Maria's replaced the old place of Highlands Coffee Shop. When I left Ortigas, this was still being built. I came across it a few times during my visit to Ortigas but never had the chance to try it until today.
The interiors look exquisite and with all the liquors and televisions on display, it seemed like a restobar. It is open 24 hours so it may be a good place to hang out anytime of the day.
Except for the mouth-watering rice meals, all their dishes are good for sharing. For lunch, we ordered Calamares Basket, Pinakbet with Bagnet, and Pork Salpicao. We wanted to order more, but most of what I initially ordered were out of stock.
I love fried calamares so I am very picky when it comes to them. Maria's version, however, was a total disappointment. The calamares, upon served, was very aromatic, resembling dried squid, but when you bite into it, it was bland and weird looking, not the usual calamares I know. The squid rings were also connected to each other making it unappetizing and difficult to eat. To top it all off, I would like to quote my friend on his opinion of this dish "Take a fish ball, sliced it then bread it and fry it. My god! The calamares sold by the street vendor tastes way better than this."
Anyway, to compensate for the former's lack of taste, the pinakbet with bagnet was delicious. I love the crunch and taste of the bagnet, perfectly cooked. The vegetables are also crunchy and flavorful, especially being soaked in the bagoong-like sauce upon served.
The pork salpicao was ok for me. but something forgettable. I actually don't remember what it tasted like, and I just had for about 8 hours ago. All I remember is that the pork is tender.
Service is okay. Might be a good place to hang out, eat, drink, and have a good time. Maybe I will come back to try others, if they have stocks already. read more