When in Manila and crazy hungry, head over to Krazy Garlik at Greenbelt 5, Makati! As the name implies, Krazy Garlik serves up a wide array of dishes from around the world that are all, of course, garlic based. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for garlic infused dishes, so when I was invited to join Krazy Garlik’s first bloggers night, I immediately said yes!
The dinner started at 7 pm, but because I had class until 7:30, I arrived at a little past 8 thus I was unable to sample the first two appetizers brought out: Baba Ghanoush and Spinach and Cream Cheese. However, I did make it in time for their Amazing Krazy Garlik Salad (I wasn’t able to take a picture as it had been all gobbled up) and seriously, as someone who has never been a fan of eating vegetables or salads, I couldn’t stop eating it!
The salad, a mix of greens with cucumbers, bell peppers, onions and chicken drizzled with sesame lime dressing, gave me renewed hope that maybe, just maybe, my relationship with salads has a fighting chance. It didn’t hurt that it was topped with fried wantons either, as I definitely enjoyed the crunch factor.
Garlic Snowflakes (P495). House special with a creamy base, topped with shrimp, pineapples and garlic flakes.
Knowing that it was a house special, I had high expectations for the Garlic Snowflakes and am awfully glad that they did not disappoint! I took a bite out of my slice of thin crust pizza and loved how the cheese and the sweetness of the pineapple blended together perfectly, the shrimp was good and again, I enjoyed the crunch factor of the dish, this time being the garlic flakes!
Shrimp Maramonte (P450). Al dente spaghetti pasta sauteed in pesto sauce with fresh baby clams and shrimps.
This by far, was my favorite dish for the night. Apologies for the blurry picture, I was on giddy girl mode and was excited to eat! I could smell the pesto and was pleased to see that they didn’t scimp on the seafood. The pasta was cooked al dente, clams were great but I think the shrimp could’ve been cooked better. But overall, this was simply delicious, and in fact, I helped myself to a second serving of it!
Chinese Style Fried Rice (Regular: P210, To Share: P365).
This was good, but apart from the fried wontons on top, there wasn’t anything spectacular about it. It reminded me of Yang Chow Fried Rice that you can buy in any other Chinese restaurant.
Hara Kiri Rice (Regular: P225, To Share: P365). House special spicy fried rice with chillies, squid, shrimp and bacon.
This dish is a far cry from that of the Chinese Fried Rice and I can understand why it’s a house special! I’m a fan of spicy dishes, so this definitely had me getting a second serving. The one thing that did let me down though was the lack of squid, in fact, I didn’t taste squid at all (maybe my serving didn’t have any, am not sure). However, I do appreciate that although this is a spicy dish, it wasn’t fire-truck worthy hot thus making it easy on the mouth and even easier to gobble up! I also enjoyed the shrimp and the slices of bacon, I mean, come on, if a dish has bacon, it’s bound to be good!
Garlicky Crispy Pata (P695). Deep fried pork leg topped with fried garlic in olive oil.
Ever since I first moved to the Philippines in ’97, I’ve never eaten crispy pata, let alone lechon! I don’t know, I’d always get bothered by looking at the dish, but while at Krazy Garlik, I decided to give it a go and I must say, I definitely do not regret my decision! First of all, it smelled great. Secondly, it looked.. well.. crispy, in fact, I thought it’d be tough to chew, but it wasn’t! It was soft and flaky, thank you Krazy Garlik for helping me see the light!
Grilled Tuna Belly (P395). Seasoned tuna belly in special soy vinegar sauce.
I loved how flaky the fish meat was, and when taken with the soy vinegar sauce and a squeeze of lemon? It was delicioso!
Crema Catalana (P195). Spanish style creme brulee with caramelized garlic cloves.
I’ve always been a fan of creme brulee’s, so when the waiter set this down in front of me, I couldn’t help but indulge I loved the creaminess of this and how the sugar on top wasn’t too burnt. I took it with the caramelized garlic cloves, and was surprised as to how well it went together!
Apple Tart A La Mode (P225). Made from fresh green apples and fillo pastry, served with vanilla ice cream.
By the time this came out, I felt like my pant’s buttons were about to burst. Nevertheless, I took a bite and found it refreshing after such a heavy meal. The fillo pastry was light and flaky and the apple filling was great!
Overall, Krazy Garlik served up food that was not only delicious, but very much worth what you pay for. I had a blast meeting the other bloggers and look forward to going back again!
When in Manila and looking for a restuarant with good food, great service and a unique concept, you’re bound to find it at Krazy Garlik with branches at Greenbelt 5 and Resorts World Manila!
