Millie's: The Taste of Splendid Travels

Being a traveler, one thing that I consider when I'm about to see a place is the food that it offers. Having a country surrounded by water means a lot specially to culinary arts, hence no wonder in every region, we have different dishes that speak of our culture and heritage. But that idea also applies to the whole world where every continent and every country has their own cuisine that shows their uniqueness, as well as the bountifulness of their country. And if given enough money and time, I would definitely do what Millie Del Rosario did, to travel the world and experience and taste the every culture and heritage that it has to offer.

I've been hearing and reading a lot of stuff about Microtel. It was in Baguio City where I first noticed its name and surprisingly after some months, the brand is already in here Manila, specifically in SM Mall of Asia Complex, offering its homey, cozy and world-class accommodation that suits to every traveler of the world.

I've been to a lot of hotel in and out of the metropolis, and I must say that even though most of them offers an almost the same amenities and comfort, one stands out when we start talking about the food that they offer. Of course there are the Shangri-La Hotels, Sofitels and others that with their distinct accommodation and food offerings, I wouldn't wonder why local and international tourists prefer staying at these luxury hotels. But did you know that sometimes, you don't really have to spend too much? Specially that there these kinds of hotels - like Microtel - that offers not only a satisfying accommodation but also a tummy-filling dining experience that is sure to leave you with no hesitation at all.

I had a wonderful time experiencing and tasting all the hard works of its founder, Millie Del Rosario, last week when I finally spent a night at Microtel SM Mall of Asia. Though the place is quite simple, I am happy to be welcomed by some of Millie's travel memorabilia that immediately put some color to my night.

Chef Gino Santayana

The menu of Millie's Restaurant here in SM Mall of Asia speaks a lot of Italian. Their Chef Gino Santayana explained that Millie's has currently two branches, one here in Manila and another one in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. And though their menu here is more sophisticated than that of the one in Batangas, the prices here are unbelievably pocket-friendly - something that Microtel is taking pride of - world-class food at an affordable price. And with that, our Italian feast here in Millie's started.

Mango Shake

Since the summer heat is beating so hard that day, upon taking my seat, I asked for a tall glass of Mango Shake. I was so glad to receive something like a fresh mango shake, so yeah, it did its job and prepared my appetite for the escapade that I'm about to devour.

For starter, we had the following:

Greek Salad

Gnocchi

Seafood Marinara

Before, I'm no biggie when it comes to Greek Salad. I think the feta cheese always makes the difference to this dish , and I'm glad that on that night, the favor was on my side. I enjoyed it a lot that I actually score for another serving. The Seafood Marinara was good too, but the favorite among my companion and myself is definitely the Gnocchi. And I guess, you have to taste it for yourself to know what I'm talking about.

Our main course was basically divided into four parts, just to make sure to taste all of their best-tasting offerings. So, from the beef, fish, chicken and pork, yes, we had it all - we enjoyed them all and unfortunately, I am now craving for them again! Hahaha!

Osso Bucco

Pan-seared Salmon in Lemon Sauce

Chicken Parmigiana with Aglio Olio

Baby Back Ribs

Bistek Tagalog

The Osso Bucco is definitely if not the best, one of the best in the metropolis. The perfectly cooked meat with its marrow attracting every carnivore in you is definitely one of the best sight you could ever see here in Millie's. Just be careful when you eat it, since this one is best savored while its hot, having this with the mashed potato that goes with it is truly addicting - messy at some point. Hehe.

The Pan-Seared Salmon maybe not the best among the selection here, but I seriously enjoyed the bit given by its lemon sauce. The fish meat was a little dry, which I think is best served to some guy who loves firm meat. Sadly for me, I seriously like my fish a little moist and jelly-ish, specially when it is salmon :-)

The Chicken Parmigiana was my second most best that night. The contrasting colors and flavors of the cheesey-red sauce chicken meat and the aglio olio pasta was quite interesting and filling. I wouldn't mind having this again, since its feels so comforting and soothing. Perfect for your staycation here in Microtel.

The Baby Back Ribs is of course the crowd's favorite. The meat was kinda tender too, but it was of course delicious as ever. I just didn't taste that distinct Italian twist to it, but if you want something that's really comforting and delicious, I suggest that you have this! The serving is good for two, so if you are on a date, well, it might be a little messy, but this is worth the try. :-)

And lastly, since they mentioned about the Batangas branch, one dish that speaks of our country, and the one that shares that mighty meaty taste, the Bistek Tagalog is a must! Made out of imported Angus Beef, this one if great if you are traveling solo or just want something that's really familiar to you taste buds.

Having all of those was really filling, but we didn't leave the place without trying their best desserts. And when I say best, they are really, really good!

In one of my conversation to Chef Gino, I stupidly said that one of my favorite Italian desserts is the panacotta, and the best one that I had here in the metropolis is in Bonifacio Global City. Though, I'm not really there to challenge their version, but upon tasting it, OMG! It was even better than the one that I had in BGC. The best part of this dessert is it uses one of the country's bets fruits - the mango! So, Chef Gino, my apology and THANK YOU for sharing this to me!

Panacotta with Mango Coolie

While I enjoyed this heavenly piece of dessert, the rest of my companion agreed that they like the Tiramisu more. I tasted it too, and yeah, it was good, but since one of my criteria when it comes to dessert is it should be enjoyable by kids, and since their Tiramisu here has a brandy - which is the real kind of Tiramisu, I opted to settle and feel the refreshing flavor of the panacotta.

Tiramisu

Thank you, Millie's, specially Chef Gino, for sharing such an experience that the traveler in me is craving for more! It was a trip that I would love to do again and again, and hopefully by that time, I have enough space to enjoy more of your offerings!

Thank you and happy eating!