Who would have thought that dining at a mall food court would give you such a superb dining experience?
Sure, food courts have their own appeal due to a variety of reasons: the variety of cuisines offered at affordable prices, easy accessibility, fast service and liveliness and bustle of the crowd.
However, the entrance of a brand new concept stall at The Landmark’s Supermart Foodcenter presents an exciting possibility for diners: personalization!
Butter Grill offers sizzling plates classic Filipino dishes and foodcourt faves but with a fresh twist: the diner can mix and match various items on the menu to craft a hotplate according to their specifications.
Here’s how:
First, choose your meat among Butter Sliced Pork (Php159), Butter Sliced Beef (Php249), Mixed Seafood (Php285), Peppered Bangus (Php298), Angus Burger Steak (Php315) and Beef Tendon (Php345).
Second, choose a free sauce to complement your meat: Pares Sauce, Bicol Express Gravy, Kare-Kare Gravy, Honey Binagoongan Gravy, Steakhouse Gravy, Sinigang Gravy, Kaldereta Gravy and Salted Egg Gravy.
Lastly, choose a free side to complete your meal: Butter Rice, Pancit and Sourdough Pan de Sal.
Combining items from this menu produces tasty hotplates such as:
Butter Sliced Beef in Kare-Kare Sauce with Buttered Rice
Angus Burger Steak in Steak House Gravy with Buttered Rice: my absolute fave!
Sliced Pork in Kaldereta Sauce and Pancit
Beef Tendon in Honey Binagoongan Gravy and Buttered Rice
Beef Tendon in Sinigang Gravy and Buttered Rice
With the Lenten Season coming in, you’d be happy to know that Buttergrill’s got your back for Meatless Fridays with a Buy 1 Get 1 Offer on its seafood hotplates for just Php298. Promo is available every Friday from February 24 to April 7, 2023.
Peppered Bangus in Salted Egg Sauce with Buttered Rice
Mixed Seafood in Pares Sauce with Pancit
Mix things up a bit and try some of the dishes with Butter Grill’s Sourdough Pan De Sal!
Cap your meal with something sweet and refreshing: Buttergrill’s Clear Gulaman available in Bulilit (Php49) and Giant (Php99) sizes!
Bulilit Gulaman
Giant Gulaman, good for sharing!
Here are some tips to further enhance your Buttergrill experience:
Unsure of which combination to try? Ask the servers for their recommendations!
Mix the hotplate contents well to distribute the flavors from the sauces evenly.
Allow some of the rice and gravy to caramelize (forming a flavorful tutong I’m you’ll love!)
So if you fancy a fresh take on your favorite Pinoy dishes and more, be sure to drop by Butter Grill!
Butter Grill is located at the Supermart Foodcenter of The Landmark, Makati Avenue, Ayala Center, Makati City.
Stay updated on its promos and offers by following Butter Grill on Facebook and Instagram.
Much has been said of Cebu’s take on the lechon: its crunchy golden skin, its tender, juicy and flavorful meat, its independence from sauces and condiments that usually accompany the country’s national dish.
Liloan’s Pride Liempo, the brainchild of a family based in the municipality of Liloan in Cebu, is borne out of the recipes and practices that make the family’s lechon a local treasure.
The secret lies in choosing the freshest and juiciest meat, marinating it in garden-fresh herbs, spices and seasonings, then slow-roasting the flavor-infused meat to tender and flavorful perfection.
The Cebu lechon chain recently opened its newest store in Greenhills Shopping Center where it serves up, not just its celebrated Cebu lechon-style liempo, but also other classic Pinoy dishes that brings a taste of home away from home, all affordably priced to suit the Pinoy everyman’s budget.
Together with my fellow foodies, I was able to sample some of its offerings which included:
Cebu Liempo (Php360). The star of the show, this roasted pork belly is infused with herbs, with juicy meat highlighted by its crispy skin. A spicy version is available for Php380.
Roasted Chicken (Php380). A whole chicken prepared in the Cebu lechon manner.
Crispy Garlic Bangus (Php200). Marinated and lightly battered milkfish pan-fried to a holden brown and topped with toasted minced garlic.
Classic Sisig (Php160). Minced pig cheeks seasoned with calamansi, onions and chili peppers, topped with egg and served on a sizzling plate.
Bulalo Sisig (Php199). The store’s new take on the classic sisig which combines the classic dish with beef bulalo.
Beef Pares (Php99). Braised beef stew served with clear soup and garlic rice.
Pochero (Php149). Pork belly slices stewed in a tomato-based sauce along with potatoes, garbanzos. green beans and shredded cabbage, and served with sliced plantains.
While food choices – many of which are from foreign cuisines – abound in Metro Manila, it is heartening to know that our local delicacies are also represented.
Many thanks to the management and staff of Liloan’s Pride for the tasty meal and to EJ of #WeLoveToEatPH for extending the invitation!
This Liloan’s Pride Liempo branch is located at Ground Floor, Connecticut Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills, San Juan.
Other branches may be found at
SM Hypermarket, Upper Ground Floor, Building B, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
California Garden Square, Domingo M. Guevarra Street, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Lower Ground Floor, SM Cubao, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City
Third Floor, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Avenue, Salcedo Village, Makati City
The Block, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
SM Hypermarket, North Wing, SM Mall of Asia, MOA Complex, Pasay City
Food Court, Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa
Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a food tasting event held here wherein food and drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare to facilitate honest reviews. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.
Salamangka translates to “sleight of hand” in Tagalog. It is a word wrapped in magic and mystery, calling to mind enchantment and wonder.
