Ramenologist: Eating where you normally wouldn't: TORCH: Keeping the Flame of Good Food Alive

Friday, July 8, 2011

TORCH: Keeping the Flame of Good Food Alive

Torch tried so hard to please everybody by serving Japanese, American, Filipino, Italian dishes, breakfast and coffee in the morning, fondues and beers at night, that the words "identity crisis" played repeatedly inside my head. What worries me most about restaurants like Torch is that they do not have a solid theme that people can actually talk about. They try to put a little bit of everything together, they lose concept/theme in the process. Luckily, Torch was able to come up with signature dishes that are both creative and outstanding.

Torch was really brave to setup camp at the ground floor of Home Studio along Connecticut street. They are at least two blocks away from the busy food district in Quezon City. Nonetheless, interiors were bold and pleasing to the eye with tall plants parading right at the center, a neat open kitchen, an attractive wine display, beautiful bar setup, and sophisticated and modern chairs and tables, altogether create a place that is was warm and cozy.

The soft shell-crab salad is a Torch original (P299). They deep fried the soft shell crabs in heavy batter and tops a vegetable salad with mangoes, pomegranate, grapes and their signature peppermill dressing. Though this starter was excellent the way it was, I would have appreciated the soft shell crabs more if the fry-batter wasn't too thick and over-crunchy.

Next, we ordered the Salpicao Medallion (P480) which was served on a stone grill, with garlic rice and side French beans. It was my first time with stone grills, and it was erm... interactive. Hah! The Angus Beef was lightly seasoned, the bacon around the medallion was tasty, and I really appreciate the stone grill since I really wanted a very well done steak.

Then came the Volcano Roll (P364). Freshly baked sushi rolls with tempura, tamago and Japanese cucumbers, topped with scallops and mozzarella cheese. I'd have to say that their Volcano rolls, by far, are the best sushi I've tasted. This dish deserves every right to be called Volcano rolls- powerful, very active, and an explosion of wonderful flavors occur in every bite. Never miss a Torch visit without these babies!

I'd recommend the Torch simply because they serve a variety of good food, from pancakes, to pizzas, to burgers and steaks. It's a nice place to hang around with your family, friends, officemates, or even by yourself. They have LCD tv's to keep you entertained, alongside friendly service from their crew. Overall, the Torch is a relaxing close-to-lounge feel that will show you that living in the Metro is not all stress and time-constraining, it's the good life too!