My Marikina adventure doesn’t stop with the discovery of palatable dishes from Café Lidia. Another recommendation I got from my friend is to visit Blake’s Wings & Steaks located at Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue, San Roque, Marikina. If you’re coming from the north, drop to Cubao Farmers and walk straight to Gateway Mall. At the 2nd level, follow the signs which would lead you to LRT Araneta-Cubao Station.
Buy your ticket and alight at Santolan station, which is three stations away from Cubao. In Santolan station exit, turn right and use the overpass to cross the other side of the road. Walk across and you will find a narrow lane (eskinita in Tagalog) after you passed the 7-11 Store. Go straight ahead, at the end of the lane, the tricycle terminal can be found on the right side. Just ask for the driver to drop you at Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue. Blake’s is located on the left side beside Omakase (a Japanese restaurant which I would try on my next visit in Marikina).
The restaurant caters to limited people only; it cannot accommodate a very large crowd. But the space for each table would still make the guest feel comfortable to move around. Blake’s is known for its buffalo wings so we ordered the original barbeque Buffalo wings with bleu cheese as its dip and potato salon salad. I think Marikina establishments are pretty generous when it comes to the serving size; I observed that both Blake’s and Café Lidia dishes are served in big portions where sharing is a must. The potato salad costs P195 while the Buffalo wings for 10-12 pieces are priced at P195! We spend around P200 only for each person which is impossible if you were to eat at a local pasta restaurant in the mall!
Aside from its reasonable pricing, Blake’s also succeeded in bringing appetizing flavors to our table. The potato salmon salad is to die for! I am not fond of eating salad and I am actually very hesitant to salad ordered by my friend but I still gave it a try (The saving grace for the dish would be the potatoes if everything goes down the drain, I think to myself). And yes, the risk is worth it.
The dressing is a mixture of sweet and salty flavors because of the infusion of some cream or milk (not sure), mayonnaise and cheese. The salmon chunks are fresh; you could taste the sea by having a mouthful of the dish. The boiled eggs, combined with boiled potatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, salmon and the delectable dressing gives you a unique gastronomic experience one would truly enjoy!
I was also blown away by the savory Buffalo wings and the bleu cheese dip! The richness of the barbeque flavor spread evenly on each chicken wings is what I expect for a great Buffalo wings meal, and Blake’s delivered. They also offer different dips for their buffalo wings which I encourage everyone to try. If only Blake’s decide to provide customers for additional dips for their buffalo wings, I think the customers would better appreciate the scrumptious wicked wings without the added costs.
Currently, if a customer requests for more dip, they have to pay an additional P35 per dip, which I think can be charged for free (calling Blake’s establishment). We finished off our meal with a glass of house blended iced tea with lemon grass. This drink is very refreshing, it has a unique after taste due to the lemon grass and it’s a cool way to finish off our Blake’s dining experience. Overall, I am very satisfied with the money I spent and the dishes I tasted, and I hope everyone would share the same experience as I did.