The first time I went to Industriya, I was blown away by the interiors. Some restaurants have "instagramable" spots, but the whole of Industriya IS Instagramable. A former shoe factory in a more suburban part of Marikina, Industriya recycled everything they could recycle to make one of the most beautiful and memorable restaurants in Metro Manila.
And then I tasted the food. Bland, uninspiring, an afterthought. Hay, sayang. I guess that's that.
So why have I rated Industriya 5 stars? This is solely based on my SECOND visit to this place. I was part of a special Marikina tour organized by the local government, and we wrapped up the tour in Industriya. I was hoping they'd serve something nicer than what I had before because I really wanted this restaurant to work.
Here's the thing: The first menu of Industriya was too long and had items that didn't match the vibe of the place. The way Industriya is built, either you go local (As Marikina has a unique cuisine) or you go full continental (a throwback to the international clientele of Marikina back in the day). The menu I saw the first time I went there was a hodgepodge of items that didn't make sense and didn't represent anything. So we ended up ordering some local dish and some sushi. Not only did the pairing not work, the dishes themselves were lackluster.
However, for whatever reason, Industriya decided to embrace their local cuisine and rolled out a series of dishes for the tour participants. They stated that this was part of their revamped menu which would be rolled out really soon. Basically, we got staples of Marikina cuisine, with some slight but significant reworkings. We had Lumpiang Ubod on Lettuce Leaves instead of wrap, a pate-type spread made from Everlasting (a meatloaf unique to Marikina), Pinakbet topped with Bagnet (!!!), Mechado with generous portions of beef, and an honest to goodness Laoya (Marikina's take on Nilaga, with peanuts and bananas -- it works, trust me).
Needless to say, the dishes were excellent. I was very, VERY happy with everything I ate. But more than that, if this is an indication of the food that will be served in Industriya from this point onwards, then this place just became the most important restaurant in Marikina.
Before, Industriya was just a beautiful restaurant will so-so food. Now, it's a showcase of Marikina's storied past and present. read more