KOMRAD (Mao’s Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen) in Eastwood Mall
Budget : ~Php300 per person
Duration : ~1-2 hours
Bummers : still on soft opening
Nomnom Rating : 4/5
KOMRAD
KOMRAD is another brainchild of actor-chef Marvin Agustin. According to his tweet, this was his first Chinese-Fusion-themed restaurant. KOMRAD recently opened at the 2nd floor of Eastwood Mall Veranda, right beside Cyma. Chinese cuisine is my all-time favorite that is why whenever one opens up or there is one near my place, I never think twice of trying it out. Since its opening, I wanted to try KOMRAD but knowing that it has just opened, they might not be serving at best. But I cannot help it anymore that is why even if they are still on their soft opening period, I went ahead a tried it.
Mao's Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen
Inside KOMRAD
The Ceiling
When you enter KOMRAD, it feels like being transported somewhere in China. The ambiance looks great and music is playing in the background. And yes, it is in Chinese. For me, eating in KOMRAD is like being part of those Chinese cooking shows I used to watch on a Sunday morning when I was kid. It was nostalgic and it felt good as if I was really in those cooking shows. Not to get misunderstood, no one is really cooking in front of you, it is just the background music that makes me feel I was in a Chinese cooking show. 
KOMRAD Menu
KOMRAD offers a menu of Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. Both originated from China and usually have a spicy hint on every dish. The difference between the two is the actual location in China where the cuisines originated. Hunan cuisine usually involved ingredients that smoked or cured. On the other hand, Sichuan cuisine usually involved ingredients that are preserved from pickling, salting, and drying. Both dishes are spicy but Hunan is said to be purely hot while Sichuan is hot and numbing. Thanks Wikipedia!
I tried the KOMRAD Fried Rice (Php198). As a rule I had recently, I should try at least one dish named after the restaurant or a dish that can only be found in that restaurant. The fried rice was spicy as it has slices of dried chili pepper on it. It also has nuts which gives the fried rice a crunch.
KOMRAD Fried Rice
KOMRAD Fried Rice on My Plate
Then, I had Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables (Php288) and General Tao’s Chicken (Php198). The braised pork belly was really soft that it melts in your mouth. The preserved vegetables are hidden at the center of the well-organized slices of pork belly. The preserved vegetables had a taste close to that of laing (dried taro leaves cooked in coconut milk) but without the coconut milk. General Tao’s Chicken was deep fried chicken strips and cooked in oyster sauce.
Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables
General Tao's Chicken
The is good, something different that I don’t usually see in most Chinese restaurants I have eaten before. I will go back here because I really wanted to taste the steamed fish which is also my personal favorite. Unfortunately, it was not available when I visited.
Spread some awesome..ness.. 
Really bad service. It took them almost an hour to complete our order and no one bothered to get back to us on why the order is taking too long. What really dampened our appetite was that the other tables who came after us were almost done eating and the servers were apathetic to the fact that touched our food yet since the order is not complete. It ended that I called for the manager who informed us that the steamer was broken (after 45 of waiting). The manager gave us 10% VIP discount for the food we barely touched. The worst service I had so far. I will never come back again there. Nor will I recommend it to anyone else.