When it comes to eating places, the name XO46 Heritage Bistro would have run the risk of being forgotten had it not been for what it stood for and the experience it gave me and my family when we tried it out for dinner.
Once tried, however, the Filipino hospitality, delicious dishes and soulful ambience of XO46 were unforgettable that it continued to stick on my head.
The XO46 Heritage Bistro was the first eating place I’ve tried in Estancia Mall, a new mall within Capitol Commons community in Pasig City.
It would seem like a typical restaurant offering Filipino dishes, but through little research, we discovered that “XO” stands for extra-ordinary, “46” stands for the year when the Americans just left the Philippines (July 4, 1946). Moreover, there’s a reason why “heritage” was added to the name.
Filipino Vibe
Once inside, we were transported to a time of my ancestors, when eating together was a sacred activity. The waiters were also beautifully dressed in Filipino barong Tagalog and they wore genuine smiles in their faces. One couldn’t help but feel special.
XO46 Heritage Bistro – Estancia Mall Branch
Inside XO46 Heritage Bistro
The ambience was relaxing. Music filled the air everywhere, and it played classic piano pieces such asKahit Na, Hanggang Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan and among others.
Even before our orders arrived, I was already thinking about coming back and the best time to recommend this to my friends and relatives abroad the next time that they visit.
Delicious Dishes
All the food we ordered tasted delicious. This eating place serves Filipino and Spanish cuisines. We had adobong baka sa bawang (beef adobo in garlic), bangus belly salpicao, ginisang mongo soup with tinapa fish flakes and garlic rice. We savored each one and were quite satisfied with how they were prepared.
Adobong Baka sa Bawang
Bangus Belly Salpicao
Ginisang Mongo with Tinapa Flakes
Customer Service
Here is one restaurant that still believes in Filipino hospitality. When we entered the place, the waiter greeted us in deep Filipino, and he was very polite it would be difficult to ignore it.
My family was also impressed by how familiar he was of their dishes, which included an estimate of the size of the dish that would be sufficient for a family of three.
When we had picture taking as most of the diners typically do these days, I was surprised to hear the waiter saying “Handa… isa, dalawa, tatlo… ngiti sa kesong matamis” (Ready… one, two, three…. smile at the sweet cheese) instead off the usual “Ready…. one, two, three… smile/say cheese.”
Freebies
Choc-nuts
More Photos of XO46 Heritage Bistro here.
While waiting for our order which arrived within 15 minutes, the waiter served some puto and crunchy cornick for us to munch on. After we were done with our meals, the waiter again served complimentary Choc-nuts for dessert. All these were inexpensive items, yet surprising gestures rarely done, hence, had big impact on us.
XO Heritage Bistro’s other branches are located in Oranbo, Pasig City and Makati City (Century City Mall and Le Grand Condo in Salcedo Village).
