It was Shane’s birthday, so we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at one of the most famous restaurants in Marikina, Rustic Mornings. This is my quick review on our experience.
The last time I was here was probably back in 2016. Since then, they’ve changed location across the street where their old parking was. It’s a bigger place now, with a dedicated events space.
It still had the same, homely and peaceful vibe. I was impressed with how they managed to clone the place at a new location. The ambience truly is one of the big draws to this place.
While there were a lot of seats open when we arrived, it’s still a good decision to phone ahead and get a reservation. They usually entertain the guests in waves throughout the day so it’s good to know if you made it in time for the current wave or if you have to wait for the next one.
I can’t remember what I had last time so it’s as if I’m having their food for the first time. We ordered multiple dishes meant for sharing. One by one, they started to arrive at our table.
Our appetizer was their Cobb Salad. I loved this one and it’s now my top 2 salad after Cyma’s Roka Salata.
There were some soft and juicy pieces of chicken complemented by the bleu cheese dressing. The vegetables blended well with each other and produced different textures. I like how each ingredient gave off its own flavor without overpowering the others. This was a good start to the meal.
Our main meal started off with the Truffled Mushroom Cream Pasta. When Shane, Mama, and I get together, you can be sure that we’re ordering the truffle pasta.
This was so creamy. Emphasis on the cream. The sauce was so thick and covered the pasta noodles completely. Despite the creaminess of it, the flavor was not too overwhelming.
While not as strong as other truffle pastas I’ve had, it had the right amount of flavor to keep you coming back for more.
My only gripe was that the accompanying garlic bread was mediocre. It easily turned leathery and wasn’t flavorful. I just used it to mop up the remaining cream from the plate. 😋
Our next dish was the Arugula, Prosciutto, and Parmigiano Pizza. This is another pizza flavor we enjoy for its simplicity. And this particular one didn’t disappoint.
This was one of the softest and fluffiest crusts I’ve ever had from a pizza. It’s not what I’d consider a thin crust pizza, but the bread was so pleasant to chew on, I could do with more of this.
The prosciutto and the cheese blend so well with each other and the parts where the parmigiana melted had a wonderful melted cheese texture. The prosciutto was generously thick and the arugula was also plentiful. Definitely more than one leaf per slice.
This is a pizza well worth its price and the accompanying chili honey dip took it to the next level. My favorite part was dipping the crust in it.
Our last dish for sharing was the Honey Garlic Chicken. It was a choice between this and the buffalo wings so we couldn’t really lose no matter what we got.
The breading was fluffy and crispy, you can tell it’s a high quality fried chicken. The insides were also very juicy, even the parts made from breast meat. There was no dryness at all.
The honey garlic sauce was placed sparingly which means the chicken isn’t completely coated. The sauce was very savory and tangy, so there was no need for a lot. The sauce reminded me of Sabong’s Honey Bagoong Chicken which is a delicious chicken dish to be reminded by.
The servings were large and even with the three of us, we still had some leftover for take out. Eating the chicken after being microwaved is no problem because it remained soft and juicy even after a couple of days in the fridge.
We ordered some drinks as well. I had their Hot Chocolate which tasted just like Swiss Miss. I’m quite biased because I prefer hot chocolate that’s thick and even a bit bitter. A cup where I could really taste the cacao is ideal.
Shane had the Fresh Mango Juice and this one was too sour. At least we knew that they used fresh fruits and added no sweeteners. But sometimes fresh fruits can be a hit or miss with their flavor. This was a miss.
We couldn’t not order dessert after this delicious meal, so Mama ordered the Watermelon Sorbet. Not a lot to say about this one. It tasted exactly like watermelon if it was frozen and blended.
I like watermelon so this was a sure win for me. Though I guess they added some simple syrup because it was a bit too sweet to be all natural fruit. This was a very refreshing end to the meal.
To end things on a good note, they gave Shane a free scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream because it was her birthday! What a kind gesture. I ended up eating most of it though. It was very sweet and best enjoyed with some waffles. 🤔
Rustic Mornings by Isabelo is famous in Marikina and rightfully so. Their dishes are delicious and well made plus the experience of dining at such a beautiful place is rare in the metro. The nature, plants, and pottery give off a very tranquil vibe and is a great afternoon escape from the busy city.
If you haven’t eaten here yet, I would very much recommend it as long as you can get a reservation. Plus, it was only during this visit that I found out that they actually served customers for the whole day! I thought they closed after breakfast, hence the name “Rustic Mornings”.
Rustic Mornings by Isabelo
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08:00AM to 04:00PM Mondays to Thursdays
08:00AM to 06:00PM Fridays to Sundays
11 Isabelo Mendoza St.,
San Roque, Marikina City
Thanks for reading this review and as usual, recommendations are very much welcome!
Stay safe and keep eating!
-jgzn
Jai Online 