NBA Cafe Manila – The First NBA Cafe in the World Opens with Gordon Hayward and Tina Thompson
Basketball fans rejoice! Last week, the National Basketball Association (NBA) launched the very first NBA Cafe in the world – NBA Cafe Manila – which is now open at the SM Aura, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
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NBA Cafe Manila is the first sports bar and restaurant in Manila that caters specifically to basketball fans, making it the perfect place to be to watch and even re-watch the current NBA playoffs and other basketball games while enjoying great company, scrumptious food and delicious drinks at the same time.
It really isn’t surprising that they chose to open the first NBA Cafe in the world in Manila. After all, as Carlo Singson, NBA Country Manager of the Philippines, put it: “Basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines, so it opens here for our passionate fans in Manila.”
To launch NBA Cafe Manila, there were some featured guests at the grand opening, as well: Gordon Hayward of Utah Jazz and WNBA Legend Tina Thompson. Read more about what they were up to while in Manila here: Gordon Hayward and Tina Thompson Visit Manila
NBA Cafe Manila is a first-of-its-kind NBA destination featuring a one-of-a-kind dining and entertainment experience – one that captures the real energy and feel of the NBA. It’s hard to describe with mere words, though, so let us take you on a virtual tour instead:
NBA Cafe Manila features larger than life NBA displays.
You can find unique NBA memorabilia here, as well.
And marvel at other basketball-themed goodness.
Of course, you can also enjoy delicious American bar and grill favourites at NBA Cafe Manila. We were able to try out the following dishes during the opening:
Ale, Wisconsin Cheddar, and Cauliflower Soup with Bacon
Arugula, Grape, and Almond Salad with Parmesan Cheese and Balsamic
Pork Butterfly Loin Steak with Garden Salad and Sweet Kansas City BBQ Sauce
Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
Everything tasted heavenly, I kid you not! The soup really hit the spot. The salad had an American twist by having grapes in it instead of the usual mangoes that I am so used to now here in Asia. The pork loin was tender, juicy and tasty and the apple pie. Wow. That apple pie! Though a bit lacking in the ice cream department (or I’m just an ice cream addict), I would totally go back there just for that apple pie.
The menu is clearly inspired by classic American cuisine. Having been born and raised in America, take it from me when I say that the food tasted very “American”. I don’t know how else to explain it. When I took my first bite of the apple pie, the sentence that first came out of my mouth was, “Wow. This tastes like my childhood.” Pure love!
Only the finest ingredients and products are used in all of the dishes at NBA Cafe Manila, with the top priority being placed in having the food prepared and promptly served by skilled chefs and servers. And they really meant it. I went with my friend Zia and she instantly commented about how quick the servers were at serving our dishes that night.
Nian Rigor, General Manager of NBA Cafe Manila was right when stating, “As you can see, the concept of NBA Cafe Manila takes all aspects of the NBA into play.” You won’t just feel the general energetic basketball vibe the moment you walk into NBA Cafe Manila, you’ll definitely see it all around you… and even taste it in the food. I really can’t explain it well. Just go and see what I mean yourself!
Now, who’s up for watching some NBA games with me at NBA Cafe Manila? 😀
Photos by Peter Baltazar.
NBA Cafe Manila
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L5, Skypark, SM Aura, 26th Street crnr. McKinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio, Manila
556-1683
Website: https://www.nba.com/nbacafe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nbacafemanila
Twitter/Instagram: @nbacafemanila
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