The Tatler Dining Guide Philippines
Shangri-La at the Fort: A Dining Destination in the Heart of Bonifacio Global City
Shangri-La at the Fort is not only where the city comes alive, but it is where flavours come to life. Home to a selection of international tastes from Peru to China, it is indeed a dining destination.
High Street Café Nine Neighbourhoods, One High Street
Step into this modern hall and celebrate with a roster of flavours to delight in. Nine culinary neighbourhoods fill up the spaces as one gets a whiff of what each station offers: Japanese, Chinese, Pan-Asian, noodles, Continental, Mediterranean, salad, seafood, and desserts. Dishes are served à la minute with a smile and houses selections adapted from all over the world, including its own version of the curry laksa, which has grown to be a crowd favourite. The evenings are a unique experience for those who stop by due to the Lounge’s extensive selection of spirits and libations, accompanied by a menu of fare reminiscent of home, including all-day breakfast selections. A menu of bespoke cocktails exclusive to the Lounge is available, such as several variations of the aromatic aperitif negroni among others.
Canton Road The Crossroads of Traditional and Modern Chinese Cuisine
Guests can expect a more contemporary take on traditional Chinese dishes at Canton Road, whose food philosophy is rooted in the union of classic flavours and modern presentation. The restaurant also has a specific focus on Huaiyang cuisine, a cuisine native to the Jiangsu province of China, whose flavours are more sweet than spicy.
Dim sum and à la carte options are available and include signatures like the suckling pig stuffed with fried rice, the abalone-topped dumpling, and the wasabi prawn ball with coated mango pearls. Accompany the meal with any of the restaurant’s tea-based beverages, including the Canton Garden iced tea, the restaurant’s bespoke drink.
For guests who wish to have a more intimate experience, Canton Road has nine private dining rooms, each named after iconic streets or districts in Hong Kong, and comes with its own powder room and personal butler service.
Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar Where Grit and Grace Take Centre Stage
Journey through 1960s Manhattan at Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar, the complex’s premier steakhouse. The restaurant is known for its premium Australian grain and grass-fed cuts
sourced from the finest cattle ranches in Australia and the United States. Aside from this, a pre-dinner interactive touchpoint kicks the meal off when guests are asked to select their ‘weapon’ or knife of choice. Not only do they learn its story of origin, they are given a brief yet intricate background on its design and why such a choice would make the cut.
It is also home to a bar, which houses over 96 brands of whisky from Japan, America, Europe, among others. A curated selection of whisky- and bourbon-based cocktails await connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike, like the Cowboy Old Fashioned whose magic lies with a charismatic show of smoke to emphasise the heightened aroma of the cocktail. The bar has also set the stage for the Guest Bartender Series, a seasonal series where bartenders from around the world share their expertise and signature creations, including Marian Beke of London’s Nightjar; Luca Cinalli of London’s Oriole Bar; and Philip Bischoff, Gabriel Carlos, and Cedric Mendoza of Singapore’s Manhattan Bar (and No. 7 in the World’s 50 Best Bars), to name a few.
Raging Bull Burgers: Burgers with a Conscience and the Attitude of a Rockstar
Raging Bull Chophouse’s younger brother serves a whole lot of grit. This grab and go burger shop is the best choice when lunch or dinner hour is tighter than usual. A rough and rugged energy welcomes guests who drop by, and the meats are lean and mean and marinated in the shop’s signature secret sauce.
The prime choice for guests is the Raging Wagyu, which makes use of Australian marbled Wagyu beef as its base. And while most of the selections are red meat-based, the shop also offers alternatives like the Kickin’ Chicken, the Naked Fish, and The Pretender (vegetarian). Complement that with a range of sauces, milkshakes, home-made draft pilsner beer and a bourbon shot straight from the barrel.
While the selections and service principles are straightforward and more self-service, the shop keeps true to its roots: the premium grain and grass-fed cuts familiar to frequent guests of the Chophouse. That is where the shop’s true conscience lies, but that does not mean it’s not open to a little rock star attitude.
Samba Taste The Flavours of Peru
Get a taste of what the world’s original fusion cuisine has to offer as Samba sets the stage for Manila’s gourmands and enthusiasts. Peruvian cuisine is a product of more than 500 years of integrating Peru’s own culture and the influences of Spain, Africa, China, and Japan. It has since gained popularity for its biodiversity and innovation, and has been making a mark in the culinary world. Guests can look forward to a vibrant and diverse bounty of flavours that are freshly caught daily, including several versions of ceviche,
anticuchos, tiraditos, and the signature Arroz con Mariscos. Whether the choice is to dine indoors or outdoors, the restaurant is rooted in crisp and fresh feasts perfect for intimate dinners or grand celebrations.
