If there’s one restaurant I would like to go back to, it would have to be Lorenzo’s Way in Bonifacio High Street. Not only is the staff attentive and the décor tasteful but they also offer one of the most satisfying meals I had in a while.
The Costillas de Ternera Guisada, their braised beef stew in wine sauce with vegetables and olives is sumptuous as it is filling, prompting one to scoop more rice than you intended to. Goodbye to your low carb diet. I wonder if this is their take on Beef Bourguignon, the well-known French beef stew that is also cooked with wine. Nevertheless, it is worth going back to.
It doesn’t help that the bamboo rice we ordered with the Costillas was also as delectable. Set inside a halved bamboo, the flavors are locked inside and tastes like a lightly flavored adobo rice.
It has been my second time in Lorenzo’s Way. The first time was with my husband and my son who has autism. And since my son has sensory issues especially in new places with music, I have been trying to desensitize him by bringing him more to public places like restaurants. And one of our first tries was Lorenzo’s Way. I remember it was about 11’o clock in the morning then with just a handful of patrons and we were seated near the door, ready to bolt out in case he makes some commotion. And the waitress had been surprisingly accommodating, even if my son was whining about the soft music inside. She got him his ice cream immediately, our attempt to appease him (it worked) and our orders of Costillas and bamboo rice swiftly. There was no hint of displeasure or irritation on her face.
It should not be a big deal since that’s what staff in restaurants are supposed to do, be helpful. But I have experienced one restaurant in Greenbelt that is unfortunately not so accommodating. It was an Asian fusion type of restaurant and my husband and I were eating in our hurried pace (as usual) and my son was sitting, playing, lying down on a long empty couch beside us. Then a couple arrived and guess where the waitress led them to? the space where my son is seated at. There were a lot of vacant seats in the restaurant and she insisted on sitting them there. Yes, you guessed it, I wouldn’t go back to that restaurant again. I mean what’s a little consideration. Sorry for the rant 🙂
Anyway, going back to Lorenzo’s Way, the second time I went there was Valentine’s Day, my sister’s birthday. The place was full and we even saw the singer Bamboo. Funny thing though since we also ordered bamboo rice that time 🙂 And my Dad liked the food. That says something because my father is the original foodie in the family. My Lola and his relatives were great cooks so his standards for good food has been pretty high. I’m glad he enjoyed the food in Lorenzo’s Way 🙂
That night, I also ordered my favorite Costillas for us and other dishes like Lengua which unfortunately I wasn’t able to try (it vanished on the plate) but my Tita said it was good and also my Dad who’s not a lengua fanatic. Then we also sampled the Sugpo sa Aligue which was, in my opinion not at par with the other dishes in terms of Wow factor. The aligue sauce was a little subdued for my taste. Maybe I should have ordered their Coco Loco Prawns, sauteed prawns in lemon grass and coconut milk. I’ll try that next time.
And finally, we ordered a strawberry shortcake for my sister. I asked one of the staff if they have a candle so we can put it on top of the cake and yes, they have one. I like that, always ready for any request.
The strawberry shortcake was delicate and dainty. It was not too sweet which I liked and the frosting was not too thick. I haven’t had strawberry shortcake in my life, only read about it on children’s book so this was really nice. It would complement a cup of tea quite well.
There are a lot of things to rave about Lorenzo’s Way, the elegant décor, the well-trained staff and of course, their signature sumptuous dishes. Given that, I would love to come back again for dinner, maybe only me and my husband because it would be nice to enjoy food without worrying if my child’s outburst is imminent or if my father is enjoying the food. Because really, the food and ambiance here is meant to be savored and enjoyed, not breezed through in one hurried pace. Maybe one of these days 🙂
