Walked in and were lucky they had tables open at this Michelin recommended restaurant. Staff were…read morequick to help and assist. Ordered a few things: 1. Beef Lechon Toast - 10/10. Solid choice! Light on truffle so not overpowering, the cheese on there is lightly salted sort of like a parmesan. Amazing. 2. Roast Beef Bun - 10/10. Another banger. The hoisin sauce was thick and reminds of me of a peanut sauce. Nonetheless a sauce worth mopping up and having on the side. I don't know what they did to the hoisin but it was phenomenal. 3. Pork Kare Curry - 6/10. I'm a huge kare kare fan but I think the sauce lacked the kare kare punch I wanted. The pork belly was also quite firm on the non fatty spots of the cut of pork. The rice that came with it was awesome. 4. Indo Smashed Chicken - 8/10. Well cooked thigh, good flavor. 5. Ginamos Rendang Halibut - 9/10. Can taste the Indonesian flavors. Light but filling. Great choice if you don't want to feel heavy after lunch.

During my visit to Manila, my friend found this trendy spot and after checking out reviews, I def…read morewanted to try it out. My friend made reservations and we were seated promptly as we entered. The place has a hipster-modern industrial vibe to it. We ended up ordering the chili crab bun which was interesting, it had a good amount of crab in it and had the texture of spicy tuna Mayo. Also got the roast beef bun which was tasty n the sauce that came with it was pretty sweet and thick and the bun was fried with a slightly crispy texture and soft inside. It was a very good combo. We also got the corned beef rendang which was my favorite dish. The dipping sauce had a curry taste and texture to it and it had plenty of shredded beef. The fried molo chips kinda looked like a tortilla chip but not, it had similar texture and tasted really good. It's like nachos but not. I highly recommend this dish. For our main, we got the Indo smashed chicken which tasted like fish but I believe it's the ingredients that made it taste like that. I was confused because every time I took a bite, I thought I was eating fish. It was good but confusing. Overall I had a great experience. Just know that you need to be patient, this is the culture here when eating out, food and service is not super quick like it is in New York/NJ. * Reservation highly recommended * Great cocktail options

This was our go to place for lunch and dinner while vacationing in Manila. We love everything…read more Especially the dishes made with coconut milk. They were super delicious. We need to go back some more to try their other dishes instead of sticking with the ones we have been familiar with. No wonder this place was always crowded. They even occupied the outside space to accommodate more customers. Great place to dine and great service too.

I can't remember why I wanted to try this place. However, it's near Discovery Primea Hotel, which…read moreis where we stayed. Upon entering, two 'guards' were at the door. We had to flag someone to have our orders taken. The staff were either talking to each other by the front door or by the baarea. We ordered: Pinakbet, which was really good. Bangus in Yellow Bean Sauce. Just OK. Didn't taste deep fried at all. Not even crispy. Crab Omelette. I like this one. Went well with Pinakbet. Turon Kanin Club. They should just stick with plain bananas. The whole stuffing combination doesn't work. When the food was delivered, the server didn't even acknowledge us or tell us to enjoy our meal. To get our bill, we had to wave at the server who was all the way at the back. Very disappointed at the staff. Some of the food was very good. But, I can not recommend a place who treats their guests in such a way. There are many other great Filipino restaurants with much friendlier staff, such as Manam.

Great location. Definitely worth coming back to. The food was great, combinations of different…read moreAsian food. I had the 'unagi dragon roll'. The presentation was beyond my expection and it was delicious. We were there during closing hours so it was basically empty. The servers still had smiles on their faces knowing we were the last ones there. I wasn't too thrilled about their 'vodka-cran' even though I had 3 or 4. Definitely a 5star rating and a recommendation.

YES. That's sums up…read moremy experience in one word. I've just recently tried Torch, despite it being open for a few months already and it being just a walk away from the office. I wish I had tried it sooner. I love everything so far that I've ordered here. It was weird at first, me looking through their menu, a mix of Italian (pizza), American (steaks), Japanese (sushi?!). I can't decide which of its servings is its identity. A jack of all trades, I guess? Is it a good thing? I'm not sure. From what I've observed so far, a restaurant that tries to be everything at once, fails miserably. But Torch. Torch is different. Damn, that pizza. I can't stop thinking about it. The pizza is commercial worthy. You know when they get pizza slices, scoops it up, the gooey cheese stretches itself out, still attached to the piece in strands, that phenomenon? That exactly happened when I tore off a piece of it. Waahh! It was so gooey. (btw, its Hamonado pizza and Uncle's 5-Cheese Pizza). Also, damn that burger and sushi too. We ordered the Volcano Roll and Classic Burger, we had food comatose after. I can't wait to try the other items in their menu!

