Grace Park

by: Joaquin Quiros

The facade of the homey restaurant that is Grace Park. 

Ahhh, Grace Park. The finest restaurant in Rockwell Center. As a long time resident in the area, I have seen the changes of the landscape over time, new buildings, and most especially the many restaurants that have sprung up and vanished in the area. One of these many restaurants I have grown to frequent in recent times is Grace Park.

The mastermind behind Grace Park, Gaita Fores. 

Owned and managed by Master Chef Margarita Fores, Grace Park deviates from her other restaurants such as Cibo and Lusso in its rustic nature and disregard for uniformity. Established in 2012, Grace Park is a farm to table restaurant,(one of the few, if not the only one I've dined in and heard of) the concept is simple: Naturally grown foods,fresh from a local supplier brought to your palettes. It serves a mix of great food, both local and international dishes. Its ambiance and charm, as well as the food have always kept me a regular at this fine restaurant in my neighborhood. A homey environment such as the one provided by Grace Park enhances the diner's experience. A main selling point of the restaurant I believe, is the fact that when you walk in to feast on its meals, it is akin to dining in someone's, if not, your very own home. The meals they serve are continental, ranging from Italian meals to English desserts, American Steaks and of course, varieties of rice grown nowhere but here in The Philippines. On an interesting note, the name of the establishment is taken from Grace Park, Quezon City, apparently where Chef Gaita's Fores side of her family had its roots. Clearly the name itself invokes the concept of home.

Two of my favorite dishes:
( The meals are reasonably priced, ranging from Php 200 to as much as Php 3000 at its peak. Still, a bang per buck restaurant nonetheless.)

 

Chicken Parmigiana 
The Chicken Parmigiana of Grace Park is a meal the invokes Sunday Lunches at your Grandma's house, the tomato sauce is thick, the butter is baked, when you combine the two and swab them onto the chicken fillet, the taste is magical as the flavours complement each other so well. The meal exemplifies the spirit of home cooking, whilst also using organic ingredients to create the dish. At Php 610, the meal really gives you your money's worth.  9/10. 

 

The Muscovado Beef Belly Rice is a delicious rice pilaf. It is essentially fried rice with beef, tomatoes, garlic and vegetables. I consider this comfort food as it tastes so genuine and sublime. Eating the dish is a very emotional experience, as my mother used to cook a similar dish to this when I was a but a wee lad. The meat is tender, I've never been served this dish with hard beef. Nothing can compare to this fine meal. At only Php 540  you can fill your belly with with some hearty beef, rice and a various assortment of greens. 

Sources for the first two images: :http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2013/04/grace-park-one-rockwell.html 

                                                    http://manila.coconuts.co/2014/11/19/food-news-gaita-foress-casa-artusi-reopens