Words by Fe Esperanza Trampe (@fehnstagram)
Lost on where to take you and the crew to next? Whether you’re getting together for a quick catch-up session or reuniting after years apart, it’s a special occasion for all of you. How often do you get to see each other with your busy schedules nowadays? Why not treat yourselves to a feast? The dining options at Newport Mall offers some of the best eats around.
4. Tao Yuan Restaurant
A meal at Tao Yuan is nothing less than a social affair. Who better to join you on this journey for the taste buds than your closest friends?
Take a seat at one of their many roundtables, and feel like you’re in an elegant restaurant in China. Come together with a cup of tea or two, and indulge in all that Tao Yuan has to offer. It’s much more than just a Chinese Restaurant. It also boasts a number of Singaporean favorites.
One of its bestsellers is the classic Hainanese Chicken. It’s a dish originally from the Hainan province of China, but one that Singaporeans have come to call their own.
At Tao Yuan Restaurant, Hainanese Chicken comes in a set. Mix and match, and see which sauce works best. Experiment with flavors, if you want. Don’t worry if it gets too spicy. The order comes with its own Hainanese Chicken Rice to tone the flavors down.
One of the dishes Tao Yuan Restaurant cooks to perfection is Cereal Prawns. These are prawns that are deep-fried, and then coated with loads and loads of cereal butter. There is nothing better than treating yourself to the crispy and flavorful cereal mix these prawns are drenched in, and then rewarding yourself with the soft, chewy meat of the prawns right after.
A meal at Tao Yuan Restaurant may take you and your crew a hundred miles away from home with all the flavors it offers up, but it will surely bring you right back to the Philippines with their Mango Lapu-Lapu. It’s a feast that takes two Filipino favorites, and puts them together with a Singaporean twist. It’s salty, sweet, Chinese, Singaporean, and Filipino, all at once.
3. Mr. Kurosawa
If you can’t decide on where to eat, why not have a little bit of everything?
The Japanese are renowned the world over for their food. They like to mix it up. They like to play with flavors, and tickle us with the sensations that these different concoctions make.
Mr. Kurosawa offers experimental eats that – believe it or not! – most definitely work.
The ramen noodles that we know wades in a pork broth with select slices of meat and vegetables. Mr. Kurosawa took these noodles out of the soup and turned it into a bun for the classic American burger. It’s a mind-boggling move, but one that is justified once the tenderness of the US beef patty mixes with the chunks of pan-fried noodles that come with every bite.
They may be oceans apart, but that doesn’t stop the Japanese from turning to Europe, and making some of their dishes their own. Mr. Kurosawa did this when he took a plate of the classic carbonara pasta, and made it his own. What better way to mark an Italian classic with a Japanese twist than topping it with some freshly made tempura?
Mr. Kurosawa did not stop at pasta. He took a spin at making pizza Japanese, too. Whether you approve of pineapples as a pizza topping or not, you will definitely agree that the mango on the Iwo Jima Pizza works well with the slices of chicken.
The Japanese are great at experimenting, but there’s nothing they do better than dishes that are truly their own. For the rainy days ahead of us, Mr. Kurosawa also serves the classic Japanese Sukiyaki that will surely warm you when it gets too cold.
There won’t be any arguments on what to order at Mr. Kurosawa. You can have it all. If it’s something that’s truly Japanese you’re looking for, take your pick from the many sushi sets the menu has to offer. If you still can’t make up your mind, you can never go wrong with Ebi Tempura.
2. Italianni’s
For over two decades, there’s only been one premiere Italian restaurant in the Philippines, and it’s Italianni’s.
Step inside its Newport Mall branch and make yourself feel at home. At an Italian home, that is. Italianni’s prides itself in bringing Italian home-cooking to people miles and miles away from Italy, at an atmosphere that is nothing less than a tavern for people to catch up and share stories with one another.
Start off with the Sicilian Chicken Salad, and ready yourself for the feast that’s about to come your way.
Italianni’s usually serves fresh bread the moment you take your seats. Put away the olive oil and vinaigrette for a while, and pair your bread with the Spinach and Artichoke Formaggio dip for a change. You may not want to have your bread any other way after that.
When at Italianni’s, you will only be served the classics. The Italians may be known for their pizza and pasta, but they sure do know how to make the most sumptuous of chicken dishes. The chicken they serve at Italianni’s is drizzled with a variety of Italian herbs, and comes with its very own special mix of gravy.
The best pizza Italianni’s has to offer is named Pizza Enorme for a reason. It’s a pizza that puts four of the restaurant’s best-selling pizza flavors – pepperoni, ham & pineapple, shrimps & mushrooms, and four cheeses – into one, and it’s simply huge. One order is enough to satisfy an entire family.
Don’t save Italianni’s Seafood Cioppino for last, because this delightful dish will surely have you grabbing the nearest glass of water with each spoonful you take in. This pasta dish is a feast straight from the ocean with mussels, shrimps, and clams galore, and quite the kick right after. White wine and chili flakes make up its sauce. It’s a combination of flavors that, when mixed with so much seafood, will stay with you even after you finish your meal.
1. Bulgogi Brothers
Before catching the latest production at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, make it a point to stop at Bulgogi Brothers and watch a different kind of show. Here, tender, juicy meat is the star, and a smokeless grill is its stage.
There’s something quite thrilling about getting a say in how your food is cooked. At Bulgogi Brothers, you get to say how long your meat stays on the grill.
There’s no need for butter or oil in this Korean restaurant. The meat is cooked in its own juices, and it’s even more flavorful because of it.
The Bulgogi Brothers Special Set comes with an assortment of meat, and all the side dishes you can imagine. It’s an order that will surely satisfy the entire crew.
If the Bulgogi Brothers Special Set doesn’t fill you up, Bulgogi Brothers offers a number of other Korean fares that will take you and your friends straight to Korea.
Have a taste of their Bibimbap. Let it sit for a while once it arrives on your table. Once mixed, the flavors of this dish are amazing, but the best part is still the crunchy rice at the bottom of the bowl.
Grab your chopsticks and treat your taste buds to something that’s both savory and sweet. Bulgogi Brothers’ Japchae is a towering mountain of noodles packed with meat and vegetables that you will definitely make room for.
Make your next get-together a trip to remember. It’s not just a simple night out when you’re out with friends. It’s a celebration of all that you’ve been through, and all that you will go through together. Treat yourselves right with only the best that Newport Mall has to offer.
Newport Mall at Resorts World Manila
Newport Blvd., Newport City, Pasay City
Facebook: Newport City
Instagram: @newportmall_
Twitter: @newportmall_
www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com
