I’ve always just passed Sentro 1771 by whenever I get to Greenbelt. There doesn’t seem to be a lot in its store facade to attract me as a potential diner, until it was hailed by my foodie colleague as her favorite Filipino restaurant. Let’s see if my dining experience lives up to the Chateau 1771 brand.

Setting. Dark and glum-looking from the outside, the dining areas were surprisingly well-lit — thus providing ample lighting for my photos. Accented with wooden furniture and comfortable seats, the place (and its food servings) is conducive for dining families and groups.

They obviously don’t offer much for their complimentary appetizer.

We had a plate of Fried Kesong Puti (P250) — Organic native white cheese, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried
until golden brown. Served with sweet chili guava sauce (which I liked better) and garlic dip.

My drink: Green Legs (P120) — a refreshing concoction of green mango and dalanghita

Rated GG (P230) — Galunggong fillets fried in garlic, oil, and topped with browned garlic

Gindara Escabeche (P280) — Pan-fried gindara fillets cooked in a sweet vinegar sauce with a mild garlic ginger flavor
Sinigang na Corned Beef (P420) — their house specialty — corned beef short ribs and boneless shanks in tamarind broth with native vegetables. Very tasty — a must-try.

In contrast, the Spinach and Glass Noodles (P220) was bland and overrated (it was pimped as a signature dish)

Sentro’s Bagoong Rice (P280) — rice fried with garlic and bagoong served with slices of grilled Macau chorizo and beef tapa and topped with omelet strips. Not bad, but not the best bagoong rice I’ve had.

Aloha Squash (P180) — Hawaiian palm and squash sauteed with ginger and garlic and cooked in coconut milk

Boneless Crispy Trotter (P480) — deboned crispy pata. It had the consistency and look of lechon de leche.

I have forgotten two things about our dessert: its name, and its taste. Hehe.
Service was quite standard and acceptable all throughout the meal, until the server committed a major boo-boo by giving us another table’s change after we paid the bill. Good thing we were honest people (the change was about P1000 more than ours — it was for another table). Price range is at the mid-range, at around P900-P1000 per head.

Overall verdict. While I enjoyed this major feast of a dinner, I don’t think Sentro 1771 can count as my favorite Filipino restaurant. The majority of what we’ve tried did not register as particularly memorable to me. Still, there are some must-try dishes that would make a trip worthwhile.

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