Why We Love Stella Wood Fire Bistro

Contributed by Tina Relampagos 

“Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste.” ― Charlotte Brontë

In celebration of Gifted.ph’s first birthday, we shared an afternoon with some of your favourite bloggers at one of BGC’s dining destinations – Stella Wood-fired Bistro. Stella’s light wood and well-lit interiors was the ideal backdrop to meeting new friends, sharing with them Gifted.ph’s story, and learning more about their own thoughtful ways of gift giving. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without great food. Thanks to Stella, we got to try some of their best dishes! These are just some of our personal favorites:

Fried Mushroom Chips with garlic cream cheese dip. Behind that parchment is the appetizer of your dreams. It has the crispiness of chicharon but with a healthier feel because it’s mushrooms. It is so good that we found it difficult to share. Yes, we wouldn’t recommend you share one serving. The appropriate ratio is one-is-to-one.

Crispy Honey Walnut Beef & Arugula Salad. Occasionally, we go for salads because it gives you the satisfaction of light cleansing before the main course. But admittedly, it doesn’t always do much taste-wise…except this. Stella’s Crispy Honey Walnut Beef Arugula Salad is a taste expedition. This colorful take on salad comes with nashi pear, gorgonzola bits, sweet & spicy gochujang dressing, toasted sesame. The texture and the aftertaste doesn’t leave your tastebuds bored, it excited them for the next meal. Yes! We found that salad that actually prepares you for the main course. 

Butcher’s Best Pizza. The image says it all – all meat. This wood-fired pizza lets the toppings be the star but is complemented so perfectly with its not so thin and not so thick dough. I have to be honest here, this isn’t the first time I’ve tried Butcher’s Best Pizza and every time, it doesn’t fail to be filling and leaving you wanting for more.

Black Pepper Crab Cream Pasta. This creamy pasta was a big hit during our afternoon with the bloggers. Obviously, it is one of Stella’s best sellers and it isn’t difficult to figure out why. The pasta is served with a generous helping of malagos pecorino and the sauce isn’t satiating at all, unlike other cream-based pastas. Definitely, a must whenever you visit Stella.

Norwegian Salmon. You know that Filipino culture of offering the last portion to the meal to others? That didn’t happen here. Stella’s Norwegian Salmon is plated simply yet beautifully that you can immediately see how well the salmon was cooked and we just went for it. It is served with almond pesto, sundried tomato and chili marmalade, and topped with ricotta cream and toasted almonds – a complete medley in your mouth.

Stella has more in store especially for those who want to enjoy great food with good company. Give our favorites a go and add other dishes you don’t see everyday like Garlic Bianca Pizza, Housemade Chorizo and Garlic Spaghetti, Butterflied Bacon and Rosemary Wrapped chicken and of course, complete your day with their cool signature drink – The Stella Sip. We strongly recommend that you spend your Holiday gatherings with workmates, friends and family here.

Special thanks to all the bloggers who were able to share that afternoon with us and Raintree Restaurant’s marketing group, Mela Sison and Michele Magtoto.