Krazy Garlik: Garlic Overload at Greenbelt 5

If you've been a reader for a while, you probably know that the beau is very picky with his vegetables. In fact, he doesn't even eat the salad sidings included in most of his meals. Fortunately though, there's one veggie he's crazy about -- garlic. So when we found ourselves in Greenbelt one weekend, we headed straight to Krazy Garlik for dinner.

Located in Greenbelt 5, Krazy Garlik is another concept restaurant from The Bistro Group. Unlike most of their chains though, Krazy Garlik is an original concept which stemmed from the Filipino's love for garlic. And while I admit the beau is a bigger fan of garlic than I am, I can't deny that I too love the distinct, mildly savory taste of this glorious bulb. So although it was both our first time at the restaurant, you can bet we're excited!

Krazy Garlik's facade looks bright and inviting despite being a little fast food-ish. However, we weren't prepared for the interior when we walked in. While I like the bistro ambiance of the place, I find the tables a little too close to one another making the aisles too small to easily pass through. When the sun had also set, the restaurant's lighting seemed to have transformed into a dark resto-pub's which I find too gloomy for such a fun garlic-themed dining place. Moving on though, we were here for the food anyway so I'll stop nitpicking the interior and get on with what we had for our evening meal.

I told you earlier the beau doesn't really eat a lot of veggies, so I attempted making him have some by ordering this plate of Stuffed Pechay (P295) as both a meal starter and an entrée. And while I slightly succeeded as he got about 3 pieces, it was me who finished off the whole thing as I just dig the creamy and savory coco-chili sauce. The ground pork and smoked fish filling was good too, but it was the sauce that won me over.

We then had the 40 Kloves Chicken (Regular P395) which is one of the restaurant's bestsellers. Even before we got a taste of this chicken dish, it already garnered a good impression as it smelled so good when the waiter served the plate on our table. And while the skin was quite crispy and the meat was cooked to a moist and tender goodness, I feel like it lacked more garlic. I know, I know, this was already simmered in 40 cloves. However taste-wise, I think it'd be better if it had a stronger garlic flavor.

For carbs, we had the Hara-Kiri Rice (To-Share P375) which is a spicy fried rice with chilies, squid, shrimp and bacon. Although this rice dish seems fairly simple, I loved it to bits! It was savory and hot at the same time. It perfectly goes well with the Stuffed Pechay's coco-chili cream too. Oh, and for non-spicy dish fans, this tastes really spicy when eaten on its own, but becomes far more tolerable when eaten with any viands.

The beau originally wanted to have pasta but got indirectly discouraged by me. So to make up for it, I just thought we'd try the Snowflakes Pizza (P495) which had a house special creamy base with shrimps, pineapple slices and garlic flakes. Although the beau doesn't really dig pineapples, he loved this subtle garlic-flavored pizza. I myself enjoyed my slices too. The garlic taste wasn't as strong as I would've wanted, but it works.

Now, before I get on with the desserts, let me tell you that what made our Krazy Garlik dinner even better are their condiments. Every table has a garlic-soy sauce, a chili garlic-soy sauce and some crispy garlic bits. I think this is not only meant to make the dishes more flavorful generally but to heighten the garlic taste on every item based on the diner's preference. And you know what, the beau and I both love Krazy Garlik for this!

For a sweet ending, we first had the Crema Catalana (P195), a Spanish-style crème brûlée with a garlic twist. Yes people, those are 5 cloves of sweetened garlic right there! Generally, this is a good take on crème brûlée. It was soft, smooth, sweet and had that perfect crispy torched top. And while the beau was the bigger garlic fan, he didn't like the sweetened garlic. I found them good though especially when eaten with the custard.

We also got the Banana Cream Pie (P225), the beau's choice of dessert made from bananas, dulce de leche and cream, on a bed of crumbled graham crust, then drizzled with chocolate and caramel syrup. While the beau got totally excited upon seeing his sweet treat served on our table, he wasn't too happy upon his first bite. I too had the same reaction. The flavor was just too mellow and the item lacked more sweetness.

For our beverages, I had the Thai Tea Boba Drink (P175) since I've recently been into Thai teas so much. While I enjoyed the flavor of this drink, plus chewing on the jellies, it was quite disappointing that none of the bubbles popped as the server had told us. I'm not sure if I was just unlucky or if my drink really didn't have popping bobas.

The beau on the other hand, got the Drink Me Healthy Quencher (P180), a glass of fresh fruit shake made from ripe mangoes and bananas with strawberry purée. At first sip, the beau thought his drink lacked sweetness. Our server was kind enough to offer adjusting the drink. However, he only increased the amount of strawberry purée instead of adding sugar, hence the super red color in the glass. For me, that would've been a good move. But for the beau who wanted his dose of sucrose, it was quite disappointing.

THE VERDICT

Although we can't declare yet our love for Krazy Garlik, we liked everything we had for the night. To be honest, we find some dishes pricey for its worth. But with the taste and quality being generally good, I guess it's worth the splurge at times. As a restaurant from The Bistro Group, I have to say that service was courteous and prompt as always. In fact, service here was the promptest of all the Bistro restaurants we've visited. So with that, the beau and I are looking forward to another garlic overload session at Krazy Garlik.

Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 3.5/5
Service - 4.5/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Krazy Garlik, Greenbelt 5
2/F Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St.,
Ayala Center, Makati
Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 501-3752
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