SINCE the 1771 Group of Restaurants opened the very first Sentro 1771 in Greenbelt 3 in 2002, the restaurant became a haven for modern Filipino food. It easily gained popularity for its unique approach to Filipino cuisine, being Chef Vicky Rose Pacheco’s ‘playground’ for rendering her interpretations of Filipino dishes using a variety of Western and Asian influences. Each dish that came out of the kitchen had been meticulously made from scratch using the freshest ingredients available and plated in a sophisticated manner to make it appetizing even to the eyes. Propelled by the success of the restaurant in Greenbelt, a second branch opened at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, and, more recently, the third branch at Capitol Commons in Pasig opened its doors to the dining public.
The new Sentro 1771 at Capitol Commons serves the same brand of modern Filipino food that has endeared the restaurant to diners. What’s amazing about Sentro 1771’s food and keeps diners mesmerized is that Chef Vicky has the ability to whip up very simple dishes that offer well-rounded flavors, comfort foods built around familiar flavors yet present new and exciting twists. Its signature dishes, Sinigang na Corned Beef and Rated GG, are perfect examples. Sinigang is a very familiar and well-loved soup dish, and yet the use of corned beef (cured meat) in place of plain pork, fish or prawns is not usual. Rated GG, for its part, elevates the “lowly” galunggong to gourmet status by deboning and filleting the fish before cooking it.
The new branch at Capitol Commons is a good place to enjoy these signature dishes of the restaurant and ‘discover’ other equally exciting dishes on the menu, especially for diners coming from areas like Pasig, Mandaluyong, Cainta and Antipolo in Rizal, and Quezon City.
These include Crispy Pork Kilawin (Php280), deep-fried pork belly steeped in vinegar and slathered with thinly sliced leeks, carrots and onion; Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls (Php260), fresh lumpia of tinapang bangus, salted egg, mustasa, onion and tomato; Papaya Salad (Php150), freshly cut green papaya, picked carrots, cucumber, fried tofu, hito flakes and fried shallots in flavored patis dressing; Lengua with Mushrooms Salpicao (Php550), tender-to-the-bite ox tongue lightly fried in olive oil and topped with garlicky mushrooms; Tilapia Fillets in Coconut Milk (Php270), tilapia flavored with garlic, ginger and coconut milk on a bed of malunggay; Seafood Bagoong Rice (Php530), topped with grilled squid, garlic shrimps, hito flakes and green mango strips; and Vegetarian Red Rice, red rice fried with red bell pepper and Baguio beans.
Two of the most interesting desserts on the menu are Buko Sherbet (Php80) and Keso Flan (Php220), a baked but light, no-crust cheesecake served with queso de bola and red egg.
Aside from the food, the 140-seater Sentro 1771 at Capitol Commons also provides a different dining ambiance inspired by the Commonwealth Period in Philippine history with art deco and Filipino elements all around its interiors. This can be seen in the wrought-iron railings, fluted architectural glass, high ceilings and big windows, as well as the light and airy atmosphere of the restaurant. The ceiling and glass panels of the front door are art deco-inspired, and the Filipino elements are present in the solihiya chairs and machuca tiles.
(Sentro 1771 is located at Capitol Commons, Pasig City, with telephone number 941-8277. The two other branches can be found at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City, with telephone number 757-3938, and at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, with telephone number 856-0581.)
