Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge Media Launch

When I was in Bangkok, there were only very few things that I really missed in Manila: my daughter, the milk tea, and blogger's events. After all, it is through blogger's events that I ended up meeting some of the most awesome people that I know now. :)

So, when I checked my email and saw the invite from Pax for a restaurant launch, I didn't think twice. I didn't even stop to wonder whether I would know anyone at the event. I just went for it. And I'm really glad I did. :)

Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge is located on the 2nd floor of the CommerCenter building in Bonifacio Global City aka The Fort. The building is located by 31st Ave and 4th Street and is quite easy to find. After that, you just have to walk up a flight of stairs (or take the elevator if you're lazy :p) and Relik will be right there, waiting for you!

Although a bit out of place in the parking lot, Relik makes up for it inside, where they have plush leather sofas and just the right amount of warm light for a friendly catch-up session or a romantic lunch. (Valentine's Day soon! Just saying... ;p)

This quirky sign really caught my eye - mostly coz it's so true. :p

Relik has vintage items on the walls, in general, including wooden tennis rackets, vinyl records and images from the 50s and 60s, giving the whole resto its cozy, modern vintage charm.

While waiting for the program to start, we were served jamons, cured meats, olives and cheeses, and were even introduced to the chef himself: Benjo Tuason.

The jamon platter was delicious. I'm a sucker for olives and cheese!!!

The very talented - and single ;) - chef of Relik, Benjo Tuason.

While waiting for the program to start, Chef Benjo shared his story with us - of how he lived in Australia for 7 years and how his childhood friend asked him to relocate back to Manila to be the chef of Relik.

To describe the signature dishes of Relik, Chef Benjo says he makes them all with that special ingredient called "love" - awww! - and they aren't just tapas; but "modern tapas". Tapas with an Australian twist, perhaps?

We were then able to enjoy some of his highly recommended appetizers:

Baked Australian Brie

I fell absolutely in love with this dish! Like I said, I'm a sucker for cheese, so that really isn't surprising. :p

Quesadillas

Generally speaking, you haven't really lived til you've tried guacamole. So, if you haven't, this is your chance to do so. It's almost as good as cheese. Seriously.

After the appetizers, we were introduced to the managing partners of Relik:

Timo Roxas-Chua, Patricia Cortez and Ryan Ordonez

And after that, they raffled off 5000-peso GCs to a ton of lucky foodies at the event (I wasn't one of them - *sniffles*). And then it was on to the main course!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Creme Fraiche

This soup was an absolute delight! I almost licked the bowl!

Relik's Mixed Paella

The paella in Relik is indeed special. It actually needs to be ordered a day in advance if you want to eat it! But, hey, it is definitely worth it - trust me!

Lengua Bourguignon

The lengua bourguignon was... interesting, for lack of a better term. :p I had never tried lengua before and I must say it's more of an acquired taste. So, if you're a lengua fan, go for it. If not, I'd pass.

Mother Ann's Braised Ox-Tail

I had never tried ox-tail before, either, but I surprisingly enjoyed it. Haha. Lots of firsts in the food world for me at this event, eh? I think that's what I loved most about the food choices that day. :)

Gambas with a Kick

Now, dessert aside, the gambas were prolly my favorite dish. Why? I love spicy food. Although this dish isn't as spicy to what I'd like or what I'm used to, it still did the trick. A definite must-try.

And now, the best for last: dessert - the vanilla and amaretto panacotta.

If you know me quite well, then you should know panacotta is the only dessert in the world that I actually hate. The strawberry kind, anyway. But this mixed berry one? OH MY GOD. Orgasm in my mouth. I was "warned" beforehand that this is one of Chef Benjo's specialties, and I really am not surprised. It is so good, I actually dreamt about it that night. And am thinking about it again now. Ahhhh.

And here are the beautiful people from my table, whom you must have seen in some of my older blog posts:

(left) Mommy Corrine of Single Mom, Super Mom whom I went lasertagging at LazerXtreme with last November

(right) Mommy Millette of Lucky Finds whom I was with at the Bioessence event last October

And Mommy Corrine's adorable lil munchkin!!!

Relik is open on weekdays for lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm and everyday for dinner and cocktails from 5:30pm onwards. Hearty set lunches are served during noontime and includes soup, salad and a main course. These set lunches tend to change on a regular basis, too, so there will always be something exciting and new to try during the week. How great is that? :)

Did I mention that everything is super affordable, too? Some dishes stand at only 300-400 pesos, so you won't burn a huge hole in your wallet by dining here - provided you can actually stop yourself from eating more after you've tasted the food, that is. :p

Thank you so much for having us!

For more information on Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge, you can add them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. You can also add Chef Benjo on Twitter here. ;) If you decide to go, make sure to invite me! :)