It was nice to have a shoot with Angel Aquino for the Us Girls Blogging Episode that will be aired tonight. She interviewed me about food blogging and Our Awesome Planet, while I interviewed her on her food preferences and restaurant favorites.
Angel was very nice and down-to-earth. I often watched her foodie reviews on the F show and now Us Girls. She disclosed to me how hard it is sometimes to do a restaurant feature when the owners themselves are watching during a shoot. Now I understand why the reaction is always positive when they would taste the food.
It was hard to choose a restaurant for the OAP segment because I wanted to do the Us Girls shoot during one of our actual food trips where we will have to pay for our food. Most of the restaurants I wanted to try during that time did not give us permission to shoot. We decided to revisit Fluke, which we like because of its home-cooking and cream puff goodies by Mrs. Palanca. They gave us permission to shoot and they sponsored the food for the Us Girls segment.
Fried Eggplant (P185). Slices of deep-fried parmesan-crusted eggplant.
Angel loved this fried eggplant appetizer because of the crispy cheese crust contrasted with the soft eggplant texture inside. I loved it too except that it costs P23/small eggplant slice.
Chicken Lollipops (P155). Served with a “special, must-try Japanese dipping sauce.”
Fried chicken shaped like a lollipop with Japanese Vinaigrette as a sauce instead of the usual sweet sauce.
Mushroom Soup (P100).
We loved the mushroom soup this time around. It has improved completely from Campbell Soup with Skyflakes when they opened (see Fluke, a Stroke of Luck) to Fresh Mushroom Soup with 2 pieces of Garlic Bread with lots of Garlic bits…
Here are some foodie trivia about Angel Aquino:
1. She avoids eating beef and pork except during the Tablescape show with Chef Bruce Lim.
2. She likes simple food and restos because she is often disappointed by the high-end dining places in Manila.
3. She likes Som’s Thai resto in Rockwell and Chef Chris Locher’s Panizza.
4. She highly recommends Cafe Uno as her favorite resto in the Tomas Morato area. I have to try it.
5. When you dine at Chef Bruce’s Kitchen Table, you can request the special menu he created for Angel Aquino.
For someone who is exposed to most or all the best foodie places in the Philippines, I was surprised by her simplicity. I’m now a Fan. 🙂
Mini Hamburger Sandwich – 3 pcs. (P105).
We heard that the burger in Fluke is better than the burgers at Burger Avenue in A.Venue Mall, so we ordered it. I did not notice the difference… This is the only beef that Angel tasted during the entire shoot.
Three-Cheese Lasagna (P310). Homemade noodles with layers of rich meat and white sauce plus mozzarella, parmesan and edam cheese.
This is Fluke’s absolute bestseller, and Angel agrees. The actual pasta is homemade by Mrs. Palanca every day. It is baked with three layers of cheese. A bit oily though but definitely yummy.
Iberian Chicken (P235). Spanish-style chicken baked in olive oil and seasoning.
Angel decided to eat the chicken instead of the beef dishes.
Fluke’s mechado is like plain steak in tomato sauce.
Beef Salpicao (P255). Grilled beef cubes aged in special homemade marinade.
This is my choice of beef — tender and soaked in a tasty marinade.
Kaldereta (P225). Spicy beef braised in savory tomato sauce.
Cricket Palanca Chen, Aidan’s Natural Medicine doctor and one of the owners, recommended the Kaldereta.
Cream Puffs (P60). Their bestseller! Custard-filled puffs covered with caramelized sugar.
We ended our Fluke meal with their signature cream puff that is crispy outside because of the caramelized sugar but super soft inside because of the custard.
It is best to eat it with one big bite. The cream puff just “explodes” in your mouth with different kinds of textures and tastes.
Eclairs (P60). Delightful puffs topped with yummy chocolate.
Angel preferred the cream puff over the eclairs because of the crispy caramelized sugar.
Thank you to Angel Aquino and Us Girls for the feature on Our Awesome Planet! It was a super fun shoot. 🙂
Overall, we loved it except that we think it should have been located outside the mall with a more homey ambiance and a more appetizing name. 🙂
Fluke!
Cuisine from Home
Inside A.Venue Mall, Makati
Telephone: +632 728 0857
Check out the complete Fluke Menu.
Live An Awesome Life,
I find it funny that the restos did not want to give you permission to shoot. Was it because it meant closing the resto for you?
Wow that’s awesome! lumelevel na talaga ang OAP! Two thumbs UP!
Great Report Anton…Now I need some tissue to wipe the drool off my keyboard.
hi anton. i passed by Cafe Uno early this evening and they are closed. dunno if it’s for good or just for renovation.
wow your food is yummy mmmmhhhhhmmmm
It was great seeing you there and catching up after so long! 🙂
Hehe, although I hardly watch games I caught this one simply because it was on before Us Girls…what an exciting game! So close!
i saw this episode in US girls last night…yummy food pics 🙂
cafe uno in tomas morato is usually closed during sundays. but i’d have to agree, it is yummy! go there during fridays coz the bread of the day is butter logs, which is an absolute must-try!
I miss Uno! Since I got married and moved to Alabang, I havent been there. It was my family’s go-to place when we didn’t have food and wanted to eat out. Since we lived in the area for a time, we went there often. Their breads are freshly made daily. And the menu always changes… You should try it 🙂
Thanks for sharing your comments on Cafe Uno. Angel said nga that the breads are really fresh and good. Thanks Mrs Kookie! I'll check it out…
Thanks! I'll check it out on a weekday then 🙂
Thanks for the comment Liezl!
Haha! Nakakagutom nga when I was blogging about it 🙂
Yeah medjo magugulo ata yung resto and since most of them closes at 2pm, they would have to ask some staff to stay behind…. oh well…
you should have tried their crispy shredded pork adobo… it’s so yummy!
I thought I ordered all the best seller, di pa pala… thanks for sharing!
the fact that angel or perhaps any of the other US girls can’t give out honest opinions during restaurant reviews (or any other forms of service) because “the owners are there” is unfortunate, if service/food is inadequate they should inform the audience even if food was sponsored.
the fried eggplant is likely expensive because freshly grated parmesan is normally needed to allow the cheese to melt and meld. the pre-grated stuff you get in canisters are too dry and has added preservatives to keep it from clumping together and to keep it tasting somewhat fresh.
slab parmesan is a tad expensive… but it’s easy enough to make the same dish at home. i would suggest baking it in an oven though… less oil. or bake til crispy flattened mounds of freshly grated parmesan… YUMMY!
ah, makes sense… I'll try it at home nga… it is really an interesting combination 🙂
Well.. aside from the food we all love Angel LOL =)
angel is gorgeous!
hi anton,
where is avenue mall and how do I get there from Ayala?
Thanks!
Wow! Angel still looks as good as ever! She looks like Padma Lakshmi on one the photo with you.
Cream puffs are just to die for at Fluke! But there are times that they are out of stock, its that popular already! Best to check with the store if you plan to take it out 🙂
she looks like a man to me.
Why would somebody name a restaurant (or any business for that matter) fluke?
Yeah I know. I think it is a wrong choice of restaurant name…
had to stay for a week at A.venue suites and fluke was one of my favorite restaurants at the mall. other faves were foccacia and three sixty. the lotus fried rice at three sixty was really good.
Hello I tried to look for this restau but found out it’s closed already.