Oct 31

Oct 31 Flavorful Lunch on a Sunday in Gostoso Piri Piri

METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES. Joining in the long list of restaurants in Kapitolyo is this new kid in the block called Gostoso Piri Piri. What makes it unique is that this joint offers some authentic Portuguese BBQ that none of its nearby counterparts do offer. Moreover, it prides itself with their Chicken Piri Piri. Piri Piri is something that I often hear and see but had not have the chance to taste, well, until last week.

the ambiance

For one, it is easy to miss out this restaurant while you are driving along East Capitol Drive because of its very simple exterior. But everything transforms as you go inside. Modern meets industrial is what I would like to call the vibe inside the place which is a combination that I am liking recently because of its comfortable and light atmosphere it emit despite of its grungy look.

The color red pops out more than any other color which I think was just fantastic as it adds to the comfortable and inviting vibe of the place. And look at that! Aaahhh, the combination of wood, glass and metal was just so perfect on this setup.

the food

We started the feast with some Bolsas. Bolsas (Php 150) are juicy, browned puff-pastry stuffed with some hefty serving of beef. They can easily be likened to Empanadas but what differentiates them I think from the latter is that it is fried and that there is that lovely sauce in which you dip it on.

Second stop is the Porco Gostoso Meal (Php 400) which translates to a prime rib slow-roasted tender over an open flame. This one was delightfully fatty and appetite-inducing that even those who are on a strict diet would have a hard time resisting it. I also love that each order of the meal comes with that delicious bowl of Olive Rice (which spells yummy!) and two sides of your choosing from an option of 5. As for us, we got the creamed corn and chick pea salad. The chick pea salad for me was the perfect partner for the pork as its sourness toned down the fatty and meaty taste of the pork.

And of course, how could anyone forget to order the specialty Piri Piri Chicken Meal of Gostoso (Quarter/Half/Whole, Php 230/400/650)? We just have to get a quarter chicken meal, too, for my brother who loves to eat anything chicken! This meal comes too with a serving of Olive Rice and 1 choice of side. But for those who wants to skip the rice, you may just order get the one under the mains (Quarter/Half/Whole, Php 200/315/525).

For small barkada and groups who are planning to dine here soon, Gostoso offers the perfect platter for you, guys! Named Prato Grande, the restaurant offers the Two of Your Kind (Php 785) which is a platter good for 2 to 3 that lets you pick any 2 mains from the menu and does come with 2 cups of Olive Rice and two sides.

We got the Have It All (Php 1045) though, good for up to 4, which lets us have all three main dishes and at the same time 3 cups of Olive Rice and 3 sides. Whoo! What a steal!

My love of spicy food is actually erratic so I did not try putting in some chili on the Piri Piri sauce for added effect. Nonetheless the chicken still tasted great for me! Some may find the taste lacking of that extra kick but the chicken did work well for my taste buds! I will try it again the next time that we will be here but with some added chili then.

Since this is my first time to try something like it, I have nothing to based their Piri Piri Chicken upon. So for those of you who had already tried the dish before and also tried Gostoso's version, how did you find it? Just curious!

GOSTOSO PIRI PIRI