Happy birthday, Jeric! He turned 38 on the 15th and was jonesing for tapas and paella, so we decided to finally check our Las Flores at Festival Mall. I haven’t been to their restaurant in a good while (since before the pandemic), and have been excited to check out how they renovated the old heritage building next to the mall. For anyone else who appreciates architecture and beautiful buildings, this is historical landmark is almost a century old and was formerly known as the Department of Health’s Biological Production Services (BPS) which was established in 1924, with some attributing its design to either Juan Arellano or Juan Nakpil. The replica statue of José Rizal’s “The Triumph of Science over Death” clay sculpture, sculpted by Genaro Sy-Changco, stand in front of the building at the center of a roundabout, with the DOH seal at its feet, the only reminder of what the building used to be used for.
Walking in, one could appreciate how the Bistronomia Group kept the art deco details and how it goes so well with the rest of the decor. The restaurant is spacious, with plush olive leather booths, navy and leather chairs, and solid wood tables take you back to another place in time. The bar is bright and stocked with whatever poison tickles your fancy, while at big windows keep the vibe light and cheery.
Starting off with tapas, we tucked into the Chipirones Andaluza (₱625) fried baby squid served with lemon and aioli, which was crisp and sweet. We ate these like chips while catching up. Funnily enough, while he’s also my neighbor (he lives right next door) and I’m always at his place napping on the couch and raiding his fridge, we don’t really get to talk as much and only really sit down with each other when we’re sharing a meal. He’s been busy with his work at Canva as well as his freelance photography, and I’ve been up to my eyeballs in my acupuncture course, coaching, and digital marketing. So it was nice to take the time to sit down and actually talk to each other without the distractions of our phones.
The Jamon Iberico Croquetas (₱295) were simple, straightforward, and deceptively filling – with the fluffy potato croquettes encasing mix of soft cheese and bits of salty ham. We were thinking of ordering more from the menu, but this filled us up.
Wanting to try something new, we also got the Paella Setas (₱1,145), a vegetarian paella topped with a variety of wild mushrooms. When the menu said this was good for sharing, I assumed it would be good for three to four people, like what you’d get at other Spanish places, but we practically inhaled this, so this is good for two at the most. the umami from the mushrooms permeate the rice, and the truffle-like cream made it difficult to not want to motorboat the pan. While Las Flores’ paella is pretty wet, I still managed to scrape off a little bit of the soccarat from the sides. What can I say – I love me some crispy bits.
Jericho and I rarely ever drink, but since there’s something to celebrate, I got myself their La Nostra Sangria (₱360), Las Flores’ original blend of what I assume is red wine, brandy, orange liqueur, and sparkling soda. I basically babied this for the entire lunch.
Jeric isn’t any better with alcohol and had the Sangria Blanca (₱360) made with white wine, Bombay Sapphire gin, peach schnapps, vermouth blanco and citrus. Hey, a little day drinking on your birthday never hurt anyone.
Overall, we really enjoyed Jericho’s birthday lunch at Las Flores and loved taking in all the little details of the restaurant. The heritage building is gorgeous and they did a fantastic job at keeping the old school vibe while still adding details and mid-century modern furniture to bring it into the present day. The rustic Catalan fare is familiar with a bit of a modern Bistro twist. We’re definitely going to be going back a few more times as we have the rest of the tapas and pinxtos to go through, and maybe a couple more cocktails, too!
