Sentro 1771: Sensational Sinigang na Corned Beef

OpenRice is taking me places. First, it was the Hong Kong trip, which I've only started writing about, and now it's something a bit closer to home, or since it's a place of good Filipino food, a lot closer to home.

Right at the center, or "sentro", of Greenbelt 3.

After a boring hour-long taxi ride from BGC, I found my way to Greenbelt. I had to start walking from Ayala Triangle due to the insane traffic. Haha. I was late to the event, but most were more late, so I didn't miss anything. It was fun seeing Edel aka The Kitchen Goddess, who I went with to Hong Kong for the OpenRice event, as well as meeting her blogger friends, Heidie of OpenRice, and Angelica of the Chateau group. Sentro 1771, and a couple other establishments including Chateau (obviously), are a part of that group. I have not tried Chateau yet, but I've had happy dinners at Sentro in Serendra before.

While waiting for the others, we started talking a bit, and spend our time snacking on the appetizers (perhaps a bit too much).

B2B Sticks, P150.00

Skewered and grilled organic chicken gizzards cooked adobo-style.
B2B is not the latest technology, nor the newest popular boyband. In a fancy way, it simply stands for balun-balunan, or chicken gizzard. Lucky for me, I love gizzard! This was chewy and garlicky goodness.

Garlic Mushrooms with Chicharon, P320.00

Button mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and garlic, topped with pork cracklings.
Pretty straightforward. No fancy names here! Not a fan of non-bulaklak chicharon, but this was pretty normal, I guess. The mushrooms were so soft and tasted great.

Macau Chorizo and Cheese Tidbits, P240.00

Mini spring rolls filled with Macau chorizo, shallots and keso de bola.
With chorizo and queso de bola, how can you go wrong? Lumpiang Shanghai never seemed so boring. Not a fan of vinegar, I ate this alone and I liked it. I was snacking on this appetizer until before dessert. Haha. Despite the usually salty chorizo and queso de bola, I found the flavor here to be just right.

If you visit the Greenbelt branch, chances are you'll encounter this nifty new menu.

Selecting your dinner or a shade of paint for your house?

I bet it's fun to randomly select your meal, huh? Haha. When everyone was done braving Makati traffic and we were all complete, the main dishes were served.

Sauteed Lengua with Mushroom Salpicao, P550.00

Tender-to-the-bite ox tongue lightly fried in olive oil and topped with seasoned mushrooms.
Who doesn't love lengua??? Well, many people, but I am one of the few who love it. I enjoyed the soft texture and the garlic-infused mushroom taste.

Two-Egg Ampalaya Crepe, P150.00

Sauteed bitter melon on an egg crepe, topped with salted duck egg.
Ampalaya anything is never appealing to me, but this crepe was alright. It was surprisingly not bitter at all, and it was an interesting combination.

Arroz a la Valenciana, P300.00

Philippine-style paella in which rice is cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, chicken, pork and bell peppers.
Fish Photobomb! This reminded me of the kapampangan dish Bringhe, with coconut milk and sticky rice. Actually, I think this is that very dish! I like it and it's something new, but if I were to compare, it's quite far from the wonderful diverse seafood flavor of regular paella. This is something to enjoy in a much simpler way.

Camote Cups, P240.00

Carved sweet potato filled with stir-fried cabbage, Baguio beans and carrots.
This is basically fresh lumpia, which is in camote instead of lumpia wrapper. It even came with fresh lumpia peanut sauce. It wasn't overly tasty, but I really enjoyed eating every piece of this, from the filling to the firm camote cups. It doesn't hurt that this is healthy food, too!

Sinigang na Corned Beef, P595.00

"You've got to try it to believe it!" Corned beef short plate and boneless beef shanks in tamarind broth with native vegetables.
The star of every Sentro dinner. I've had this a couple of times already and it is good each time. The meat is so soft and they come in huge delicious chunks. When you normally order this, they usually give you a sample of the broth so you can have it flavored just the way you want it. Too salty? Not sour enough? No problem!

Dessert!

Unfortunately, I soon had to head back to the office and take care of some things, so I was not able to stay long after the dessert came. I just took a quick taste and headed off, but not before saying goodbye and taking a quick picture below.

The leche flan, salted egg, and queso de bola made an interesting combination, while the fried suman and mango and banana tart were also really good. When eating at a Filipino restaurant, I usually skip dessert, but I think Sentro is a good exception.

With Edel and Angelica

I am happy to have been invited to this fun dinner, especially since now I get a chance to finally blog about the place! I've enjoyed several dinners here during the pre-Savvy about Nothing era. Haha. Based on the good food they have here, I really ought to try out Chateau now, don't I? :)

Love Sentro 1771? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!

Menu:
Specialty of the House, Sentro Signature Dishes, Pica-Pica
Spring Rolls, A La Sentro, Filipino Favorites
Home Cooking, Inihaw (Grilled), Iba't Ibang Adobo
Vegetables and Salads, Rice



SENTRO 1771
2/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center,
Esperanza St., Makati City
(02) 757-3941 / +63917-8660449
Operating Hours: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Facebook: SENTRO 1771
Twitter: @Sentro1771
Website: http://sentro1771.net/


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