main course of the evening – the Lamb Chops.

This dish costs P260 and it comes already with side salad. Before I go on to the actual chops, let me talk about the salad. I’ve never really been a fan of greens but I decided to take a taste since the salad looked so fresh and OMG – it was delicious. Whatever dressing they used there really makes your taste buds swim in pleasure. For the actual chops, I’ve tasted a lot of grilled lamb before and I often find myself disliking it because of the rough meat and the rather stingy aftertaste. However, Sanctuario’s Lamb Chops really lives up to the hype. It tastes really good and it’s just cooked well enough for it not to by rubbery.

Other than the Lamb Chops and the Bulalo, I also tried their Clam Chowder soup. Normally the problem with Clam Chowder is that the cream and milk overpowers the seafood taste that your after. It’s good that Sanctuario didn’t fall to this trap. I absolutely loved the Clam Chowder and my only problem with it is that it costs P100, hahaha.

Sanctuario’s decision to expand to Manila is an excellent move. Given the right marketing, they’ll definitely make it big here because of the really good quality of food combined with the rather reasonable price. They have several rice meals there that cost P120-P150. My only complaint is that they picked a really weird spot in Metrowalk. It’s beside the Pleasure Place – you know the shop that sells sex toys.

SUMMARY

Rating Card
1 – Waste of money
2 – Satisfactory – just okay. Nothing special
3 – Wow, something to remember.
4 – OMGWTFBBQ I WANT MOREZZ PLZZ

FOOD QUALITY: 4
DISH PRICES VS QUALITY: 3
CUSTOMER SERVICE: 3
RESTAURANT CLEANLINESS: 3
RESTAURANT OVER-ALL RATING: 3.25

Perfect for family and especially couples. I can imagine myself having calming and relaxing dinners here in the future together with my girlfriend. I can’t explain it but I can actually de-stress just by sitting and eating at Sanctuario. Must be the name, hahaha!