Have you seen the show The Originals? The one about the original family of vampires — not to be mistaken with the usual romantic vampire love stories, this show is more political and less Twilight-y. Going inside Toast Asian Kitchen and Tasting Room in Pasig felt like traveling into the set of The Originals, which is set in New Orleans. I loved the rustic vibe of this restaurant. It felt like a place where Elijah… or just imagine a tall manly powerful sexy man would hang out. Haha too imaginative? It’s an industrial cozy restaurant you can hang out in with your friends, family, or your date when you want to experience good and playful asian fusion dishes and cocktails.

I liked every dish presented to me that night (photos, names and prices listed below), and I thought it’ll be helpful to pick my top three favorite dishes to recommend when you visit Toast Kitchen.

My favorite dish among them all, which also happens to be their bestselling product, is the Twiced Cooked Pork with Salted Egg Fried Rice. I’m going to sound like a picky food snob here — but I generally don’t eat rice. As much as possible, I keep a gluten-free diet for health and fitness reasons. But I still have my cheat meals every once in awhile. And if you’re like me, who’s looking for a special worth-waiting-for rice dish to spend your cheat meals at — This.Is.It. The pork tasted sweet and salty, and it was soft and crispy at the same time. The salted egg fried rice is one of a kind. It tastes like Christmas.

Their Pork Belly Yakitori with Teriyaki Sauce is also one of my faves, together with its shrimp version. Other than the tasty teriyaki sauce I like that the pork belly was really soft and juicy. This is also the first time I’ve ever had Longganisa Pasta, which tasted good and had a generous serving size.

They also serve cocktails. I don’t have cocktails often so I’m not really familiar with them, but I enjoyed a few sips of their East Meets West. It’s a spicy drink with a shot of Jose Cuervo Gold with lemon and lime juice, Jalapeno, and a couple more ingredients that I can’t remember (sorry guys!). I thought everything was fairly priced especially if you consider the quality of the food and drinks, the homey rustic aura, and the excellent service from their friendly staff. All in all it was a good dinning experience.

Have you been to Toast Kitchen Pasig?

Prices: Tom Yum Meatballs P249 / Shrimp Yakitori (Teriyaki Sauce) P165 / Pork Belly Yakitori (Teriyaki Sauce) P65 /  Wagyu with Chinese Broccoli P665 / Longganisa Pasta P349 / Twice Cooked Pork with Salted Egg Fried Rice P475 / Tapioca and Mango Trifle P108 / Raspberry Icetea / Jack Sparrow Cocktail P235 / East Meets West Cocktail P248