The word, "grand" is on-point. An elegant old world facade greeted us and it is truly a sight to behold. And to think I was a bit apprehensive since we passed by dark and deserted streets before reaching our destination. Really, I'm quite excited to enter the door.
Colorful furniture and metal and wood interiors greeted us. It was quite nice actually although hubby was expecting an old world feel. The staff are very friendly and ready to answer questions as well as give suggestions on what to order.
For starters, we ordered Thai Beef Salad (P230) which was good for sharing. It was delicious and had generous slices of grilled beef which was tender and seasoned perfectly. The slices of capsicum was puzzling since it doesn't agree with the lettuce, mango, cucumber, and the Thai dressing which was a combination of sweet, salty and sour flavors. It would have tasted better if it has some chilis in it for that added oomph! The serving size though can pass as a meal already especially if one is trying to maintain a small waistline (not me).
Hubby was fond of seafood so he got Calamari (P380) but since it doesn't come with plain rice (P50) so we ordered a serving for him. The calamari was nicely fried and it was still crunchy when it was served to us. The squid though doesn't taste that fresh or maybe it was frozen.
I've been craving for some Pasta Negra (P430) lately lucky because they have it on the menu. Now this is good. The noodle is cooked al dente and I love the squid ink sauce which is not really messy as compared with other restos that serve pasta negra. The shrimp and squid that came with the pasta doesn't look appealing but tastes okay. Serving portion is good for one but I wasn't able to finish it and shared it with the hubby.
We had a slice of Caramel Cake (P120) for dessert since the lovely cakes on the counter has been calling my name since we entered the restaurant. This caramel cake is not sweet and I love that the cake itself is fluffy and not the airy kind. This is perfect with coffee but hubby is not in the mood to order.
Forgot to take photo of the menu! Haha reason to go back? Prices though are somewhat geared towards fine dining. They don't included service charge on the total bill so be sure to add some for the staff.
Overall, it was a nice dining experience since the place was very Instagram-friendly and that includes the food itself. The staff are very attentive also when it comes to refilling our glass with water. Thumbs up!
1919 Grand Cafe
117 Juan Luna Street
Binondo, Manila
(02) 4297068