Filio Bistro

Apparently, it's not only in Marikina that you'll find hole-in-the-wall cafes/restaurants/bistros/what have yous in the East side of the Metro.  Antipolo is also one of the places that one should frequent for good food when in the area.  Formerly Coffee Place, Filio Bistro is a spacious and tranquil hang out place for patrons of all ages.

credits to: www.brandsoftheworld.com

This blog entry is my take during my two consecutive dining experience in Filio Bistro.  

My first visit was just to catch up with a friend.  We didn't feel the need to order a lot since we just had lunch prior to discovering this place, so here's just what we ordered:

Clockwise from top left: Strawberry-Banana smoothie (159.00), Green tea lemonade (79.00), Zesty Nachos (158.00)

Okay, I admit, I'm a little (yes, a little, lol!) outdated lately (proof: my year-long blog hiatus) that's why I was so amazed by how they presented our drinks - so amazed that I made the wait staff chuckle. 

Imagine this scenario: 

Nachos arrives, 

Me: Wow! 

Green tea lemonade arrives, 

Me: woooow!

Strawberry-Banana smoothie arrives,

Me: WOOOWWW!

See? I'm a sucker for cute things.  Seriously, I really appreciate it if establishments put an effort with their presentation. Aside from how it smells, it's the first experience that one has before tasting the food itself. There are presentations that even if you're not hungry will make you starve just by how it looks. Don't get me wrong here, of course how something tastes is what's important but I don't think everything reaches to the "taste stage", most especially if it isn't appealing to the eyes.  The way a food looks is what tempts our sight that makes us want to taste it.

Anyhow, you maybe wondering why the hell did I "wow-ed" on the nachos.  Well, let my defensive self explain here. It's not as if it was my first time to see a nachos served on a white plate?! Hello?! haha! It's the meat. And the tomatoes. And the cheese!!  It's just not visible on the above photo but it was hefty.  Plus, it's still hot. Just goes to show that it is newly cooked, and it smells pretty good too. It was honestly the very first time that I ordered nachos that I didn't feel the need to measure the amount of toppings that I put from the first nacho to the last. Toppings were that hefty, I tell you.  Also, I like that the meat is not like those dry ones where it is just scattered everywhere and getting it takes a lot of effort because it tends to always roll out from the nacho that it's on just before it reaches your mouth.  I hope you get what I mean, hehe. Here's a short way to put it: I like love their nachos :)

Now on to the drinks, according to my friend, their green tea lemonade tastes great.  I wasn't able to try it for myself, though. As for me, the strawberry-banana smoothie is so rich in flavor.  The combined taste of the strawberry and banana is present in my taste buds.  The smoothie is creamy, proof that they didn't used too much ice on it.

On my second visit, I decided to try a heavier meal than the nachos: 

Filio Bistro's Juicy and Cheesy Burger (198.00)
Served with TLC and fries with your own choice of dip

The Juicy and Cheesy burger is one of Filio Bistro's specials.  And I am not one to complain.  The burger indeed lived up to its name, the melted cheese is oozing plus the patty is truly juicy and so tasty too. The fries were cooked perfectly.  Its serving was more than enough for a hungry tummy.  I personally chose their garlic mayo dip for my burger.  While J, being the cheese lover that he is,  chose their cheese dip.  Now, here's a tip, you can actually use the cheese dip as an additional dressing for the burger.  It tastes great, I promise :) What we did was spread the cheese dip on every bite and it was heaven! :)

For our drinks, we decided to try their other variant of smoothies:

Choco-peanut butter smoothie (P149.00)

Mixed berries smoothie (P159.00)

Like our first visit, the smoothies didn't disappoint.  Both were creamy and tasted as they should be.  They were very generous with the whipped cream, as you can see, which is a very good thing.  And again, they were too cute to drink! 

Here's a snapshot of their menu for your reference:

Here's a photo of their counter from where we're seated. This is what you'll see once you enter Filio.  On the right are a number of comfortable seating areas, that I wasn't able to take photos of, sorry :) Maybe next time when I come back I will be able to take a few.

The photo below is what you'll see on the left side of the road if you're outside. That's if you're coming from the rotonda where Max's Antipolo is:

THE VERDICT:

I don't have anything bad to say about this establishment.  Their staff are commendable--from both of our visits.  I remember one of them all hyped up to amaze us with what we ordered whenever he places each of it on our table.  They were all smiles too, I don't recall any grumpy staff at all.  Again, the food were great.  This is the kind of establishment that deserves to be known and flocked by patrons not only from the east but from every foodie everywhere.  I personally see myself going back here once in a while for the food, very good customer service and quiet ambiance.  

FILIO BISTRO
Circumferential Road,
San Jose, Antipolo City
(4 lots from Police HQ)
Store Hours: 9:00AM to 1:00AM

Direction: From Ortigas Ave., go straight towards Ortigas Ave. extension passing through Cainta Junction until Tikling Junction (it has a Rotonda now).  Upon reaching Tikling Junction/Rotonda, go around half of the rotonda heading to the road going up Antipolo (towards your left), still along Ortigas Ave. extension.  Drive through the road passing through Ynares Center (on your left), Unciano Medical Center (on your right) and Shopwise (on your left) / SSS Antipolo (on your right) intersection.  The then Ortigas Ave extn is now L. Sumulong Memorial Circle, drive straight ahead to reach the rotonda, Lico Circle.  Go a little around the rotonda entering Circumferential road in between Max's (on your left) and Flying V (on your right).  Drive a few more minutes, Filio Bistro will be on your left right after you pass through Medical City Antipolo. Ha! There you have it.  I hope the directions are clear :)