Blackbird at the Nielson Tower is an excellent choice for fun and adventurous dining…read more Ambience is casual with a touch of elegance. Food options appear to be Western with an Asian touch which challenges the taste buds. The Gochujang Grilled Octopus and Crispy Squash Flowers are perfect examples of this Eurasian combinations. Twice Cooked Short ribs was our clear favorite because of the cilantro and sauce flavor pop when eaten with plain rice and salty beef for a flavor contrast. Elements of the dishes must be eaten together to capture the true essence of the dish. Dessert flavor combinations were unique, such as the Baked Alaska which is expected to be western but the ice cream flavors were surprisingly Asian with the mango and passionfruit sauce, yummy! Friendly staff and service was very attentive. Table bussed clean and wine always flowing.

Love this place. Always a great experience while in Manila. The menu is vast but overwhelming, the…read morefood is quality and delicious, and the service is always top tier. I love sitting outside when it's not too hot. I also highly suggest the gnocchi and the homemade cream for dessert.

Dining at My Mother's Garden was easily one of the best experiences of my life…read more Let's start with what My Mother's Garden isn't: It is not a proper restaurant. You will not find any signages along Zamora st because there is none. This is, to be precise, a private dining setup hosted inside the residence of Pablo S. Antonio, national artist for architecture. We were hosted by THE Malu Veloso, renowned fashion designer, who was more than apologetic about losing her voice after two days of entertaining clients. You cannot simply waltz in here and be fed. My Mother's Kitchen is strictly by reservation. You need to call in advance to book your lunch or dinner. You will be given two set meal options, served buffet style. The first one costs P900 and includes a salad with two wonderfully flavorful salad dressings, two pasta sauces (one tomato-based, one chorizo-based, both absolutely divine) with two pasta options, the absolutely incredible Mustard Chicken dish, and a delightfully fluffy cheesecake for dessert. We were also given a salabat-based drink and coffee. The second option had an additional shrimp dish that I had to nix because of my allergies. I made reservations for a 7pm dinner, and we came on time. While waiting for dinner to be served, we were free to roam around that incredible sala, a testament to the visionary genius of Pablo Antonio, as well as peruse some ternos in display, some done by Malu's mom, some done by her. Malu Velose herself came out to make us feel more at home, and she took great lengths to explain the history of the Antonio House, as well as to show some of the items she was working on. Dinner was served by 7:30, and my date and I were floored by EVERYTHING we ate. There was not one bad dish in there, as everything was extraordinary. My date and I really took our time eating, as there was literally nobody else but us in there. Combined with eating in a showcase house and being regaled by a renowned fashion designer, dining at My Mother's Garden was an absolute incredible experience. Absolutely brilliant.

Located in the mall that serves south Asian food. Have variety of choices from Thai, Indonesia,…read moreThai and maylasian food. The service is ok, our waiter forgot one of the order we waited for a long time until we asked they went to make it. The banana roti is good but it's way too thick. The bakuteh is the worst I've ever had. It's basically a white pepper pork bone soup. There's no herb taste to it. Almost send it back but I guess it's their take of this dish. The laksa is also horrible, it comes with the glass noodle. And the broth is not thick just watery and not the laksa you would think. The oak prawn is probably the only dish that's decent. But only comes with 4 pieces, quite pricy for the portion.

Happened to walk around Greenbelt and came across Banana Leaf. There are more than 3 or more Thai,…read moreMalaysian, Singaporean, and Indonesian inspired restaurants in the area and Banana Leaf is where I usually dine in because of their fried fish presentation with sauce. Last time we had tilapia so we tried king fish with shredded mango and sauce, kangkong with sambal sauce and for the noodles - Penang char kway teow with shrimp and chicken. Wish I had taken a picture of their menu book. The food looked the same as when it arrived. They all reminded me of Thai food where most of the food are cooked with a base of brown, green or fish sauce, or having a Chinese dish with sweet and sour sauce. The food served was good. But after awhile you'll get used to the same flavor that you end up loosing appetite. Presentation was very good. The staff gave us a 30 minute serving time but the kitchen end up cooking the order less than that. The dining area inside is packed, while others prepare outside seating. Price is reasonable, serving portion per order can be shared by 2-3 persons. The staff takes sanitation seriously as they wipe the table properly with sani solution after each guests leave the table. It was amusing when one of the head server asked me why I refused to bring leftover, I said not because I didn't like their food but because we don't have a microwave in our hotel room to warm it up in the future. If you're someone who misses curry and paste based sauces, then Banana leaf is a must try for any of these flavorful dishes. By the way, the highlight of the dining experience was eating the food in a banana leaf instead on a plate.

I was wandering aimlessly around the mall, well it wasn't aimless really, i was catching pokemons -…read morei know, i got sucked into that world. And oh, i hatched 2 eggs and got a pikachu, big deal because its kinda rare, from where i frequent at least. Meanwhile in the real world, the mall was closing and it was time to head home. But wait, I haven't had dinner yet. So off I went to find something quick and i came to Recipes - it was my first time there by the way. When I came in, I thought "this is a really nice clean cafeteria, I hope they serve food fast" - promptness was my primary concern then and did not really expect much from the food. The service was fast enough and when it was time to dig in, boy, was i blown away! I ate up the entire crispy tilapia in tamarind sauce that we had to order another one. The gising gising was to die for! I would have wanted a little more heat but that's just personal preference. I think the gata is the anchor of the dish- it's creamy, crunchy and spicy. Believe it or not, we had about 2 spoonfuls of leftover and I asked to have it wrapped for me to take home. The impression i had when I walked in was definitely the opposite of how I felt when i came out. This is one of those times when I'm happy to have made the wrong assumption. I would certainly come back to try the rest of the menu with which I did not really pay much attention to - can you blame me? There was a pokestop right in the middle of the restaurant - as my gps so points.

