Romulo Cafe: Filipino Comfort Food in a Great Setting

I think I found a good reason to come back to Tomas Morato's restaurant row. My husband and I have only gone to Tomas Morato to eat at Katre, which means sharing a plate of Angus Bacon and their Caesar's salad. However, there's a new kid on the block and we're happily welcoming it as a go-to place for QC foodies.

Romulo Cafe is tucked at the corner of Scout Tuason and Dr. Lazcano streets in Quezon City. A rented house converted into a restaurant by President Romulo's family, the restaurant serves great unpretentious Filipino food that's devoid of any concept of fusion that has become so popular in recent years. I was actually pleasantly surprised it wasn't fusion given the look and feel of the place.

Upon entering Romulo's Cafe, you're greeted with fresh and clean black and white interiors. The food is straight forward Pinoy.

For starters we ordered the Pomelo Salad (Php 240). It was served with slices of salted egg and a raspberry vinaigrette which provided a nice contrast to the bitter pomelo but complemented the fresh greens very well.

I ordered Coolas Cucumber (Php 90), a mocktail made of cucumber, lime and spritzer. It's really very refreshing and the serving was just enough so that the drink lasted the whole meal.

We also ordered Tito Greg's Kare Kare (Php 350) which is a great dish that doesn't need the bagoong anymore. It just had the right amount of consistency and nuttiness. My husband and I couldn't get enough of it.

Bangus Belly in Banana Leaf (Php 260). It was just ok, you really can't go wrong with fried Bangus that's seasoned well. The dish came with a sauce that didn't really do much for the fish. The Bangus was fine as is.

The Bagnet (Php 340) was also good but not special. It was cooked well and it wasn't tough. It also came in really large chunks that loomed over the plate. In my opinion, this one along with the Bangus Belly are dishes you can afford to skip.

The highlight of our stay there was the Honey Garlic Pork Spare Ribs (Php 235). The honey caramelized perfectly and created a sweet crust over the pork spare ribs. The sweetness however was not overwhelming and the pork was tender so that you can tear the meat off the bones with just your spoon. It was singularly the dish that would bring my husband and I back to Romulo Cafe (well for me it's this dish and the Coolas Cucumber Mocktail).

The restaurant also has function rooms which you can reserve for a fee and the fees are consummable. Check Romulo Cafe out!

Romulo Cafe

33 SCOUT TUAZON CORNER DR. LAZCANO STREETS
Quezon City
Phone: +63(2)3327275

Directions: Go straight on Timog and turn left when you get to the Boy Scouts Rotonda to Tomas Morato. Turn right upon seeing Alfredo's steak house, that street is Dr. Lazcano.