Dining Snippets: Madison Lounge and Bar x Milky Way Café x Bulgogi Brothers

MADISON LOUNGE AND BAR

For Holy Week 2023, I intended to have a solo staycation; but then my family ended up inviting themselves over in my Hilton stay which instantly turned it into a sudden family staycation (special thanks to my dad for the complimentary stay). As the hotel was immensely busy, we ended up grabbing lunch in Hilton’s lounge, Madison Lounge and Bar instead.

Seating is extremely limited but the hotel manages to make the most out of its tight space to make your stay extremely cozy, comfortable and even private.

TRUFFLE AND PARMESAN FRENCH FRIES (P250)

Madison’s cozy chairs scream tita coffee sessions, so I actually paid a subsequent visit the mid-morning after to enjoy a cup of their Cappuccino (P200). However, its relatively low seating makes it difficult to eat main dishes. With this in mind, the Truffle and Parmesan French Fries serve as a perfectly filling finger food to pair with your midday chikahan sessions. Well-seasoned and perfectly fried, their French Fries would be one of its most wallet-friendly food items on the menu.

GRILLED SALMON (P950)

However, as we were there for lunch, the easiest (and most reasonably priced main dish on the menu) would be its Grilled Salmon – you get a gorgeously pan-fried salmon with crisp skin and tender meat that comes served with a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with pickled onions to give some nice zest to its harmony of flavors. It’s paired with a deliciously creamy mashed potato and roasted vegetables.

Madison Lounge and Bar

Hilton Manila, 1 Newport Blvd., Pasay

Date of Visit: April 7, 2023 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua

MILKY WAY CAFÉ

Milky Way has always been a favorite restaurant of mine – however, its prices are becoming too steep that I can’t stomach shelling out so much for an order of my beloved Adobong Pusit. We ended up choosing items from its menu that we’ve never ordered from Milky Way before that's a little friendlier on the wallet.

FRESH LUMPIANG UBOD (P195)

The Fresh Lumpiang Ubod serves as a filling appetizer; when paired with other main dishes; an order can be enough to be shared between two people. The vegetable fillings were crisp and fresh; and boy was its sauce wonderfully garlicky.

SINIGANG NA SUGPO (P595)

Instead of getting the Adobong Pusit, we opted to get the Sinigang na Sugpo – it’s cheaper and there’s more of it for sharing – my family and I helped ourselves to bowls of its deliciously tangy sinigang and a fresh sugpo each! Milky Way’s sinigang has a nice hint of heat, which makes the broth absolutely perfect to soak a cup of rice in.

CRISPY HITO (P995)

Milky Way’s Crispy Hito was a delight to devour – a platter boasting of a beautiful golden-brown perfectly-fried fish – with juicy meat and crisp skin – that pairs amazingly well with the mustard green + bagoong salad it comes with. I’m drooling just thinking about it!

Milky Way Café

Milky Way Building, 900 Arnaiz Ave,  Makati City

Date of Visit: April 7, 2023 with Lily Chua and Jared Chua

BULGOGI BROTHERS

It’s been several years since I last ate in Bulgogi Brothers – prior to my tastebuds being spoiled by Masil, I used to frequent its Greenbelt 5 branch back when I was still working in BPI.

Of course, the first thing that welcomes you in a Korean restaurant would be their selection of Banchan – which for Bulgogi Brothers, was incredibly mediocre. We were offered bland sweet potato, forgettable kimchi, adobong kangkong (which felt more Filipino than Korean), marbled potatoes with cheese (which I wasn’t a fan of), so-so fish cake and the one and only saving grace of the banchan (and the entire meal?) – their dilis.

SEAFOOD SOYBEAN (P695)

I have a fondness for soybean stews, so naturally, we got an order of the Seafood Soybean soup – I love how it came with a generous serving of shellfish but the stew itself was on the bland side. Good thing that instead of opting for just plain rice, we decided to order a Bibimbap for sharing (P395/P625) that lent much needed flavor in our meal.

MARINATED BONELESS SHORT RIBS (P1075)

For our meat, we opted for the Marinated Boneless Short Ribs – which was surprisingly enjoyable to eat once properly grilled. This is meant for sharing and comes coupled with unlimited rice.

Overall though, I doubt I’d be paying another visit to Bulgogi Brother anytime soon - save for if you'll dine in with a 50% discount (through credit cards).

Bulgogi Brothers

Date of Visit: April 8, 2023 with Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua

Newport Mall, Newport Blvd., Pasay CIty