a bite of brownie

You don't see any American outdoors-inspired restaurant in this city yet, and the best thing you'd find for a good grill is AA's Grill, which is a far cry from this restaurant's . That said, something about Tex Rex makes it different from your regular run-of-the-mill grill houses. It's not about the sauce (well, part of it is, but I'll get back to that later) but the way it is grilled.

Instead of the usual way grilled meat tastes, Tex Rex's meat are infused with this a deep, smoky flavor that emboldens each bite. They have a wide plethora of dishes that you can choose from that keeps you  coming back for more.

We came here upon browsing new eats on the internet and found this neat gem in one of the expat forums we lurk around in. The family has just finished their obligations for the day and we decided to hunt for this place in Mandaue to sate our piqued interest for this "new" restaurant.

The place was moderately sized, with several sets of wooden surfaces laden with condiments in the middle of each table. The ambiance of the place feels a bit western, with horse saddles and animal hides hanging on the wall. There is a huge mirror on the far east of the place, just before the divider that leads to the maintenance closet and the washroom, with a huge imprint of TEX REX in bold white. It is a decent, not counting the on-going construction on the street.

They serve a number of dishes here at Tex Rex. The entrees they serve include ribs, roast chicken, pork shoulder, beef brisket all cooked with their secret process until tender. If you're not feeling hungry enough a large serving of their food, they have set meals with enough amounts for one person. Or, if you're really looking to just having a small meal instead, they have burgers and sandwiches for all.

No matter how beautiful and pleasant the ambiance of the restaurant is, noisy patrons will always ruin the atmosphere of the restaurant.

This happened to us just as we were visiting this new watering hole just beside Chika-an in Salinas Drive. Brique, the name of said restaurant, was a two-floored hub with that has a unique modernist feel to it. Contrary to the hip design, the background music played songs from the 60s and 70s, as well as mellow ones done by Norah Jones, among others.

 The place was crowded, and we were almost unlucky enough to not have a spot for ourselves if not for the early arrival of our brother who reserved a table for us.

For starters, we had a serving of bread with a steaming cup of cheesy spinach dip. For our main course, we had a plate of pork chops, Angus beef simmered in beer, Filipino beef jerky, and a hearty serve of pork belly strips.

The food in itself were great, even though the serving size was small enough for the hungry souls. The meat was flavorful and tender, offering no resistance as you chew on the strands on your fork.   The garlic rice has a neat accent to the dish that makes the food all the more alluring.

 But you know, even though they have affordable meals compared to other restaurants, nothing prepared me when dessert was served.

The restaurant has a different way of re-imagining dessert as we know it. Halo halo as a chilly shaved ice treat? Nope! This place serves it in cake form. Never thought cheesecake and flan could mix? Here, it's possible! Finally, bibingka Creme Brulee. It's literally Creme Brulee with a very Filipino twist.

In short, this place is a must try for their desserts.




Brique
Salinas Drive




Verdict:
A: 3/5
I love the food even though the serving is on the small side. The desserts are great too. The ambiance sucked when we visited, because there was a group of rowdy customers a few tables away from us. Plus most of the servers were not very attentive to the customer's needs.

With several banners advertising its opening to the public, the gang and I decided to give this place a visit because we've been hoping to try it since its conceptualization stage. There weren't a lot of customers so we were happily seated on a couch for comfort.

The ambiance of the place was unique; painted black with several colorful paintings and masks and beads. There were several impressionistic paintings on the walls that painted the gist of what New Orleans's nightlife looked like. The background music were select songs in their jazz versions and sometimes purely instrumental.

The food were a bit pricey, especially the meat and other main dishes. The affordable ones were offered in their appetizers and sides, some of which we ordered. For our appetizers, we had Oyster Rockefeller, which was oyster baked in cheese and spices, and a hefty serve of swamp cheesecake, a mixture of cream cheese, veggies, and meat served by slice on top of a plate of gravy.







After our appetizers, we had a  large bag of seafood boil with a cup of swamp rice, a very filling everglades jambalaya that had chicken, sausages, and meat in it, and a tray of barbecue sampler, that had grilled corn, chicken, and ribs.

New Orleans
Ayala Center Cebu



Verdict:
A: 2.5/5

Quality control. The first serving of Oyster Rockefeller was absolutely revolting because it had a long strand of hair included in the dish. I'm guessing the chefs of this place do not use hairnets for this fiasco to happen. The Jambalaya was very intense and satisfying. The barbecue sampler was a bit disappointing because it wasn't even that exceptional for its price.  They were kind enough to serve my sick mother some clear soup, though. Also this place is very pricey.