Uptown Parade: The ultimate dining destination comes to town

Dining is so much a part of today’s fast-paced, fast-food lifestyle that harried city folk can only wish there’s a restaurant right smack in the middle of their neighborhood. Fact is, the ultimate dining destination has come to town — Uptown Parade is just a hop, skip, and a jump away for residents of Fort Bonifacio and its vicinity.

A mere walkway away from Uptown Mall, Uptown Parade in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City offers world-class dining at your fingertips. A dream dining destination amid refreshing greenery and an intimate ambiance, it houses international brands opening their flagship restaurants in the Philippines (Salvatore Cuomo, Denny’s, Namoo, and Char); homegrown restos that are fast becoming popular (Sweet Ecstasy, Livestock); and all-new concepts that have spiced up the dining scene (Palate, Pampas Latino Bistro & Bar, Naxional South American Diner, and Gorda), alongside well-loved old favorites (like Uma Uma). As if that’s not enough, opening soon are more restos to love and get hooked on: Hook by Todd English, Hello Kitty Cafe, Watami, Pizza Studio, Cafe Barbera, Sentro 1771, and Italianni’s.

Painting the town red? Going down to Uptown Parade has become a habit for those looking for a place for a nightcap after watching a late movie at Uptown Mall Cinemas or to chill out or eat after a long day of shopping. Uptown Parade is conveniently connected to Uptown Mall via a walkable bridge.

And now, let’s walk through the assorted gustatory offerings of this ultimate dining destination. Our eat-inerary starts in Korea, I mean a Korean restaurant inspired by its mother company in Seoul — Namoo House by: Maple Tree House. It’s so authentically Korean, from the graceful birch trees that were shipped straight from Seoul to the design/decor and down to the dishes. William Kho, Namoo managing director, even looks Korean like his Korean-Canadian partners Paul Hong and Jun Park. He’ll guide you through the awesome menu and probably suggest the house specialties: marinated boneless short ribs tenderized in a house special fruit marinade, the melt-in-your-mouth Kurobuta pork belly, the stone bowl bibimbap, the rice bowls that are affordably filling meals, and the pajeon (Korean pancake), which you won’t find at Maple Tree House in Korea. With its prime rib offerings and fine ingredients, Kho says Namoo will never scrimp or compromise on quality.

Namoo House: GF, Uptown Parade, 38th St. corner 9th Ave., tel. nos. 946-3733 and 09175273898; email namoohouse@yahoo.com, Instagram @namoohouseph, www.facebook.com/namoohouseph.

Around South America in 80 plates

Naxional lets your taste buds travel all over South America with its diverse offerings of Brazilian, Argentinian, Colombian, Cuban, Peruvian, Venezuelan, and Puerto Rican cuisines. Brazilian? Yes, after all, one of the restaurant partners is actor Daniel Matsunaga whose mom Geralda lent some of her precious family heirloom recipes to Naxional. Another partner, seasoned restaurateur Raymund Magdaluyo of the Red Crab Group of restaurants, conceptualized the place.

To get you started on your South American culinary journey, try some freshly baked Brazilian bread and cheese roll. Go to Venezuela and try the sinfully irresistible empanadas and pancakes by self-taught pastry chef Cynthia Patos, winner of Lifestyle Network’s Great Dessert Master title.

Let your fingers walk through the impressively long menu list: pasabocas (starters/appetizers), desayunos (brunch/all-day breakfast), ensaladas (salads), carnes (meats), platos principales (entrees), postres (desserts/sweets — highly recommended is the crushed apple pie in perfectly proportioned bites for the diet-conscious, that’s, so the menu says, is as South American as apple pie).

One trip is not enough for you to try all the dishes on the extensive menu, such as: Puerto Rico’s lechon asado that comes with fried rice and sofrito (a mix of spices) rub; Ecuador’s encebollado, a fish stew that’s recommended for a hangover after a drinking binge and is much like our own sinigang; Peru’s pollo peruano (pit chicken with corn rice and hot chimichurri sauce); Bolivia’s picante de pollo (slow-braised chicken with black beans); Cuba’s rabo encendido (slow-cooked beef oxtail); Bandeja Paisa Colombiana (griddle steak, crispy pork belly, sausage, black beans, caramelized plantains, avocado, rice).

