Our family has 2 traditions when it comes to birthdays; there’s the birthday salubong come 12 midnight and then the birthday dinner (or brunch/lunch if schedule doesn’t permit) on the day itself. For the latter, we make it a point that the celebration would take place in restaurants we’ve never eaten before- as much as possible, no repeat location. My younger sister Tricia always bests me when it comes to choosing restaurants as she is usually in charge of research for my birthday and I for hers, celebrations for mom, dad (when he was still here), and our older sister Pinky are toss coins as we plan it together.
Since it was for dear little sis’ birthday, I wanted to up the challenge for her and researched weeks prior. At that time, people in the know were raving about this wonderful unique Sinigang dish from this intimate but well-received restaurant Manam in Greenbelt Makati.
The interior of the restaurant was a big plus point as it is very chic. It has to be picture-worthy, right?
Admittedly at first, we struggled to navigate towards our table because it was not as spacious as i thought it would be basing it on the pictures I saw. Here’s a tip make sure to book a reservation because it is almost always full during dinner with a queue waiting at the door. However after settling down, and whilst we were preoccupied with our chit chats, the food came just a few minutes later. It was a very good decision to order our choices hours prior.
Overloaded Garlic Bangus Belly P175 (Small)
My older sister and mom particularly like this dish. It was cooked so perfectly. The garlic oil that it’s cooked in, which was poured on the dish, was so good that alone is viand enough. It was seared to perfection.
Salpicao P295 (Medium)
This is my personal favorite. The beef was so tender and juicy, it’s inner is still pinkish- that took technique. I recommend this!
Peking Fried Chicken P325 (Medium)
I don’t know if it’s because we loved all our other orders so much so that we found this particular one quite –for lack of better word- dull or that it really lacks the flavorful element the others have. However, my food buddies liked the sauce that accompanied it.
Sinigang na Beef Short Rib & Watermelon P405 (Medium)
This is the birthday girl’s favorite. She was so impressed with the dish, days after and she was still craving for it. Their Sinigang is an upgraded version. It's like a symphony of Sinigang and Beef Brisket. Instead of pork, they used beef short rib. Instead of just tamarind, they added watermelon. It was the symphony of sour soup, tinge of spiciness, and the sweetness of the watermelon that made this the restaurant’s best seller. What also made this dish splendid is the soup refill that they offer. Yes, that’s right! You can ask for another refill. ;)
Garlic Rice P225 (Large)
Their menu is divided in to two sections- the Classics and Twists, which is a good concept as it gives people the chance to be both adventurous and traditional. Dishes also come in small, medium, and large. Prices are reasonable given its serving size, the restaurant’s popularity, and the ingredients used for each recipe.
Surely I won't need another celebration to return to Manam. My craving for their dishes will be reason enough. ;-)
Surely I won't need another celebration to return to Manam. My craving for their dishes will be reason enough. ;-)
Manam
Level 1, Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City
11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
