Bowler’s Pork Chops (P345 +10%sc). Old-English chops baked to perfection, topped with apple-sage sauce. Served with roasted vegetables, choice of mashed potatoes or rice pilaf.
We usually eat out as a family but, occasionally, we dine out with different foodies in Manila. We met one of the coolest foodie groups last night — Lomo Manila’s Happy Eaters. We were supposed to meet in the latest chocolate place and go-karting destination in the heart of Makati but both establishments had some delays in opening. We ended up at Bowler’s Restaurant, an English Pub/watering hole with a fine dining ambiance and menu.
Bowler Menu: Starters, Soup, Salad, Entrees | Pasta, Pizza, Dessert, Pies, Drinks
The ambiance is dark, a bit serious, and projects an after-office watering hole feel. We did not notice the background music much, so it was a conducive place to chat. I heard the food gets mixed reviews and that it is just a cool place to hang out.
Lomo Manila’s Happy Eaters Couple – Zel and Corn.
We all ordered entrees — the serving size is big enough to share. Usually, in gatherings like this, we would end up ordering one entree each and then share some of it with the others who want to try different food.
Sausage Platter (P335 +10%sc). Grilled Hungarian, German & garlic sausages topped with caramelized onions & honey lemon mustard dressing, served with house-made coleslaw, mashed potatoes or rice pilaf.
Corn ordered the sausage, and it was wiped out immediately.
Bowler’s Fish Fillet (P375 +10%sc). Baked fish fillet wrapped in bacon, topped with lemon mayonnaise, served with roasted vegetables & choice of mashed potatoes or rice.
Zel ordered the fish fillet, which she did not really like. The mashed potatoes had a rice-ish texture and were a bit bland.
Meet Happy Eaters Mon, Bam, Zoe, and Lianne. Mon is the one who organizes the Happy Eaters meet.
We met Ruby and some of the Lomo Pips when we did a Havaianas shoot in Anawangin, Zambales…
Bowler’s Fish and Chips (P395 +10%sc). Beer-battered, golden brown fish fillet served with house-made coleslaw. Choice of cider vinegar or tartar sauce.
The Fish and Chips entree was highly recommended, and it was indeed very good! The fish was quite tasty and the bread-like crispy covering was cooked very well. We regret ordering the mashed potatoes instead of the chips. Being an English Pub, Bowler has to have very good Fish & Chips. 🙂
For the first time, Aidan decided to stay at home because he told us he has a lot of things to do. This was the first time Aidan decided to be independent and just stay at home. Joshua, on the other hand, was very eager to go out and join us. Joshua is becoming cuter every day and is starting to have his own antics.
Irish Carbonade (P395 +10%sc). Traditional beef stew in Irish stout, served with roasted vegetables & choice of mashed potatoes or rice pilaf.
We also ordered the funky-sounding Irish Carbonade. It was quite unique — the meat was very soft, but sadly, the taste did not deliver on its promise. Maybe Irish food really tastes this way, a bit bland? (Would you know?)
Meet Happy Eaters Bong, Fifi, and Rollie. Bong is the leader of Lomo Manila and we met Rollie also in our Anawangin shoot.
Risa & Brazilian boyfriend Luis came in a little later.
Luis is a member of a non-profit organization called Up with People where they would bring young people (ages 18-29) from different nationalities and expose them to different cultures. For the third year, the Up with People group is coming over for a one-month stay in the Philippines from March 18 to April 19, 2010.
They are still looking for host families who could provide “a place for the student(s) to sleep, breakfast and most dinners, as well as an open environment to share customs and culture”. The transportation to the daily activities of the students will be provided by Up with People. They already have host families for 80 students, and if you are interested, you can still volunteer until Saturday.
Call Luis Petzhold, the tour manager for Up with People Asia, at +63 915 287 5556.
Bowler is recommended if you want to unwind with your friends over fish & chips. I wouldn’t go here just for the food because it has mixed reviews. A lot of restaurants seem to be opening in Manila, but most of them have ho-hum food…
Bowler Restaurant
Ground Floor, Paseo Parkview Suites
(Beside La Cuisine Francaise)
Valero corner Sedeno St., Makati City
Telephone: +632 894-3589
Visit www.bowlerrestobar.com
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P.S. It was nice meeting you guys! I can’t wait for our Chocolate & Go-Kart session to push through! 🙂
hi, where is this new go kart place in makati?
It is somewhere in Park Square 🙂
thank you. when will it open? 🙂
I will let you know, it was suppose to open soon but the date gets pushed back.
Anton
Hi Anton,
We ate there just last Friday and my boyfriend and I both had the porkchops. Sadly, mine was a little tough while his was really soft. The food is really nothing special, maybe this is in keeping with English food being generally bland?
But the place is quite nice though, not festive enough for a girls night but still with its own gentlemanly charm:p
Hi Anton!
I met Luis and Risa a few Sundays ago when they went to our church to talk about their NGO and to look for host families. I’m glad that you featured them here. =)
I wanted to host a family but we learned about this too late. It would be nice to host students from other cultures for a month. Thanks for sharing your encounter.
Hi Anton. I was there last week. My cousin, Day Salonga of MonDay Chefs is one of their consultants. I tried the Bowler’s Lamb Stew and Chicken Tagine. I like the lamb coz it’s so soft. I gave my feedback to Day on the chicken. I’m sure he will read your blog and your feedback. I know he also recently became a consultant of Conti’s.
Take care and God bless.
Regards,
Mimi
I think its a nice place to visit when I visit Manila this April for the blogging convention….
Hi anton
The place and the food look very inviting…gotta try this one of these days!!!
Some friends suggested meeting and dining at Bowler’s. Is this restaurant smoke-free, or do they allow smoking at the bar? I will not go if they allow smoking indoors, which is also against the law.