Xi by Café Guilt
Scout Rallos corner Scout Torillo streets, Quezon City
Contact: 0956-860-8159
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(SPOT.ph) Ah, the old North vs. South debate. Anyone who has spent time in the Metro would have felt the dichotomy between the two sides of our Capital, with our excuses to the East and West. Shining bright among the differences between the two would be the dining scene. Whenever someone craves a top-tier meal, the type that goes beyond simply stuffing yourself and into experiencing culinary heights, well, we admit Quezon City isn’t the first place you’d head to. Different hubs, mainly in the South of the Metro—perhaps Ortigas is the closest, one might argue—are the go-tos for meals spearheaded by celebrated chefs in swanky restaurants. That is, until Xi by Café Guilt came along.
This new spot nestled near the corner of two Scout streets, Rallos and Torillo, is from the same folks behind the popular Café Guilt, also located nearby. We’re sure you’ve dropped by the chill partly outdoor café before; you can think of Xi as its much more sophisticated but no less welcoming older sister.
Also read: This QC Café Is The Place to Be for a Laid-Back Al-Fresco Meal
From the outside, Xi’s façade is smooth and cool thanks to panels of darkened glass. Its location in a newer building this side of town matches the modernity you find inside, albeit with a much more tropical and welcoming note. Plush seats in dark green and gray velvets mix with hints of brass and silver, all adorning a massive high-ceilinged room. Potted plants and greens pop up in little nooks, crannies, and even dead-center as a sort of bright welcoming party. You can imagine an intimate celebration here would be quite unmatched.
When the owners and operators of Café Guilt opened the doors to their al fresco spot, “We realized there’s not much na ganon here in QC,” Miguel Cruz, marketing manager, shares with SPOT.ph. And by “that” they mean restaurants where food is the prime destination and experience rolled into one. “Mostly in the BGC, Makati area. Before you have to travel to the South all the time,” Cruz adds. Well, they seek to change that manner of thought with Xi.
Looking for a romantic restaurant to try? Check out the must-try dishes and drinks at Xi by Café Guilt in Quezon City
Start things right with this seemingly complex take on a comforting classic, mushroom soup. The Crema De Champinones (P395) takes things up several notches with an impactful earthy base of thick mushroom broth under a layer of milk foam and a touch of truffle oil. We say “seemingly complex” because it may not look like your usual mushroom soup, but the way the foam and the broth silkily combine flows straight to your heart in a very familiar, almost nostalgic, manner. The truffle oil gives it a headier touch, while a splash of white wine and surprise bits of almost heat from cauliflower greens keep this deep soup from being too much.
Xi is the type of place to go to when you want to treat yourself, or, alright, a loved one (apart from yourself) so we say go all out and order the Poached Pears with Foie Gras (P1,058). Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like, and yes, it is that good. Perfectly pan-seared duck liver lays atop slices of soft, cooked pear. Imagine the soft and subtle grainy sweetness of pear combining with the delicate umami of foie gras in every bite. Both pears and foie gras taste great on their own, in different ways, yet the addition of poaching the first and searing the second brings them together in a way that makes us believe in soulmates. Or we should say flavormates, really.
Bring yourself back down to earth, quite literally, with the Tomato and Beet Salad with Burrata (P998). We’re sure you’ve seen every iteration of Burrata-on-greens before, but Xi uses top quality ingredients and throws in fresh beet to make a dish that can’t be beat. Wordplay aside, the addition of the root crop adds an earthy and aromatic crunch to an already winning mix of arugula, fresh tomatoes, a splattering of pesto, and a sizable chunk of milky burrata.
For a feisty plate, don’t miss the Arroz Rojo con Camarones (P1,520). Those colors don’t lie; this dish is as bright and zesty as it looks. Two tiger prawns are butterflied and grilled to smoky perfection, all without losing their fresh-sea taste, then placed atop a rather hefty serving of Mexican fried rice. All those flavors are cut through by the addition of bright mango salsa, more than enough to keep every bite as fun as the first. Pro tip: there’s a reason they leave the heads on so don’t forget to scrape out all the fatty goodness, too.
Nothing says “Treat yourself” quite like a massive chunk of top-grade meat. Enter the Grilled Tomahawk Berkshire (P2,450). This 400-gram slab of English black hog does not disappoint. And how could it? Not when it’s been grilled to that perfect point between smokey and tender; not when the slab itself has a clean all-pork, no-gamey flavor; with just the right balance of fat and meat. And when you take all that and place it atop a healthy serving of mashed potato with zero frills—think a thick and chunky mash of honest-to-goodness potatoes done extremely right—with a siding of vegetables roasted to let their natural flavors shine, there can be no denying it is a peak treat-yourself dish.
Now, if you’re looking to brighten up before the incoming food coma sets, try their Italian Soda (P215). Made in house, their soda comes in different flavors. For a calming moment, try the Chamomile + lemon + chamomile dried; it takes the low-key flavors of the tea and adds a bit of zest with lemon, and a lot of lively fizz from the soda, to create a subdued but still fun drink. If it’s a showstopper you want, give the Raspberry a try. Tall, thick, and bright red, this drink comes with bits of berry floating around in the fizz, making for one heck of a visual. And yes, drinking it is fun, too, as the zesty raspberry gives your spirit a much needed lift.
One thing you can’t miss when at Xi are their craft cocktails. As head bartender Aly Lorenzo, who also happens to be Café Guilt’s operations manager, tells us, each of the five drinks available at Xi took months to create. And a sip will tell you why.
The Smoky Tamarind Sour (P495) is one heck of a play on the classic margarita. Made with mezcal and just-the-right-amount of tamarind, and a dusting of black Himalayan salt all over the glass, this sour and salty drink will keep you guessing as to what flavor profile it will present at every sip. The Native Old Fashioned (P510), meanwhile, is native, yes, but old-fashioned? Take a look at the glass and smoke. This out-of-the-box take on a classic drink is kind of like if turon were to mature into a cocktail. Bourbon infused with banana, some langka syrup, and even coconut water smoked with apple wood chips come together in a drink you’ll have to try for yourself.
Xi is unlike the typical restaurants you’d find scattered in Quezon City. It has that welcoming heart and spirit Café Guilt is known for, but the dishes and drinks are on another level. “They wanted to bring a dressed up version of Café Guilt pero in QC pa din,” says Cruz, and boy, did they ever. The next time you decide you want to eat, and eat something real good, you won’t have to drive to the South anymore.
Photos by Toto Labrador