“Everyone thinks this is a ramen house,” said designer and restaurateur Anton Barretto, one of the seven partners who own Ramekin, a cozy diner tucked in the relatively more quiet area of Fort Bonifacio at the Fort Victoria Condominium.
“We wanted a name that would encompass any style of cooking. That is why we settled on Ramekin, a French word for a small dish used to serve a portion of the food,” he added.
The menu may look daunting at first – there’s Mexican, Italian, Spanish, American, and, of course, Filipino – but every single dish is well thought of and beautifully presented. And as the bistro’s name suggests, most dishes are good for sharing, big enough to ask for a ramekin.
“All seven of us partners sat down and discussed what are our comfort food, the ones we cannot live without,” he said.
“It was a conscious choice on our part to keep the taste familiar even as we do creative presentation. Plus we wanted to keep the price point affordable – to ensure value for money for our customers,” Barretto added.
For starters, there’s the 7 Layer dip (P450) made of beans, guacamole, chili, tomato salsa, chipotle sour cream, shredded iceberg lettuce, and Tex-Mex cheese, with a hefty serving of nacho chips; cheesy jalapeño nuggets (P275) with Italian bolognese sauce; and the Portobello sliders (P325) with zucchini, eggplant, roasted bell peppers and cheddar cheese.
A crowd favorite is the sisig taco (P225). The sisig tastes like sisig (no over deconstruction here) and is served on a sizzling plate. You have the option to eat it on its own or pair it with rice. But the fun part is using the crispy wanton shells on the side, and heaping some mango salsa and cabbage slaw for an instant Filipino taco. It is an explosion of taste and texture, yet still familiar and comforting and not intimidating at all.
Ramekin also offers arugula strawberry salad (P325) for those looking for a lighter and healthier choice. It combines arugula, romaine lettuce, lollo rosso or red lettuce, fresh strawberries, bleu cheese, almond slivers, dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes and red radish with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
For their main dishes, one of the most ordered is the Angus beef salpicao (P425). Not a few VIPs (businessmen, politicians – even past presidents who just want to eat their comfort food in peace) have enjoyed the generous portion of tenderloin chunks cooked in garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce. There is also the Tequi-Lime chicken (P385), which teases your palate with its tequila-lime marinade and is served with mashed potatoes and salad on the side.
The most expensive dishes on the menu are the Tomahawk steak, a 750-gram bone-in steak priced at P2,995, and the 300-gram Angus rib-eye steak. Both come with twice-baked mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables with a choice of béarnaise or burgundy sauce.
“Most of our clients are return customers, and that makes us really happy,” said Barretto.
“I think most people are creatures of habit. You’d try a new restaurant that’s offering a novelty item, but after one or two tries and three Instagram posts, you would want to go back to where you can eat your comfort food. And they come back to Ramekin,” he added.
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