One of the hardest questions we have to ask ourselves every day is “Saan tayo kakain?” (Where are we gonna eat?) We struggle more to decide when one of our friends wants to have Japanese food and another wants pizza. …So sinong mag-aadjust? (So who’s going to adjust?) But as the saying goes, “there’s a solution to every problem”, and fortunately, there’s a solution nearby! Torch Restaurant is somewhere in between casual and fine dining restaurant which is known for their broad range of menu. They offer dishes from different international cuisines and somehow create a new presentation of each. You will see what we’re talking about here when we get to the main part of this blog post. Meanwhile, join us as we step into the beauty of this resto!
Once you enter the restaurant, you will find a fine detailed interior. The high ceilings make the place look bigger and calming to the mind.
While scanning the menu, they provided us with their complementary fried thin noodles sprinkled with salt served in a halo-halo cup (hehe just kidding). It seems to be angel hair pasta, but we’re not quite sure about it.(We forgot to ask, we’ll update you on our next Torch blog hehe.)
Now on to the main stars of our lunch!
We already mentioned that Torch has a wide variety of dishes, right? And since we’re already here, we’ll take all the opportunity we can get (and pay hehe). Let’s start rolling! (Because the first dish is sushi, get it? get it?)
Torch Restaurant – Sushi
Cream Cheese Salmon Roll (#YesYumYum) – Php339.95
This is more than just sushi. This is Cream Cheese Salmon Roll! See how Johnny recreated sushi? They combined salmon and cream cheese, rolled it into a sushi and fried it to perfection. This is definitely a must-try.
Bacon Roll – Php229.95
For those who are still kids at heart (like Johnny), the Bacon roll fits rightfully for your taste buds. Don’t dip it too much in soy sauce! Or your can actually skip the soy sauce for this to avoid making it too salty.
Torch Restaurant – Appetizers
Truffle Fries (#NoYumYum) – Php249.95
As much as we would like to, we were not able to prevent ourselves from comparing the Torch Restaurant’s truffle fries with the ones from Charlie’s Grind and Grill (Read: Johnny Eats at Charlies — A First). As compared with the latter, the former doesn’t have the same earthy aroma and taste of truffle oil, which our taste buds are expecting. The signature dressing, however, is the savior of this dish, as the tartness of the dip complements well with saltiness of the fries. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that we will give a #NoYumYum recommendation to this dish for now.
Yes Yum Tip! Try dipping your favorite pizza or panizza to the Torch signature dip and discover a whole new wonderful combination. Just forget the disappointment brought about by the truffle fries.
Buffalo Asian Wings (#YesYumYum – Php329.95
This dish just shouts perfection from the time it was served to us up to the point we didn’t realize it was all gone. The wings are fried extra crispy and each bite comes with a sweet coating, which excites our sweet tooth but also prepares our palate with the upcoming spicy kick. The balanced flavor of this dish is the reason why we gave it a #YesPapa recommendation.
Torch Restaurant – Pasta
Torch Restaurant also makes extraordinary pasta dishes. We were able to order two kinds and we’re truly satisfied about the taste, but their serving’s quite too small. Their serving size is good for one meal, but it can be shared by two people if you’re going to order more.
Bacon & Egg Carbonara – Php339.95
Another fine creation of Torch Restaurant. The carbonara sauce is surely creamy. However, the served egg will be runny and the twist is you’ve got to mix it with the pasta. So if you’re not fond of “medium-rare” egg (hehe), you are free to set it aside and enjoy your Bacon & Egg Carbonara with the Egg on the side. We liked this dish but the serving is very, very tiny which makes it pricy.
Meatball Pasta (#YesYumYum) – Php289.95
You won’t get sick of this dish! It’s sour tomato sauce makes it interesting in every taste. This is similar to a puttanesca pasta, minus the olives and added with tasty fried meatballs.
Torch Restaurant – Beef, Pork, and Poultry
Chicken Fingers (#NoYumYum) – Php294.95
These are crispy battered chicken tenders together with their homemade honey mustard sauce. The chicken is quite crispy, yes, but for us, there is nothing much special about this dish which makes it costly. You could find similar dishes to this with tastier chicken in a lower price, or you could skip this and allot more budget on Torch’s other specialty dishes. This is the reason why we opted to tag this with #NoPapa.
Torch Restaurant – Pizza
Unlike any traditional pizza, Torch made their pizza uncommon and shaped it to an oval. Each pizza has a thin crust which is actually good since it is lighter to the tummy and tastier to the mouth.
Philly Cheesesteak Pizza – Php374.95
One of Torch Restaurant’s best-seller, this pizza didn’t disappoint us. But it didn’t impress us much too. It may seem lacking of toppings but each piece of steak is already flavorful. Maybe they need to evenly distribute the toppings to make it much better. Hehe.
White Truffle Sausage Pizza – Php449.95
This pizza is also one of Torch’s best sellers and is topped with Mozarella and Fontina cheese with a touch of truffle oil. Unlike the truffle fries, we have tasted the earthy flavor of the truffle oil, which is further enhanced by the intense flavor of the mushrooms and the saltiness of the sausages.
Uncle’s 5-Cheese Pizza – Php329.95
The 5 types of cheese used for this delightful pizza are cheddar, mozarella, parmesan, ricotta, and Fontina. If you are one of us cheese-lovers, this will not disappoint you. Although, it still has a tomato and basil twist which maintains the Italian feels of this pizza.
Margherita Pizza – Php324.95
This pizza is so lovely, you’d want to take pictures of it in different angles. But it’s not just about the presentation since it’s actually delicious. Those big slices of tomatoes are sweet and a little tomato-ey sour. Combine it with basil for a twist of flavor.
Torch Restaurant – Steak
And the star of the meal goes to…
US Angus Tenderloin Salpicao Medallion
At first sight, we immediately fell in love with its beauty! And the most convenient thing about it is that you get to control the rareness of your steak since it’s served with a burner. We liked it medium-rare, to keep the flavor and the meat tender. Nobody should miss this signature steak!
Our dining experience in Torch has been one of a kind. Feel free to share yours in the comments section! Scroll a little bit more to find Johnny’s recommendations about Torch. 🙂
Notes: Prices are inclusive of VAT and subject to 10% service charge
Torch Restaurant
Location : Level 1, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City
Contact details: (02) 7516213
Instagram: @torchresto
Facebook: Torch Restaurant
