Family Favorites at BREWERY GASTROPUB BACOLOD

Brewery Gastropub
for the family

We celebrated my wife’s birthday last month with our little children as well as our two sets of parents at the Brewery Gastropub–the newest gastropub in Bacolod City. We are blessed that we can still enjoy this time with them. And our entire family enjoyed our dinner.

Bacolod is fast growing to be a food tour destination. As a Bacolodnon, I am proud of the homegrown Bacolod restaurants and we often dine in places that are able to offer enjoyable dishes. The Bacolodnon culture of enjoying food has also given a welcoming atmosphere to several popular and established restos to open a branch here. One of such place is the Brewery Gastropub Bacolod.

From its name, you may think the Brewery is just about beers and other alcoholic beverages. But, it is definitely more than that. They just offer a whole lot more.

Bacolod Restaurant for the Family

Sometimes, when I discover a new dining place, one of the things that I would try to evaluate is, “Can I bring the family here?” Every now and then my father’s family would dine together to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. When I say “family”, this means three generations on my father’s side of the clan. That’s more or less 20 persons– inclusive of toddlers, older kids, yuppies, middle aged adults, and senior citizens.

I like it that the Brewery Gastropub has the kids in mind and it is obvious because they have ready lollipops and serve popcorn for the kids. The kids truly appreciate this gesture. I would love them to take it a step further by providing what can entertain the kids but I also think that would be too much to ask since this is also a place for adults to relax.  A balance, I suppose.

So far, here are my favorites there:

Beer Can Chicken – It’s tender and juicy with a hint of sweetness but with full body, probably because of the beer. It’s also interestingly presented — the whole roasted chicken is like “sitting” on a beer can and topped with bacon and parsley. We found it difficult to maneuver so you can just ask the waiter to have it chopped in the kitchen after you have taken a photo.

Beef Brisket – Seeing it before tasting it will make you mistake it for the usual bakareta or “beef kaldereta“. But once you put it in your mouth, you will be reminded again that you are at Brewery Gastropub not at a lutong bahay (homecooking) sort of Bacolod restaurant, which is very common around here. This dish has strong sour notes but the acidity is nicely balanced. And each beef cube is very tender that you can easily chew on it with every bite.

Imported Lamb Adobo – I have always liked the texture of beef. Somehow this one can be mistaken for a beef dish. Yet it is also tender that you can tell that it is not beef and of course there is the character of lamb meat. I let my daughter, who is a picky eater, try it before telling her what it is. When I told her that it is lamb she is eating, she was happy that she finally tasted lamb and that she liked it. By the way, their lamb adobo is cooked in muscovado sugar and balsamic reduction.

Slow Roasted Imported Beef Belly – This beef was roasted in red wine glaze and is very flavorful. You have to consume this while it’s hot because there was a small piece that was neglected on my plate and when I went back to it, the oils have started to curdle. So if you are taking photos, just quickly do it and get eating to fully appreciate this dish.

I like more dishes but I stopped at four because I am beginning to realize that I would end up listing all that I have tried. I like everything! Anyway, I would also like to specially mention the baked macaroni and mozarella balls–these were my kids’ faves! So if you have young children, don’t miss ordering these for them.

I just want to say that I am not a food expert. I don’t even cook. So please don’t mistake me for an ambitious self-proclaimed food critic. Though honestly, I dream to be one. After watching the animated movie Ratatouille, I try to savor | critique | evaluate not only flavor of the food but the texture, their feel in my  mouth, and even the emotions that they bring about in me.

Yet, arguably, I still need guidance on how to enjoy my food. And I have realized that everybody does, too. After watching several episodes of Hungry with Chef JP on CNN hosted by Bacolodnon chef JP Anglo, I observed that he would tell the people he is serving the food to. He tells them what to eat first or what to eat together with what. I have learned and realized that sometimes we need people to guide us or make suggestions on how to enjoy the food served by the chef. At the Brewery Gastropub, their staff will be able to help you with that and they are quite knowledgeable at it. This is especially true with beer pairing. They have about 130 different kinds of local and imported beers.  So feel free to ask for their staff to help you with this.

Brewery Gastropub Bacolod

Paseo Verde, Lacson Street
Mandalagan, Bacolod City
Philippines
Sun – Tue: 4:30pm to 12:30am
Wed – Thu: 4:30pm to 1:30m
Fri – Sat: 4:30pm to 2:30am
FB: https://www.facebook.com/pg/brewerygastropub