Back when I was working for a company that had client meetings at a certain multi-national office…read moreon UN Avenue, I always looked forward to dining at Assad's Cafe. Most of my former colleagues swore by the Spicy Chicken, which was essentially fried chicken, served with a sweet-spicy chili sauce and sauteed finger chilis and garlic on the side. To be fair, it was absolutely delicious! But it wasn't my favorite dish from there. Being a creature of habit, I always go for the Butter Chicken, which is a huge plate of chicken served in a traditional Indian curry. The serving was enormous, almost good enough for two people! Ambiance-wise, don't expect much. It's a boring little cafe that gets the job done. Aside from the ubiquitous yogurt shakes, you can also avail Indian sodas to wash down the spiciness of your meal. I definitely recommend this place after you've finished shopping in the groceries right beside it. Delicious!

Kashmir at this location is quite a marvel in a country where it's extremely hard to find very good…read moreto excellent restaurants. Given this context, hence that I upgrade 4.25 to 5. Why is it good? First of all, it's owned and been operated now for over 25 years by an Indian national who has left this branch - apparently two others in Makati - in the hands of a very capable pinoy chef and his trusty long-term server crew. Second of all, it's truly good. Better than most such restos in Canada, it holds up wonderfully well. Third, I've tried other Indian restos in Makati, and, although at least one is okay, this is by far the best. Fourth, I've been to this Kashmir about a dozen times over the last 15 years, and every time I'm back in the sprawling mess of Manila, take time out to go there. Try their curries, 3-lentil dahl, chicken tikka, naan breads, etc. Although the portions tend to be small, really a delight in a country where few restos get it right. Be prepared to spend a little, but the flavours and textures are worth it. And, yes, it's great for a quiet romantic evening with a first date or your beloved spouse on a special occasion. This is fine dining ... enjoy the quality cloth napkins and tableclothes, fine utensils, and disregard what's outside the door. And if you like Dads - one is next door - the food here easily outdistances that famous buffet in every way. As well, near here is Solidaridad, the finest book store in the Phils owned by national writer Sionil Jose, that can be visited before your dinner.

Halal here! This is…read morea tiny restaurant near small shops and a food court along Vito Cruz; it's also across epic Jollibee. Tables are arranged for four people. Interior is too simple with a minimalistic brick wall design, which is amusingly slanted towards the bottom. It has a hole-in-the-wall vibe and is pretty peaceful. Restaurant front is very plain but their halal signs are eye-catching. Chicken Korma can be spicy or non-spicy. The size of the chicken pieces were fair and the coconut powdered sauce was appetizing to look at. The consistency of the sauce was nice but it lacked flavor; perhaps spices really light this thing up but a milky flavor would've been nice. Chicken Polao was pretty heavy and I still can't figure out how I finished everything. It's for one starving person (me, apparently) but best for sharing. It came with two pieces of chicken that were initially tucked under amazing basmati rice. Two dips are on the side. Paratha was a big round piece of bread, nice and thick, barely oily, and simply fun to eat. I had no dip for this yet somehow managed, again, to finish everything. Just a heads-up that it's plain so eat it with something, anything!

This is one of the best Indian restaurants in Makati. Good ingredients and great taste and…read morepreparation that is not overwhelmingly spicy or dripping in butter makes it closer to a home cooked meal that you can eat and keep repeating. All Indian restaurants have a dessert menu but not all make their desserts in-house Mantra does and their Kulfi, with pistachios and saffron. (Indian ice cream) is very good. From the main course, the yellow lentils (dal tadka) and baingan bharta (eggplant mash) are good vegetarian options. In non vegetarian options chicken tikka is very good and so is butter chicken. Service is great and ambience cozy. They have outside patio seating as well with fans to keep it cool, but inside seating is recommended.

Fantastic food. Great selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Pleasantly surprised by…read morethis find. Only thing missing was pickles to go with my meal.

Indian food NEVER disappoints. Well, except if you're at the wrong place--and New Bombay is never…read morethe wrong place for me stuff my face with super tasty vegan food. New Bombay has several branches all over the metro, and they've really made a name for themselves because of the consistently excellent quality of Indian food that they serve. Not too long ago I was in Hanoi, eating at an Indian place called Khazaana when its owner chatted me up to ask about the Indian restaurants in Manila, and even he knew of New Bombay! Their menu is so extensive that I'm the type to just stick to a few staple dishes that I know will never do me wrong, which are Aloo Gobi, Vegetable Biryani, Masala Dosa and Vegetable Samosa. (Note: If you're vegan, some vegetarian dishes do have yogurt, cheese - like paneer, and milk, so make sure to ask your server the usual). Through the years I've been trying to increase my spiciness tolerance, and I'm proud to say I've managed not to keel over and die from Indian spicy (yes, not medium or mild)! Their servers will always ask you how spicy you'd like your food to be, so be adventurous! Although this branch is great, sometimes when I'm in a pinch I do like getting my meal at their Food Choices branch in Glorietta instead since this is the branch in Makati that offers those vegetarian set meals that are cheaper than the ala carte orders at their bigger branches.

