“Pinch me.”, that’s what I always say when my reality is just too good. Too good that my head starts spinning, too good that I question the universe when is the goodness going to be over, too good that I stop myself from enjoying because I don’t want the universe to know I’m having a good time because it might be taken away from me – that’s how being a part of What To Eat PH feels like; it’s so good that sometimes it feels scary good, which is a good thing really. I’ve said the word “good” too many times already, haven’t I?
Being part of something scary good, for me, is a good thing, because I know we have each other’s back – we’re all having fun at the same time, believing at the same time, growing at the same time. Now, I know I’m speaking as someone who just got recently on board with the team but I never felt so warm with people who believe in the same things I believe in, who see how important miniscule details are in order to see the bigger, more grandeur picture is.
Anyway, enough with the drama; with that mini intro x speech thing I said, we, What To Eat PH Team, held an event in a quite secluded, elegant nest, if you may, at New Manila, Quezon City. We invited some creative individuals for a Bloggers’ Dinner at the Little Owl.
Little Owl by Locale Food Groupe is the perfect place where people who want some peace and quiet can surely nestle in while enjoying not just a hearty meal, but a hefty one at that. Whether you want to dine with your family, have some catch up with friends, get some studying done, celebrate good times, or even if you just want a break from the commotion of the city, relax, and indulge in some comfort food, Little Owl welcomes you wholeheartedly.
At first, Little Owl was leaning into a more traditional coffee concept, featuring mainly coffee, cakes, sandwiches, waffles, brunch items, and other continental food. However, giving into their beloved customers’ requests for splendid dishes beyond their standard offerings, Little Owl expanded its flavors as they are now gearing more into full meals.
We had our Bloggers’ Dinner at the second floor of Little Owl, which can house up to 40 people and which they call their Mezzanine. It’s such a gorgeous place to be in, perfect for corporate meetings, a mini birthday celebration, or a mini meet and greet for bloggers or vloggers alike. For our food, we had a total of 11 wonderful, delicious dishes – a mishmash of their all day breakfast selection, starters, pastas, mains, sandwiches, and rice bowls; some of which are new addition, while some are their bestsellers.
For their Starters, we had Little Owl’s Glazed Cauliflower and Sisig Tacos. For the Glazed Cauliflower, it is deep fried and cooked in Korean chili paste. Many have been tricked by this dish in our dinner. Most of the bloggers thought it was some kind of meat, a chicken, perhaps; so everyone was happily munching on some of this Glazed Cauliflower and was surprised it was a vegetable.
While for the Sisig Tacos, it is Little Owl’s version of the typical tacos but with a Filipino twist. If you are looking for some hand-held treat that is tasty and has that crunch fun, this Sisig Tacos is truly the bomb for that craving of yours.
After having some Starters, we filled our tummies with two of Little Owl’s Pastas – the Truffle Mushroom and Shrimp & Aligue. The Shrimp & Aligue Pasta is more of a Filipino inspired pasta. With its pasta noodles tossed in creamy tomato sauce made with crab fat and served with plump, fresh shrimps, this dish is really flavorful and has been a favorite of many.
The other pasta which is the Truffle Mushroom Pasta is Little Owl’s take on a normal truffle pasta. Little Owl’s Truffle Mushroom Pasta is very rich as they have tossed the pasta noodles in homemade mushroom sauce, have drizzled it with truffle oil, and have put not one, not two, but three different mushrooms in it – shiitake, enoki and shimeji.
Moving on to their Mains, we got to try Kimchi Salmon Sinigang and Beef Rendang. The Kimchi Salmon Sinigang is a fusion between Filipino and Korean cuisine. Sinigang is a popular comfort food among Filipinos, and Little Owl tweaked it a bit by using kimchi as the soup’s sour agent, together with the tamarind. This dish is another favorite of ours and we love how Little Owl gave our typical Sinigang a new look, and somehow, a different, delectable taste.
Whereas the Beef Rendang, a bestseller; is the take of Chef Neil, the Head Chef of Little Owl, on the traditional Indonesian Rendang. Currently, according to Chef Neil, this dish is the spiciest one they have in the menu. He really made it spicy because he loves spicy food, and as we, as well, are spicy food fans, this dish is definitely one of our favorites!
Next on our Bloggers’ Dinner are two of Little Owl’s Sandwiches which are Chicken n’ Waffle and Beef Tapa & Cheese. Famous in Western Cuisine, Chicken n’ Waffle is truly a magnificent dish, especially Little Owl amp theirs up by putting Sriracha in it to give it a tad bit touch of Asia, making it not only their top bestseller, but another favorite of ours as well. The balance of spice from the chicken plus the sweetness from the waffle is something one would really dream about.
Following that is a new addition in Little Owl’s Sandwich selection which is the Beef Tapa & Cheese Sandwich. By using tapa as the meat, this particular sandwich is Little Owl’s take on a Philly Cheesesteak. Together with cheese, this dish is not only a scrumptious dish, but a filling one too.
And of course, our dinner won’t be complete if we didn’t get to have some rice in our tummies, so for that, we had some of Little Owl’s Rice Bowls – the Lechon Kawali Bibimbap and Chicken Satay. The Lechon Kawali Bibimbap is a Korean inspired dish, but it’s different from the usual bibimbap as this one is already served mixed, topped with a bright sunny side up egg, tender lechon kawali meat, a side of crunchy veggies, and seasoned with sesame oil.
Whilst for the Chicken Satay, Little Owl served it in a bowl of Indonesian inspired fried rice, sunny side up egg, side vegetables for crunch, two sticks of yummy and tender chicken meat, and a peanut sauce to add some more lovely flavor to the whole dish.
For the last but surely not the least dish as this dish is one of Little Owl’s bestsellers as well, the Omelette Chorizo Rice, a dish from their All Day Breakfast selection, is a dish you will be thanking Little Owl for having. Wrapped in a blanket that is omelette are homemade chorizo and lip-smacking fried rice. Plus, this dish is topped with onion, gravy, and aioli. A meal that is of immense serving, really; hence it being another favorite of our team!
As we have started our Bloggers’ Dinner with still a little bit of sun outside and ending it with the moon and stars, some of us had a fruity cocktail made of vodka, lychee, watermelon and mint. The Pink Owl is the perfect drink to chase our worries away and end this successful event with.
With that sweet, fruity refreshing drink, watch out for more as Little Owl will soon be turning into a night owl. Fully embodying that large-eyed, nocturnal bird, the Owl; Little Owl will be serving more drinks, welcoming its loyal customers and newcomers in its dazzling nest even way past bedtime.
Moreover, if you are also interested in having an event in Little Owl, their restaurant can provide their full space for up to 80 people, with exclusive parking provision for up to 12 cars – and several more parking spaces within the area. And if you have fully decided to do your event with them, they can do a food tasting session of your selected menu prior to your event to account for any adjustments and address any specific preferences.
Little Owl has basic packages that come with choices of food already, but if you want to tweak the event menu to your liking, then Little Owl is certainly hooting and happy to change it for you.
Follow Little Owl Cafe’ on their Social Media Pages below:
Facebook: Little Owl Cafe’
Instagram: Little Owl Cafe’
Address: 65 Broadway Ave, New Manila, Quezon City, 1112 Metro Manila
Contact Number: (02) 501 2036
Hours of Operation: 11AM to 11PM, Mondays to Sundays