Cookbook Kitchen: Where Homecooking Reigns as King in the Menu

Last week, my friend Greg texted me that he has been reading my blog but he wants to know what's really going on in my life. We then settled on having dinner together at 6PM last Friday somewhere in Eastwood area. Too bad I was late for more than an hour because of last minute work stress. 


After endless apologies, I finally arrived in Eastwood and funnily, we were both in Ateneo shirts. Haha, we were still high from yesterday's win that sealed the 3-peat win of Ateneo! Wohoo! We went around Eastwood Mall to find a nice restaurant but we couldn't find something that appealed to us at that moment. Suddenly, I remembered my boss recommending this restaurant called, Cookbook Kitchen. 

It's pretty hard to find Cookbook Kitchen if you're not looking for it since it's not exactly in Eastwood Mall. It's in front of Excelsior Condominium. Good thing I saw the restaurant before when our car passed by a few weeks ago. Who can miss a bright orange restaurant like this?

The restaurant was pretty busy when we came in but we were immediately seated by the waiters. Our table was beside where the waiters stood (near the desserts glass diplay) so service never became a problem. We did have a hard time ordering! Every item on the menu sounded so DELICIOUS! :) They have a pretty wide array of dishes. You can check out their menu in their Multiply site. 

I decided on my dish first and when Greg learned that I was having fish, he decided to change his order to pork. Since my dish said it needed 20 minutes for cooking, Greg and I also ordered an appetizer. While waiting for our orders, we were given a long boat shaped ceramic dish filled with Bread Pan. 

Brean Pan (free!)

Since I liked Bread Pan, I certainly enjoyed munching on these babies. Nothing special about it, it's really just Bread Pan. Anyway, our chosen appetizer soon arrived - Champignon with Caramelized Onions. 

Champignon with Caramelized Onions (Php120)

The mushrooms were undeniably fresh and pregnant with a lovely herby sweetness. The onions had a great crunchy texture and I really enjoyed its caramel coating. The caramel was not overpowering at all, rather it further magnified the freshness of the mushrooms. It was certainly a great meal starter.

Even before 20 minutes was up, the waiters came and served our meals. Greg ordered the Pork Steak with Honey Mustard Sauce. 

Pork Steak with Honey Mustard Sauce (Php280)

I kept asking Greg how his dish was so he gladly handed the dish to me so I could take a piece of it. I took a thumb sized piece of pork and I was wonderfully surprised at how tender its meat was.  Its unforgettable tenderness was simply divine! I usually veer away from meat dishes since they're just gosh-darn hard to chew but after taking a bite of this dish, I felt like I missed out on all the pork goodness in this world! I couldn't help but ask for 2 more slices of this dish from Greg. I started thinking to myself, "Darn, why didn't I order this?"

From its light brown and moist exterior, it was obviously marinated generously in light soy sauce with rosemary and other spices. Each bite was bleeding a beautiful hint of sweetness that blended well with the richness of the honey mustard sauce. The honey mustard here made it a home run! Definitely a must-try! 

Wasabi Soy Fish (Php280)

My undying love for Japanese food pushed me to order Wasabi Soy Fish. I can't get enough of Wasabi! :) The menu describes this dish as a "pan-fried fish topped with wasabi-soy emulsion." Hmm.. the description wasn't exactly enticing (who uses the word emulsion in a menu?) but my eyes were dead fixed on the word "wasabi".


When I first bit into this dish, I was once more enamored by the tenderness of this dish. The fish was gracefully delicate and fragile that I felt it was gliding into my mouth after each bite. The mix of flavors from the fish, to the herby garnishing, fish oil, thick sauce and rich wasabi-mayo was spot on. It all blended together so easily and naturally like a melody. I was a little bit disappointed though at the lack of heat from the wasabi. I could barely taste the kick of wasabi. 


The dish was really lovely though and I really wanted to fall in love with it madly so I asked Greg if he could taste the Wasabi. The spiral sauce tasted more mayo to me than wasabi so I felt the need to affirm my finding. He told me there was a very very mild Wasabi taste. Later on though, he had one bite that was fully packed with Wasabi. I guess all the Wasabi went in that tiny portion. Despite this, the Wasabi Soy Fish was still a delightful dish overall. I do suggest increasing the Wasabi flavor. People who order this after all are searching for that kick. :)

I also appreciated the unique interior that the restaurant has, although I was looking for a more homey feel, given the name of the restaurant. The little slits on the wall for shelving was ingenious. I especially liked the display of cookbooks in one of the shelves. It perfectly suited the name of the restaurant. The placement of the lights also energized the place to exude a bright and warm cheery atmosphere. 


So would I return to this restaurant? With their amazing homestyle cooking, I'd definitely dive in for another tastebud adventure here. However, I think I'd like to try their original branch in Mandaluyong since that branch has a more homey and cozy feel to it. The Eastwood branch is too "commercialized" already in comparison to its humble roots in its original branch. I just hope the company will unify the feel of both stores so that it would have a better store branding. Right now there's a dichotomy of brand between the two branches. I go for the homey feel since they have fantastic menu filled with homestyle cooking! :)

If you'd like to read more reviews on this place, click on these links: click me, click me, click me, click me, click me, click me, click me, click me and click me. 


I had an awesome time with Greg! I always love catching up with him and hearing his stories. Plus he was really such a good friend too that night because he helped me fix my shoe. Haha yes, my shoe died down on me that night. It started talking. Good thing there's a DIY shop in Eastwood Mall. Thanks so much Greg for fixing my shoe and helping me walk as I glided my foot all the way to the DIY shop. Next time again! :) We have to try that restaurant you've been talking about. 

Don't worry, after 20 minutes, my shoe was good as new. I rarely wear heels and this incident made me question wearing heels again. Hmm.. maybe I'll give it a second try. :)


Btw, don't forget to join my contest (click me for details!) and you can win a free Team Manila Real Love shirt. You won't just get a new shirt, you'd also be helping out Kythe's kids with cancer. :) Last day on October 10 (Sunday)! Better join now.


More Info on Cookbook Kitchen

Address: 1880-A Building, Eastwood City, Quezon City

Contact: 709-3593

Other Branch: 8 Socorro Fernandez St., Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila

Contact: (02) 724-3595

Operating Hours: 
Su, Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter. :)~