Sentro 1771 (Greenbelt 3)

I’m at Sentro 1771 located at the 2nd level of Greenbelt 3. They specialize in Filipino Cuisine with a modern twist. I already sampled their offerings several times at their branch in Bonifacio High Street. I can’t wait to sample their dishes, so I’ll skip the pleasantries about the ambiance and location; and get down to the gist… Let’s eat!

The Appetizers

Sizzling Tofu

This tasted more like Sisig than anything else. It was pleasure to eat, since you get to taste the flavors of Sisig with a healthier twist without the guilt feeling or health risk of eating the real thing.

Fried Kesong Puti

If you’re a cheese lover like me; you’ll definitively appreciate this. Small Kesong Puti balls dunked in batter, deep friend to a crisp golden brown ball of cheesy goodness! Served with an Onion Dip and Sweet Chili Guava Dip. I can go on and on about this dish, though I’d rather you sample it for yourself to appreciate it.

Smoked Fish Spring rolls

A nice alternative twist to the traditional “lumpia“, it has a nice smoky flavor served with the right vinegar that makes it pop. I am not a big fan of either fish or spring rolls but I did appreciate the dish.

Main Courses

Sinigang na Corned Beef

The house specialty, a welcomed twist to the traditional Sinigang na Baka where they use big chunks of tender beef with the right blend of “asim” to boot. They ask you to taste the broth while preparing the dish to get as close to your Lola’s Sinigang as possible. All in all this was the best dish I tasted and was the highlight of the entire meal.

Garlicky Adobo

A unique take on the Adobo flavor. Sentro’s version focuses more on sauted (ginisa) and sour flavors topped off with the tender Corned Beef chunks also found in their house specialty Sinigang na Corned Beef.

Rated GG (Galunggong)

This reminds me of the toyo at minantikang kanin (rice mixed with soy sauce and used cooking oil) with inihaw na Galunggong served with bagoong (fish paste) and green mango’s… Just like the good old days. Though Sentro did not serve it with Bagoong, we got the next best thing: Sentro’s Bagoong Rice.

Sentro’s Bagoong Rice

Need I say more? The last 2 words said it all! Pinoy rice at its best!

Crispy Pork Ribs

This dish leaves much to be desired. Even after sampling it freshly cooked it just didn’t do it for me. If there was any dish I wouldn’t try in this restaurant this would be on the top of my list.

Egg Plant and Bangus Torta (Omelet)

Personally I didn’t find anything spectacular about it. Along with the Crispy Pork Ribs, this is something I wouldn’t be sampling again anytime soon.

Final Thoughts

If you’re hungry, impatient or both, make it a point to order in advance. It takes some time for them to prepare/cook the food, but in most cases it is well worth the wait. Their prices aren’t “competitive” so to speak, compared to other restaurants who offer similar dishes. But in return you get value for your money. Something that’s hard to come by these days with all the cost cutting gimmicks most restaurants do to make a profit.