On September 25, Midnight Mercato finally relocated to its new home along the corner of 25^th Street and 7^th Avenue in front of The Forum, South Global, Bonifacio Global City. 

Mercato Centrale is the biggest night food market in the Philippines where Manila foodies can enjoy home-based food goodness with the backdrop of the mural of art duo Cyrcle from LA, called "Between the Lines" (or popularly known locally as the Spaceman).

MERCATO CENTRALE
25th St. corner 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
Mobile: +63 917 840-1152 
Telephone: +632 624-4557
Email: admin@mercatocentrale.ph
Website: Mercato Centrale PH
Facebook: mercatocentrale

Here's the photo essay of the first-day market experience with the Baconfest Celebration...

We saw how quickly a patchy, open space transformed into a small, food-loving community complete with the hustle and bustle of BGC.

While trucks were being unloaded, workers scattered around the venue to hang up the Mercato Centrale Baconfest décor.

Baconfest is a celebration of one of the most popular cured meats in the world where concessionaires created special baconized dishes.

By 5pm, the food vendors arrived to set up their booths curious to see how everything would play out at the new location.

At around 6:30 PM, the tents slowly started fattening with hungry customers. From multiple sides of the area, influxes of people from different walks of life enter Mercato Centrale for one reason: to eat.

The dusky overcast of the day signaled night was approaching, but the scene became even livelier as soon as the tent lights switched on.

Excited (and very hungry) foodies shimmied their way through the crowds, eager to stuff themselves with the promise of good food.

It was hard to find a stall without customers that night—it was even harder to find seats!

It was a bit chaotic, but everyone knew that they are part of a historic moment that changed the lifestyle landscape in Manila.

Mercato Centrale was an experience for other human senses than taste. The crowd inside the tent looked like a sizeable lake of colors; feverishly shifting to and fro as people tried to meander their way through to their next food conquest.

Miscellaneous aromas filled the air as quickly as a variety of sounds attacked the ears like a wave, from the spatulas wildly scraping at the cast-iron skillets to the familiar sizzle and pops of fried foods.

To celebrate Baconfest, concessionaires “baconized” dishes all fired up for Mercato Foodies, such as the bacon burger from Hunger Buster.

Other stalls, such as Mamay’s Grill, gave us Bacon Dynamite Sticks. We overheard some of the crowd applauding its sheer simplicity.

Or even these sweet treats by Piper’s Pan with bacon - (L-R) Nutella-Bacon Cheesecake, Oatmeal-Walnut Cinnamon Cookie, and Dark Bacon Cheesecake.

Overall, the opening of Mercato Centrale at its new location was a success. In spite of the long lines for some of the food stalls, people waited patiently if it meant the food they wanted would hit the spot.

It was great to see how the collective love for food could set aside all human differences. No doubt, food can bring people together.

Bring your family and friends to this weekly celebration of food! Mercato Centrale is open every Friday and Saturday from 6PM-3AM. 

MERCATO CENTRALE
25th St. corner 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
Mobile: +63 917 840-1152 
Telephone: +632 624-4557
Email: admin@mercatocentrale.ph
Website: Mercato Centrale PH
Facebook: mercatocentrale

Live an Awesome Life!

ANTON with Sheila & Nico
Team Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: Our Awesome Planet is a co-founder of Mercato Centrale. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. If you’d like to become a Mercato vendor, send an email to admin@mercatocentrale.ph or contact 0917-8401152.

Hainanese Chicken rice is a popular dish in Chinatown Singapore and Tian Tian is the go-to place for the best chicken rice in the city. The popular dish also serves as an inspiration for Chivy & Co to recreate the dish they both loved.

Chivy & Co
15 E Tower 2 One Orchard Road Condominium Eastwood City Libis, QC
Email: Ivess_419@yahoo.com
Telephone: +632 840-7000 
Mobile: +63 917 842-3750, +63 922 882-3882

Chivy & Co: UTT Winner #19 Rating 3.7
141  foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
175 foodies rated 4- I love it!
130 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
70 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
15 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.  

