Tales From The Other Side (Part 3): The Swiss Deli Restaurant
Picking up from the trail we left off, my series featuring the lesser known side of Aguirre Avenue resumes its journey by taking a leap to another continent. It is a welcome sight to observe that the restaurants along this famous strip now have a more international flavor.
A spot frequented by ex-pats, this quiet deli is unassuming, sharing the lot with a nail spa of some sort. In fact, one might be misled that there is no dine-in, sit-down type of affair going on inside, if one does not pay attention to the word "restaurant". Heck, the inattentive onlooker might even mistake it for a first-aid station, with that all too familiar white and red cross sign.
Indeed, it is a deli selling choice cuts of meat and sausages and premium quality cheese. Then someone had the bright idea of cooking up what they sell and serving it restaurant style. Hence, the Swiss Deli Restaurant was born. Inside, the place is simple and quaint. No fancy decorations here, no pictures of the Alps, no yodel recordings blaring on the radio. You can tell that the owners like to keep it low-key, and let their food bask in the limelight.
A quick perusal of their extensive menu and we were off ordering a main course for each of us.
Seafood Chowder, P195 (+10% service charge)
Kickstarting our appetite was this huge bread bowl of seafood chowder, its warmth emanating slowly from the hollowed out chambers of the bread. It came in the right temperature, and the broth was delightfully thick. Full of briny flavor, it was hearty and filling. Though a bit lacking in some seafood contents (we would have preferred more clams), it was a good starter. The tough bread should complement well, but one might prefer to save some room for more goodies later in the meal.
Chicken Cacciatore, P260 (+10% service charge)
Mom often times goes for the pasta dish, and this item was off menu but listed as the day's chef's special. A huge plate of twisted noodles arrived, the delightful scent of fresh tomatoes wafting slowly as it was set on the table.
And the tomatoes were indeed fresh, plump, and juicy. The sauce was thick and sour, yet still light and not overpowering. There were huge chunks of chicken in the mix, although a bit dry in some parts. Nevertheless, the pasta sauce was addicting. The noodles were perfectly executed al dente, firm to the bite, dancing tantalizingly on the tongue. A huge dish full of flavor, a steal at under 300 bucks.
Chicken "Zurich Style", P220 (+10% service charge)
The people in Zurich must be utterly out of their minds, as this chicken dish was confusing. Or the chef in this restaurant simply missed out on this totally. Swimming in this murky mushroom sauce was a paltry amount of thin chicken chunks. The sauce was too salty, like an overdone KFC gravy. The chicken were too few to enjoy, unlike that present in the cacciatore. A disappointment after all the hits so far. Avoid it like the plague.
Prawn Mango Salad, P230 (+10% service charge)
The salad, strangely, came midway through our meal. Still, it was worth the wait. A huge bowl of dazzling colors of green, yellow, and red glistened in its fresh moistness. The prawns were large and generous in number, tender and succulent with each bite. It was smothered in some kind of spicy tomato sauce, rendering an added dimension to this simple dish.
Consisting of just about any green vegetable the chef could get their hands on to, the serving size was good for four. The mango cubes, though too few, lent its own sweetness to the mix. Whoever said no good conversations started off with a salad should probably try this one out.
Australian Rib-eye (300g), P660 (+10% service charge)
Of course, I just had to sample their meat offerings which they also sell frozen. I picked the rib-eye steak and ordered it medium well, according to my liking. At 300 grams, it was enough for a single person to devour.
The steak came out exactly as I wanted it. The criss-cross pattern of grilling were tell-tale signs of an ample grilling method. The meat glistened in its juices, the strands of fat cloying in the right places. The meat was succulent, but was inconsistent - tender in some parts, tough in others. Still, it was seasoned well enough not to need gravy - which they forgot to serve and arrived a little later.
I enjoyed my steak with a side of spatzle - the Swiss (and Germany's) own version of pasta. This egg noodle has a queer texture, plump and stout, like an over-hydrated rice puff. It is practically devoid of flavor on its own, save for a light, buttery taste. I'm unsure how it should taste, but in retrospect, I should have ordered rice with my steak.
Hungarian Sausage, P195 (+10% service charge)
Earlier, before our meal, I peered through their frozen section, rows of refrigerators keeping their choice meats cool. I was curious how their sausages would taste, so we ordered one to try. A fat length of sausage arrived smelling fresh and hot off their grill.
The Hungarian was heavenly. Peppery and stout, its flavor emanated from the juices trapped within. It was a travesty to use ketchup, as the sausage was bursting with flavor. It came with a side of french fries, which was rather forgettable - it was the grocery kind of fries. Still, the sausage was the star. Meat done well.
This deli dishes out mouth-watering meat dishes, its steak and sausages attractively priced for this kind of quality. In fact, one might opt to bring home the frozen versions which should save you up to 20%. But the lazy ones, like me, prefer to dine in this serene spot along Aguirre.
The Swiss Deli Restaurant looks to become a fixture in this part of the neighborhood, a regular haunt for ex-pats and locals alike. Service is attentive and generally okay, and prices are reasonable. Parking might be a drag during peak hours, but taking out the frozen meat is always a viable option. A welcome member of the growing "United Nations" of food along Aguirre, the Swiss Deli will instantly transport you to the Alps. Now only if they can sing a little yodel.
Jones
The Swiss Deli Restaurant
321 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque City
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