Dinner and drinks at new gastropub Wolf & Fox

My hubby and I have different tastes in food. I veer toward healthy vegetarian fare and he’s a typical carnivore. While I’m attracted to a plate of greens, he can’t live without meat in his meal—which is why I liked the idea of Wolf & Fox, one of the newest gastropubs in town that opened in May 2014.

 

We went there early on a Saturday night and it was a good thing, because the place became packed a few minutes later. Instead of opting for one of the tables outside for an al fresco dinner, we decided to enjoy the vibe inside. The wooden interiors and the muted lights made the atmosphere a bit dark, but the high ceiling compensated for it. The walls were adorned with framed portraits of human bodies with animal heads—a bit too bizarre for my liking, but then again, I came for the food and not the artwork.  

 

Are you a wolf or a fox?

 

Upon seating, we were presented a bulky menu that featured two faces—the dishes inspired either by Richard B. Wolf, a modern businessman who relishes rich and sophisticated flavors found in steaks and grills, or William S. Fox, someone who is down-to-earth, with a farm-to-table philosophy to boot. 

 

The concept of the establishment is to offer both good food and drinks by making it easy for the discerning diners to choose from the distinct dishes. The same group who created Sumo Sam, John and Yoko, Akira, and Dekada restaurants launched it. 

 

According to Lester Izon, the Restaurant Manager, the place serves up European cuisine, but mostly British fare. He mentioned that the bestsellers for the wolf menu are the steaks, sausages, and burgers, while the wings, mussels, and Caesar salad are the ones for the fox menu.

 

My hubby and I made sure to indulge in the specialties. For starters, we got the Deconstructed Caesar Salad (P308), where each ingredient was separately placed on a wooden chopping board: thick cuts of bacon, chicken slices, a whole head of iceberg lettuce, anchovies, Parmesan crisps, croutons, and the dressing. We had to do the mixing ourselves and I liked that because I could choose what items to put in my salad. I got a little bit of everything except for the croutons and chicken and I found it fun customizing my own salad plate. I know my hubby would’ve preferred a ready-made salad instead, but he found it delicious as well (I know because I saw him get a second serving). 

To satisfy my hubby’s meat cravings, we sampled the Wolf and Fox Double Deck (P448) from the wolf menu. The towering burger had two beef patties, bacon, onions, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and oozing homemade burger sauce sandwiched between sesame brioche buns. It came with a side of steak fries—the perfect accompaniment for this “manwich.” I didn’t even attempt to take a bite from the burger so I just sliced off a portion and devoured it with gusto. I was right—it was as mouthwatering as it looked. Maybe I’ll try to build my own burger on my next visit and put jalapeños or prosciutto on it. 

 

We also got a main course from the fox menu, the Bangers and Mash (P348), homemade Cumberland sausage with skin-on mash and caramelized onion gravy.  The sausage had crispy skin and a chewy texture; I tasted the fennel on my first bite. It definitely had that homemade flavoring—I knew it didn’t come from the supermarket shelves. The sausage really went well with the creamy mashed potato, but I found the onion gravy a tad too sweet.

 

We wolfed (pun intended) everything down with some of the signature cocktails from the bar. The sangria is a must-try—even my beer-loving husband liked it. Other alcoholic beverages like single malt and blended scotch are available as well. 

 

Of course, we couldn’t leave the place without ending our meal on a high. We had to taste the Eton Mess (P268), a big heaping of stewed berries, crumbled meringue, and whipped cream. The variety of textures and flavors were a treat: the berries were tart, the sweet meringue was crunchy, and the cream gelled it together. It’s the type of dessert meant for sharing.

 

For individual sweet treats, go for Mr. Fox’s Cupcakes (P78 each), which are yummy as well. Choose from the truffle chocolate, red velvet, or strawberry cheesecake. I nibbled on each flavor and found the latter the best among the three choices.

 

As we were about to end our meal, I noticed that the background music was getting more upbeat and louder and I saw more people coming in. I suppose the vibe is different during brunch, which I plan to try next time around. — VC, GMA News

 

 

Wolf & Fox is located at Two Parkade, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig and is open from 11am to 1am. It also serves brunch from 11am to 3pm. For more information, visit FB.com/Wolf-and-Fox-Gastropub or @wolfandfoxph on Twitter.