Sous Vide Hainanese Chicken

Chicken is cooked sous vide to retain the moisture and tenderness of the chicken and cooked in its natural juices. Served with 3 different types of sauces: ginger sauce, sweet soy sauce and chili sauce. Paired with fragrant Hainanese rice.

Foodies appreciated the tender and juicy chicken paired perfectly with the fragrant rice. We liked how it was both light and filling at the same time. :) 

Pollo Wrap

The chicken was marinated with herbs and spices then cooked sous vide, finished in the broiler to give the chicken its rich golden color.

It tasted similar to the Pollo Loco chicken but with some few tweaks in the recipe.

Congratulations to Chris & Ivy Ang for winning in the recently concluded 2015 Ultimate Taste Test at the Glorietta Activity Center!

Chivy & Co
15 E Tower 2 One Orchard Road Condominium Eastwood City Libis, QC
Email: Ivess_419@yahoo.com
Telephone: +632 840-7000
Mobile: +63 917 842-3750, +63 922 882-3882

Chivy & Co: UTT Winner #19 Rating 3.7
141  foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
175 foodies rated 4- I love it!
130 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
70 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
15 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.  

Related Blog Post: Most Remarkable Ultimate Taste Test Ever @AyalaMalls! (Photo Essay) #UTT2015

Live an Awesome Life,

ANTON DIAZ 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Full Disclosure: Our Awesome Planet is the Founder of the Ultimate Taste Test series.

P.S. Thank you to Ayala Malls & Glorietta for hosting Ultimate Taste Test 2015!

Thank you to our co-presenter San Miguel Lifestyle Brews for the food and beer pairing with San Miguel Premium All Malt, San Miguel Super Dry, and Cerveza Negra!

Thank you to Cheers for wiping foodie's mouth and hands with your tissue during the UTT.

Thank you to Dinsmor Promo for the UTT Ballpens used by the foodies to rate. Call +632 400-8716.

Thank you to Breakfast Magazine for the delicious magazines and for the support!

Thank you to Waters Philippines for quenching the thirst of the foodies during the event! 

For the entire month of October 2015, the Ministry of Mushrooms will be advocating their 3^rd “Mushrooms Go Pink PH”, a breast cancer awareness campaign that aims to educate people about the potential health benefits of eating mushrooms!

In 2013, Marco Lobregat, founder of Ministry of Mushrooms, collaborated with 50 highly praised restaurants and food brands in the Philippines. The goal was to encourage the creation and serving of more dishes using locally grown mushrooms, all the while helping raise cancer prevention awareness and contributing funds to the ICanServe Foundation.

Ministry of Mushrooms works with a group of young farmers such as John Regie Jaminal, Ivan Bagatsing of Perfect Mushrooms, and Billy Joel Santos Kabutehan Farms, a Gawad Kalinga cooperative that ensures the availability of locally grown mushrooms for the Mushrooms Go Pink PH campaign this October. 

 To learn more, see the list of hero restaurants and dishes, check out: www.mushroomsgopinkph.com

(Stockton Place's portabello mushrooms, caramelized onions, ricotta, and puff pastry with asparagus purée on the side)

According to New York Times bestselling author of “Eat to Live” and “Super Immunity”, Joel Fuhrman, M.D., “white, cremini, Portobello, oyster, maitake, and reishi mushrooms each contain a number of bioactive compounds with the potential for anti-cancer activity.

These mushroom phytochemicals have antiangiogenic, antiproliferative, and other anti-cancer effects, which have been studied in relation to stomach, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.” Dr. Furhrman is a board-certified family physician whose nutritional research is dedicated to preventing or reversing disease through food and other natural methods.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer claims that Breast Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women. While more than a million women unknowingly develop it, about 500,000 of them die from it annually. Filipina women, according to the GMA Network, have one of the highest incidences of Breast Cancer in Asia.

The Ministry of Mushrooms claims that mushrooms are a super food full of vital nutrients like Vitamin D, B1, B2, B3, Selenium, and Potassium. Not only are they low on calories, but they can also help increase our resistance to infection. In addition, evidence supports that these health benefits can potentially thwart breast cancer, albeit incremental.  

