(AUTHOR'S NOTE: This review was first published in December 2013, but had its roots in a blog post from 2009 or 2010 which was originally a feature about an event. Only an excerpt from the original entry remains, having been lost to time. The Lemongrass Chicken has been removed from the menu as of this typing.)
It was 2009 when I first visited Press Cafe in Rockwell Power Plant Mall during a cosplay-related event; part of the event was a kissaten cafe (maid/butler cafe) similar to the ones in Japan. The curious me ordered a ticket to the cafe, and I was assigned a "maid" (who turned out to be a college batch mate) upon entry. A rice meal was part of the package, so I ordered Lemongrass Chicken -- one of Press Cafe's offerings. I wrote about the dish in my old Multiply blog, with an excerpt below:
It was like ordinary grilled chicken at first, with four fillets served on the plate, three pieces of thigh fillet and an entire breast fillet. I opted not to have the condiment served with the chicken. It has been a habit for me not to eat with condiments on my plate, save for soy sauce. The grill marks on it made the dish more appetizing, and a soy sauce marinade gave it the brown color. I smelled a few herbs and spices used on it, such as lemongrass. However, part of the breast fillet was overcooked. The rice was freshly cooked likewise, though presented too commonly. The vegetables accompanying it were crisp and vibrant, adding color to the dish.
The chicken was moist and tender – far from a dry and tough expectation. It was so tender that a spoon was enough to cut it. The rice had a good texture, neither too stiff nor too silky. As I ate it, a medley of flavors exploded into my mouth! The lemongrass really seeped into the chicken meat, fusing with the herb’s unique aroma. The vegetables provided a hint of acidity that whets the appetite. Pair it up with iced tea and you have a dish reminiscent of chicken inasal.
Imagine my surprise when I found out during a 2013 visit -- a Thursday, in fact -- that Press Cafe still had the dish in their menu! I immediately ordered it right away to relive that moment four years ago. As with all things, there were some changes with the Lemongrass Chicken. It's now served with vinegar and coleslaw; I opted not to have the latter. Pickled vegetables used to accompany this dish back then. In addition, the grilled chicken breast fillets were larger. The only thing consistent was the taste; it still had that dominant lemongrass flavor I first enjoyed in 2009. The chicken breast was cooked just right, with no blood. It also had a slight sweetness, possibly from the charred marinade. The larger serving also meant that one cup of rice wasn't enough!
I tried out Press Cafe's Hot Chocolate for my drink and didn't find anything special in it. See, I order hot drinks for the sake of helping me digest food during a heavy meal.
Most reviews of the place I found gave it mostly low scores, but I'll cut them some slack as they made me relive an unforgettable moment. The service during my visit was rather slow; I called the attendant twice to get my final bill, and they weren't able to give me my change up until I approached the counter. I'm sure they've improved the service ever since then. Hopefully, other diners who plan on eating here will have a better experience.
Oh, here's an interesting bit: when I originally did this review, I wrote my thoughts down on paper napkins that came with my order. I didn't have a handy journal that time, so I looked for the next best thing available. Nowadays, I keep a small journal or planner to help me in drafting entries. A writer's mind is always active and you don't want to lose an idea that brews in your head, so it's best to write it down. (Yes, I do have terrible handwriting - but wasn't there a study that said people with rather ugly handwriting tend to think faster?)
Until the next review, bon appetit.
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