Naxional: 2F, Uptown Parade, tel. nos. 946-3419, 09062466062 or 09284996262.

Success is sweet for Monica Tobias who started her Sweet Ecstasy with partner Al Galang by just selling milk and cookies. Now, they’ve got burgers, fries, chicken wings, and more. Truly a double treat is the double cheeseburger that’s got double of everything you’ve always wanted in a burger. More than that, Monica says they only use grass-fed beef that’s delivered fresh daily. Frozen patties are a no-no. Only fresh, quality ingredients go into this burger, which uses only brioche bun.

For a healthier alternative, try the lettuce wrap (it’s not on the menu so just ask for it). Monica also offers her steamed burgers.

Offering no-fuss, no-muss good, old comfort food, Sweet Ecstasy is happy to present its own take on chicken wings, generously coated with sriracha lime sauce.

Monica certainly strives to make her customers doubly happy. Sure to put an ecstatic smile on your face are the Ecstasy fries with Ecstasy sauce or the kamote fries with sriracha dip.

A cozy venue for private parties, meetings, and even wedding proposals, Sweet Ecstasy has something for both young and old. For instance, the young and young-at-heart will certainly enjoy the milkshakes (nutella, oreo, nutella oreo, mud pie, salted caramel, fudge brownie, peanut butter oreo, etc.).

Sweet Ecstasy: 2F, Uptown Parade; mobile no. 09177748514; Instagram and Twitter @sweetxmanila; Face Book .com/sweetxmanila.

Passing the bar with flying colors

Bound to be a bar topnotcher is Pampas Latino Bistro & Bar with its all-time favorite comfort food and bar chow. On top of the list are the porchetta by chef de cuisine Dwight Tria who makes a mean crispy pork belly that’s a house bestseller with secret spice mix, beef falda (slow charcoal-roasted US beef shortplate), seafood skewer (grilled salmon, sole, tuna, squid, and prawn with Argentinian spice oil), and steaks galore. Or you can opt for the small plates (baked oysters, chipotle meat balls, beef sisig, chicken liver pate, etc.).

Hazel Valdez is delighted to share that Pampas is probably the only restaurant in the metro to have an appetizer trolley that’s wheeled around for diners to pick from the platitos of tempting starters while waiting for their orders, which really shouldn’t take long. 

Pampas is not all food and drinks. It’s also got a “never-say-diet” dessert selection, such as alfajores (shortbread cookies with dulce de leche), choco torta (layered chocolate biscuit with dulce de leche cream cheese), oscuro (molten dark chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream), panna cotta (poached red wine pear on panna cotta with granola), and dulce flan (Argentinian milk flan with granola).

Pampas Latino Bistro & Bar: GF, Uptown Parade, tel. nos. 946-3802, 09258428246; email info@pampasmanila.com, visit www.pampasmanila.com.

Gorda, in Mexican, means fat lady, so expect only big, fat servings when you dine at Gorda. Like its big, fat Mama’s Nachos — its half platter, which can feed three to four persons, is chock-full of spiced beef estofado, trio local keso sauce, three cheeses, ensalada, jalapeño, atchara. A mix of Filipino and Mexican dishes, Gorda also boasts its Cebu lechon tacos and lechon sisig. Paging Anthony Bourdain!

There’s also the chicken tacos (chicken inasal with homemade cream sauce, roasted salsa, and atchara).

Gorda: 2F, Uptown Parade; tel. nos. 777-1929, 09561893580; email gordafilmex.ph@gmail.com.