“Through the campaign we hope to see the city filled with mushrooms to remind us that the food we cherish can also be what saves our lives and lives of those we love around us,” shares Lobregat.

This year, there are 74 restaurants and food establishments that will be joining the Mushrooms Go Pink PH movement. Go on a meaningful “shroom trip” by trying out some of the delicious mushroom dishes October has to offer, all the while donating 10% of the proceeds to Breast Cancer research! Don’t forget to snap some pictures of all your mushroom dishes with the hashtag— #MushroomsGoPinkPH

Let's go on a Shroom Trip for a Cause this October!

Mushrooms Go Pink PH
Website: www.mushroomsgopinkph.com 
Hashtag: #MushroomsGoPinkPH

Click here for the list of participating restaurants and their mushroom dishes. 

MINISTRY OF MUSHROOMS
Email: ministryofmushrooms@gmail.com
Website: Ministry of Mushrooms
Facebook: Ministry of Mushrooms

Live an Awesome Life!

Team Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: We went to one of the participating restaurants, Stockton Place, and interviewed Ministry of Mushrooms founder, Marco Lobregat. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. You should try out Stockton Place's Mushroom Soup and Mushroom Tart on your first Shroom Trip!

COMPLETE LIST OF RESTAURANTS AND THEIR DISHES

121 Bar
Oyster Mushroom Tempura

Amare
Pizza Con Funghi with Roasted Garlic

Apartment 1b
Mushroom Risotto with Grilled Prawns

Aracama Filipino Cuisine
1. Mushroom Lumpia Frito - Bangus tinapa, vermicelli, green labuyo dip
2. Mushroom Adobado Ensalada - Mushroom adobado, grilled beef, pickled shallots, kesong puti
3. Spicy Ginataang Mushrooms - Fresh coconut milk, green beans, aromatic red chili sauce

B&P
Mushroom Stew with Mashed Potato

Babci
1. Sauerkraut Mushroom Pierogi
2. Cabbage Mushroom and Truffle oil Pierogi 

Backyard Kitchen + Grill
Truffle Mushroom Flatbread with fresh Ricotta and Arugula

Baguio Craft Brewery
Bacon-Mushroom-Mozzarella Balls

Baits By Chef Joseph Margate
Pink Tagliatelle with White Pork Ragu and Fried Mushroom

Blackbird
Mushroom, Guancialle, Fontina and Thyme Pizza

Boiler Room
1. Pizza al Funghi
2. Pasta Arabita
3. Shrooms

Burger Project
Mushroom Fries

C2
Garlic Shiitake Mushrooms served with Tofu & Roasted garlic poured with Coconut Adobo sauce & Malunggay pesto

Café K - Hotel Kimberly Manila
Rey's Shrimp Mushroom Penne

Canto
Papa Smurf, a rustic-man f00d dich

Casa Empanada
[dish not listed]

Casa Roces
Pink Mushroom Paella

Cheesecakes by Guy
1. Spinach, Mushroom and Goat's CheeseOomelette
2.Bacon, Mushroom and Cheddar Omelette
3. Smoked Salmon, Mushroom, Parsley and Cream Cheese Omelette.

Chihuahua
1. Chicken Mushroom Quesadilla
2. Mushroom Quesadilla

Cocina Peruvia
1. Setas Mixtas Saltado Shitake mushroom
2. Oyster mushroom,  Button mushroom, Onions, Tomatoes, Fried Potatoes
3. Aji amarillo

Connie's Kitchen
Chorizo Mushroom Sauce

Cravings Cravings 
Tom Yum Mushroom Soup

Crisp on 28th
Crisp Parmesan French Toast - sauteéd Mushrooms / Sous Vide Egg

Cyma
Mushroom Saganaki

Earth Kitchen
Mushroom Set Menu: Mushroom Spring Rolls, Fresh Mushroom Soup, Mushroom Ravioli

EchoStore (Salcedo, Centris, Davao, Cebu)
1. French Mushroom Omelet ( ECHOcafe Salcedo)
2. Warm Mushroom Arugula Salad (Davao)
3. Open-faced Mushroom Toast (Centris)
4. Mushroom Burger (Cebu)

