Balkan Yugoslavian Home Cooking: My Carnivorous Birthday Celebration

During my dinner with foodie friends at Ba Noi's (see previous entry), Spanky and Richard mentioned about Balkan located just across the street.  It was then that I realized that I've never tried Yugoslavian cuisine before.  I honestly don't even know where Yugoslavia is. =p


Aroused by my inkling curiosity, I just had to try it out.  Because I am not much of a meat lover, I planned a dinner at Balkan with the best meat-eating team I know of... my family. =D  

Balkan is owned by a Serbian and former Green Archer Basketball player named Marko Batricevic and his brother.  Perhaps, Marko's injury causing his basketball career to end was a blessing in disguise as his culinary success began.  Their pioneer branch called Balkan Express is a fast food located in San Juan.  I haven't tried it there yet because this place is nearer and has a more suitable ambiance for our purpose.  But, my cousin shared that they serve the same dishes.

Balkan offers a clean and comfortable feel.  It had a wooden bar, tables and chairs.  There were Serbian portraits hanged on its walls.  The ceilings also have a sophisticated design.

As soon as we entered, we were lead to our reserved table indicated by a wine bottle on top of it.  While waiting for my relatives, I requested for my birthday cake to be chilled first which they gladly complied.  As I glanced on the neighboring tables, I noticed mostly foreigners were dining.

Food


Supa (soup)

♥ Goulash (250 php)

♥ Balkan Bread

I started my meal with something familiar and go with the Goulash.  It was served in a large bowl so if you want try more of their dishes, I suggest you order this for sharing.  As expected, every Goulash has its own distinct taste despite the same ingredients such as onions, paprika and lean beef.  It's more savory than the other goulash I've tried.    Balkan's version comes with rotini pasta and served with a large piece of Balkan Bread.  Eat it with their soft Balkan Bread and savor the flavor of the Goulash while the Balkan Bread gently melts in your mouth.  

Rostilj (from the grill)

♥ Cevapcici Platter (280 php)

Since it was our first time to try Yugoslavian, we ordered everything our server advised.  According to her, the Cevapcici Platter is one of their best sellers.  Although we wanted to try the burger, she suggested that the platter is more adequate for groups.  The Cevapcici was made of spiced ground beef which was a bit salty and best eaten with the fries.  It was pretty good.  Everyone enjoyed this.

♥ Stuff Pljeskavica (320 php)

♥ Stuff Pljeskavica (320 php)

Everyone was raving about the Stuff Pljeskavica that night.  The Serbian burger patty oozing with mozerella cheese was delightful!  It was served with either rice or fries.  I had it with fries so it's lighter on the belly.  But, the rest of my companions had this with rice.

We wanted to order the Stuffed Batak but we were informed that it was only available upon advance notice.  We shall come back for it next time. =)

Balkanski Kebab (330 php)

The Balkanski Kebab is chicken breast wrapped in smoked bacon.  The flavor is very rich because of the smoked bacon but I found the chicken breast a bit tough and dry.

Sach (claypot dishes)

Butkice (650 php)

The Butkice is pork knuckles (pata in tagalog) served with baked potatoes and carrots.  The pork knuckles were tasty and tender.  Although the carrots were a bit mashed but we didn't mind because its sweetness blended well with the pork knuckles.

Sarma (260 php)

The Sarma is pickled cabbage rolls stuff with beef, rice and spices served with mashed potato.  This dish received a mix reaction between us.  I find this dish is similar to the Chinese pickled cabbage or another Mediterranean dish Sauerkraut which I have always enjoyed so I liked this too!


Jagnjetina (lamb)

♥ Jagnjetina (700 php)

The menu claims that the Jagnjetina is their house specialty.  Of course, we can't miss this.  The Jagnjetina is an imported baked lamb.  It was so soft and tender.  It was also tasty.  These are one of the few lamb dishes here in Manila that I've really appreciated.  I ate a lot of this dish even the fats. =p

After our satisfying dinner, the owner was so kind to volunteer in slicing my banoffie birthday cake (see previous entry) for us.  We, Tsinoy Foodies, noticed that the owner is admirably a very passionate and meticulousness person.  All the cakes were equally and neatly sliced even to the last chocolate curl.  While we were dining, we watched as he did all the cooking and delivery by himself.  Their service is really one of a kind. =)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Balkan is a must try those who want to try out Yugoslavian food. I'm not even a meat lover but I enjoyed their dishes.  The place is cozy and service is great.  The price is also affordable since their dishes are so generous in serving that its good for sharing.

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating		Balkan Yugoslavian Home Cooking Menu
Ambiance	★★★★	Menu
Taste	★★★★
Service	★★★
Price	★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended

Balkan Yugoslavian Home Cooking
Business Address	Ground Floor Maripola Building, 109 Perea Street, Legaspi Village Makati City, Metro Manila
Business Hours	11am-10pm
Payment Options	Cash
Service Charge	12%
Budget/Person	200-350
Contact	(02) 846-0744
Other	Facebook Fan Page

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