Makansutra Asian Food Village, Manila Ocean Park Complex
Happy Lunar New Year! Rael wanted to cheer me up after a particularly rough week so we finally headed off to Makansutra Asian Food Village at the Manila Ocean Park for some comfort food.
We’ve been reading some mixed reviews of the place from local food blogs — mostly about the bad service and the unfamiliar food. But, we figured that this was the result of culture shock more than a reflection of the quality of food and service at Makansutra. Anyone familiar with hawker centres in Singapore know that these are not sit-down full-service affairs, and that the food featured are usually on the savory, spicy side — so for us, the experience has been nothing but excellent.
Since it was our first visit we wanted to try a little bit of everything, and proceeded to mow our way through their menu. We left off some classic favorites like char kway teow and oyster omelet for another visit, and concentrated on stuff that was rich and filling, like lahksa, coffee spareribs, and dried fish fried rice. We also ordered a round of chicken satay, some iced teh tarik, and some bandung and mango pudding to round everything out.
My first encounter with lahksa was years ago at a local food fair, when curry puff and skewer specialist Old Chang Kee decided to cook up a batch of this delicious hell-broth for curious diners. I’ve loved it ever since, and have always despaired the fact that to get a good bowl of the stuff, you have to purchase an airline ticket and pack your passport for it. Thankfully, Makansutra has saved me from having to make the trip.
Although a bit on the watery side (just a tiny bit — as I love my lahksa gravy thick), the soup was flavorful and spicy and addictive. Meanwhile, the fried tofu and fish cake that accompanied it were delightful. The bowl came with two plump pieces of shrimp — which Rael ate as I am allergic to the stuff, and a tiny handful of cockles which were fragrant and savory. I wish they put more cockles in it as it is one of the very few shellfish I can actually eat without getting into trouble.
Another hit was the coffee spareribs, which Rael loved for its flavor and consistency. The meat was dyed to a rich dark brown by its flavoring ingredients, and was tender despite its generous slices. The only thing that threw us off a bit was the lack of any real heat, but since they provided us with chili oil we fixed that little problem fairly easily. Perhaps they toned down the chili as a concession to locals? Pity if so — some things are just better off spicy.
The dried fish fried rice was good — better than some of the stuff served at local Chinese restaurants. I think they used bacalao as a flavoring agent because the fish had more depth of flavor than the local dried fish — although I could be wrong. The satays were likewise flavorful and complex, but I fear they lacked the heat that you would come to expect from authentic Malay cuisine. Again, that’s nothing a little chili and peanut sauce won’t fix.
As for dessert, the mango pudding was okay — if a little safe and generic. I think the only complaint I had with it was that it was served in a flat saucer and not a bowl, so it was a bit difficult trying to scoop up the jelly-like pudding and the tapioca balls. The bandung though was exceptional — it tasted just like those huge glasses of rosewater flavored sweet drinks you get off the corner stalls in Singapore. As a final flourish, we cracked open a couple of fortune cookies for shits and giggles — mine was surprisingly on mark >.>
Overall, we had a great time and will be definitely back again soon — this time with some friends who are also familiar with the Singaporean street eats scene :) And next time I hope I can get away with using my other camera as the place apparently has this thing for taking photos. If you can tell from the lower resolution of the photos today, I had to use my point and shoot so as not to get into trouble with the management :D Ninja pics FTW!
Makansutra Asian Food Village is located on the second floor of the Manila Ocean Park Complex, on Roxas Boulevard behind Luneta Park and The Quirino Grandstand. Please take note that you do not have to purchase Ocean Park tickets to enter Makansutra and other restaurants located on the park complex. The restaurant is open from 11:00 AM on weekdays and 10:00 AM on weekends, and closes at 10:00 PM everyday (with the last call for orders at around 9:00 PM).
I have mixed feelings about this place. The first time I tried it, it was an event of the Singapore Tourism Board. The food was fantastic. I tried it again last week, and I was sorely disappointed by my very sweet and very dark char kway teow.
By the way, that Chicken Rice Place in Shopwise Cubao has opened na daw. Wanna try it sometime?
hmmm so minus points for inconsistency then? :( and yes chicken rice please! when? :D