Restaurant Review: Ricas
Banilad, road leading to Maria Luisa entrance by The Spa
A Surprise at Ricas
It was a night filled with curiosity, anytime I go to a new resto can't wait to disect the menu and get tips from server, been hearing about Ricas for quite some time now, in fact one or two istoryans have pointed me in that direction from thread (Any new restos worth going to - Food section ), This is same establishment of Old Ricas in Grand Con.
On to this lovely journey of taste
My humble opinions on Ricas
After parking car , I didnt really see any resto by The Spa, thats because there isnt a big sign saying Ricas, it seemed like a small hole in the wall. Although as you go closer to the structure (by Spa entrance) you will see a nice elegant black door with Ricas sticker on it.
As I walked in, it looked very cozy and with taste
A server automatically greeted me "Table for one" and I replied "yes table for one please", I got seated very quickly and was given this lovely starter with nice olive oil, little spicy, tomato dip. Nice smell to it, ate it slow trying to figure out what was in it.
Server (Kenneth) gave me my menu and we talked about some of the stuff in there, Kenneth knew exactly food they served. We even chatted about true Angus beef ( we agreed that the best cuts you can buy are those that have Angus Certified on it ) He waited patiently for my choice and gave me tips ie " this recipe has great flavor and lotsa beef or try this since its seasonal ( pointed on mirror wall with their seasonal menu selection ) Mmmmm saw Wagyu burger on the wall.
After choosing my meal here is what I think
Caesar Salad - Ricas version (P130) ( i've been looking for restos with good salad per my other thread - Any good salad restos in Cebu) I must say it was done right, to my surprise they used Romaine lettuce w/c is the right type of lettuce to use, not iceberg or other types but latter. Adding their artistry thin bread and thin cheese to go w it. Since I make Caesar from scratch as well, I ate it slowly tasting different flavors in it. Mm yes , egg yolk present, mmmm.. garlic, bit of mustard, lemon juice, little spice in it, croutons were bread heated not from box, I am also very particular with cheese being used in Caesar salad, sure you can use regular parmesan, but this tasted like Parmigiano-Reggiano ( i use this for my entrees and salads ) frm Province of Parma, Reggio Emilia and Modena, and most important produce was fresh, all main ingridients to salad, I enjoyed it
Beef Salpicao - (P285) Finally as I was going over menu, there were a couple of entree's that caught my eye, but I thought of playing it safe since it was my first time there. I've been hearing from people that their Beef Salpicao was good and told Kenneth the server heard from someone that this specific recipe has not change, so I ordered the latter. Once again I enjoyed their atistic design, and placed the first beef cube in mouth, hmmm flavor good, quite a bit of garlic (thats how salpicao is), texture soft, angus flavor, love mixing beef, garlic and asparagus, although a big portion included fat but heck ill have a little of tht. Overall good beef, no overpowering taste ie not too salty and not too bland - mashed potatoes cooked just right (didnt seem to use those quick mix in box). So I bring you Ricas Beef Salpicao
After a nice Chat, took a pic of Kenneth - Great server
So folks I was surprised with good food, good flavored cab wine, and good service in the little spot called Ricas. Kenneth thanks for chatting and giving me tips in Menu
So here's my scorecard
Ratings:
Food = 4 of 5
Ambiance = 4.5 of 5 (another cozy spot, great to bring that special someone, or with family)
Service = 4 of 5
Price = 3.8 of 5 (For Cebu: bordoring affordable and Tad pricey)
Overall = 4 of 5
Well folks heres to Great Eats