Turning cantonese

Filipinos who travel to Singapore, a favorite Pinoy destination, must be familiar with the Char restaurant. Char is a franchise from Singapore specializing in char siu (crispy pork belly, roast goose cooked Cantonese style). Other certified hands-down faves are its flavorful butter chicken, Szechuan-style spicy chicken, pork belly with salted fish in casserole, roast pork belly with beancurd in casserole, and soya kampong (steamed) chicken.

Char: 2F, Uptown Parade; tel. no. 809-1452.

What happens when you combine French and Mediterranean cuisines? Oui, you get an explosion of flavors — from your plate to your palate!

Palate’s menu is inspired by young chef Kaye Torres’ culinary adventures in New York and Paris.

The innovative Kaye is quite a dessert master, too, what with her amazing frozen creme brulee with assorted fruits, fried and glazed bananas sitting on a caramel nest.

Palate: 2F, Uptown Parade, tel. no. 955-2364; email palaterestaurant@yahoo.com.

The first time I tried Denny’s was during a visit to Ontario, Canada one summer many years ago. But to this day, I remember my order of a trio of burger sliders, which I was able to finish by myself. I did not order the big burger because I knew that being an American diner, Denny’s would have BIG, hearty servings which would be too much for me. Well, nothing’s too much at Denny’s in Uptown Parade that’s big on good old American food. I particularly like the fact that aside from its hearty meals, it’s got its all-day breakfast so one can enjoy its Grand Slamwich (two scrambled eggs, crumbled sausage, bacon, shaved ham and American cheese on toast) any time of the day. But of course, its breakfast is worth waking up for, like the crispy bangus belly, beef tapa, slow-cooked pot roast, arroz caldo, and chicken fingers.

Denny’s: GF, Uptown Parade, tel. no. 772-3371.

If the name sounds Italian, it’s because Salvatore Cuomo & Bar is. Salvatore Cuomo is an Italian-born celebrity Japanese chef with food TV shows and books under his toque. He’s known in Japan as the Pizza Man and now, he brings to Manila’s Italian food lovers an authentic slice of Naples — think pizzas using only the freshest dough and churned out of just the right kind of brick oven. Salvatore Cuomo is the famous chef’s  first premium casual dining restaurant in the Philippines.

Salvatore Cuomo & Bar: GF, Uptown Parade, tel. nos. 946-3072 and 946-3073; visit salvatorecuomoph.com, Instagram @salvatorecuomoph, Face Book (/SalvatorePhilippines).

From its name alone, you know that there’s a lot you can pig out on at Livestock. Like, yes, crispy pata, that’s so tender and juicy you can stab it with a popsicle stick. Don’t hold back now and try the salted egg chicharon (enjoy the salted egg craze while you can). Or the lumpiang adobo with kesong puti. Or the crackling pork belly stuffed with herbs and spices. You can wash it all down with Livestock’s refreshing native beverages like the ube’t mangga or kahel at kamias drink.

Livestock: 2F, Uptown Parade, tel. no. 873-6213.

Say amen to ramen

For our last stop, who doesn’t like a bracing hot bowl of ramen, the ultimate pick-me-up? A couple of years ago, I was on a pilgrimage in nippy cold Fukuoka when my group of monsignors and priests plus one journalist (me) decided to warm up before catching our flight back home. We passed by this place called Ramen Stadium where you’ll find all the ramen restos in Fukuoka. One big hot bowl of the most flavorful ramen I’ve ever tasted was enough to send us to ramen heaven. Needless to say, my companions Fr. Louie Coronel and Fr. Ricky Villar, bless their pure hearts and starving stomachs, were overheard saying amen to their ramen. Uma Uma at Uptown Parade is set to give everyone a ramen experience like no other. Still a winner after all this time is the much-cherished signature Uma Uma Ramen with strips of tender meat, spring onions, black fungus, egg in spicy miso soup.

Uma Uma Ramen: 2F, Uptown Parade, tel. no. 800-1729; Face Book /umaumaph/, Instagram @umaumaph.

Now you know why it’s easy for foodies to swear that Uptown Parade is their kind of town!