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.
The first orders that came out were the salads: the Pomelo Salad and the Tenderloin Salad. I’m no expert in Vietnamese cuisine so I can’t really tell if the Pomelo Salad was authentic or not, but it’s pretty good in my opinion. A different take from the usual salad we see in most restaurants, but if you really want something different and good at the same time, the Tenderloin Salad is a definite must try.
We also had Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls and Sugarcane Shrimps as our appetizers. No qualms here either. Both were equally good in their own right. For those who’ll try out the Sugarcane Shrimp, here’s a tip: don’t just discard the sugarcane once you’re done eating the shrimp off of it. The flavors get infused on the sugarcane so it’s delicious to suck on after wards.
For our main course, we had the Zao Barbeque Platter and Satay Platter so that we can get sampling of all their barbeque and satay offerings. Both platters are actually more or less similar when it comes to flavor, so if you’re on a limited budget, ordering one or the other will do.
It didn’t come with rice so we order the Zao Fried Rice to accompany our meat fest. It isn’t as flavorful as what we were expecting (including the salted egg), but it served as a nice complement to the succulent meat dishes we already had.
Our parents ordered the Pan Seared Catfish, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to try it out so I can’t really say how good it really is. However, based on the other dishes I’ve already tasted, it’s probably as good as the rest their offerings.
To cap things off, we had the Espresso Gateu de Crepe which is a nice counter-balance to the strong, pungent flavors of our main course. It’s not too sweet and it literally melts in your mouth. We also tried out the Vietnamese Halo-halo. It’s a definite treat for the senses, but I still prefer the Filipino halo-halo.
Over-all, our Zao dining experience was a memorable one, and we’re definitely looking forward to eating there again when given the chance. They’ve still got a lot on their menu that we’ve yet to try out. Needless to say, there’s a lot more to Zao than what I’ve already posted. Their other branch, by the way, is located in Serendra at the Fort, Taguig City.
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The Good:
Great flavors, a wide variety of dishes, great service
The Bad:
A bit pricey for the serving size, indoor dining space could be too small if you’re a large group
