Erwin's Gastrobar

Two Saturdays ago, Hubby invited me to go to the newly opened City of Dreams Casino.  I've never been there, but heard great stuff about the food.  Truth be told, I only agreed to go because of the food and nothing else (yes, forever a foodie!)  As luck would have it, we got stuck in traffic for close to 2 hours on what should have been a 30-minute journey.  It was already about 4 in the afternoon when we got there, and I haven't eaten anything that day yet!  If you've already been to the City of Dreams, there's a whole floor of different restaurants for you to choose from.  But the one that piqued our interests was Erwin's Gastrobar.  Guess why?  Because we saw the words "Wagyu Chuck Eye" on their menu.  And for two hungry people, this might as well be the holy grail!  LOL!

Wagyu Chuck Eye

Certified Wagyu Chuck Eye Steak served with Peppercorn Sauce

Voila!  The very dish that made us try Erwin's.  Absolutely no regrets here.  The Wagyu Chuck Eye was absolutely tender, almost bordering on marshmallow levels.  It's funny how both mine and Hubby's eyes widened when the steak touched our hungry mouths.

Erwin's Carnivore Platter

Pork Ribs, Chicken Wings, Beef Sliders, Chicken Poppers and Fries

Unlike the Wagyu Chuck Eye that was an absolute hit, this was a hit-and-miss.  Hits would be the fries, beef sliders and chicken poppers.  Miss would be the chicken wings which were small and did nothing to please our palate.  We're still on the fence about the pork ribs, since half of it was fall-off-the-bone tender and the other half was a bit tough.

Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble with Vanilla Custard and Ice Cream

Oh my.  This was absolutely divine.  The vanilla custard was soft and silky, and the apple crumble beneath all that custard was heavenly.

Lunch on Saturday ended there.  I wish I could say that everything was all good, but we went back the very next day during Sunday dinner and this is when everything fell apart.

Quesadilla

Roasted Peppers, Bacon, Jalapenos, Black Pepper Cheddar and Mozzarella in a Toasted Tortilla

Not bad, but I couldn't exactly taste the other ingredients except for the mozzarella and the tortilla. 

Potato Wedges

Hand cut and served crispy, topped with Bacon, Mozzarella and Ranch Dressing

I don't exactly know how you could murder a potato dish, but they did just that.  If there was an award for the worst tasting potato wedges I've tried, this would win, hands down.

Mushroom Risotto

Mushroom Risotto cooked in Porcini stock with Shimeji Mushrooms, aged Parmesan and grilled Ciabatta

...and then there's this mushroom risotto that was half cooked.  We returned this and they claimed that they really make their risottos half cooked!  Who were they kidding?!

But wait, there's more!  Remember the Wagyu Chuck Eye we liked so much on the first try?  They managed to screw up that one too.  On the second try, the Wagyu Chuck Eye was tough and gummy.  NOTHING like the one we had just the day before.  I had to finish the entire order and I make no exaggerations by saying that my jaw hurt after that meal.  Oh and before I forget, the Apple Crumble?  The smooth and silky custard was NOT smooth and silky anymore.  Sheesh.

I'm not even done yet.  The service?  Sucky at the least.  In fact, I'd say sucky would be an understatement.  It was practically non-existent!  Here are the reasons why:

1.  I called in advance to reserve a table, and I specifically requested for a table by the glass windows.  When we got there, not only were all tables by the windows occupied, one of the servers even told me that they don't have reservations!  

2.  When the server started arranging the table setting and the napkins on our table, one of the napkins fell on the floor.  To my horror, she put it back on our table for us to use.  

3.  No one really cares when you need service.  Not even if you're waving your arms like a maniac.

4.  They should rebrand their restaurant as a self-service restaurant.  I finally got fed up and went up to get everything we needed:  forks, spoons, etc.  I went through their cabinets by myself.  Guess what?  No one bothered to come and help.  I therefore conclude that it would probably be easy to steal utensils from them.  Argh.

So the verdict?  I really wished we didn't go back that Sunday evening.  They would've gotten a 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.  But ever since that Sunday dinner, they deserve a 0 out of 5 stars.  And I already consider it as generous for not giving them less.  Seriously.

Erwin's Gastrobar is at the City of Dreams, Asean Avenue corner Roxas Blvd., Entertainment, City, Paranaque City