Edgy Veggy
Mushroom Sisig Meal

Epicurious
Truffled Mushroom Pate

Felix
Goat Cheese and Three Mushroom Pizza with caramelized onions

Florabel
Carbonara with Truffle il and Poached Egg

Gino's Brick Oven
Pizza Lemon Mushroom Fettuccine

Googel
1. Mushroom Pizza with Truffle Oil
2. Arroz a la Cubana with Mushrooms

Green Pasteures
Mushrooms Fideua

Hatch 22
Hatch 22 Burger ( Sauteèd Mushroom / Goat's Cheese / Bacon /Parmesan Fries)

Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay
Chicken Mushroom Ragout

I Am Kim
Mushroom Bulgogi Bap Shitake, Oyster and shimaji on Brown Rice, sous vide egg, nori and alfalfa. Mix with our house made Gocuchang and it good to go!

Juju Eats
Rice Bowl: Grilled oyster mushrooms, carrots, red onions, boiled egg, kimchi, cilantro, sesame seeds on a bed of red rice with a Korean inspired dressing.

This year we are going for a heartier flavor with our warm red rice bowl, aiming to prove that vegetarian dishes can hold their own and be as flavourful as the rest of them.

The kimchi is known for its health benefits as fermented food provide lactobacilli which help aid digestion. Oyster mushrooms are high in iron and potassium, and a wonderful plant based source of B Vitamins.

Regular size: P
Half size: P
Salad wrap: P

Kimpura
1. Enoki Mushroom Teppanyaki
2. Shitake No Tsutsumiage

Kitchen 1B
Mixed Mushroom Napoleon

Kublai's Rock
[dish unlisted]

La Cocina de Tita Moning
1. Wilted Spinach and Mushroom Salad with Blue Cheese
2. Organic Lettuce Soup with Mushrooms
3. Homemade Green Vegetable Ravioli with Mushrooms, Arugula, and Caramelized Walnuts
4. Beef Fillet with Malagos Cheese, Herb Butter, and Mushroom Jus
5. Mushroom-poached Spinach Stuffed Spring Chicken with Soup and Brown Rice

La Creperie
Paysanne Galette

La Tienda
Revuelto de Setas y Gambas

Las Flores
Mushrooms Al Ajilio

Le Jardin
1. Forest Truffle Chicken
2. Truffle Mushroom Burger

Le Petit Souffle
1. Kinoko Frittes - Enoki and oyster mushroom fries served with tonkotsu mayo and matcha salt
2. Mushroom and Raclette Toast - Shimeji, porcini and button mushrooms with mornay raclette sauce and side greens
3. Porcini Créme Bruleé - served with vanilla sugar burried yolk and maple mushroom granola

Lucia
Lucia Lucia - Linguini with Mixed Mushrooms and Black Truffle

Mama Lou's
Shroom Pizza

Mamou 
Mushroom Truffle Cream

Maple
[dish unlisted]

Nolita
Nolita Wild Mushroom Pizza

Nonna's Pasta & Pizzeria
Shroom Pizza

Nuvo
Light Baked Filo Stuffed with Organic Mushrooms and topped with Black olives and Persil Green Salsa

Old Swiss Inn
1. Trio of Mushroom Roll with Petit Salad
2. Gratinated Eggplant & Mushroom Pesto

Pablo
Mushroom Pancetta & Cheese Flat Bread

People's Palace
Crispy Fried Salt and Peppers Mushrooms

Pi Burgers and Pies
Sausage, liver, mushroom savory pie with mango glaze

Ping Gu Mushroom Fries Ping Gu Fries

Pink Panda Mushroom and Taro Balls

Pino
Mushroom and Corn Soup with Dahon ng Sili Pipino BBQ Mushroom Kebabs with Cauli Rice

Plaza Café Garlicky Mushroom Toast with Oyster and Shi

Press Café
[dish unlisted]

Rambla
Surf & Turf Paella, paella with cuttlefish, butifarra and shiitake mushroom

Sala Bistro
Truffled Risotto of Fresh Oyster Mushroom, Porcinis, Rocket and Parmesan

Seven Suites Dehydrated and toasted oyster mushroom in cheddar quinoa canape w/ kesong puti & basil drizzled with lemon vinaigrette

Stockton
1. Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup with parmesan foam and Prosciutto Crisps (local Shitake, oyster, mushrooms and portobello)
2. Caramelized Portobello and Shitake Mushroom tart with ricotta cheese and truffled asparagus.

