Going solo

1 of 3

THE BISTRO GROUP has a new strategy for the increasingly apparent energy crisis brought on by the conflict in the Middle East: solo plates.

This month, we were invited to Bistro Group outlets Longhorn Steakhouse and Las Flores to try out their lunch plate offerings. But they are not the only ones going solo.

In a message to ����ý, Lisa Ronquillo-Along, The Bistro Group’s chief marketing officer, said their other restaurants also have solo plates: Juniper offers a la carte bowl meals for lunch, Las Flores and Rumba offer meal sets for lunch, and Ember, The Test Kitchen, and Helm continue to offer their regular a la carte menus. “You can expect these at all our restaurants. You choose your starter and entrée, then a drink. Portions remain substantial, as expected by our guests,” said Ms. Ronquillo-Along.

“The Bistro Group is offering affordable all-day meal sets to attract more diners while balancing value with quality, making our restaurants accessible to a wider market (and especially the Millennials and Gen Z) while maintaining brand loyalty,” she said about the reasons for offering the solo plates. “These sets are designed to provide a complete meal experience at affordable price points appealing to office workers, families, and casual diners who want a good experience without overspending.”

Discussing how they are adjusting operations amid the energy crisis, she said: “We have not made any price adjustments. Instead, we optimize sourcing of the same quality ingredients, consolidating raw ingredients used across our brands, looking at cross usage as appropriate.” In the office, they have implemented work-from-home setups to save on energy. “We are looking within four walls; more cautious spending,” she said.

LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE
At LongHorn Steakhouse at the Shangri-La Plaza, the solo plates start at P595, and are available from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each comes with one starter, an entrée with sides, and a drink.

Longhorn also added new items to their selection like Buffalo Chicken Bites, Wrangler Fried Chicken Steak, French Onion Pork Cutlet, and Smoky Bacon Glazed Steak.

Choices for starters include Mixed Green Salad, Shrimp and Lobster Chowder, Loaded Potato Soup (+P50), Wild West Shrimp (+P45), and Buffalo Chicken Bites (+P125). Of these, our favorite was the surprisingly flavorful and refreshing salad, but especially the Buffalo Chicken Bites with their blue cheese sauce.

The entrées are Cowboy Pork Tenderloin, Wrangler Fried Chicken Steak, French Onion Pork Cutlet, Smokey Glazed Bacon Steak (+P140), Baby Back Ribs (+P160), Braised Beef Short Plate (+P160), and the 4 oz 7 Pepper Sirloin (+P650).

We’ve never had anything quite like the Smokey Glazed Bacon Steak, which combines the best of cows and pigs with the taste of beef punching up and meeting with the taste of bacon. The Braised Beef Short Plate was also quite good, with an excellent tender texture. Sides for these are Sautéed French Beans & Onions, Corn Riblets, and Glazed Carrots & Baby Corn.

For drinks, diners can choose between Iced Tea and Lemonade, and add P65 to make it refillable.

LAS FLORES
Meanwhile, over at Las Flores, Bistros’ Spanish-Mediterranean outlet, the new lunch plates pair an appetizer with an entrée, complemented by a glass of Calamansi Iced Tea, at P795. The menu was developed by Executive Chef Pablo Ramirez, together with R&D Chef Ana Aguilar and Brand Ambassador Marta Baños.

The appetizers are Salmon Tartare, Beef Carpaccio, Sopas de Verduras (Vegetable Soup), Green Salad, and Caesar Salad. For the entrées, they have Pork and Chicken Paella, Canelones, Grilled Salmon Porchetta, and Aglio Olio Pasta. This selection is called “Let’s Do Lunch,” and according to a statement, they’re “designed to balance ease and elegance,” and are “perfect for business meetings, relaxed catch-ups, or a quiet solo break amid a busy day.”

For Las Flores, the plates are available at their branches in Bonifacio Global City, Conrad, Greenbelt, Hann, Okada, and Uptown Ritz. LongHorn Steakhouse has branches at Level 1 Streetscape Shangri-La Plaza, and at Level 2, North Entertainment Mall, and SM Mall of Asia. — Joseph L. Garcia