Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Wholesome


Gasthof Restaurant
is on the "must go" list of most everyone who visits the paradise that is Boracay
Right on the beach - in the center of it all,
With a bevy of minimally clad beauties cavorting about.
Taking on a German beer garden feel
With some of the best seafood, sausage and meat grills on the island
Famous for it's lip smackin', mouthwatering baby back ribs.
Gasthof ...

I sat leisurely in my chair
Beer in hand
Peering impatiently at the grill
Waiting as prawns, fish, and clams simmered over hot coal
And of course - the famous baby back ribs ...
I had to have baby back ribs

I could hardly wait
I closed my eyes
I imagined a time long , long ago when I first visited the secret island that was "Bora"
A time when the crowds were not so thick
The beach not so crowded
Hotels were far and in between
Restaurants were exotic and imaginative (including one perched on a treetop)

A time when it was still Borah-kai,
As opposed to Bora-khey
A time when breasts were real
And swim wear covered enough of the body to leave room for imagination

A time when "party" was a noun - not a verb
A time when "cell" was a room at the police station - not a phone
A time when Michael Jackson was "thrilling" - not weird
A time when "clowns" were in the circus -not in government

So long ago ...

The aroma of grilled baby backs now filled the air
I excitedly took a swig of the San Mig in my hand
The waiter walked towards me
With my culinary treasure on his tray
" Enjoy your meal" - he said
The prawns, clams and fish soon followed ...

This was the life
Few moments can match the fulfillment
I took a bite
No disappointment
Tasty, tangy, delicious ...
I was a happy guy

I looked out towards the road
Watched the people walking by
Looked helplessly on as a dilapidated taxicab turned the corner
And slammed directly into a waiting 6-wheeler truck
Creating a monster traffic jam ...

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?
Wait wait wait
Wasn't I in Boracay?

Well ....
Sort of
I was in Gasthof Restaurant and Grill - (of Boracay fame),
And Gasthof has come to Makati
Yup - in the middle of urbantown Makati itself

Gasthof's first branch outside of Boracay
Is making waves
As people trapped in the urban jungle of Makati
Troop to this three level resto
Serving it's original recipe of famous ribs and grills

No sand, no sea , no surf
No bikinis, no thongs
No surfboards, no paraws
Just beer or wine
And good ole' beach food ...

Totally "wholesome" - as opposed to some holes
Imagine na lang ,
It's as good as ...

Drop by
It's deja vu all over again for the 2nd time
Something similiar
Something family
Kinda'

Pwede na din ...



































































































Gasthof Restaurant and Grill
Ground Floor, A. Venue Mall
7829 Makati Avenue
Makati

(63-2) 382-8407

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gasthof... guesthouse. does that mean they have accommodations, too? that'll be cool if they do and design it bavarian style. heee...

2 years ago - hubby and i last visited the phil and, it was our first time in boracay. that was fun! we were there for a week and there's an impressive italian joint that we frequented. from the aprons of the servers to the quantity and quality of food, we thought we were back home or in italy. haha!

by the way - what's a "paraws"?

Guten Appetit!

Anonymous said...

Initially I was skeptical about this place... Too many times we were made to wait for an hour for our orders at their Boracay branch, sometimes even when its off-peak. We somehow ended up in the Makati branch one Sunday, though, and this time we really enjoyed our meal. No hour-long wait, bigger servings and slightly cheaper prices. The baby back ribs look much "healthier" too. Already planning a return visit for more ribs, sausages and beer!

Daguldol Tarakatac III said...

Rita,
Boracay is great
It is still a top destination although more and more beach destinations are being "discovered" and developed ...

There will be many to pick from when you visit next.

BTW - a "paraw" is a native outrigger boat.

dagul

Daguldol Tarakatac III said...

Chinkee,
Yes - the place is almost always packed in Bora. And the service suffers ...
Beer always makes the wait a little more bearable :-)

The Makati branch is more sedate, and the food I actually think is better.

It's just that I miss the curvy bods and the "bikinis" ...

dagul

Unknown said...

I haven't been to the Venue Mall yet. I'm thinking of the best day or time to go there---with less traffic. I also miss the old Bora...

Daguldol Tarakatac III said...

luna,
Yes - some discoveries await at
A. Venue Mall. It is very sparsely populated pa. Few shops , some restaurants.

No frenzied crowds.
It'll take awhile to really fill up

Now is a good time to visit coz' not so many know about it yet.
Evenings are great - mga 7-10pm

See you there.

dagul

Anonymous said...

as far as i can remember.. the ribs in bora are more rustic looking.. more primitive looking bec of the charred uneven surface.. their ribs now here in manila has the industrialized/common looking ribs u can find in other restos...

Daguldol Tarakatac III said...

sakai,
You are absolutely right
The manila version is "sanitized" - and the Bora version is more of the "outdoors" version ... rough, charred and bathing in its delicious juices.

Great observation ...
Thanks

dagul

Anonymous said...

when i was in Bora, Gasthof always saved me from my constant "what-to-eat-for-dinner" dilemmas. true, the wait was long. but i agree with you that the beer, tequilla, vodka made the waiting bearable. :-)

Daguldol Tarakatac III said...

dyosa,

hahaha - yes
what would Bora be without beer,vodka, and tequila

daguldol

 gmirage said...

Must be owned by a German? Glad youre back with good stuff! Tagal mo naman nawala!

Daguldol Tarakatac III said...

Been uber busy ...
Very tired at the end of the day
Brain dead

I will recover soon - I hope

dagul

Gracie said...

uhmm...another addition to my "places to see" list!

Dagul, you're on my featured friends meme, hope you'll have energy to stop by my blog some time.

Daguldol Tarakatac III said...

Majik,
Gosh -thanks
I do visit your blog and I will continue to do so ...

Have a Majikal weekend...

dagul

Anonymous said...

it's been 2 weeks since the last article. what gives mr. daguldol? we await the next one with bated breath. Hope everything is a-okay.

Unknown said...

I've been enjoying your blog. Been checking for updates -- hope you're back soon!

ALiNe said...

I'm still a Gasthof boracay fan ;-)

Anonymous said...

hey, guy! hope all is well, it's been awhile. take it easy.

Unknown said...

Paging Mr. Daguldol! Your fans are waiting for your next post.:D I hope you're alright. Don't work to hard.:)

 gmirage said...

Dropping by looking for something new! Halu!!!

 gmirage said...

Katok katok! Tao po? Ako uli hehe....hahanap ng bagong pampataba!

i♥pinkc00kies said...

wow! they have a branch in makati na pala?! :D great!! i love their baby back ribs!!