When in Quezon City, where do you go to satisfy your gastronomic cravings? Where do you eat for a diverse dining experience? If this is your problem then Maginhawa StrEat is the place you definitely have to visit. From Southeast Asian cuisine to Italian favorites to Benguet Coffee beans, this place is jam-packed with bestsellers that will keep you coming back for more! Check out the list below for the 16 bestsellers at StrEat Maginhawa Food Park.
16. Nokcha Love Bingsoo at Magpie Café
One dessert that I absolutely fell in love with is the new version of Magpie Café’s Nokcha Love Bingsoo. It’s probably because it offers the right balance of sweetness, which is rarely found in today’s desserts. The smooth snowflake ice serves as the bed of all the ingredients, topped with creamy green tea ice cream, sweet red beans, and California sliced almonds. The dessert’s green tea flavor is slightly sweet, but has traces of a matcha taste, which makes it seem almost bitter. The cool flavor of the ice cream lathered in sweet red beans instantly melted in my mouth, giving me an unforgettable foodgasm.
15. Margherita Pizza and Bardolino Wine at the Grape Escape
The Grape Escape is the place to go to for an affordable Italian dining experience. They serve dishes with a myriad of flavors and fresh ingredients; each with a unique twist on your traditional pizza. One of the best examples of why The Grape Escape should be in your radar is their Margherita Pizza (P350). The pizza is topped with scattered bright green basil leaves, an exceptional tomato sauce, and hints of mozzarella. My first bite was accompanied by the chewy thin crust mixed with the distinctive taste of the Italian Pomodoro sauce.
The Margherita pizza is complemented by the Bardolino wine (P165). The wine is optional, but it adds a rich depth of flavor once eaten with the pizza. I originally expected the pizza to be no different from most Italian pizzas. But I was proven wrong. The sweet Italian Pomodoro sauce provided a great contrast to the complex yet flavorful tang of the Bardolino wine.
14. Pizza Carbonara at the Grape Escape
Another favorite in Grape Escape is their Pizza Carbonara (P380), which adds a twist on the traditional cheese pizza. It is made by using bacon as your main toppings, combined with touching hints of cheese, white sauce, and egg. When I took my first bite, the taste of bacon followed by the sharp tang of the white sauce added a complex flavor to the typical Italian dish. What’s even more amazing is that all the ingredients are freshly made by the establishment, creating a pizza that is definitely a must-try!
I enjoyed this pizza with sweet white wine (P165), which is usually meant for oily food.
13. Lahmacun at Bricks and Copper
Lahmacun (P150) is a round thin-crust pizza minced with beef toppings. This crunchy and delicious treat is topped with tomato, cucumber, onion, and lemon. What’s unique about this is that you can either roll the pizza slice and eat it like a burrito, or eat it as it s. My first bite was accompanied by the chewy thin crust with the fiery mix of vegetables and beef.
12. Kofte at Bricks and Copper
Bricks and Copper successfully captures the taste of Turkish cuisine. One of my personal favorites is the kofte (P120), also known as beef with a lamb kebab. The meat is perfectly complemented by either: the tangy garlic yogurt sauce or the tomato sauce, which both perfectly highlight the meat’s classic Mediterranean flavor. The dish is also served with fresh crunchy vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, and cucumber. The foreign flavors in this dish make it a stand-out in the food park.
