Sentro Selene

Last Sunday, one of our friends celebrated her 25th birthday. Her boyfriend arranged an intimate gathering at Sentro 1771 to surprise her. Since this was a surprise dinner party, we didn't know what kind of food to expect. We were just asked to go to the place by 7 PM.

Since Gus and I had prior engagements, we arrived a bit late. They were already having some appetizers, most of which were skewered meat. Dinner started with a green mango salad and grilled bbq minis. Unfortunately, we were so hungry, we forgot to take photos of all the food.

Grilled BBQ Minis

P350

The Grilled BBQ Minis were a bit too overpriced for me since the meat on each stick were sliced thinly. Then again, we were in Greenbelt. The price was not unusual.

After the appetizers, we ordered our drinks. Gus and I tried their Unlimited Homemade Sago't Gulaman. Yes, it was unlimited. For P90, this wasn't bad at all. The drink was not too sweet, but it wasn't that bland too. Sometimes, sago't gulaman tend to be too sweet because they put too much syrup in it (to make up for the loads and loads of ice they put on the pitcher or glass). But this one was just right. It was a very refreshing drink.

Unlimited Homemade Sago't Gulaman

P90

When almost all the guests were at the dinner table already, the main courses were served. The star of the night was Sentro's best seller, Sinigang na Corned Beef. Now I am very particular when it comes to sinigang dishes, since this is my favorite FIlipino dish. It has to be sour enough to be called sinigang. I was a bit skeptical at first because some restaurants tend to add just a little bit of sourness in its sinigang dishes because they think the customers might find it too sour. I've experienced ordering sinigang that was hardly sour, one could mistake it as nilaga. Thankfully, Sentro's version of sinigang passed. It was sour enough, the vegetables were still crisp, and the corned beef was fork-tender. 

 Sinigang na Corned Beef

Solo P310

To share P595

The sinigang was enough for me but since this was a party, more food was to be expected. The next dish that arrived was Sentro's Honey Garlic Pork Spareribs. It tasted like your usual liempo (if your mom or grandma or dad knows how to make really good liempo) so it wasn't that special. But not special does not mean delicious. We still enjoyed this dish.

 Honey Garlic Pork Spareribs

Solo P280

To share P540

The next dish was Sentro's Roast Chicken. This dish came with gravy but honestly, you wouldn't need it. The chicken was flavorful enough. No need for any other seasoning or sauce. Meat was tender too!

Sentro Roast Chicken

P510

The last dish was Catfish Sentro Style. It looks like fish steak (something like our traditional beef steak, only it was made of fish, and was more sweet and sour instead of salty and sour). Gus liked it very much. It didn't have that fishy taste common to not-so-fresh seafood. 

Catfish Sentro Style

Solo 350

To share 680

The food was, overall, great. Not cheap, but delicious. It was a bit disappointing though that they charged us for bringing a cake and deciding to eat it there. We had to negotiate and order a pot of tea to avoid the corkage. I understand that these fees are sometimes necessary, but with the amount my friend spent for dinner, I thought they would waive the corkage as a "Happy Birthday" to my friend. Guess not. I mean, we did go there to celebrate a birthday, and spent much. The least they could've offered was to let us eat a piece of cake in peace.

If you're not tight on a budget, you could give Sentro 1771 a try. Despite the expensive food, most of it was well worth our friend's money. The staff seems well-trained too. A little too professional though. Some customers could use a smile or friendly face. :D

 The Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday, Selene!

Sentro 1771 Menu 

Price Range: P500-P1,000 per person

3.5 out of 5 for Sentro 1771

Sentro 1771

2/F Greenbelt 3

Ayala Avenue, Makati City

Contact Number: (632) 757 3938, 757 3941

Business Hours: 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Contact details courtesy of http://food.clickthecity.com/b/Ty102b3/sentro-1771-greenbelt-3