6.337
8 (Tue) December 2015
Pipa Tofu
3.0
at Maria Orosa Seafood Restaurant
-Ermita, Manila-
with K staff
As previously noted, we’ve been scouting Maria Orosa as a potential venue for K staff group dinners (see most recently 6.268 Squid with Salt & Pepper).
We finally put the place to the test this evening, on the occasion of hosting a delegation from Korea’s MOHW and KCDC.
The menu was essentially a replica of the one developed at Golden Fortune (see generally 6.233 The New Spread…).
Coming in with high expectations, we were very disappointed by the outcome. Most dishes fell far short in terms of taste and/or texture, particularly in contrast to their counterparts at Golden Fortune. The only standout was the pipa tofu (Golden Fortune doesn’t offer an equivalent dish). To save face in front of our guests, I had to take public responsibility for selecting a poor spread.
I suspect that the kitchen was simply overwhelmed by the load. Further evidenced by the poor timing of service, some dishes taking 20 minutes, others coming too quickly. Our scouting missions had involved fewer dishes, smaller portions. Even then, I’d witnessed various troubles at adjacent tables involving large parties.
I’m pretty sure that K staff will never again host a major function there, though I wouldn’t mind going back under more informal circumstances.