Eat Drink Splurge’s 10 Best Eats in 2018

This year has been great in terms of trying out new restaurants, and I am beyond grateful for everyone who has supported me in this quest, and even more thankful to those who agreed to spend time with me during this time of discovery. Indeed, I am glad to be ending this year with a happy tummy! I mean, I wouldn’t be Eat Drink Splurge if I didn’t enjoy plenty of yummy (and sometimes a bit pricey) dishes, right? As such, I have rounded up 10 of the best things I ate this 2018, for your future reference when eating out. Let’s get started, shall we? (Note: This list is in no particular order.)

Fat Fook’s Oyster Omelette (Php 288)

Fat Fook is a fairly new Taiwanese restaurant concept in the Philippines, and it is a good thing that Filipinos are generally fans for Chinese food — so Fat Fook didn’t have a hard time settling well here. What I loved most about our visit was their Oyster Omelette! The oysters were really big and fresh, and we appreciated how the bokchoy minimized the cloying factor of the dish as a whole. Each bite was such a delight — I might be able to finish one whole omelette! I LOVED it! I’d definitely come back to get this again.

Fat Fook Taiwanese Kitchen has branches in UG/F SM City North EDSA, 2/F Glorietta 1, 3/F Building A SM Megamall, 2/F Robinsons Galleria, and Globe Tower 32nd Street Bonifacio Global City.

Fireside by Kettle’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken Fingers (Php 549)

Fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food, but contrary to popular belief, finding a place that serves *really* good fried chicken is not as easy as you think. We were lucky enough to try Fireside by Kettle’s version, which really hit the spot. This comes in a BIG serving. Really. In fact, it was so huge that I think we can already have our full meal by just ordering this one! There were 6 to 7 big pieces of fried chicken fingers, and 6 pieces of cornbread doughnuts. The doughnuts were slightly sweet, and really filling. You may dip each doughnut in the Cajun honey or in the gravy, whichever you prefer. And don’t even get me started on the buttermilk fried chicken! Each piece was fried perfectly, and was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Even the breading was extremely tasty, you’d be licking your fingers after eating each piece. Fireside by Kettle exceeded our expectations as their Buttermilk Fried Chicken Fingers, albeit a bit pricey, is easily one of the best ones in town!
Fireside by Kettle has branches in G/F Rockwell Power Plant Mall, and G/F Central Square Bonifacio High Street.

Your Local’s Torched Salmon Donburi (Php 695)

I have always read so many good things about Your Local, and I’m glad we got to visit the this year. We finally got around to try their most raved about dish, and I swear, to say this Torched Salmon Donburi is delicious would be an understatement. It’s sooo good: aside from the various flavors playing in your mouth, the varying textures of each component plays a huge role too — and you’ll surely be torn about wanting to finish the whole thing and saving the portions to savor slowly. I’ll never look at salmon the same way again! To be honest, I never really liked cooked salmon, as I prefer salmon sashimi. But this totally changed my mind! Salmon cooked medium is superb. The shiitake black rice also gave the dish its depth, veering away from the typical Japanese donburi. The steep price is worth an occasional splurge, trust me.
Your Local is located at G/F Universal LMS Building, 106 Esteban St., Legazpi Village, Makati City.

Nomi Modern Japanese Cafe’s Frozen S’mores (Php 250)

When Nomi Matcha first opened in BGC, I was dying to visit this matcha heaven! But since it’s a bit far from where I am based, it took a while before I was able to try some of their concoctions. The wait was well worth it! Nomi Matcha’s Frozen S’mores made me drool at the sight of it! This was brought to us, and torched in front of us. I excitedly watched as the marshmallow turned slightly brown, and was set on a plate in front of us. We digged in — and enjoyed the symphony of flavors and textures in our mouths. The fluffy marshmallow had a slightly crunchy outer layer due to the torching, and was slightly warm. The grade A matcha ice cream was really smooth. And when these two are eaten together in one bite, every matcha lover will surely go weak go the knees. You’ll understand when you try it.
Nomi Modern Japanese Cafe can be found at G/F W City Center, Bonifacio Global City.

