Taste is subjective, and I believe awards for “the best of…(insert plaudit here) ” is something to be taken with a grain of salt. As a city, Manila can get very clannish and recognition is sometimes given depending on who you know and the degree of influence one can exert.
Anyhow, I featured Manila’s best restaurants for 2013 as chosen by Esquire and the magazine has come up again with its own list for 2014. The listing is rather short, especially when compared to the dizzying array of international quality restos that opened in 2014.I also take exception to the shabby editing, like substituting palette for palate and headlining ‘Restauranteur of the Year’ in all caps! 🙂
I wouldn’t take Esquire’s recommendations as gospel truth but it is certainly useful for someone like me who opted to eat out less in 2014.This old lady now believes that the less I pursue my being a food blogger, the better for my Body Mass Index and my health. But hey, it’s an honor that two restos in the ‘Best New..’ list are in my beloved city of Paranaque, so read on!
Restaurant of the Year: Mecha Uma, BGC
Best new restaurants:
Locavore, Pasig
Bon Banh Mi, Makati City
Blé Real Greek Food, BF Homes Paranaque
The Girl + The Bull, BF Homes Paranaque
Best Food Halls:
Hole in the Wall, Makati City
The Zone Compound, Teacher’s Village Quezon City
Restaurant Group of the Year:
Wildflour
Chef of the Year:
Mikko Aspiras (Magnum Cafe, Scout’s Honor Craft Cookie Shop)
Esquire’s Dishes of the Year: (note: no pork bun, steak & ramen??! no vegetarian even)
Best Taco: El Chupacubra’s Cabrito Taco
Felipe St. Bel-Air Makati
Best Egg: Beni’s Falafel’s Shakshuk
Valdez St. Makati
Best Chicken: Bad Bird’s Umami Fried Chicken
Hole in the Wall, Century City Mall
Best Bao: Your Local’s Rendang Sliders
Esteban St. Legaspi Village, Makati
Best Waffle: Yardstick’s Buttermilk Waffle
Esteban St. Legaspi Village, Makati
Best Burger: Sweet Ecstasy’s Double Cheeseburger
Jupiter St. Makati City
Best Wagyu: Wagyu Japanese Beef’s Steamed Wagyu
Sunvar Plaza, Amorsolo St. Makati
Best Sandwich: Pepi Cubano sandwich
to order at 0921 293 1784
Best Foie Gras: Hungry Hound’s Grilled Cheese with Foie Gras
Globe Tower BGC
Best Ice Cream: Farmacy’s Pistachio Ice Cream
25th St. & 4th Ave. BGC
Recent Comments