Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel: A heritage cafe

An offshoot of a Spanish-charmed restaurant located at the San Juan has now found a new home in the Eastwood Mall Veranda. Buenisimo is a reformulated Cafe Ysabel to attract a wider market spectrum and dining demographics– this time targeted towards a hippier and a younger cavalier servente who prefers quality food over the run-of-the-mill fast-food.

Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel is a brainchild of the culinary genius Chef Gene Gonzales and his sister Giannina. The matriarch restaurant, Cafe Ysabel, is located in San Juan, one I hardly had a chance to drop by whenever I'm in the area.

Exuding a composite posh interior and a modern elegance, Buenisimo still retained its classic design with the integration of wrought iron doors and wooden carvings. The interior is a bit leaning towards virility though, as it imposes dark and strong black and brown colors, reminiscent of a stereotype bachelor's pad.

I was welcomed with a courtesy bread along with vinaigrette dip. Then I grabbed myself a Grape Salad with White Cheese(Php278), a profuse amount of red/green grapes, grilled Laguna white cheese, capers, olives, balsamic vinaigrette, Filleto a la Gino(Php598), a US Hanger steak, wild mushrooms, roasted bone marrow, truffle demiglace, and a Buenisimo Shake(Php178), a combination of fresh mango, passion fruit, and mint. Note that their prices don't come with service charge which is a good thing for a cheapskate like me who is always on a shoestring budget.

Having been an icon in the culinary world, the menu in the Cafe Ysabel and Buenisimo are painstakingly done to perfection. They are as flavorful as they are presented to be. One need not spend hefty premium for a gas fuel and vroom away to San Juan to be able to taste the goodness in one of Manila's heritage cafes.