The Grid: Amplifying the Food Court Experience
THE BEEFIER’S HANGER STEAK WITH FRIES (P650)
Century City Mall’s Hole in the Wall can be credited for kickstarting these glammed up food court experiences that we find in more and more malls. The Grid in Power Plant Mall is a collection of concepts ran by known restaurateurs and popular stalls that already have a loyal following of their own. A similar concept will be opening in Robinsons Magnolia before the year ends.
Compared to Hole in the Wall, The Grid makes use of bright and minimalist ‘Sunday brunch’ interiors that complement the clean and sophisticated ambiance of the mall. It’s nice to see the food court bustling with hungry diners (it actually took me three attempts until I finally was able to try The Grid because the place can was always packed) especially when compared to the seemingly forgotten Hole in the Wall.
TSUKE-MEN’S SPICY GYOKAI (P430) and TEBASAKI WINGS (P250)
The stall I was most excited to try would be that of the Tsuke-men’s. I opted for the Spicy Gyokai, and it definitely did not disappoint. Even when armed with chewy noodles and a bowl brimming with umami flavor; the stall still makes it a point to perfect the meal’s other aspects, from its runny ramen egg to its smoky chashu. The only thing that I found to be a let-down was that the only thing which made my Spicy Gyokai ‘spicy’ was an extra serving of chili powder on the side.
My photo did not do the Tebasaki Wings justice as it failed to show the wings’ glistening crunchy skin. Perfect for sharing, these wings are well-marinated and perfectly seasoned.
FLOWER BOY’S CHICKEN PAD THAI (P290)
I’m such a fan of Pad Thai; but it takes a lot for me to be impressed by it. Currently setting the standard for me would be the Pad Thai from Mango Tree Bistro. Flower Boy’s Chicken Pad Thai was just okay. It includes everything you want in a pad thai: from the scrambled egg, to the chili, to the crushed peanuts, to the marinated tofu and of course, its chewy and tasty rice noodles; but it doesn’t come close to Mango Tree Bistro’s. Of course the price points are considerably far apart, but I’d appreciate it more if Flower Boy’s rice noodles were a bit thicker, and a bit more flavorful. Their Thai Iced Tea (P120) came at a large serving; but was too watered down for me.
RAMBLA’S PAELLA VALENCIANA (P275)
I’ve never been a fan of Rambla, so I wasn’t surprised that I was underwhelmed by its Paella Valenciana. It was okay, but definitely not something worth trying around the second time. The sole dish that I appreciated from Bistronomia's slew of Spanish-themed restaurants would be their Cochinillo Paella. For other paella variants, it's best to get your fare from personal favorites, Terry’s or Calderon.
LE CHON’S PORCHETTA (SOLO) (P365)
The Porchetta solo meal of Le Chon was promising; since the set comes loaded with rice, lechon sauce and spiced vinegar, deep-fried pork skin, fried potato wedges and the Porchetta itself. Unfortunately, the pork skin lacked crunch; while the Porchetta itself came in a serving size that was easy to miss in this massive food set. It was such a waste since the spices of the Porchetta translated beautifully in every tiny morsel we were served. To compensate for the lack of meat, we ordered a Hanger Steak set from Beefier which boasted of perfectly cooked juicy medium steak served on a bed of gravy. I loved that each slice came with a nice charred edge. My only complaint was that the fries were cold (I guess they were cooked in advanced already) and ended up getting soggy because of the gravy sauce. It's definitely a good deal though as it's serving size is meant for sharing!
The Grid
R2 Level, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City
Date of Visit: May 26, 2019 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua
