When In Manila, let your senses take you to new food trip and hang out places at Bonifacio High Street Central. Rocket Room took my most attention. Newest in the line of Raintree Restaurants, Rocket Room is a retro-themed bar lounge situated beside its another Raintree Restaurant called Stella Wood Fired Bistro. Lazy nights are perfect times for Rocket Room since they serve innovative cuisine tapas-style that goes well with your favorite cocktail mixes, fine wines or beers.
Rocket Room’s French Bean Fritti, the “Healthy Fries”
Crispy Pork Belly Chips, a Rocket Room Favorite
French Bean Fritti and Crispy Pork Belly Chips are favorite pulutan from Rocket Room. French Bean Fritti, dubbed as the healthy fries, are green beans dipped in batter and fried to crisp. It comes with a dip but I actually preferred eating it as is and so with the Crispy Pork Belly Chips. Crispy Pork Belly Chips are much like bagnet and also comes with pinakurat or spiced vinegar, only that it is served in smaller pieces or chips. Alas! Crispy Pork Belly Chips are gone in just a minute.
Rocket Room seafood choice: Simply Grilled Pulpo
Gambas Chino, another seafood treat from Rocket Room
Unforgettable are two seafood tapas served for us – Simply Grilled Pulpo and Gambas Chino. Simply Grilled Pulpo are choice octopus slices grilled to perfection. There was a dip for it but I prefer eating it as is and wish I could have more. Gambas is always my favorite since I love shrimps and Gambas Chino captured the flavor I would want any Gambas dishes to have.
Rocket Room funghi madness: Truffled Mushroom Pizza
All-Meat Butcher’s Pizza fresh from Rocket Room’s Brick Oven
Rocket Room‘s pizza selections are must tries too! Go funghi crazy with the Truffled Mushroom Pizza. Choice mushrooms sprinkled with bits of real truffles that vegetarians would surely love. I am no vegetarian but I love it! If you are not a fan of anything fungus, there is the Butcher’s Pizza for you which is all-meat. Make sure to leave some for your companion alright.
Mushroom Skewers, a Rocket Room Fungus Treat
Jamon Serrano Foldovers with my favorite Spanish Ham
Speaking of fungus, care for Mushroom Skewers? Pieces of shiitake mushroom cooked in garlic and skewered for easy eats. Take your bite of Jamón serrano wrapped around corn kernels. Jamón serrano is one of my favorite Spanish hams available in the market though I have greater preference for its variant, Jamón iberico, an even rarer ham. Just a trivia, these Spanish Jamónes actually date back to the Roman Empire. I remember my Mom telling me that good food is almost always immortal.
Morcilla or Blood Sausage Bruchetta topped with Green Chilis
Rocket Room Grand Finale: tasty Lamb Ribs
Morcilla or Blood Sausage is an acquired taste to some but growing up in a rich food heritage heavily influenced by Spanish culinary tradition, having it is a welcome treat with bruschetta bread. Green chili pepper topped on the morcilla adds a good twist to the dish with a tinge of slight spice. There could not be any better grand finale than Lamb Ribs which I actually looked forward to. I love lamb dishes and certainly not less with this one with its less cholesterol and the tasty meat of lamb.
Various cocktails and liquor offerings of Rocket Room
Cocktails and drinks are, of course, essential offerings in a bar lounge. Bar lounges and pubs are much my staple night-out destinations, and seeing the selection of cocktails in Rocket Room made me a bit excited. I am not much a fan of clubs but I do love a good drink. Their House Made Infusion Jars are an exciting array of drinks that blends in not only fruits but spices! Rocket Room takes nothing in the ordinary and has Classically Twisted which are their richer version of classic cocktails, but if you are not the adventure type, they have classic drink offerings of draft beer and wines from their very extensive collection.
Wood-Fired Chocolate Almond Cookie Dough
Rocket Room’s Cookies, five in all, and vanilla Milk
While Lamb Ribs were a grand finale, every meal has good encore as well. The wood-fired Chocolate Almond Cookie Dough was something new! Cookie dough was mixed with almonds and covered with salted caramel, both of which complemented the otherwise overpowering sweetness, and topped with mantecado ice cream. It was my dessert favorite but enjoyed Cookies and Milk too! Five kinds of cookies with my favorite chocolate chip, dipped in vanilla milk which was creamy in consistency.
Overall experience? Awesome! So, When In Manila, get retro, grab your favorite tapas to much on and take a sip of cocktails, wines or draft beers at Rocket Room. The Happy Hour starts 4pm to 7pm everyday while every Friday and Saturday, catch on to the groove with good retro music with different DJ’s In Color and Supersonic respectively from 9pm to 2am.
Stell & Rocket Room
7th Avenue corner 30th Street
Bonifacio High Street Central
Taguig City, Philippines
Tel. No. +63(0)2 621-32-22
WhenInManila photos by JoTan23 with República Negrense.