I keep coming back to Recipes because of the crispy tilapia and the crispy bangus. Crunchy and…read morecoated in a light batter, the fish goes very well with the common but very delicious dip of soy sauce with onions and sili labuyo (hot chili pepper). It's the usual Pinoy food with a twist. The restaurant interiors indeed have a modern look, perhaps implying a modern take on Pinoy food. And they definitely succeeded on that through the crispy tilapia and bangus! Other dishes, like laing and gising-gising, have that classic but satisfying comfort food taste. They're simple but delicious food. The dishes are good for sharing so I always eat here with friends. We also had a Christmas dinner here, and a long table was conveniently set up for more than ten people. The noise level particularly in this Greenbelt branch is average so friends can easily catch up here.

I'm told that Crying Tiger was from the same folks who brought us El Chupacabra on Polaris St., so…read moreI had an idea of what to find when I can down here: a chill, easy going hang out place with good food and cheap beer. It's a bit hard to find since its hidden on a side street behind Fersal Hotel , which is just in front of A-Venue mall. Just keep walking and you'll be greeted by the smokey grill, colorful lights and Makati's foodie crowd. As soon as I stepped inside, I already knew I was going to like this place. It's like El Chupa only cleaner, less dingy and has more of a beach bum kind of feel. (I think it's the wooden floorboards and colorful lights.) The only thing I didn't like, maybe was the fact that they kept on asking if I had ordered yet, or if there was anyone with me. (Which I get, since they're busy and I'm all alone at a table, but I had already explained that I was waiting for more people, which they seemed to forget.) On to the food: if you don't like anything spicy or flavorful, this place is not for you. Seriously. Their chicken is AMAZING. I love their spicy kangkong (doused with oil though), which pairs well with their fried rice. They've also got a large selection of cocktails and wine, apart from the normal beers. (I got lychee cocktail! Pretty yum.) Definitely coming back and making this a regular hang out! It's cleaner, newer, and is better ventilated than El Chupa.

Location & Directions The street faces the A Venue entrance…read morewith Domino's Pizza and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. (on foot) From "A Venue", cross Makati Ave, walk along Guanzon, and you'll see the restaurant on your left. Restaurant I expected it to be warm since it's hole-in-the-wall but it's kinda breezy during the evening, making our stay relaxing. The dine-in space is limited with a few seats outside but they have a bar, high chairs and all. Morning Glory with Garlic This one is typical veggies. It's okay to have for mixing things up but I won't really look for it. Thai Basil Chicken We liked it enough to get an extra order. We shared but each order is already a meal for one person. Thai Stir Fried Glass Noodles This is their Pad Thai. It's good but not the best I've had just yet. Service It was quick up to taking care of the bill.

Went there last night, fantastic band and good food at an affordable price. Service fantastic, and…read morea great live band called PART III

As a law student, finding a great coffee shop where I can hunker down and study in comfort is a…read moremust. Cafe-UK should be the poster child for the kind of place I'm talking about. Cafe-UK is one of those cafes that manages to establish it's own identity able to set itself apart from the generic or those that aspire to be a copycat of Starbucks. They have tea, coffee, juice, and a wide variety of American canned drinks that you won't find in your local grocery. There's a lot of food to choose from. They're a bit pricey, but the size and the taste will more than make up for it. Cafe UK has some of the best cakes I've ever had. Their cakes come in the form of a slice or a mini cake. I love the fact that they offer several kinds of cheesecake with the triple chocolate cheesecake being my favorite, I mean it's cheesecake and chocolate come on! Cafe UK is open 24 hours, and becomes a great places to study at around nine in the evening. Things are quiet at this hour up to around ten in the morning the following day, at which point it becomes a melting pot for the different students from the different schools that populate Mendiola. Wi-fi is free, which is probably another reason why so many students love to congregate at this awesome cafe. The biggest quirk that this cafe has that I don't find anywhere else are the free to use iPads. Never have I walked into a cafe that has free to use iPads, These iPads are ingeniously built into the table, I often find students spending a lot of their time drinking their orders and playing the latest games on Cafe UK's tablet. Free WiFi, excellent food and drinks, wonderful prompt service, and the tablets allows Cafe UK to deliver a great experience. Go for a visit sometime and I promise you that it'll be time and money well spent.

I've been looking for a place to have coffee and read my books peacefully, good thing i found this…read moreplace. They have free internet and delicious snacks. Great place to study. It's like a coffee shop without the noisy people beautiful everyones studying too