TRY EVERY RESTAURANT IN NEW WORLD, PAN PACIFIC, DIAMOND HOTELS
(TERNWPPD)
While working at WHO and based in the Philippines, initially by myself for 2.5 years from 2014 to 2016, I embarked on a project to eat my way through the restaurants in the 5-star hotels within walking distance of my apartment in Manila: New World (3), Pan-Pacific (5), Diamond (2). Just one meal per restaurant. After 11 months of complaining about the food in the neighborhood, usually relating to quality, the thought suddenly occurred to me that the major hotels ought to do better, at least in terms of quality. Though expensive, the cost and time and trouble of going to Makati or Bonifacio, where high-end eats abound, would more-or-less even out.
The following tiers (“Would I go back for more?”) were based on the overall dining experience, including all the dishes sampled, cost, ambiance, cleanliness, and any other factors that may apply, cumulative through multiple visits (if any).
LEGEND:
* recommended
** highly recommended
! to be avoided
!! banned
Tier 1 (looking forward to it):
-
- ** Li Li (New World)
- (6.046 Pan-Fried Egg Bean Curd, Scallop, Shrimp)
- (6.150 Roasted Chicken Marinated in Garlic)
- (6.211 Scallops with Broccoli)
- (6.230 Taiwan-Style Braised Chicken Fillet & Basil Leaves Casserole)
- (6.246 Tungpo-Style Braised Pork Belly)
- (6.266 Spinach Soup, Scallops, Cod Fillet)
- (6.276 Wok-Fried Diced Beef Tenderloin, Sweet Cashew Nuts, XO Chili Sauce)
- (6.323 Steamed Bean Curd, Scallops, Black Bean Sauce)
- (6.356 Steamed Egg White, Seafood, Crab Roe Sauce)
- (7.064 Deep-Fried Golden Mushrooms, Dried Scallops)
- (7.073 Chilled Mango Pudding)
- (7.077 Deep-Fried Oolong Tea-Smoked Chicken)
- (7.083 Crispy-Fried Prawns, Crispy Garlic, Chili)
- (7.084 Braised Assorted Wild Mushrooms & Mixed Vegetables in Casserole)
- (7.085 Pilot – Alpha)
- (7.091 Wok-Fried Fresh Ginkgos, Shitake & Shimeji Mushrooms, Cashew Nuts)
- (7.104 Braised Sea Cucumber, Japanese Mushrooms, Oyster Sauce)
- (7.108 SFML)
- (7.121 Steamed King Prawn, Minced Garlic, Vermicelli)
- (7.150 Shanghai-Style Pork Dumplings)
- (7.236 Yum Cha)
- (7.327 Scallops with Broccoli)
- (9.245 Yum Cha)
- (11.024 Yum Cha)
- * Asunaro (Pan Pacific)
- 5.348 American Lobster Aburi Gunkan
- 5.350 Kimuchi Yudofu Set
- 5.353 Lapu-Lapu Chazuke
- 6.028 Jumbo Hotategai Teppan Set
- 6.058 Enoki Horenso Tamago Toji
- 6.113 Umaki Tamago
- 6.123 Sushi Moriawase Matsu + Zeta
- 6.267 Chutoro Aburi Sushi
- 6.327 Futomaki
- 7.027 Takuan
- 7.065 Ika Teppan
- 7.169 Oshinko Moriawase
- 9.342 Okonomiyaki
- 10.006 New Year’s Soup
- * Market Café (New World) (6.081 Lobster, Baby.) (6.214 Lobsters, for My Babies) (6.360 Lobster, Maybe)
- ** Li Li (New World)
Tier 2 (sure, but not enthusiastically):
-
- Gyumon (Pan Pacific) (6.069 Jo Karubi)
- China Place (Pan Pacific) (5.009 Peking Duck) (8.196 Pipa Tofu)
Tier 3 (only under dire circumstances):
-
- Minami (Pan Pacific) (6.052 Omurice)
- Pacific Lounge (Pan Pacific) (6.059 New York-Style Strip Steak)
- Corniche (5.095 Peking Duck)
Tier 4 (to be avoided at all costs):
-
- ! Yurakuen (6.015 Jyou Nigiri Sushi Moriawase)
- ! The Fireplace (New World) (5.331 Certified Angus Beef Rib-Eye Steak)
Overall, I was quite satisfied with the outcome of TERNWPPD. The exploration led me to discover the area’s best Cantonese restaurant in Li Li; the area’s best Japanese restaurant in Asunaro, and the area’s best source of lobster and prime rib in Market Café. In terms of baseball, batting .300 ain’t bad.