Dining Snippets: Dean and Deluca x La Maripili x The Rib Shack x Ramen Nagi
DEAN AND DELUCA
Ever since Dean and Deluca set up shop in Legazpi Village, I slowly became an avid fan of the New York franchise. Even though it’s managed by the same group, the Legazpi branch’s kitchen consistently churns out more delicious plates than its older sister in Rockwell. You can really taste the difference!
THE WORKS – BACON (P390)
The Works is a guaranteed way to have an amazing start to one’s morning. Not only will the vibrant colors of the dish wake you up, its full breakfast plate will give you enough energy to last for the entire day. For protein, one can opt for its bacon steak or sausage. I loved how its bacon steak came with a smoky charred flavor; and that it had a good proportion of meat to fat ratio. Its carrot slices and pickled red onions add layers of textures to the dish; while its parsley pesto rice serves as a lighter and less oily alternative to the traditional garlic rice. The Works is not as indulgent as the Wildflour Breakfast; but its serving size is more manageable for a solo diner. It's definitely something I'd want to wake up to every morning!
Dean and Deluca
Eton Tower, GF 128 Dela Rosa St., cor VA Rufino St., Legazpi Village, Makati City
Date of Visit: August 15, 2017 with Yna Laraya
LA MARIPILI
Stepping inside La Maripili’s branch in Ayala Malls The 30th, I was reminded of the classy French interiors of Lartizan in Serendra. Its dimly lit interiors made the ambiance more relaxed but made food photography immensely challenging.
BLACK TRUFFLE (P490)
Its hot items may be limited to savory crepes, pastas, and sandwiches; but its Black Truffle pasta will definitely not leave you unsatisfied. Its delicious tartufata cream sauce is accented by a generous serving of fresh mushrooms, and a handful of thinly sliced Jamon Serrano. On the other hand, I was a bit disappointed with the Breakfast at La Maripili (P350) crepe which highlights corned beef and caramelized onions as its filling. I was too distracted by the odd tomato sauce it came with which was too sweet for my liking.
SMALL CHURROS (P60) AND HOT CHOCOLATE (P110)
I’m far from a fan of churros, but as it’s the restaurant’s signature dish, I felt compelled to sample it. To the restaurant’s credit, I really enjoyed their churros. Each stick came in a beautiful golden batter, perfectly crunchy and not oily. Its hot chocolate featured velvety smooth melted bittersweet dark chocolate. La Lola better watch out as La Maripili’s churros easily trumps theirs by a mile!
La Maripili
GF Ayala Malls The 30th, 30 Meralco Ave., Ortigas, Pasig
Date of Visit: August 5, 2017 with Lily Chua
THE RIB SHACK
In a rare occasion, Dining Snippets heads down South to have a taste of Rib Shack’s famed ribs. As recommended by my good friend Cam Carino, Rib Shack boasts of large servings at affordable prices. Upon entering, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the size of the restaurant. Each turn we took opened up to a new dining room.
IT’S COMPLICATED (P850)
Its baby back ribs come in three serving sizes; Single (P270) with one side, In a Relationship (P495) with two sides, and It’s Complicated (P850) with three sides. The It’s Complicated size may have come with only three side dishes but it’s enough to feed four hungry appetites. Despite the affordable price point, you can be assured of being served with quality well-marinated and tender meat. The Nacho Overload (P225) is also a good starter to share in a group as each order comes with a huge bowl of nacho chips generously topped with ground meat, Jalapeno peppers, olives and cheese. The restaurant's affordable fare and laidback atmosphere make it an ideal place to hang around in.
The Rib Shack
PDC Compound, Rose Ave., cor Aguirre Ave, Almanza Uno, Las Piñas
Date of Visit: August 11, 2017 with Kath Capistrano, Cam Cariño, Cesca Lacanilao, Yna Laraya, Ram San Sebastian, Sachi Tiu and Gela Uy
RAMEN NAGI
CHEESY TOMATO KING (P470)
I had serious hesitations when it came to trying out Ramen Nagi's latest Limited King. Available only from October 16-31, 2017, the Cheesy Tomato King offers the odd combination of tomatoes and cheese. Honestly, I didn't think it would work. It spelled a soupy spaghetti in my head. Fortunately, I was wrong. The best way to describe the Cheesy Tomato King is that it's a mildly spiced Red King (Level 1 spice level is its default) as it came with sweet ground meat. Mixed with the ground meat would be sweet crunchy tomato chunks which balance the saltiness and creaminess of the layers of cheese the ramen was topped with. It was such a perfect balance of flavors that I honestly don't mind having it as a regular fixture.
Ramen Nagi
Robinsons Galleria
Date of Visit: October 19, 2017
