For my birthday, hubby and I decided to go low key and spend a quite dinner at Casa Armas Tapas in Y Restaurante in Greenbelt 2. Spanish is the theme for restaurant and is very much evident in their décor. Here is my take on our experience:
Ambiance:
The restaurants décor matches the overall theme of the restaurant. However, there are only a handful of customers considering it is a Friday night. It was not even our first choice because it is not that inviting since from the outside it looks dim but since everywhere else is full, we decided to give it a swing.
Food: If it is your first time to dine in here, their menu can be very overwhelming because of the numerous items to choose from. They also have a wide array of wines and spirits on their menu. Although inviting, we did not order any wine that night since I will be driving home and hubby still has work after our dinner.
We initially tried choosing on our own from the menu but later decided that since it is our first time to dine in Casa Armas, it will be better to ask the waiter what their specialties are, and later, those are what we ordered:
Paella Marinera (Seafood Paella) – This is my favorite and well deserved to be called their specialty. The chef was very generous with the serving of
shrimps, squid, fish, shellfish and more. The flavor complements the taste each seafood to the rice. One can easily order the Paella alone and he will be very satisfied. It is already a full meal on its own.
Callos – With just the right amount of taste of tomato sauce mixed with full ingriedients such as tripe, garbanzos, carrots and potatoes, their Callos reminds me so much of home cooked meal I enjoyed when I was a kid. Mom would surely approve of this.
Beef Tapa –Their beef was well seasoned and very tender. For a non-beef lover, I enjoyed this meal so much. I like that it is not oily considering it is fried.
Calamares A La Plancha con Alioli (Grilled Squid) – hubby’s favorite for the night. The squid was grilled to perfection; tender and juicy. None of the squid served to us was chewy, an indication that it is overcooked. We can taste the pinch of salt, pepper and lemon without overshadowing the flavor of the squid. All are cooked just right. The dips are very good to, perfect match for the squid.
Value for Money
Considering the serving size, which is small, food is pricey. Tapas (Appetizers) ranges from P240-500. The Callos is an appetizer and it looks just enough for one person. Main course ranges from P300-800 and the ones that we tried (the squid and Tapa) have generally small servings.
Service
Waiters are courteous and immediately attends to you when called. Although the Paella took some time to be served, I will say that it is worth the wait.
Overall Dining Experience
Overall it was good because of the quality of food served but we will probably visit the restaurant on special occasions only or for date nights because of the price.
Note: This is not a paid advertisement. The blogger came and left as a paying customer. Reviews written above are based on personal experience on the day we visited the restaurant.