Some background, while working in Singapore a few years ago, I've grown to enjoy Indian cuisine. I…read morewould Google the phrase "best Indian food in Singapore" and go visit the places it recommends. I like it so much that a week usually wouldn't go by without me having one (sometimes I would have Briyani rice with Indian fried chicken for dinner for the whole week). Here in Manila I've found that New Bombay is the closest, to taste, to what is being served by Indian restaurants, and food stalls, in Singapore (ie authentic). If you're not familiar with Indian food I'd recommend starting with palak paneer, chicken tika masala, and Naan (a type of Indian bread). You can then insert one food item you would like to try. For me, you might have already guessed, what I usually order here is Chicken Briyani (spiciness level is medium to high) . The way they prepare it is not the same to the various ones I've tried in Singapore, but it's still good. My only gripe, and you wouldn't notice this if you don't frequent the place too much, is consistency in preparing the Briyani. Ordering the same meal yields different versions of the Briyani at times (if we have different ways and ingredients for cooking adobo, the same with Briyani). Sometimes the cardamom seed, an important ingredient for flavoring, is not there. Note on spiciness level: This is an authentic Indian restaurant, cooks are usually Indians, so order only medium and above if you really like it hot. I enjoy spicy food, ie I would usually chew our local red chili with food to get the spiciness level I want, hence I usually go for medium or high at this place. The price is reasonable, the Briyani cost close to P300.00, wherein the serving size is already good for 2. The price per menu item hover around that area. The first branch I went to, way back in ~2007 (not sure of the exact year, but a few days after the branch opened), is the Columns at Buendia corner Ayala (in front of RCBC Plaza). I've also tried their branch at Robinsons Manila. Now their branch at 32nd street, BGC, is where I usually go to satisfy my craving. Overall this is the place I'd go to, over the other Metro Manila Indian and Persian/Indian restaurant, to satisfy my Indian food craving.

Was offered free buffets for 3 of the 4 people staying in the room. One person is a bit expensive…read morebut was definitely worth it if you have it for free. The service was nice and quick both when at the table and going through the buffet lines. There is a lot of tables so it can be a little loud and I'd recommend getting there early as it does fill up. The food itself was pretty tasty! If you're from abroad, it's a nice introduction to a lot of Filipino food while also providing comfort food for other cultures. Would recommend getting authentic Filipino cuisine elsewhere but still a nice option

Paid a little over 4,000/person for a buffet dinner... 1st, the parking. It wasn't enough, although…read morevalet parking is available, it can be a hassle especially since we visited after work where we had a few office valuables in the car. 2nd, the ambiance, place can be a bit noisy. Space is very cramped (reminded me of a Chinese restaurant). Then there's the buffet spread which can be a bit confusing (reminded me of Spirals). The drinks and Italian section is even in a separate section (or room)! Food, it wasn't worth the 4K I paid for. Selection is there, but nothing stands out. Siewmai is the only bright spot I found but there's no way I can eat 4,000 worth of siewmai. Indian food was ok, flavour was on the milder side, but its not bad. Other than the siewmai and Indian food, only bright spot I can remember was their pizza. It was freshly made and nothing beats pizza that's freshly cooked. Compared to other hotel buffets... the service here is really (really) very good. I was honestly not happy with the food, the place and the parking situation, but their waiters and servers were really good and pleasing. I think this place is just not for me, but if someone is inviting you here and its free, then you should give it a try.

I'm a sucker for any restaurant that is just near where I live. Mr King Kebab is one of those…read moreplaces where I can just sit down and eat my favourite Middle Eastern dishes when I don't want staying in my own house for so long! My go-to meal in their selection is mixed vegetables curry and zeera rice. Mixed vegetables curry is as flavourful as it gets and it best complements my other favourite rice dish, zeera rice. Zeera is an Indian word for cumin. They also serve grilled meat while you wait. Make sure to choose their mutton kebab and try their Black Chana Masala and pair them with wheat bread. If you are the type that likes to eat with their hands, you should always try that here and savour it. As they say, Middle Eastern food is best eaten with just your hands and bread.

There are so many hole-in-the-wall places around San Antonio and I literally just stumbled across…read moreMr. King Kebab. One of my biggest cravings in Manila is usually for Middle Eastern food and I was pleasantly surprised to find almost authentic but comforting cuisine in this side street restaurant. The dishes didn't necessarily come cheap, but if you know what to order, you can have a satisfying meal.

Solid breakfast buffet! Covers many international dishes…read moreincluding Japan's nato. They even made me champorado to order. There is also a wandering taho vendor. Define worth the money spent for the buffet

This is a restaurant / coffeeshop at the main floor of the Dusit Thani Hotel, it's open all hours…read moreduring the Day and serves limited dishes from a variety of options. Few dishes from each style of American, Italian, Chinese noodles, Pinoy and of course Thai. Would recommend Thai options as you won't go wrong with that portion (its part of one of the best Thai restaurant). The ingredients are claimed to be all natural and organic. Preparations are full of flavoring without being overtly spicy. If you are not feeling like Thai food you can easily pick any American choice sandwich or chicken wings etc.. The bar is adjacent to the restaurant and is full service. Coffee machine can do variety of brews. Service can be slow during late afternoons as they have limited staff during those hours and sole parts of restaurant closed. Overall it's great option to get a quick meal and for meetings.