MANILA -- Check out some of the latest news in the local food scene.
HAUTE CUISINE STEAK NIGHTS AT AQUAVIT
Hotel Rydberg Chateaubriand. Handout
Scandinavian pub and grill Aquavit invites steak lovers to its Haute Cuisine Steak Nights. Chef Robert Lilja presents a menu of steaks made with Australian Mulwarra beef aged 40 to 50 days with a variety of uncommon sides and sauces.
The Hotel Rydberg Chateaubriand comes with pancetta-wrapped haricot beans, baked mushrooms and Dauphinoise potatoes; Steak Greta Garbo has mashed potatoes, horseradish, and raw egg yolk, Beef Rydberg with pan-roasted potatoes and onions; Steak Rockefeller with spinach, oysters, and white truffle sauce; Steak Roquefort with blue cheese and Port wine sauce; Steak Walewska -with prawns, asparagus, and bearnaise sauce; Steak Salvador Dali with blue cheese and gazpacho salsa; and Pepper Steak Madagascar with three kinds peppercorns, cognac and demi jus.
Haute Cuisine Steak Nights start at 5:30 p.m. every Saturday at Aquavit Pub & Grill, 8471 Kalayaan Avenue cor. Fermina Street, Poblacion, Makati
TURKISH CUISINE AT THE PENINSULA MANILA
It's Turkish Cuisine Week at Escolta. Handout
The Turkish Embassy and The Peninsula Manila celebrate the centennial anniversary of the the Republic of Turkey with a Turkish Food Festival at the hotel’s buffet restaurant Escolta.
“Turkish Cuisine Week” will be celebrated throughout the world for the second consecutive year from May 21 to 27 and aims to introduce the country’s rich gastronomic culture to a broad global audience.
This year’s special menu consists of local dishes from the city of Antakya (with the ancient name of Antioch) in Hatay province, which is included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and renowned for its diverse cuisine characterized by its use of fresh vegetables, quality olive oil, legumes, and cereals.
Escolta’s different buffet stations will feature Biberli Ekmek (flatbread with red pepper paste), Zeytin Salatası (green olive salad), Hummus (mixed chickpeas and tahini dip), Mucver (Turkish zucchini fritters), Muska Boregi (spinach and cheese filo parcels) Tepsi Kebabı (oven-baked kebab), and Kayısı Tatlısı (stuffed dried apricot with clotted cream and walnut), among many others.
The buffet selection will also showcase other regional Turkish dishes that will be prepared using local ingredients and traditional cooking techniques. It will showcase all aspects of Turkish cuisine, including Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, and the most quintessential of all Turkish sweets.
Escolta’s Turkish Cuisine Week runs until May 27 with lunch priced at P2,600/pax ad dinner at P3,000/pax. Get a chance to win a round trip ticket to Istanbul along with a two-night stay at the Peninsula Istanbul.
BUY ONE TAKE ONE ON WINES AND APEROL SPRITZ
Wines and Aperol Spritz at Lab. Jeeves de Veyra
From the same people behind Japanese whisky bar LIT comes LAB Manila featuring sake and spirits.
Lab Manila gets even cozier with buy-one-take-one offers. For this iteration, the offer covers 1143 White Wine and B! Vinho Verde. Both of these bottles are from Portugal and are nice friendly sips for wine lovers who want to explore bottles from unusual origins.
For those who prefer cocktails, the bar also has a BOGO promotion on its Aperol Spritz.
Lab Bar can be found at Serendra in Bonifacio and is open from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight every day.
MENYA KOKORO TSUKESOBA AND IZAKAYA MENU
Tsukesoba, Cold tofu and Japanese highball. Jeeves de Veyra
Mazesoba restaurant Menya Kokoro introduces its version of dipping noodles. Inspired by tsukemen, Menya Kokoro’s tsukesoba uses its own thick chewy noodles and their own dipping broth. The tsukesoba comes in regular, spicy, and Mentai, a variation with finely ground pollock added to the noodles and broth for a rich fish-umami forward dish.
Alongside the tsukesoba are Japanese bar chow and drinks that transform Menya Kokoro into a laid back izakaya. If the mazesoba, ramen, and donburi are too heavy, check out the small plates like karaage, okonomiyaki, yakitori, tempura, and cold tofu paired with a Suntory Strong Zero, Japanese Beer, or a Suntory Highball.
These are now available at the Uptown Mall branch of Menya Kokoro, or for delivery from www.menyakokoroph.com.
PASTRAMI FRIED RICE AT DELI BY CHELE
Pastrami Fried RIce. Jeeves de Veyra
If you’ve enjoyed Deli by Chele’s now popular pastrami sandwich and wanted to try it the proper Filipino way: that is, with a heaping serving of rice and eggs, the shop has heard you!
New on the menu is the shop’s Pastrami Fried Rice served silog style. The "pastramisilog" is a generous serving of peppery pastrami really paired with their sinangag, and malasado sunny side egg that makes a great addition to any breakfast table. Ask for a bit of the shop’s sauerkraut if you can if you like atchara.
The Pastrami Fried RIce is priced at P295 and is now available at Deli by Chele branches in Rockwell, the Podium, and the new branch in Robinson’s Magnolia or for delivery through www.delibychele.com.
MERRY MOO’S SHOYU SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM
Shoyu Salted Caramel. Handout
Merry Moo levels up Salted Caramel Ice Cream by using…. soy sauce?
By adding a bit of soy sauce, the new Shoyu Caramel flavor strangely works. This takes on a deeper brownish color with a hint of savory umami above the salty and sweet notes expected from a salted caramel ice cream.
Now available for delivery at https://www.merrymooicecream.com. Use the code SHOYU at checkout for 10% off on Shoyu Salted Caramel Variants.
MANG INASAL BUDDY FIESTA
Buddy Fiesta. Handout
Mang Inasal recently launched the new Buddy Fiesta, a smaller version of its best-selling Family Fiesta group meal. This features a bilao of chicken and pork inasal favorites with a platter of Java Rice.
“The Mang Inasal Buddy Fiesta is in response to the clamor from our customers who are looking for a bundle for a smaller group,” said Mang Inasal business unit head Mike V. Castro. “This is the perfect treat for a group of two to three persons who love to enjoy their Ihaw-Sarap favorites together.”
The popular grilled chicken specialist was also recently recognized as the best tasting grilled chicken in the country according to a recent third-party survey which had it go against 40 other chicken brands locally.
The Mang Inasal Buddy Fiestas are good for 1-3 people and are now available at all Mang Inasal Branches nationwide and for delivery through the Mang Inasal App, MangInasalDelivery.com.ph, and your preferred third-party food delivery apps.