Duck & Buvette’s Crispy Half Duck Confit (Php 1170)

When we visited this restaurant during my birthday celebration this year, we didn’t want to miss out on one of the most talked about dish when D&B is mentioned. Up until now, I’m still thinking about this Crispy Half Duck Confit. While it’s true that not all that glistens is gold, this one is priced high (in Filipino, we say, “Ang mahal, parang ginto.”) at almost Php 1200 per platter. It is good for sharing though, as the portion is too big to eat alone. But don’t let the price tag discourage you: this one is definitely one of the best dishes I’ve eaten to date!!! The crisp skin of the duck tops any chicharon I’ve ever had, the lean and juicy meat was fresh and well seasoned, with an option of whole grain mustard or red wine sauce to boost the flavor further… Each bite was so delightful! The cranberry carrot side dish is the perfect sidekick to the already awesome meal. Even the ratatouille duck rice is good! This, my friends, is the true meaning of splurging. I believed I really did eat, drink, and splurge because of this entree! (Note: It also tops the list for the most expensive single dish I’ve ordered this year!)
Duck & Buvette is located at 2/F Shangri-La Plaza (Main Wing).

The Fat Seed’s Signature Porkchop (Php 395)

The Fat Seed is a new kid in UP Town Center, but after two visits this year, I already get why it has a charm that would make you want to visit them again and again. Besides the pretty interiors that is worth your IG post, their food are plated extremely well, too! Honestly, this is one of the prettiest dishes I’ve ever had! In fact, it was so pretty, I actually became hesitant to dig in! But once I did, I was smiling from ear to ear after just one bite — it’s really good! The thick-cut beer-brined porkchop was juicy and flavorful, and the mustard sauce and miso enhanced its flavor even more. Pair it with the mild tasting sweet potato puree, and you’ll surely devour the entire plate’s content in no time!
The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery is located at G/F Phase 2 of UP Town Center.

Benjarong Manila’s Phad Thai Gung Sod (Php 595)

Benjarong Manila is one of the authentic Thai restaurants in the metro that will give you the bang for your buck. Despite being situated inside Dusit Thani Manila, prices aren’t too steep, which I appreciate. They recently underwent a major makeover, and from the hotel’s mezzanine, they have now transferred to the ground floor (lobby level). During my recent visit, I was able to try one of Thailand’s signature dishes here, their phad thai. I’ve always loved Phad Thais, and theirs is definitely one for the books! They ran out of prawns, so they replaced the toppings with soft-shelled crab (or you may also opt for chicken) instead, which made it even yummier with its slightly crunchy texture. The thin rice noodles were firm and flavorful, and the bean sprouts had a fresh crunch to them. The soft-shelled crab was really fresh, and they didn’t scrimp on the ingredients, too! This definitely tops my phad thai list. So so good! It has ample spiciness to it too, so you can enjoy this one without breathing fire afterwards.
Benjarong Manila is located in G/F Dusit Thani Manila.

Aburi’s Salmon Aburi Sushi (Php 210 – 2 pcs)

This was love at first bite for us! While I usually like my salmon raw, the torched salmon was surprisingly good as well. The sushi rice was packed and held together quite well. The torched Japanese mayo gave the sushi a depth in flavor, combining richness and creaminess in one — it actually tasted quite similar to torched cheese. I swear, this is one of the best sushi I’ve had in my life (as of this writing)! Oh, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching the restaurant staff fire up their torches and torch the sushi in front of you. What a sight to behold!
Aburi has branches in G/F UP Town Center, CDC Millenium Ortigas, and 2/F Madison Galeries Muntinlupa.

Taza Mia Coffee’s Honey Sriracha Wings (Php 230)

This is the second chicken dish to make the cut for this year! The wings were fried perfectly with a crisp exterior and juicy meat, and the sweet-spicy glaze won me over — sweet on the first bite, then the spice suddenly creeps up on you until your tongue feels the heat thoroughly. It’s my favorite wings dish now, I swear. Be ready to get your hands sticky, but I’m sure you wouldn’t regret it!
Taza Mia Coffee’s Manila branch is located at Univeristy Tower 4, P. Noval St., Manila.

Mantaro’s Salmon Con Salsa Camarones (Php 450)

This Peruvian dish from Mantaro changed my mind on how I like my salmon. The slab of salmon was seared in olive oil, then topped with the shrimp sauce. I swear, I was surprised with the layer of flavors it has! Slightly tart from the lemon zest, slightly creamy, slightly peppery… You have to taste it for yourself to understand what I mean. Their Lomo Saltado is awesome, too! I’m so glad I got to try Peruvian dishes this year, they’re really unlike any other!
Mantaro is located at G/F Elements Hall @ Rallos, Quezon City.

P.S.: Hooray for my first ever blog post for EatDrinkSplurge! Watch out for more of my splurging adventures this 2019, and let us all eat, drink, and splurge together. Happy new year, everyone!