Pair the experience with flavours reminiscent of the South American tropics by picking from the curated selection of tiki cocktails, the rum-and-fruit based range of drinks, perfect to have either while dining or while relaxing idly by the poolside. The restaurant also serves Peru’s signature pisco sour guaranteed to add a kick to your meal.
A well-known Peruvian trait is the love for nature and Samba is no exception to this. Grounded in Shangri-La’s ‘Rooted in Nature’ philosophy, the restaurant operates with a sustainable mindset, wherein the chefs work closely with local suppliers to ensure that the ingredients they use are home-grown and are sourced through environmentally sound means.
The Back Room The City’s Worst Kept Secret
The roaring twenties were a high time and this clandestine drinking den toasts to that era. Chance upon this 1920s inspired speakeasy by swinging through the door, but make sure to pass by “the cobbler” and get those shoes shining mighty bright. Home to more than 150 commercial and off-market gin labels, the bar has its own hot toddies for patrons to enjoy in the form of 18 different cocktails, subdivided into five categories. Every night is the Bee’s Knees when at the juice joint, so take this literally. The bar bottles and blends its own gin called Bee’s Knees, whose spirit is infused with key Philippine ingredients, including dalandan (Philippine citrus), malunggay (moringa), luyang dilaw (turmeric), manzanilla (chrysanthemum) and sampaguita (Philippine jasmine). The experience continues with a trip to the gin laboratory where guests can create their own version of the Bee’s Knees and learn more about the art of gin. The bar achieved its greatest feat, debuting in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019 in just three months of operation.
Ministry of Crab, Manila Get down and dirty
Leave your forks on the table as you listen to the sound of cracking claws of diners digging into sumptuous seafood at Ministry of Crab. Celebrate the united flavours of the Philippines and Sri Lanka in this award-winning restaurant. Culinary figure Dharshan Munidasa and cricket players Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have proven Ministry of Crab’s staying power as a consistent awardee of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants since 2015, and has made its mark in the culinary scene of the following countries: China, India, Thailand, and the Maldives.
Expect a no-frills, casual and spontaneous experience as one steps into the restaurant, set against a colonial architectural backdrop inspired by the Colombo flagship. While one may also look forward to Sri Lankan signatures, one will be pleased to know that Ministry of Crab, Manila’s menu philosophy is not only heavily rooted in Filipino flavours, but most ingredients like the crab and prawns, are sourced from the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions.
The restaurant’s menu lays out the varieties for both the crab and prawn dishes, with the former ranging from the half-kilo to the two-kilogram, larger-thanlife Crabzilla. The prawn also has its share of the spotlight beginning with the one-half dozen batch of black tiger prawns to the 600-gram Prawnzilla.
A component unique only to Ministry of Crab, Manila, is the restaurant’s curated beverage programme, which incorporates cinnamon and ginger to pay homage to Sri Lanka’s rich history. Ginger beer, rum, and distillates were created specifically for this restaurant, as well as a diverse selection of tea and Sri Lankan beer. With such a flavour-rich menu to whet a seafood fan’s palate, the restaurant has only this to say: ‘keep calm and crab on.’
Bake House Manila
Freshly made with a conscious heart
The dining destination for family culminates with the property’s ecoconscious bake shop, Bake House. Located at the lobby, this neighbourhood cake and pastry shop holds a sweet and savoury collection of delights that are allnatural, trans-fat free, and refrains from using artificial dyes and flavourings. The menu items are perfect for any time of the day, whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a quick afternoon break. Get a taste of the shop’s signatures like the apple turnover, the sandwiches, and the Conscious Cookie, created from ingredients that did not make the measuring cup.
Couple the experience with a curated selection of beverages including coffee in partnership with Toby’s Estate, cold-pressed juices, speciality teas and home-made signature hot chocolate in milk and dark chocolate options.
Guests can look forward to Bake House’s signature sourdough breads freshly baked in intervals, beginning as early as 6 AM. The sourdough recipe is an original and is part of the World Sourdough Library of Recipes by Puratos of Belgium.
The shop’s philosophy keeps true to the property’s overall practice, which is to embrace the neighbourhood and to maintain an outward-looking perspective. A purposedriven cause to care for the environment is at the helm of Bake House’s operations, whose eco-conscious efforts are moving towards a zero-waste environment in its food management and biodegradable packaging.