The people behind the very successful food franchise Master Siomai has expanded into the full-service restaurant business. Master Garden serves mainly Filipino dishes--with such amusing names as Tuyo with Love, Putok-Batok, Istapeghi, and Ligaya ni Aguinaldo--with a smattering of familiar Western, Chinese, and Thai dishes. Master Garden's success in its first outlet in Malabon prompted the birth of its second outlet in Quezon City (along Tomas Morato), where I and a dozen other foodies were invited to sample its menu.
If your family is anything like mine, eating out on a Sunday means crispy pata, beef kare-kare, pork or fish sinigang, and mounds of piping hot rice. I eschew these traditional Filipino dishes, and recommend the dishes below which Master Garden does quite well.
Sugpo sa Maalat na Dagat - Succulent tiger prawns doused with spicy salted egg sauce. That first taste of its lush sauce will have everyone on your table calling dibs. The texture could be better with the addition of one or two regular egg yolks in the sauce, and maybe a little less heat. Nevertheless, Master Garden's version of this dish is very good, and is a must-try.
Baby Squid in Olive Oil - It is a deceptively simple dish made by sauteeing the tender flesh of young squid in olive oil and garlic, but it is not short on flavor. This dish demands a lot of extra rice, and will surely wreck someone's strict low-carb diet.
Chicken BBQ - I know. I prefaced my list of recommended dishes with that caveat on traditional Filipino dishes. But Master Garden's version is delicious and flavorful, and can hold its own against Manila's most popular chicken barbecue restaurant.
Binagoongan a la Malabon - Half ensaladang talong, half crispy bagnet. It is my kind of salad! Adobong Puso ng Saging - Another veggie dish that I enjoyed a lot. It strikes the near-perfect balance between sweet and sour and savory-garlicky goodness. It makes a great complement to Master Garden's Putok-Batok crispy pata or any of its meaty entrees.
Master Garden deserves to be bookmarked on your Yelp app.
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