Valentine's Day # 8: A Historical Date with Romulo Cafe

Valentines' Day is fast approaching! Now it's time for RJ to make his choice for the 14 Romantic Restaurants for Valentines' Day. His pick: Romulo Cafe. 


It's times like these I'm reminded how nerdy he is. :)


"So what's your ideal type of guy?" 


It's a question that never fails to haunt a girl at some point in her life. 


In the latter parts of college, my answer has been pretty direct and concise: "Kailangan matalino." (He has to be smart) Yes, I'm the type of girl who falls head over heels for the biggest nerds. That's why I used to hang out in the library so much! Haha. 


RJ's not your common nerd. I think he'll even beg to differ if you call him one. But I'll let you in on a secret - he's a big history nerd! I'll never forget the time he invited me to come along to a museum trip for his school paper. As we walked through the museum, I was all flushed and doe-eyed while he humbly revealed his history prowess. I was in the presence of a closet nerd - I was lovestoned! 


Fast forward to the present, RJ is much more than a big history nerd crush to me. However, when he chose Romulo Cafe as part of our 14 Romantic Restaurants for Valentines' Day, I suddenly felt I was transported back to that same head-over-heels-for-nerds Smarla. :)  

A splash of bold prints and a play on clean lines and chic furnitures - Romulo Cafe is definitely not your typical Filipino restaurant. It takes some menu studying to connect its highly modern interior to good old, comforting Filipino food. 

For history buffs, like RJ, the name of the place gives it away. If you're still not sure that it's a Filipino restaurant, then maybe a gallery of Carlos P. Romulo's photographs and a floor-to-ceiling poster of the poem, "I Am Filipino" will help. 

Romulo Cafe is a granddaughter's tribute to the great Filipino politician, diplomat, writer and speaker, Carlos P. Romulo. I have to hand it to Sandie Squillantini (his granddaughter & the owner), the cafe is a smart and non-intimidating approach to preserve the memory of such a historical figure. By satisfying the stomach, memories of Carlos P. Romulo become alive once again, especially to the younger generation (haha, as if I'm THAT old). 


Given its political affiliation, it's common to spot politicians here once in awhile. Just like Carlos P. Romulo, Romulo Cafe commands a very strong following so it's best to have a reservation. Good thing RJ and I were able to snatch two seats just 5 minutes before the restaurant went on its usual full house. 

We wanted to go all out Filipino to pay tribute to the great Carlos P. Romulo, so we ordered their Pinoy Nachos. 

Pinoy Nachos (Php85)

Pinoy Nachos are kamote and taro chips drizzled with melted kesong puti, keso de bola and tomato. A crunchy treat that can easily be mistaken for your regular nachos, it's a healthy and innovative Filipino approach to a Mexican snack. Too bad there were barely any tomatoes on this dish to tie in all the different flavors. The expected saltiness of the keso de bola was surprisingly very minimal and the melted kesong puti was close to absent. Perhaps a more generous version to this dish would make it a proudly Filipino appetizer. 

Chicken Pork Adobo - Romulo Style (Php290)

Having read a few pages of Nancy Reyes-Lumen's "The Adobo Book" right before eating, I was badly craving for some adobo. I was more than convinced to order it when I saw the words "Romulo Style" injected in their version of Chicken Pork Adobo. 


There are over a thousand ways to cook adobo. Some versions are simply swimming in sauce but Romulo Style Chicken Pork Adobo is served dry with a thick adobo sauce on the side. Crispy beyond belief, their pork tasted like lechon kawali. With a spoonful of adobo sauce, it became a different dish altogether.


Though I commend the uniqueness of their version of adobo, I felt the sauce was too minimal to have that adobo taste. The sauce bowl is just too small to satisfy a girl's huge craving for adobo. The chicken and the pork are flavorful on their own, but they lack the mixture of sourness and sweetness of adobo. It's really the sauce that makes it adobo - too bad there's too little. 

Tito Greg's Kare-Kare (Php395)

After my minor complaints regarding their limited servings, Cafe Romulo went crazy generous with their Tito Greg's Kare-Kare. Served in a stylish deep bowl, this Kare-Kare is packed with a lot of fresh vegetables, tender beef chunks and tripe, all swimming in their rich, thick peanut sauce. It's what every Kare-Kare ought to be. 


It's a straightforward Kare-Kare dish that will make every Kare-Kare lover skipping for joy. This time around, they didn't skimp on the ingredients and it turned out excellent. I couldn't get enough of the sauce. It was creamy and nutty, just the way I like it!  

Romulo Cafe is not your usual "romantic" restaurant, but it's definitely worth going to this Valentines' Day. It is a stylish and modern restaurant with a patriotic twist. It's every history buff's dream restaurant and in RJ's case, his definition of romantic. Awww, my history nerdy boyfriend! 


Make sure you're armed with Carlos P. Romulo tidbits to impress your date. Who knows, she just might have a soft spot for nerds. :) After all, nerds rule! 


PS. I'm just curious, so what is your ideal guy or girl? :)  


More Info on Romulo Cafe:
Address: Scout Tuason cor. Sct. Dr. Lazcano, Quezon City, Metro Manila (Tomas Morato area)
Map: Click Me 
Menu: Click Me 
Contact: (02) 332-7275
Operating Hours: Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Budget: Php350-500/head
Payment: Cash, Mastercard, Visa
Outfit: Casual
Note: Best to have a reservation


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~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter~