Some weeks back, Jackie invited me as her plus-one to the relaunch of C2 Classic Cuisine in Greenhills. The location was in close proximity to where we live so I did not hesitate to join her for lunch. But more than the convenience, I was excited to see what's new since C2 has been the family's go-to dining place for years now whenever we crave for delicious yet not-so-ordinary Filipino cuisine. We dine at Greenhills and Shangri-la branches. Our family favorites include their classic Boneless Crispy Pata (in the menu above), Laing, Kare-Kare, Seared Tilapia, Salted Egg Rice, and Molo soup among others.
I was really happy with what they did to the place. Not many people know about their branch here in Greenhills. It's located at the ground floor of their popular C2 Events Place, but the resto had no main entryway before. As soon as I stepped in, I noticed the main entrance was changed, and a refreshingly brighter, newly renovated dining hall greeted me.
The interiors evoke a homey yet contemporary Filipino design aesthetic, showcasing modern Filipiniana dining sets, a mural with very 'Pinoy' images, and native accent pieces to complete the look. C2 Greenhills also features this private dining nook at the far end of the hall. It has a family style table setting for 10 that's perfect for an intimate gathering.
From the mosaic pendant lamps, down to the menu design, it highlights a unifying element -- we were told this was inspired by malunggay (moringa) leaves!
While we wait for the other guests, an appetizer platter (nuts, corn bits, and pumpkin seeds) was served. This is complimentary for all diners.
Our small group was offered to order drinks. My beverage of choice was the Buko Pandan shake with shredded coconut, and fragrant pandan jelly. It's cool and sweet so it can pass for a dessert too!
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| @ PhP 90 |
My usual order at C2 is their refreshing Sago't Gulaman (PhP 80), tapioca pearls and gelatine in cane sugar juice. Next time, I'm gonna try their Ginumis (PhP 90), a layered dessert drink of tapioca pearls, gelatine cubes, coconut milk, over crushed iced, sweetened with brown cane sugar, and topped with toasted pinipig (rice crispies).
Moving on to our sumptuous lunch...
As each specialty dish was served, Chef Oliver was on hand to share the inspiration and main ingredients behind his gustatory creations. Part of his objective is to excite the diners and allow an interactive experience with the food. I believe he succeeded on that aspect with the some of the food he presented below:
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| Chef Oliver Gascon, corporate chef of C2 |
Grilled Liempo Sinigang -- I always liked sinigang (tamarind-based sour soup) and C2's twist to the classic, as the chef described it, is a deconstructed soup dish. A good contrast to the tangy soup was the smokey grilled pork belly and crisp vegetables on the side. It's meant to be a DIY dish - mix your own soup or eat the components separately. Though a few pork pieces were charred, it was a great starter and I enjoyed it!
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| @ PhP 355 |
Tinolang Binakol -- Made with chicken cutlets and diced sayote, this ginger-based comfort soup was served in two separate "bowls", the other a hallowed coconut shell. What made this different is the addition of sotanghon (glass noodle) and coconut meat. It was flavorful and light. But I still prefer the sinigang.
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| @ PhP 295 |
Tortang de Cangreho -- Crabmeat, brean sprout, and radish omelet smothered with a salty-sweet brown sauce, similar to teriyaki in taste. I especially love the addition of wansoy (Chinese parsley) with it's fresh aromatic flavor enhancing the savory torta. Hands down, my favorite of the lot! I was just too shy to eat more of it! :p
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| @ PhP 165 |
We had two kinds of rice...
Bringhe -- Fried rice with minced Chinese chorizo, shrimps, chicken, veggies, and coconut cream, it looked liked java rice. It's fragrant and does not taste as heavy as it sounds.
Bringhe -- Fried rice with minced Chinese chorizo, shrimps, chicken, veggies, and coconut cream, it looked liked java rice. It's fragrant and does not taste as heavy as it sounds.
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| @ PhP 110 |
I actually liked the Bringhe better than this Adobo Rice -- garlic rice mixed with adobo sauce and shredded chicken.
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| @ PhP 105 |
Kinilaw na Liempo -- Traditionally, we eat anything grilled with a dipping sauce of vinegar and chili. This dish married the two elements in one big bowl, with a kinilaw sauce made from vinegar, peppers, onions and spices, plus coconut cream, and topped with sliced grilled pork belly. This was good too. Kinilaw is ceviche, and I still like my kinilaw with fresh raw seafood over meat.
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| @ PhP 375 |
Walastik -- C2's version of bistek tagalog. Tender beef sirloin, cut sukiyaki style, marinated in soy-lime sauce and cooked with pork liver! And instead of being cooked with white onions, light and crispy onion rings were served as a side. I love the flavor of this dish. It's a tad salty but this still made it to my favorites.
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| @ PhP 395 |
Grilled Gindara -- I was surprised to see gindara (cod fillet) steak here since I am used to having it in Japanese restaurants, teriyaki style. The fillet was grilled, then served on a sizzling plate, with pickled vegetables, and topped with a dollop of butter. It was wonderfully tender and cooked just right. A great alternative to meat dishes.
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| @ PhP 395 |
Sotanghon Guisado -- This large serving of sotanghon noodles was delicious, generously mixed with chicken strips, vegetables, wood ear mushroom (tenga ng daga), peanuts and garlic, topped with scrambled eggs.
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| @ PhP 265 |
For desserts...
Palitaw -- "To surface", that's palitaw in English. A traditional Filipino snack or dessert made from glutinous rice flour patties, dropped in boiling water to cook until it floats/surfaces. Then, dredged in grated coconut and sugar, topped with toasted sesame seeds. It's chewy-good!
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| @ PhP 75 |
C2 Halo-Halo -- An all-time favorite, the newest addition to C2's dessert list is a delightful mix of saba bananas, bilo-bilo (glutinous rice balls), macapuno (coconut sport), jackfruit, pinipig -- everything that I like in an halo-halo! No frills, no technicolored add-ons, with a balanced milky-sweetness. What makes this Halo-halo (a mix) unique is the inclusion of coco jam! It's also topped with finely shaved ice so it's easier to mix and eat. We had a sampler serving since it was not yet available that day, so we're the first to try it! :)
On the right is the actual serving. The perfect ending to our filling lunch -- perfect for the summer days too!
I'm glad I was able to partake of these mouth-watering dishes and discovered new favorites to add to my list. Kudos to the chefs! C2 Classic Cuisine's innovative Filipino dishes continue to delight and satisfy!
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| C2 team - Chef Oliver, Chef Bles Que, Katrina Pacheco, Rafael Oca |
C2 Classic Cuisine
18 Missouri St. Northeast Greenhills, San Juan City
Tel.: (632) 723-2347
Open: Mon - Sun: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Other branches:
Cravings Center Katipunan: 426-6681 to 87
Shangri-La Mall: 636-1510
Megamall: 470-1149
Midtown: 567-2402
Summit Ridge Hotel Tagaytay
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