Rambla: Paella de Cochinillo Done Right

Rambla’s been around for a while now, but it took me a long time to be able to drop by for a first visit. My family frequents Powerplant Mall; however, my parents aren’t really keen on making that extra 5 minute walk under the sun to grab some tapas if they can get a decent meal inside the comforts of the mall.

Thankfully, the opportunity opened up when I had a catch up dinner with some high school friends. We decided to order a round of tapas, and a hot skillet of paella for sharing.

RICOTTA GNUDIS WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOM, ROSEMARY, AND HAZELNUTS (P395)

The Ricotta Gnudis was a delicate appetizer which plays with a handful of interesting ingredients. You have the smoky savory tones of the shiitake mushroom, the sweetness of hazelnuts, and the earthiness of rosemary. I expected the gnocchi-like ricotta gnudis to be an explosion of flavors, but it ended up to be quite underwhelming. The saving grace of this dish would be the delectably creamy sauce that the appetizer was served with.

TUNA TATAKI (P340)

The Tuna Tataki may already be something that’s typically served in most restaurants, but Rambla was still able to put its own spin on the dish. Meticulously sliced tuna slices are uniformly topped with a combination of sauces and herbs that aim to bring out the fresh flavor of the raw tuna.

RAMBLA’S MINI PIZZAS (P245)

Rambla’s Mini Pizzas are beautifully curated bite-sized wonders, featuring bite sized thin crust pizzas with tempting toppings such as Iberian Chorizo, Tuna and Arugula, Jamon Iberico, and Goat Cheese.

JAMON IBERICO CROQUETAS (P225)

Rambla produced beautifully golden brown croquetas served with perfectly cured strips of Jamon Iberico. However, this visually beautiful dish failed to pack on enough flavor.

PAELLA DE COCHINILLO (P995)

However, the runaway star of the night was unquestionably the Paella de Cochinillo. The paella’s riso had a nice consistency; tender grains which had enough bite to them; and gorgeous strips of luscious melt-in-your-mouth suckling pig. You’ll definitely be surprised how quickly the skillet empties, and how much your stomach would keep on craving for more! I'd go back to Rambla solely for this dish!

CHURROS WITH WARM CHOCOLATE DIP AND VANILLA ICE CREAM (P245)

Before La Lola became a permanent fixture in most of Metro Manila’s malls, people got these signature-style churros from its sister company, Rambla. Though not a fan of these fried wonders, I did appreciate that it came in shorter convenient sizes (in contrast to their crazy long ones in La Lola).

Droolworthy Dish: Paella de Cochinillo

Rambla

GF Joya Building, Rockwell, Makati

Date of Visit: June 21, 2016 (with Bev Tan, Camille Hung Chiu Ming, and Ina Chua)