The restaurant and bar in Eastwood Citywalk that bears that name lives up to it by offering coffee, cocktails and craft beer, as well as its own reimagining of Filipino food, against a welcoming backdrop laden with a hefty dose of mystical appeal.
Together with my foodie friends from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH, I stepped inside Salamangka’s doors for a taste of magic.
In the late morning, Salamangka is awash with light, the black murals of mythical creatures and the balete tree on the wall wonderfully offset by the clean white background. Furniture made with native materials and a huge table and bench set made from solid pieces of wood provide ample seating for the diners.
Salamangka’s menu consists of its own take of classic Filipino dishes, such as:
Kamote Chips (Php199). Crispy deep-fried slices of of sweet potatoes that go so well with its dip of condensed milk reduction.
Piknik (Php199). Crispy hand-cut potato slivers served with three different sauces (but they’re ok without the sauce as evidenced by the way I keep popping them into my mouth, hehehe!)
Coca Cola Wings (Php259). Fried chicken wings simmered in a Coca Cola reduction and served with piknik.
Itlog na Maalat Wings (Php349). Fried chicken wings covered in a sauce of salted eggs and served with piknik.
Vegan Nachos (Php199). Toasted pita chips topped with ground tofu and drizzled with a mixture of Yummza pesto hummus, lemon and oil. Live a little and add Php20 for additional topping of grated cheese.
Tinapa (Php189). A bowl of smokey tinapa flakes on top of garlic rice and paired with salted egg, a side of tomatoes and burong mangga.
Bawang na Bangus (Php189). Fried bangus marinated in garlic served on top of garlic rice with salted egg and atsara.
Sinigang sa Manggang Hilaw (Php279). Beef sinigang with a sour sauce instead of broth on top of steamed rice and served with sour mango and bagoong.
Once you’ve eaten your fill, how about lettin’ loose and sampling Salamangka’s much celebrated alcholic concoctions? Impress your friends with your knowledge of native folklore when you identify the entities that give their name to these intense spirits.
Wakwak (Php99 per glass | Php349 per pitcher). Named after a vampiric bird-like creature that makes the noise “wak-wak” as it flaps its wings, this cocktail is mixture of rum, lime juice, mango puree and mint leaves.
Mambabarang(Php99 per glass | Php349 per pitcher). Made with gin, lime juice, cucumber slices and mint leaves, this cocktail got its name from the warlock or sorceress that cast malevolent hexes on people
Ibong Adarna (Php99 per glass | Php349 per pitcher). Named after the mythical bird whose song has healing qualities, this drink is made with tequila, pineapple, calamansi and chili placed in a salt-rimmed glass. A sip of this drink is multi-layered: you get the citrus flavor from the calamansi, the spiciness from the chili, the saltiness from the rimmed glass and the fire of the tequila as it travels down your throat.
What really got me excited was Pitong Elemento (Php350). A flight of seven intense native infusions inspired by legendary elementals, this consists of seven shot glasses of flavored spirits that pack quite a punch.
Duwende (dried mango rhum – named after the mischievous house spirit)
Sigbin (orange vodka – named after the mythical creature that suck its victims’ blood from the shadows)
Kibaan (raisin gin – named after the mythical creature that lead travelers astray with its backward feet)
Tiyanak (Thai chili tequila – named after the creature that takes the form of a crying baby to attack folks who pick it up)
Undin (roasted bell pepper vodka – named after the water sprite that drown people who disturb it)
Santelmo (lemon vodka – named after St. Elmo’s Fire, balls of fire that appear as portents of doom)
Nuno sa Punso (spearmint chocolate vodka – named after the dwarf-like creature that dwell in mounds of earth).
You can also opt to get these infusions individually by the shot glass at Php50 each, except for Nuno sa Punso which is at Php99.
(Note: I only attempted to try Nuno sa Punso and, really, a few sips were more than enough for a lightweight like me.)
Fans of the local craft beer Engkanto would really go for a Beer Flight (Php249) a four variant sampler consisting of lager, pale ale, IPA and double IPA.
Salamangka also prides itself on its Single Origin local coffees at Php99/cup such as those from Bukidnon and Batangas. These are freshly ground upon order and then brewed using pour over cups. Until August 31, get a Buy 1 Get 1 deal on these local coffees from 7am to 10am, thanks to Salamangka’s ongoing Hiwaga ng Umaga promo.
Salamangka’s Bulletproof Coffee (Php190), which is made with brewed coffee, coconut oil and unsalted butter, would probably be great for chasing away a hangover given the coffee’s touted properties for enhancing alertness. I would just prefer the residual flavor from the coconut oil to be tempered down a little bit more so that the creaminess and the slight sweetness from the butter would be more pronounced.
So if you want a great time with your friends tinged with magic and mystery, head on to Salamangka.
Thanks to Darryl, Issa, Veni and Kevin of Salamangka for having us!
Join Salamangka’s Hocus Focus Facebook contest by posting a picture of you posing in one of Salamanka’s Kreature Kutouts. Make sure your post is public, tag @salamangkamnl, use the hashtags #IsangTaongHiwaga and #TasteMagic, for a chance to get a freebie.
Feel like pitting your knowledge against other Salamangka guests? Join the Gabi ng Pagsusulit, a quiz night held at Salamangka every second and fourth Thursday of the month.
Salamangka is located at Eastwood Citywalk 1, Libis, Quezon City, open daily from 7am to 3am. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 5518557.
Did you know you can buy two drinks and get the same two drinks for free at Salamangka through Zomato Gold? Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 deals on food or 2+2 deals on drinks.
Disclosure: Together with my fellow foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.
Jellybeans in the City 