Merkato is a quaint little restaurant that’s tucked in the heart of the busy Timog area in Quezon City. With so many dining options in the area, it’s easy to miss Merkato especially since it’s not located along a major thoroughfare such as Toms Morato or Timog Ave. However, considering that it’s nestled in the less-chaotic back streets of the neighborhood, you do get to enjoy some peace and quiet while enjoying your dinner.
Last Sunday, our family ate out with a couple of our closest friends at Zao in Eastwood City, Libis to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Our first choice was actually Cyma, but we were greatly disappointed with them as they told us over the phone that no reservations were being accepted during weekends, but to our surprise, they couldn’t fit us in because some of the tables were already reserved. That was more than enough reason for to go with our second choice which was Zao.
Anyway, back to Zao. Their Eastwood branch is actually quite a small place as our party of 18 almost filled up their entire indoor dining space, but believe me, the food is good enough a reason to try out your luck and find a table here at Zao on a busy, jam-packed weekend night at Eastwood City.
Having eaten in the likes of Teriyaki Boy, Saisaki, Fuji, Sumo Sam, Paseo Uno (Mandarin Hotel), Spiral (Sofitel) and Hama in Boracay, I would consider Red Kimono to be average. It’s not a stand out in terms of flavor, plating or creativity, but it’s good enough for its price.
However, they do have an on-going P535 All-You-Can-Eat promo which the others don’t currently offer that might interest Japanese foodies out there.
