More than just a mouthful of delicious food, the cuisine is stomach-satisfying and healthy, too.
Marla co-owns Café Med, as we fondly call it, with Dixie Mabanta and Baby Mabanta. The resto will have been around for 13 years come December, a fact Marla is mighty proud of.
Café Med first opened in Greenbelt 1.
"A first of its kind at the time," Marla shares.
Sure, she adds, there were Italian, Spanish, and even Middle Eastern restaurants around, but none quite like Café Mediterranean.
"My partners and I wanted people to come to Café Med and be able to get a variety of food cooked in a different way," Marla quips. That way, the restaurant would be a place that people could go back to again and again, in search of something different.
Four other branches of Café Mediterranean followed – Podium, Robinsons Galleria, Rockwell, and SM Mall of Asia.
At the start, people would come because they were curious, but in the last five years Marla began to notice that people come because they are more aware of different kinds of cuisines.
"It is always surprising to find people who are really in search of something they tasted when they were on a trip abroad," she says.
Healthy. That is one word that Marla loves to use. Marla is a vegetarian and she believes that eating well is synonymous with eating healthy.
"There are a lot of common factors that go into Mediterranean food, like the olives, olive oil, grilled – not fried – stuff, lots of veggies," she rattles off. "When we do decide what goes on our menu, we make sure that it is a healthy and happy mix. Although I do make sure that our vegetarian clients do have wonderfully tasty food, too."
A lunchtime crowd was filling up the Rockwell branch where we met. Marla says that most of the people who come on weekdays are office workers from nearby offices. Then there are the expats, who are regulars at Café Med.
"I just love the chicken kebabs," Tina Coser, who joins us for lunch, opines as she bites into her first kebab. "The tabbouleh complements the kebabs. Perfect."
Marla shares that the tabbouleh is made fresh with tomatoes, flat-leaf parsley and cracked wheat. And she adds that there is nothing on the menu that does not undergo a lot of taste tests before it hits the plates of customers.
"If I want to try something new, I make sure that I let the managers, regular clients and even family members get a taste of it," says Marla. "That way, I have a cross-section of the different types who come to Café Med. But she is quick to point out that her regulars come for the chicken kebabs, which is the resto’s bestseller.
Other favorites are hummus (garbanzo and sesame dip); baba ghanoush (eggplant and tahini dip); falafel (crunchy garbanzo croquettes); and kofta (savory meatballs), and that’s just for starters.
"Don’t forget to get a salad. Our Greek salad is like nothing you have ever tasted," Marla says. "The gyros are also great for people who are looking for something light. Although our paninis and large plates are fast movers, too."
"I also swear by the moussaka. It is really filling," adds Tina. "My husband orders the Greca Pizza (feta cheese, kalamata olives, grilled eggplant, and oregano) when he’s here."
I am a regular at Café Mediterranean. The veggie dishes they have are all really great, but my personal favorite is the falafel with hummus. It’s great how I can even ask the staff to serve it minus the onions.
"There are a lot of people who come here and are on certain kinds of diets," shares Marla. "I always tell our staff to accommodate requests if they can."
Like, for example, people on the South Beach diet might prefer to have a small salad with their meat dish. Marla makes sure that the staff does just that.
Or, says Marla, if there is a type of pizza that a customer likes but would prefer some ingredients removed, the staff can do that, too.
"Why the malls?" I ask.
"The fact is that the malls bring in the crowds," says Marla frankly. "And, on a weekend, people look for different places to eat. Pinoys really like to experiment when it comes to eating out."
Marla, who has a sweet tooth just like me, swears that all of Café Med’s desserts are great – the panna cotta, tartufo al cioccolato, tiramisu and crema Catalana. Of course, I agree with her. They are really great. But a personal favorite of mine is the tartufo al cioccolato. I love this frozen, super-intense chocolate dessert.
"We started to franchise this year," Marla shares, as I dip my teaspoon into the chocolate dessert. "The Café Mediterranean at the SM Mall of Asia is owned by a group of dentists."
A franchise is about P750,000. But it is still Marla and her partners who run the store for the franchisee. Marla says that they have received several offers but there are some that they have had to turn down.
"Location is important when it comes to Café Mediterranean," adds Marla. "We still believe that being mall-based is a plus factor."
Let’s eat to that!