Susi
Toasted Ravioli stuffed with Shitake Mushrooms, Cashew Ricotta, and Spinach. 100% Vegan and Gluten-Free

The Blackboard Blackboard
1. Homemade Spinach Fettuccine tossed with Fresh Oyster, Milky and Shiitake Mushrooms in a light Tomato Cream Blackboard
2. Fresh homemade Raviolis with a Trio of Mushrooms in a Shiitake Cream

The Sexy Chef
Vegetarian Bibimbap

Trigo
Mushroom Pocket, pizza bread, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella cheese. Served with a side of ranch!

Wildflour Ham, Eggs, and Mushrooms on Toast

Your Local
Bak Chor Mee

Kabutehan, is a play on words. In Filipino, it directly means a place where you grow mushrooms or "kabute". It also closely resembles "kabutihan", which means goodness. The goodness of it all comes from the Gawad Kalinga project that's helping mothers and farmers create more opportunities for themselves with the introduction of oyster mushroom farming.

As a popular superfood, oyster mushrooms are known to be nutrient-packed with benefits such as upping your immunity with Vitamin D and for having cancer-fighting properties. It also helps keep the calorie, fat and cholesterol low. :)

Kabutehan's creative twist of adding traditional Filipino flare to their yummy mushroom appetizers caught the attention of the foodies. Congratulations for winning the 2015 Ultimate Taste Test with a rating of 3.7!

KABUTEHAN
GK Enchanted Farm, Brgy. Encanto, Angat, Bulacan
Telephone: +632 898-1738, 898-1864
Number: +639175817458
Facebook: Kabutehan Mushrooms
E-mail: kabutehanmushrooms@gmail.com

Kabutehan: UTT Winner #20 Rating 3.7
106 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
115 foodies rated 4- I love it!
98 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
37 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
20 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.  

Filipinos love Adobo. Take home a savory Spicy Adobo Mushroom in a bottle. It's a simple treat, one can enjoy even with just crackers.

My Mercato partner RJ and the OAP team loved the Crispy Mushroom  and kept coming back for more. Dip it in vinegar for some acidity. It's also a yummy and healthy alternative to the sinful pork chicharon.

Highly recommended as snacks or appetizers for the upcoming holiday parties. :) 

TIP: Ask for the spicy mushrooms for the chili lovers :) It's my personal favorite!

KABUTEHAN
GK Enchanted Farm, Brgy. Encanto, Angat, Bulacan
Telephone: +632 898-1738, 898-1864
Number: +639175817458
Facebook: Kabutehan Mushrooms
E-mail: kabutehanmushrooms@gmail.com

Kabutehan: UTT Winner #20 Rating 3.7

106 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
115 foodies rated 4- I love it!
98 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
37 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
20 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better. 

Related Blog Post: Most Remarkable Ultimate Taste Test Ever @AyalaMalls! (Photo Essay) #UTT2015

Live an Awesome Life,

ANTON DIAZ 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Full Disclosure: Our Awesome Planet is the Founder of the Ultimate Taste Test series.

P.S. Thank you to Ayala Malls & Glorietta for hosting Ultimate Taste Test 2015!

Thank you to our co-presenter San Miguel Lifestyle Brews for the food and beer pairing with San Miguel Premium All Malt, San Miguel Super Dry, and Cerveza Negra!

Thank you to Cheers for wiping foodie's mouth and hands with your tissue during the UTT.

Thank you to Dinsmor Promo for the UTT Ballpens used by the foodies to rate. Call +632 400-8716.

Thank you to Breakfast Magazine for the delicious magazines and for the support!

Thank you to Waters Philippines for quenching the thirst of the foodies during the event! 

