Pelagio Bar & Restaurant

Discover a fusion of Mexican and Filipino cuisine with the distinct tastes and textures highlighted in each dish. Enjoy the al fresco dining experience of Pelagio Bar & Restaurant, located at the Water Garden expansion wing of Festival Mall, Muntinlupa.

Pelagio Bar & Restaurant is cool place to chill, a comfort zone, with the palocina wooden tables and chairs, country style picket fencing, and a great place to hang out with a cold beer or to enjoy a few drinks such as Margarita's. Pelagio has also fabulous non-alcoholic beverages such as this so summer fresh watermelon juice.

Pelagio is open daily from 9:30AM - 10:30PM, yes, even after mall hours. This open air resto that also caters, serves breakfast, lunch, dinner. The food is served, there is take out, and each dish is made to order.

This place has a great view of the soon-to-be operational water fountains in the Water Garden wing of Festival mall. For people who like to smoke or vape while drinking, this is the perfect place, with the right atmosphere, and it has the dude food such as nachos and burritos! The price is just right, too.

What make this fusion resto a very good one is that the fillings for the usual Mexican dishes are unique, such as pork sisig. The chicken adobo filling made so well that is has the texture of pulled pork. The liempo is a level up of grilled food.

And, the sauces! There are 3 heat levels for the Pelagio homemade hot sauce, and the hottest one is such a zinger. The guacamole adheres to the standard - and then there is the standout salted egg (itlog na maalat) sauce which has an addition of tomatoes and onions.

Pelagio Bar & Restaurant does have that special touch of devotion and care placed in the expert preparation of every dish and drink.

If you want to enjoy Mexican food that has the taste of Filipino favorite food, Pelagio has it. If you want a great place to hangout at Festival mall, this is the place to go to. Learn more by visiting the Pelagio Bar & Restaurant Facebook page. 

Grilla SM MOA by the Bay: A Food Symphony

Texture to the max, depth of flavor, and the choices of different regional Filipino food, Grilla at SM MOA by the Bay is a great place to visit when wanting to get the perfect vantage point for that famous sunset by Manila bay with the drink and dine experience that will make you satisfied.

Grilla offers individual dishes and food platters, and the servings are hefty. The presentation is like a Filipino fiesta, and when the table is laden, it is so time to eat a leisurely feast.

The food experience of Grilla includes crunch. The fried fish dish that is typical of a Filipino household is made better by the coating, and the platter has different kinds of fish, to include tilapia and bangus. I was delighted with the presentation and this is pegged as my favorite dish.

Grilla SM MOA by the Bay has a"palayok"which is a clay cooking pot that is the way food was cooked during the olden times. This clay pot holds a mixture of meat and seafood that must have been simmered for hours to get full-bodied soup with a depth of flavor that is distinctly unique.

Make sure to leave room for dessert, as there is the "turon" which is made from saba bananas that are wrapped and deep fried, and the platter with ice cream, "leche flan" which is made from milk, eggs, and sugar, and "palitao"that is made from finely ground rice powder that is cooked in water until it floats.

With outdoor and indoor dining with a high ceiling, two access doors, one from the street and the other one by the seaside walk, nearby parking, when you would like to enjoy Filipino food with the sunset by Manila bay view, at affordable prices, you have to go to Grilla at SM MOA by the Bay.

Filipino Native Dish - Bagnet

There is no food in the world like Bagnet. If you have not tried it, you should.

Though many people compare it to Chicharon, which is crispy, deep fried pork skin, Bagnet is in a class of its own. It is crispylicious on the outside and tender juicy on the inside. This Filipino native dish is a must try for everyone.

What is amazing about Bagnet is how it was cooked, though you may find out that it was twice deep-fried, there is just something uniquely different about it.

Way back during the olden days, there was no way to be able to store food, the enterprising and resourceful Ilocanos created Bagnet, which when cooked properly and wrapped well, has a shelf life of nearly one week.

Bagnet can be reheated and the flavor and texture will still be superb. It is heavenly when dipped in special sauce and eaten with steaming hot white rice.

There are two kinds dipping sauce for Bagnet. One is made from Ilocos vinegar and chopped onions. The other one is called KBL, which is short for Kamatis (tomatoes), Bagoong Isda(fish paste), and Lazona (onions). The term KBL was coined during the time of Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, as this was the initials of his political group, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, and he was an Ilocano.

One can go to the Ilocos region to buy Bagnet or look for an authentic Ilocano restaurant in Metro Manila. Dine in or take out Bagnet from a regional Philippine restaurant.