The Flying Pig (G/F Eastwood Mall)
A week after dining Red Crab’s BluFish, we went on to try its sister establishment out. The Flying Pig is the second restaurant to open at the new Eastwood Mall, and features (as the name implies) pork dishes. The concept of these twinbill bistros is that you can order from the other place’s selections, thus complementing the menu.
So how does it hold up in my book? Here goes.
An improvement over the first dining experience at BluFish: they now give a complimentary bread basket, with a cream pesto dip
I had the Iced Tea Riviera (P80) for my drink, which is a concoction with mango. Do not order this unless you enjoy the taste of Nutroplex syrup. I didn’t like it at all — wish I had ordered their house blend iced tea instead.
The Fried Oysters Rockefeller (P225) tasted good, but was kinda small and was already not hot when served. The crisp outer crust complements the oyster’s soft and creamy texture. Nonetheless, I would have loved a bigger portion, and served hot.
The gang reordered the Lobster and Prawn Risotto (P365) from BluFish, which we had the week before and liked. I noticed that this plate had a smaller prawn than the one from our last visit, and did not come with a slice of lime. It was still just as good though — proof that a simple, consistent recipe works all the time.
I liked the Smoked Sausages (P495 for 4 pieces), but the yummy side dish stole the show for me. The Salted Bacon Basmati Rice was fragrant and soft, and goes well with the meat and fish dishes herein.
Here’s another dish from BluFish, the Moroccan Sea Bass (P760 for 800g). It is a Visayan sea bass steamed with lemon doukah spice and roasted vegetable couscous stuffing. I liked this dish better than the Baked Sea Bass with Wild Mushrooms, as it had a fuller taste from the spices and was less filling.
We ordered this this at BluFish the week before but got served something else, so this time they got it right and served us the correct dish. The Lager Braised Kurobota Pig Cheek (P495) was served with salted pork and leek risotto and veggies.
Lastly, we had a half slab of Baby Back Ribs (P388), served with Cajun Pomme Frites. The ribs were tender and well-cooked, and had a strong smoky flavor. It is also priced at 20-30% cheaper than the half-slab ribs dishes of Outback and Tony Roma’s, which makes it quite a good alternative.
Setting. With bright red walls and furniture, fancy airplane
lamps, and pig-themed artwork, this place is quirky in a casual way –
reminiscent of kooky theme restos like Holy Cow in Trinoma. Good for groups and families.
We noticed a marked improvement in their service than our earlier visit to BluFish. Other than the standard complementary bread basket, the servers were more attentive and attuned to our needs this time — patiently taking our order (without leaving our table while we dilly-dally), refilling our water glasses, busing our empty plates. Still, there were traces of that harried feel in the way the servers moved about, but that might be because they were just on their first week of opening during our visit.
Price. We paid around P600 each for the above meal, making this one of the cheaper dinners we’ve had recently. Quite a good value considering how full we were after dinner, but do note that we skipped dessert here.
Overall verdict. The twinbill bistro concept of The Flying Pig and BluFish is a very promising concept. The Red Crab management should consider continually training their staff to make their service more exceptional if it intends to exist alongside other soon-to-open establishments. If you’re in the Eastwood area looking for a good mid-tier dining place, it would be worth to check out these establishments and order from the shared menu.
The Flying Pig
Level 1, Eastwood Mall, Eastwood City Libis, Quezon City
Tel. #: +63 2 900 0886
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We’ve tried this and honestly we’re not sure how it will cope with the likes of Cyma Cafe Isabel and even Italianis… they dont offer anything unique other than the fancy interior concept… sayang since Red Crab usually impresses as with Crustasia Thai Shrimp House in Shang and Clawdaddy American Picnic at High St
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