Hailing from Cebu, Kuya J restaurant’s success is now penetrating the Manila scene evidenced by its sixteenth branch opening in SM Megamall. The formal launch happened last Monday, September 14, 2015, dinner time, witnessed by its executives, crew and radio, TV and online celebrities gracing the event.

Interior design at Kuya J is clean, handsome, spacious and modern. Tables and comfortable seats can accommodate small groups as well as larger groups for family gatherings, or dining out with friends and colleagues. The branch in Megamall also has a private room for corporate meetings and celebrations.

Among their signature dishes are Kare-Kare, Beef Caldereta, Pochero Bulalo Tagalog, Lechon Kawali, grilled meats, and one thing their celebrity endorser, Jericho Rosales, cannot get enough of, Crispy Pata. Kuya J offers traditional Filipino cuisine, a treat we know and appreciate, and at an accessible price.

Speaking of Jericho Rosales, check him out below excited to share about Kuya J:

On the Table

Chorizo Dinamitas Php 170

Green chilies deseeded and filled with Cebuano chorizo, cheddar cheese, and carefully wrapped in light pastry and deep fried. This app is served with garlic mayo dip.

Pick one up and hear the opening crunch as your teeth sink into it, where the heat slowly lingers in your mouth like a lover not wanting to let go. The creamy cheese bursts from the inside like it’s been waiting for the right trigger to explode. The stuffing inside is incredible, swinging salt and sweet from the Cebuano chorizo. That spicy kick is manageable but if it’s too hot to handle, the garlic mayo dip cools down the rage and cuddles your tongue with garlicky creamy affection.

Lumpia Presko Php 95

Not your ordinary lumpia for sure, the prominently green wrap has a thin sheet that envelops rolled sautéed crab meat, bamboo shoots and a few other ingredients with the highlight of malunggay. Finish it with crushed peanuts and the sweet brown garlicky sauce.

Kare Kare Php 399

Nutty and creamy kare kare sauce can make you finish heaps of steaming white rice. The tender beef chunks and glutinous fats in between will keep tugging at you to ignore the vegetables and just concentrate on the meat of the matter.

Grilled Scallops Php 230

Fresh scallops brushed with butter and obscenely smothered with sharp cheese. Rich and seductively appetizing, you’re tempted not to share the whole plate.

Crispy Pata Php 490 to Php 695

You cannot outshine the star of the show… and a regular in the hearts of Pinoy foodies. You can tell a good restaurant by how good they dish out their crispy pata. The Crispy Pata of Kuya J is as mouthwatering as it looks. It’s crispy and crunchy without an effort to snap off the skin you can’t wait to put in your mouth and cut the tender luxuriously delicious meat.

–

Mango Pandan Php 80

A sweet ending to your meal, don’t forget the desserts.

Nothing beats having good old Filipino dishes, always reminiscent of the comfort that home cooking brings. No matter how many foreign food chains sprout in the Metro, all of us will not be able to resist reverting back to where our palates first loved.

–

–

Hot off the grill items are also good to order like chicken and pork barbeque.  Other must try dishes in Kuya J’s reportoire include Ginataang Munggo, Chicken , Pork Sisig, Camaron Rebosado, Kuya J Crispy Wings, Sinuglaw, Humbinagoongan Rice, Danggit Rice, Tablea Coffee Flan, among other irresistible Filipino fares.

Kuya J restaurant has branches in the following locations: Escario St, SM Cebu and SM Consolaction in Cebu, and in Manila: SM Sta. Mesa, SM BF Paranaque, SM Marikina, SM Novaliches, SM Fairview, SM Center Pasig, SM Dasmarinas, SM San Mateo, SM Manila, and SM San Lazaro. In Pampanga, SM Pampanga, SM Clark and SM San Fernando, Downtown. In Bacolod, SM Bacolod.

Kuya J has found a new home in the Metro, at SM Megamall, and it’s so close to where I stay. We can definitely get cozy with the comfort that Kuya J’s dishes bring.

Kuya J Restaurant

LG Floor, Mega A (next to Mann Hann),

SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City

The post The Comfort of Kuya J Now in Manila appeared first on Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle.

POULET MANILLE is a home-grown restaurant concept by Chef Tom Hines and Dixie Marinas at SM Aura, Taguig, promoting Free-Range French Rotisserie Chicken.

