We celebrated my younger brother’s birthday at Neil’s Kitchen in Westgate, Alabang, who are famous for their Pinoy paellas–Sinigang with Grilled Pork Belly and Bagoong Paella with Kare-Kare.
Neil’s Kitchen is the recently-opened restaurant outlet of Chef Neil Ramos and partners. Chef Neil is best known for his catering business at The Hills at Silang. Another highlight of the restaurant is My Father’s Bookstore, a curated Christian bookstore by Ardy Roberto and Miriam Quiambao-Roberto.
Happy Birthday, Rommel! Here are some tips if you plan to organize a birthday treat at Neil’s Kitchen…
Neil’s Kitchen is located on the second floor, just above Bugsy’s in Westgate where Poquito Mas used to be.
Reserve the table near the windows with a nice elevated view of Westgate. You can also book the entire place for a private function.
(The menu is still limited since they’re on soft opening–Neil’s Kitchen Opening Menu)
Love the interiors of the bookstore, with an Instagram-ready yellow frame for your selfies and group shots after the meal.
The Christian bookstore is a passion project of Ardy and Miriam.
Spanish Tempura (P595 +10% service charge)
The tempura is bigger than the usual, with a heavier batter, and comes with aligue (crab fat) mayo sauce on the side. It was a bit oily though.
Boneless Chicken Barbeque (P395 +10% service charge). Photo above is 1.5 servings.
The flavor of the BBQ is good, but the chicken gets a bit tough when it cools down.
Chicken of the South “Alabang Fried Chicken” (P395 +10% service charge). Photo above is 1.5 servings.
Crispy Southern Fried Chicken with a thick gravy sauce–best eaten while hot.
✮ Fish Fillet with Tomato, Basil & Capers (P1,195 +10% service charge). Good for 4-5 people.
The fish was still soft and juicy–not overcooked–with a perfect blend of tomato, basil, and capers to balance the flavors. My mom loved this!
✮ Sinigang Paella with Grilled Pork Belly (P350 +10% service charge). Photo above is 2 orders.
The paella rice is yellow, with the sourness sinigang, best paired with the grilled flavors of the belly and crispy greens.
✮ Bagoong Paella with Kare-Kare (P395 +10% service charge). Photo above is 2 orders.
The bagoong rice is salty, balanced with the greens, onions, crispy garlic, and some nuts.
The bagoong paella pairs perfectly with the kare-kare with its thick, rich sauce and generous chunks of meat.
Paella Negra with Calamares (P395 +10% service charge). Single serving.
We ordered their squid ink paella, and it was a bit salty too. Best to stick with their signature paella.
✮ Fried Suman, Mangga, & Chocnut (P895 +10% service charge)
We ordered a birthday cake made from their signature dessert of mango gelatin, topped with chocnut and suman (sticky rice). You can ask them not to fry the suman to keep it soft and yummy.
Happy Birthday, Bro! My mom’s birthday wish for him is to get married this 2015. 🙂
We love the Bagoong Paella with Kare-Kare, the Sinigang Paella with Grilled Pork Belly, Fish Fillet with Tomato, Basil & Capers, and the Fried Suman, Mangga & Chocnut (a.k.a. the Temple of Mango Birthday Cake).
It’s best to order the paella ahead of time and ask for 2 servings for a group of 4-5 people. The Temple of Mango Birthday Cake also has to be pre-ordered if you want that served (bring your own candles).
I also love their sauces–from the BBQ sauce of the chicken to the Aligue sauce of the tempura and their Kare-Kare. We made the mistake of pre-ordering the chicken, so it was cooked before we arrived and cooled down right away, making the meat tough. The fried dishes are a bit oily and the serving sizes of the dishes can be a bit confusing.
Budget about P500-P800/head.
Overall, it’s a great place to celebrate a special occasion in the south, and if you’re in the mood for some yummy paella. 🙂
NEIL’S KITCHEN
Lot C 701 and 704 Westgate Filinvest, 1770 Alabang Muntinlupa City
Telephone: +632 710-8962
Mobile: +63 928 524-7404 / +63 917 830-0190
Email: neils.kitchen@yahoo.com
Facebook: Neil’s Kitchen
Live an Awesome Life,
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Disclosures: We paid for our meal. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.
P.S. My brother is still single and ready to mingle. Kai Siao anyone? 😀
Went to Neil’s because of this post. 😀 Thanks Anton! 😀 See you around ^__^