Stella

Theresa had her birthday party at Stella's, a bistro at the Fort.  The restaurant prides itself with its wood-fire oven recipes, and when you arrive, the aroma of the open kitchen will greet you and probably make your tummy rumble.  The interiors are pretty neat and the predominant colors and furniture style will take you back to the sixties (just take a look at the way the trademark "Stella" is written).

Our meal was a hodge-podge of everything we took a fancy to.  Pizza, noodles, slow roasted pork, oven-baked chicken, prawns, belly ham, rib-eye, salmon--you name it, we got it!  I don't think I will be able to gorge this way again in a long time, we were absolutely stuffed. Wood-fire ovens have a certain aromatic effect on food, and depending on the kind of wood used, the results can be doubly divine or disastrously distasteful.  I think this restaurant has a clear handle on good food, and you can be sure that your P1,000 average food check will be well spent.

The sister bar is the Rocket Room, which carries a wide array of wines and alcohol drinks. We were there on a Sunday lunch, and the place was 80% full.  If you intend to bring a large group to dine, it is probably best to call in advance for reserved seats.