"Poulet" means chicken in French and "Manille" is the French term for the City of Manila.  

They offer a healthier alternative to fast food chicken options, using free-range chickens that are grown naturally for 75 days by Pamora Farms. The chicken is roasted on a skewer in a traditional French rotisserie oven.  

POULET MANILLE
Lower Ground Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 Road Corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Telephone: +63 998 998-2017
Facebook: Poulet Manille

Here's what we think about Poulet Manille at SM Aura ...

Poulet Manille is located on the supermarket level of SM Aura, near Bono Gelato.

You can see the chickens roasting over the French rotisserie oven in the open kitchen setup.

(Note: They have a big capacity to accommodate take outs for the holiday season.)

Poulet Manille Menu: Starters, Free-Range, French Chickens, Side Orders | Main Courses, Specials, Dessert | Coolers, Sodas, Ice Tea

The interior feels like eating in a French barn setup with romantic lighting. The ambiance is still a work in progress.

French County Classic Chicken (Half - P620 +7% service charge). Juicy, Tender House Chicken with Amber Butter and four side dishes. 

The classic French herb chicken was indeed tender, juicy, and tastier than the chickens forced to grow for just 35 days.

★ Poulet's Truffle Chicken (Half - P620 +7% service charge). Juicy, Tender House Chicken  with Truffle Essence. 

We prefer the herb chicken with just the right hint of truffle.  The half portion is already good for sharing between two persons.

Side Orders (P100 each +7% service charge). Creamy Mashed Potato, Cream of Wild Spinach, Mixed Biodynamic Vegetables, Broccoli, and Toasted Almonds. 

We like the healthy side orders of ★ biodynamic vegetables, ★ broccoli and toasted almonds, and cream of wild spinach...in that order.

Polynesian Chicken Curry (P520 +7% service charge) with Pilaf Rice.

We wanted to order something unique but regretted it. The curry flavor is a bit tangy, with a different kind of spice. Skip this. 

Home Brewed 4-Berries Iced Tea (P75/glass, P120 for unli +7% service charge)

We ordered the Water Melon Ginger and Country Pink Lemonade, but we recommend the home brewed 4-berries iced tea instead.

★ South West BBQ Chicken (Whole - P998 +7% service charge with eight side dishes). New Texas-style Rootbeer reduction; tangy, spicy with an espresso kick.

We love the BBQ sauce of this chicken, a bit tangy, sweet, and spicy--with Rootbeer and espresso flavors! 

Admittedly, the sauce overpowered the chicken, but we loved every bit of it.

A common complaint is the chicken meat looks raw, but this is because of the 8-10 hours brining process and the effect of the yellowish lighting. Before you complain, check out the meat under the white light in the kitchen.

Double Chocolate Gateau (P198 +7% service charge)

The chocolate cake was soft, moist, and easy to eat.

Classic French Lemon Tart (P198 +7% service charge)

Order this if you prefer to end on a sweet-sour note.

Creme Brulee (P120 +7% service charge) 

A simple creme brulee done well--smooth cream with a crisp sugar topping.

Thanks to Dixie for creating this healthy chicken concept and for helping elevate the restaurant scene in Manila!

Overall,  we love the Free-Range French Rotisserie Chicken concept, especially their Truffle Chicken and the South West BBQ Chicken.  

Order the half chicken option with four sides of mixed biodynamic vegetables, broccoli and toasted almonds, cream of wild spinach, and mashed potatoes or rice.

It's a bit expensive, but at least we now have a healthier chicken option at SM Aura.

Budget about P700/head. Skip the dessert. There are better options around the mall.

Congrats to Chef Tom Hines and Dixie for the Poulet Manille concept!

POULET MANILLE
Lower Ground Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 Road Corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Telephone: +63 998 998-2017
Facebook: Poulet Manille

Live an Awesome Life,

ANTON
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of our friend Dixie. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. Poulet Manille's Free-Range Roasted Chicken faces off with Jollibee and KFC's 35-day Fried Chicken at the Lower Ground Floor of SM Aura. Who do you think would win?