HERE is a trio of restaurants, two are influenced by the now popular Mediterranean cuisine while the third is basically Filipino.

One is a takeoff from the French pancake, another honors the memory of a mother, and the third offers an approximation of food from Turkey, Italy and Greece.

Café Breton?G/F, Greenbelt 3, facing the chapel; call 7574125.

This is inspired by the French pancake served in Brittany (Bretagne). It has many branches, including one on the highway to Tagaytay.

Dining area?Very noisy. Mediterranean-inspired decor. Washroom has no door. Tables squeezed in, not much room to move.

Staff?When we were there, only one waiter was visible. A couple showed up after a while.

Service?Average, and the girl did not know what Breton meant.

Suggested meal?Original Breton crepes (in France) are desserts made from wheat flour, spread with butter and jam, eaten hot. Some savoury pancakes are garnished with eggs, cheese and various cold meats. These are the main offerings. We suggest the Veal sausage crepe with cream and mushrooms, P165. Their Breton burgers are at P195 per serving. Cap the meal with either Coffee with Irish cream, Caramel or Cold Expresso with whipped cream?between P130 and P180.

They add the usual charges. Seniors get their discount.

Rating*

Fely J?s?2/L, Greenbelt 5, right of the escalator; call 7288878.

This is the late Larry Cruz?s tribute to his mother, serving Filipino food, a few new concoctions exclusive to this restaurant.

Dining area?Very crowded, poor acoustics, one needs to speak at the top of one?s voice to be heard, even by the person across the table.

Staff?They appear confused. Seemingly there is no waiter assignment per table or section. Manager hardly visible, we had to seek her out for a problem we had encountered.

Service?Poor. They seem unable to manage big crowd of diners, kitchen must have seemed imperiled. Our food, the first course, came more than an hour after we sat down.

Suggested meal?Delicious food is never an excuse for bad service. However, we recommend Kare-Kare Club, Lola Ising?s (Cruz?s grandmother whose photo hangs on one wall) Dry Pork Adobo, Crispy Fried Tilapia coated with plum sauce, Sigarillas sauté, Pancit. Plus the dessert of Secreto ni Maria (Makiling) of Suman, Mango and Ice cream. An average check would be less than P600 per person.

Service charge and government taxes are added to the check. Senior card honored.

Rating*

Sophia?s Mediterranean Restaurant and Deli?Westgate Center, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang; call 7717717.

This is one of the latest to join the roster of restaurants in the area, providing residents and visitors a good selection.

Dining area?This is a small two-story establishment done in blue and beige. Considerably quiet and well-ventilated. If you are more than six people, dine upstairs. Photos of the countries whose cuisine they feature decorate the walls.

Staff?In neat white and black uniforms. They are attentive, ready to take orders.

Service?We suggest saucy dishes, such as Kleftico Lamb, served in appropriate plates, not in a flat platter. Bottomless tea comes immediately after a glass is near-empty.

Suggested meal?To start, order Squid Rings and follow up with any of the Gourmet Pizzas?Romana with anchovies and capers or Mervyn with dried ham and mushrooms. Both come in two sizes, 9? and 12?, from P240 to P565. If you are more than four, main course can be one of the Group Platters such as Ministrone soup (which is flavorful), P175; Italian Roast Chicken with potatoes and carrots, P425; and Arni (Lamb) Kleftiko, P690, which we found a bit lacking in traditional spices. For Pasta, choose Vongole (P275). Servings are big. The Greek Baklava is among the desserts, so is Tiramisu.

Usual charges are added to the bill. Senior card honored.

Rating**