I have passed by this restaurant often and its parking is always packed. But one Sunday, we were able to try it when we got a parking slot maybe because it was after lunch already. Going inside, it looked like a fancy place with wine bottles displayed, soft music in the background and elegant interiors. It can look a little intimidating but families there seemed comfortable with their short and shirts and was just having fun. Maybe they consider it part of their neighborhood already.
Anyway, my husband have been there before with clients so he recommended their Cedar grilled Salmon. The waiter told me that it had no rice just mashed potato. That was fine, maybe I’ll just order extra rice maybe in the course of the meal. We also ordered the oyster chowder soup and bruschetta for appetizer. For drinks, I ordered their basil lemonade which was refreshing.
The soup was thin I noticed unlike the other seafood chowder I tried before and the tiny oyster meat inside was not to my liking so I skipped that after one bite. But I appreciate the garnish on the soup for texture and my husband liked the soup’s flavor.
Next is the bruschetta which is one of my favorite appetizers especially those of Cibo’s particularly the one with stewed tomatoes. In Tito Chef’s, these were diced tomatoes on top of a slice of bread with some alfalfa garnish on top. The tomatoes were plump and fresh and adding a pinch of rock salt enhanced its flavor more.
Then came the Cedar grilled Salmon which I quite liked. It came in big plate that was creatively arranged for visual appeal. On top was a huge slab of salmon lying on a bed of salad and a mound of mashed potato. On the side was a splash of creamy sauce and a sprinkle of what looked like black caviar. It didn’t disappoint, it tasted the way it looked. The salmon was well cooked and had that slight sweet glaze on top that also infused some flavor into the meat. The creamy sauce meanwhile reminded me of a cucumber sauce for gyros and went well with the salmon. The black caviar’s slight salty flavor also added extra flavor to the dish.
More than that, I also liked the way the mashed potato was cooked. I’m a sucker for good mashed potato and this was one of that I also liked. It did not came from a box, it was made of real potatoes because it was thick, filling and had good flavor to it. The salad meanwhile was not soggy with just a hint of sweet vinaigrette drizzled on it. Overall, the Cedar grilled salmon was a good dish.
To cap it off, we had some desserts. We had the Butter Pecan Walnut pie and the Dulce de leche cheesecake. We paired it with coffee and peppermit hot tea. The butter walnut pecan pie was a little thick and a mouthful but the nutty flavor was there. On the other hand, the Dulce de leche cheesecake reminded me a lot of the New York cheesecake, not only in flavor but its firm form. It was prepared different from other cheesecakes, those that are too soft, just creamy and not baked. This was certainly baked and the cream cheese flavor was not overpowering, a good combination to my hot tea.
It is not often that you come across a restaurant who can beautifully and carefully plate a meal. There is a certain art form to it. Tito Chef have certainly made it their signature move maybe because they are also part of a culinary school. But other than that, I commend their effort to serve good food with good flavors and a flair of creativity all in a quaint but elegant setting. So one day, if I pass by and a parking is available, I might come back again especially if a special occasion calls for it. Maybe I’ll try some wine pairings with some of their food selection.
