ONCE upon a time there was Nakpil. Then there was Greenbelt 2. And then came Serendra. And now there?s Burgos Circle (and adjacent streets) at The Fort.

You know how sometimes you go to a hot spot and wonder where everyone has gone? Take Greenbelt 2. In its first few months, you could go there any night of the week and be sure to bump into someone you know, especially at Nuvo. Then they started disappearing. Was it the economy? The Yaparazzi said house parties had become the in thing at the height of the oil, rice and price crises. The restaurants, in a panic, started introducing cheaper priced meals and sending waitresses to stand outside the establishment, calling people in. Then they introduced live, blaring music. And an entirely new crowd took over. All the people you used to bump into were now strolling down Serendra.

But you can only have enough of Sonja?s cupcakes. I mean, it is only human to reach a point of diminishing returns, even for these heavenly cupcakes under that oh so cute awning. So where to next?

The Basilio?s strip. Basilio?s for the HOHOL crowd (Hang Out Hang Out Lang), Barcino for the wine drinking yuppies and Distillery for the I-want-to-get-wasted while eating my McChicken kids. But three?s not enough. Hence, the law of supply and demand has brought us Burgos Circle.

The Circle, like Serendra, has an array of cuisines: American (Mile Hi), Spanish-Mediterranean (Rastro), Chinese (Henry?s), Japanese (Jozukin), Indian (Kebab Factory) and, soon, Filipino (Cafe Juanita). It?s a small food world, after all.

The Best Restaurant Award ? mind you, these are all ?first impression? awards, as these restaurants are not all in top shape yet, having just opened ? goes to Henry?s. I guess it pays to have had several branches of experiences behind you. Henry?s is named after Henry Cheung, owner of Good Earth. To open this offshoot, they even brought in Mike, a server who has been with Good Earth since it opened in Magallanes in 1993. Thanks to Mike, I have been convinced of Henry?s fast, friendly, perceptive service. Which only compliments the excellent food. Start with the ?duckquitos,? which is duck in taquitos. Duck as an appetizer is always a wise option, but the crunch of the baby taco shells takes it to another level. The sea mantis is excellent, flown in from Surigao, pan-fried and spiced up. The beef with black fungus and vermicelli is also another recommendable dish, full of flavor as it is served in a pot.

For the dumpling soup, I appreciated the dumpling but not the soup. And the Hainanese chicken, ?voted Henry?s best!? on the menu, did not remind me of the Hainanese chicken in Singapore, although it made me want to fly there for the real thing. The coffee jelly is great, though.

The Best Food Award goes to Kebab Factory. According to Xander?s Pregnant Muse, the Factory is owned by the heirs of Hossein. I guess cooking?s in the blood because the food here is jai ho good. Best on the menu are the beef kebabs, the lamb curry ? and don?t miss out on the butter garlic naan bread!

Rastro has good salpicao, longganisa-like chorizo, sub-par paella and angulas (anchovies) drowned in garlic. However, they do have a redeeming recipe: Albanian Liver. This is breaded and fried chicken liver served with a kind of tomato ensalada. It is crunchy outside, soft inside; salty versus sour; and incredibly deadly. This can only be ordered to share unless you care for a heart attack in the immediate future.

The Needs Improvement Award goes to Mile Hi. Being a lover of American food, this was the biggest disappointment to me. The mozzarella burger, which is the house specialty, was immensely lacking a wow factor. The burger had potential but it ended there and the mozzarella was devoid of flavor. A chili soup was so watered down I wished I was at Chili?s instead. The service tests your patience; make sure orders are recited back to you or your order may never be called at all.

Izumi is a whole lot of fun because of the sake. At P450 for a small bottle, it?s a cool place to unwind with friends. I find it funny how the waitresses are now apologetic about the size of their orders. Meant to be bar chow, I figure some have been misled into thinking these were real courses and complained; hence the apologies. Never mind the size, what is disappointing is how some potentially amazing dishes become let downs. Take the canapes. They serve an inventive wasabi-clad shrimp eggs dish but alas, on top of Fita biscuits. So what takes over your palate? Not the shrimp eggs, no. It?s the Fita that takes center stage instead. Sakerilege!

I?m still holding my breath for the future Cafe Juanita. An institution in its own right, I wonder if the eclecticism of the original will migrate to Burgos Circle as well.

For dessert, count on the cafes: Sugarhouse?s Turtle Pie or UCC?s coffee.

Then go get wasted at Distillery after dinner and take a souvenir picture with friends underneath the metal tree in the middle circle! The new spot promises a whole lot of fun.