Along Valero Street in Salcedo Village is this heritage bistro called XO46. Don't ask me why it's called that. Nor why and how they describe itself as a heritage bistro.
The 2012-2013 Best New Restaurant Awards entice and impress all who happen to pass through the entrance to claim their seats inside. Yes, we waited for someone to come forward to sit us but we soon learned no one's coming.
Once seated, we browsed through the menu and by the time we were ready, no one seemed ready to take our order. Oh, the wait staff were all shuffling around but no one ever looked in our direction. And it wasn't a busy night, trust me.
We shared a clay pot of Pancit Molo soup and a plate of Vigan Empanadas. Each dish laid on our table with "Here's your order of blah blah, Señorita....", "Anything else, Señorita?" And more conversations immersed in excessive courtesy and fake familiarity.
If only they were served "en pronto". Took 40 minutes to be served these 2 utterly simple meals. The clay pot is pretentious. The soup wasn't as hot as it should be. And the empanadas are blah.
It's a puzzle in my mind how this bistro landed this Best Filipino restaurant award. They have a fancy menu, I concede, but it ends there. ��
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