No Way, Yes Way:Lorenzo's Way at Greenbelt 5

Lorenzo's Way is one of the restaurants owned and operated by the LJC Group, with the others being Abe, Fely J, Ang Bistro sa Remedios, Cafe Adriatico, Cafe Havana, and Larry's Cafe and Bar. Lorenzo's Way specializes in a wide array of Filipino and International dishes, with two restaurants at Greenbelt 5 and Bonifacio High Street Central.

I've been hearing quite a lot about this restaurant since it opened in 2009, but it was only recently that I finally got a taste of their dishes when I dropped by with my family at their Greenbelt 5 branch.

Lorenzo's Way is indeed popular--we had to wait for quite a while before we finally got a table inside. We preferred to stay inside where it was air-conditioned, and we didn't want any flies or other insects hovering over our food as we ate. 

While my dad originally didn't like the idea of waiting a bit too long for a table (he was already hinting that we eat somewhere else instead), my mom was persistent; she really wanted us to try their food. She had already dined there a few weeks prior with her co-workers and some foreign guests and really liked it.

The interiors of the restaurant looked very cozy with leather seats, wooden panels and a number of paintings. The lighting was just right, too--not too bright but not too dim either. Add to that the staff who made sure that the diners are well-taken care of. Nothing too fancy or showy from them--they just do what they have to do. I mean, it's the little things that matter, after all. Their waiters who came to our table to refill our glasses of water without us asking them was very much appreciated. 

Anyway, let's move on to the food, shall we?

For our appetizer, we ordered their Crispy Baby Squid. It's already good enough on its own--but the dip makes it even tastier!

Their Sabaw ng Halaan at Buko consists of fresh clams cooked in coconut soup, garnished with chili leaves. I wasn't really blown away by this dish--I guess it's because I'm not really much of a soup lover, and the buko somehow made the soup taste a bit...odd. My parents seemed to like it, though.

Pinakbet Magalang. Their pinakbet was certainly heavy on the vegetables but not so much on the meat, unlike some other pinakbet dishes I've tried. Being a veggie lover, this wasn't really a problem for me!

Their Lola Ising's Adobo is also served at Cafe Adriatico. This must be so popular that they also decided to add it to Lorenzo's Way's menu! The adobo was really good, by the way.

My favorites for that night, however, were the Bamboo Rice and the Beef Caldereta--they just go so well together! The beef used was very soft, and wasn't so tough and chewy as I expected. While the bamboo rice doesn't smell so appetizing, it's something that you'll learn to love especially once you eat it together with their other dishes. 

The Bamboo Rice had bits of chicken mixed in. We just couldn't get enough of it that we just had to order another one!

The Beef Caldereta goes really well with the Bamboo Rice. My mouth waters just thinking about that combo.

Lorenzo's Way might just as well be an addition to our list of favorite Filipino restaurants--too bad they haven't opened up more branches though, so we probably couldn't eat here as often just yet. But who knows? Maybe in a few years they'll eventually be going head-to-head with their next-door neighbor, a rapidly-growing chain who goes by the name of the Filipino word for "table". I can't wait for that time to come!

(Lorenzo's Way has branches at Greenbelt 5 and at Bonifacio High Street Central. For more information, please do visit the LJC Group's website at http://ljcrestaurants.com.ph or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LorenzosWayRestaurant)