Delivery Snippets: Ooma x Elephant Grounds x Manam

OOMA

I love how Ooma has taken steps to be more accessible for solo dining. Apart from launching a slew of solo bento sets, it also recently launched the Tendon, which offers a colorful assortment of tempura: Ebi, Kakiage, Kani and the odd but delicious crispy Kangkong.

TENDON (P380)

In contrast to most tendons I’ve had which were mostly on the sweet side, Ooma’s Tendon tends to lean on the saltier side owing to its generous use of nori (seaweed). It’s paired with their flavorful chahan, so it's guaranteed that you won’t be in want of flavor. Although I’d prefer my Tendon on plain rice or on rice flavored simply with a sweet glaze or tempura sauce, to better appreciate the tempura assortment. If you’re a big rice eater, the amount of rice that it comes with may not be enough so it might be better to have a side order of sushi rolls to fill you up!

Ooma

Date of Delivery: November 16, 2020 via Grabfood (you may also have it delivered via Foodpanda or momentfood.com)

ELEPHANT GROUNDS

I’ve been waiting for Elephant Grounds to open in The Podium mall for a while now as I’ve always been curious to try this famous Hong Kong café concept’s coffee and its not-your-typical coffee shop food fare which include the likes of Guanciale Carbonara, Duck Krapow and Baby Squid Aglio Olio.

GUANCIALE CARBONARA (P395)

Ever since I came across Spot.ph’s write-up on Elephant Grounds, it was difficult to get the image of its Guanciale Carbonara off my mind. So, obviously, that was the first dish I ordered from Elephant Grounds. Paired with a delicious sourdough bread, the creamy Guanciale Carbonara boasts of the delicious marriage between Pecorino cheese and the flavorful Guanciale. I was actually surprised at how powerful the cured flavor of Guanciale was as Pancetta tastes quite muted next to it! Elephant Grounds serves the Guanciale in a thin crispy bacon form so I recommend tearing it into tiny pieces before stirring in your noodles to make sure that each bite would come with a tiny morsel of this cured wonder!

Elephant Grounds

Date of Delivery: Dec 12, 2020 via Grabfood

MANAM

It’s no secret how much I’m a fan of Manam’s Bento Boxes, evident in how I've been slowly eating my way through its wide selection!

CRISPY PORK BINAGOONGAN BENTA BOX (P324)

Apart from offering complete meals at reasonable prices, these benta boxes also give me the opportunity to try out the restaurant’s other dishes which failed to make it to my typical order rotations when dining out with family and friends pre-pandemic.

HOUSE SQUID SISIG BENTA BOX (P298)

Thus, I finally was able to try out its Crispy Pork Binagoongan and House Squid Sisig. You do have to manage your expectations on the crispiness of the pork binagoongan as it had to endure travel time, but slightly chewy as they may have been, each pork cube was bursting with flavor! Its bagoong proudly contains the perfect balance of sweet and salty tones with a mild spicy kick. I also love Manam’s attention to detail as its garnish lent vibrancy and balance to the dish. Its House Squid Sisig offers a less guilty option for their famous House Crispy Pork Sisig. Armed with all the things that make Manam’s House Crispy Pork Sisig, the House Squid Sisig offers a decently delicious alternative, especially as abstinence season is just around the corner. I’m just not a fan of the bits of fried batter that came topped with the rice.

SIZZLING CRISPY SINIGANG BENTA BOX (P298)

One of its latest additions to the Benta Box would be the Sizzling Crispy Sinigang. I’m a massive fan of Locavore’s to-die-for Sizzling Sinigang, but they have yet to incorporate this as part of their solo dining offerings. Manam’s version is immensely tamer compared to Locavore’s, but it does offer a more ‘balanced’ meal as it tosses in a colorful medley of veggies to lend freshness and a delightful crunch to each bite. It’s also less likely to cause a heart attach vs. Locavore’s!

Manam

Dates of Delivery: November 23, 2020, December 7, 2020 and December 16, 2020 via Grabfood and Foodpanda (you may also order via momentfood.com)