Manam Comfort Filipino pays homage to classic, all-time Filipino favorites by elevating these into modern gustatory masterpieces. You can still expect to enjoy your much-loved Pinoy dishes, but with a slightly different, although welcome, interpretation.
Manam Comfort Filipino: A Homage To Classic Pinoy Dishes
Our Manam Comfort Filipino experience
We had the chance to try Manam last summer in its SM Mall of Asia (MOA) outlet. We met with Mommy Khris’ friends for lunch on a hot summer afternoon. It was a holiday, so the mall was understandably crowded.
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| Coffee with sago and gulaman |
Manam was not spared from the huge crowd; there was a long queue of people outside waiting for their turn to be seated inside the restaurant. Thankfully, we did not have to wait too long to get inside Manam. There were a lot of diners, but the servers were quick to take orders. The food was also served fast, a plus point considering the bevy of diners at that time.
Location and ambiance
I would not really consider Manam’s branch in SM MOA as the most convenient outlet to visit. But that is just me because we currently reside in Makati. The restaurant is located at the side of MOA’s Main Mall, so it’s fairly easy to access. There’s no need to look for it within the vastness of MOA. Although it was a little crowded when we visited, Manam’s interiors are spacious. The walls are adorned with various paintings and photographs of food. The tables are amply spaced, so moving around was not really a challenge. Manam was generally a good-looking and comfortable restaurant.
Food
We were a big group, so we ordered several of Manam’s specialties like the Sinigang na Beef Short Ribs and Watermelon, House Crispy Sisig, Overloaded Garlicky Chicken and Pork Belly Adobo, Kare-Kare with Oxtail, and Crispy Pancit Palabok.
I must say that every dish is an explosion of flavors, and each one is a different experience altogether. Let me start with the Sinigang na Beef Short Ribs and Watermelon.
Sinigang is a sour soup dish made with vegetables and either meat or seafood. Being sour, one would expect to find in sinigang acidic fruits like mango and tamarind as souring agents. Never have I imagined that a sweet fruit like watermelon would go well with sinigang. Surprisingly, though, the watermelon provided a refreshing burst of sweetness to this version of sinigang. It still had a hint of sourness, but I am not sure if it was from the watermelon.
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| Sinigang na short ribs and watermelon |
Another classic Filipino comfort food that was given a slight twist was the Overloaded Garlicky Chicken and Pork Belly Adobo. It’s got everything that I want in adobo – more salty than sour, thick and flavorful sauce, and full of garlic bits. It’s delicious and comforting; you cannot have this with a nice bowl of steamed white rice.
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| Overloaded Garlicky Chicken and Pork Belly Adobo |
Meanwhile, if you do love kare-kare, then do try Manam’s version of it - Kare-Kare with Oxtail. This dish does not have much fanfare but the flavors are spot on. I also like the bagoong (shrimp paste) that came with it because it was fragrant and delicious.
As for the House Crispy Pork Sisig, well, it did not require any fanfare either. Sisig, being so flavorful in itself, does not really need to be fancy. In fact, it should be cooked the way it should be in order for diners to fully enjoy its rich taste. Thus, if your taste buds are nagging you for crispy sisig, then you won’t go wrong with Manam’s House Crispy Pork Sisig.
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| Manam's Crispy Pancit Palabok |
One dish at Manam that really piqued my curiosity was the Crispy Pancit Palabok, which I saw being served at the table adjacent to ours. It was a tall stack of what appeared to be fried noodles. The server poured a thick sauce over it and began to mix it all together until the noodles softened. It was a good thing that our friends ordered it, too, upon the recommendation of our server.
Apart from the crunchy noodles, the Crispy Pancit Palabok is just your traditional, good old garlic-shrimp-chicharon palabok. Again, because palabok is already an explosion of flavors, there’s really not much you can do about it in terms of coming up with new versions. Manam’s Crispy Pancit Palabok is already good in itself.
Price and Service
The price is fairly reasonable considering the size of the servings. The plates are all good for around two to three people, so that’s not so bad. As I had mentioned earlier, service is quick and efficient.
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Manam Branch Locations
Manam at SM Mall of Asia is located at Ground Floor, South Wing, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City. You may contact the restaurant at telephone number (02) 889-1020 if you wish to inquire or make a reservation.
Aside from its Mall of Asia branch, Manam is also located at the following addresses:
1. Level 1, Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City
Telephone number: (02) 625-0515
2. Ground Floor, Net Park, 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Telephone number: (02) 332-9390
3. Central Garden, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Maligaya Road Corner Quirino Highway, Novaliches, Quezon City
Telephone number: (02) 625-4719
4. Ground Floor, O Square Building 2, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills, San Juan City
Telephone numbers: (02) 504-9152 and +63 9176272678
5. Third Floor, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City
Telephone numbers: (02) 728-2735
6. Lower Ground Floor, The Parkway, SM City Fairview, Novaliches, Quezon City
Telephone number: (02) 282-3298
7. Second Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
8. Ground Floor, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila
Have you experienced eating at Manam? How was it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
This is a must visit resto. Great food. I would love to try their menu
Hala, kakaiba Ang foods Nila. Coffee with sago at gulaman. Wow
Napaka gandang feedback po. The food is yummy, the price is reasonable and te service is quick and efficient. Must visit❤️
I like that we are able to experience our favorite Filipino dishes with a twist here in Manam Comfort Filipino. It is nice that once in a while our favorite Filipino dishes amaze us with the different flavors it brings to us. This is a nice place to visit, it's reasonable price yet scrumptious dishes is a big yes for me.
This foods from Manam restaurant really looks delicious. It's also amazing that they didn't let their place to be crowded since we are more concern to observe the proper health protocol during this time of pandemic. It's amazing that their service is also amazing. This is one of the things that people will love when visiting the place.
Done reading this blog po. Talagang ang sasarap ng mga foods sa Manam Restaurant. Picture pa lang ay talagang nakakatakam na and sure that they also have a good ambiance. I really want to visit their restaurant and try their foods ❤️🥰
Wow! Ang sarap naman ng foods nila . Must visit po talaga dito sa Manam Restaurant.. Perfect place po talaga ito para sa atin. Itsura palang sobrang nakakatakam na talaga..
Wow! Ang sarap naman ng foods nila . Must visit po talaga dito sa Manam Restaurant.. Perfect place po talaga ito para sa atin. Itsura palang sobrang nakakatakam na talaga..
Wow! Ang sarap naman ng foods nila . Must visit po talaga dito sa Manam Restaurant.. Perfect place po talaga ito para sa atin. Itsura palang sobrang nakakatakam na talaga..
Dig into this Yummmy, and Delicious Foods. Iba po talaga ang pagkaing Pinoy and this Food na mas lalong pinasarap, talagang mapapaVisit ka matikman lamang ang sarap nito.. thanks for sharing this Dad.. surely recommended, the Relaxing Ambiance, the Price, the Services, and most of all the Yummmiest foods na hindi ka magsasawa.. super Excellent 💯💯