Happy Birthday, TL!

If you remember my previous post about Conti's pastries, here is the sequel to it.

We celebrated our TL (team leader) T's birthday with a dinner at Conti's in Greenbelt. We usually celebrate birthdays in our office pantry and then have spaghetti, pizza, cake and ice cream so we decided to make an extra effort for our hardworking team leader.

On the table:

Appetizer: Assorted Dips w/ Melba Toast (P120)

The spinach-artichoke spread is light and tasty. It complements the dry and crisp (and tasteless) Melba Toast. The other dip, by the way, is duck liver pate. I didn't try it since I am not really a fan but according to my officemates, it is rich and savory.

I recommended Mango Royale Salad  (To Share P160 / Solo P90) to T because I have tried it when my sister and I had dinner at Conti's in Serendra. I am glad T loves it too, especially the luscious mango bits.

Salmon Croquettes (P90)- tasteful salmon flakes mixed with mashed potatoes, breaded and fried to golden perfection. I find it too oily. You'll have to pat the oil off with a napkin.

This is what I ordered- Mango Salmon Panini (P195)- sliced smoked salmon and mangoes on ciabatta bread. I chose a lighter meal because I thought that I might have a second dinner once my J pick me up. It is light on the stomach yet I feel that I am already full when I finished it. The spread is very flavorful and the bread is toasted to perfection. 

Grilled Pork Chops (P215 / P270 w/ garlic rice)- two pieces herb-filled porkchop grilled to a gourmet's delight, served with saffron mushroom risotto

Roast Beef in Mushroom Sauce (P285)- slices of beef in mushroom sauce, served with buttered vegetables and mashed potato or garlic rice. This is one of the house specialties.

Chicken ala Kiev (P250)- breaded and deep fried chicken breast filled with cheese and herbs, topped with creamy sauce, served with buttered vegetables and garlic rice

Of course, a birthday celebration isn't complete without a birthday cake! We ordered a small Mango Bravo Cake (P495). I instructed the waiter to bring in the cake after our meal. We were already preparing to sing a Happy Birthday song when six waiters merged to our table and sang the song instead. We were all stunned! All of us were surprised because we didn't know the waiters also do the singing, just like how TGIF and Italianni's do it.

We asked for the cake to be sliced and each of us enjoyed a big serving. Mango Bravo is truly heavenly! I always make sure to have this for dessert when visiting Conti's. I miss it every time I crave for dessert.

Conti's is super generous because they gave all of the diners free slices of their fabulous desserts. Yummy! This is an Espresso Turtle pie. Aside from the fact that it is free, I like it because it is soft, rich and creamy. The coffee taste is subtle and it has the right sweetness.

Another free- Strawberry Cheesecake! I prefer blueberry cheesecake, although this one is also smooth and dense.

The servings at Conti's are really generous and filling that's why it is one of the best choice to dine and celebrate special occasions. Although service is a little bit slow because of the large number of customers, the crew are attentive and courteous. The meals are reasonably-priced, plus you might also get free desserts!

*** Conti's

Greenbelt II, Esperanza Street, Makati City

(o2) 756.00.47 and (02) 756.01.37