FLEXING FOOD FINDS

By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz and Photos by Roy Domingo

Those who do have the time and the extra money opt to go out of town or even out of the country to get together with family and friends to celebrate a college graduation, a new job, or passing a board exam. You don’t have to go out of town or out of the country to celebrate. You can do so by just visiting the SM Supermalls. SM Supermalls have gone out of their way to gather the best food and wine from different parts of the world at their various malls.

BusinessMirror went to The Podium, SM North EDSA, SM Aura Premier, and SM Megamall to try out what their choice restaurants had to offer. These are the results.

The Podium

The first stop of BusinessMirror’s food adventure was at The Podium. The Podium unveils a well-curated lifestyle haven inspired by the metro’s most stylish set. It is the home to gourmet dining, branded fashion, and prestige wellness.

Terry’s Selection

Terry’s Section is a fusion of Spanish, Filipino and European cuisine with an excellent curated wine selection by Don Juan Carlos de Terry himself. It is one of Manila’s finest restaurants serving European-inspired cuisine with an exquisite selection of wines. Aside from a vast assortment of hams, sausages, and cheese, the gourmet store also carries specialty culinary items and food products.

Crustasia Asian Seafood and Noodle House

Part of The Red Crab Group that includes Seafood Island, The Red Crab, Pier at Clawdaddy’s, Cangerjos Locos and Alimango House, the latest branch of Crustasia Asian Seafood and Noodle House opened its doors only last February 14, 2023 Janice Crisostomo, Crustasia’s Head for Operations, said, the restaurant offers dishes from Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. Crisostomo said they had initially developed their own versions of the different dishes but they wanted something authentic.

To achieve this, Crustasia hired chef consultants to ensure

“The bistro is named after me so I have to make sure that I bring in the best of the best. Our food is about giving justice to the ingredients that we have,” Juan Carlos said.

When you order the Chorizo Terry on Piggy Back, this famous homemade chorizo is flambeed with Sherry Brandy in front of customers while placed on a pig shaped container. When done it was sliced and served with bread. Completing the appetizers were Jamon Serrano and Wild Mushrooms Bechamel Croquettes (creamy Bechamel croquettes made with Jamon Serrano and Shitake Mushrooms), Manchego Dumplings (Fresh Manchego cheese and Iberico Salami tucked into crunchy wanton pockets) and Gambas Al Ajillo (shrimp cooked in extra virgin oil).

The highlight of the food tasting at Terry’s was the cochinillo with a very crispy skin and soft and tender meat.

Terry’s is located at the Ground Level of The Podium.

Caerus Specialty Coffee + Bistro

If you enjoy a good cup of coffee and comfort food on the side, Caerus Specialty Coffee + Bistro is the place for you. Its first branch, which opened in July 2014, can be found at Sct. Torillos in Quezon City. Due to a growing demand for their food and coffee, the owners decided to open their second branch at The Podium last year.

Caerus owner Christopher Lim says what makes their coffee special is that they adjust the taste of the beans every day. This allows them to offer personalized coffee to suit their customer’s taste. Their best seller is their Ice Caramel.

In terms of food, Lim describes their offerings as “coffee shop food with a Filipino twist” and the food is good to share. Menu favorites include Grilled Pork Liempo, Smoked Fish and Salted Egg Pasta, Kare Kare, and Roast Beef in Truffle Cream.

Caerus also offers a wide variety of cakes to choose from. Cakes that were served during the BusinessMirror visit were Mango Brulee, Strawberry Brulee, and Avocado Brulee. If you happen to be at Caerus every Thursday and Saturday, you might be lucky enough to meet with Lim’s pet corgi.

Caerus Specialty Coffee + Bistro is located at the 5th Level of The Podium. A third branch will be opening soon at SM Fairview and this promises to be their biggest outlet.

SM North Edsa that the restaurant would be able to achieve the goal of offering a food trip round Southeast Asia.

SM North EDSA opened its doors on November 8, 1985. It was the first mall built by SM Prime Holdings Inc. with the initial tenants being SM’s 5th department store and first supermarket. At that time, it had a gross floor area of 23 square meters.

Crustasia’s best sellers include the Seafood Laksa, Mixed Seafood Tom Yum, Satay Sampler, Singaporean Chili Crab and Mango Sticky Rice. Items on their regular menu are food for sharing.

Those on a budget can opt for the Waterway Hawker Favorites which offer meals good for one like Crustasia Seafood Omelet, Vegetable and Mushroom Mie Goreng and Crispy Fried Pork Belly and Fried Rice, among others.

Crustasia Asian Seafood and Noodle House is located at the Sky Garden of SM North.

Sicilian Roast

If you are craving for pizza and pasta and you happen to be in the vicinity of SM North Edsa, you may want to try Sicilian Roast.

According to Operations Manager Gerald Bryan Ducano, most, if not all, of their ingredients are sourced from Italy. Like any other Italian restaurant, their best sellers are their pasta and pizza.

BusinessMirror got to try out their Quattro Formaggi and the Americana. For pasta, the group sampled Penne alla Siciliana and Ricotta e Spinaci. The team also had an opportunity to taste the Filletto dei Salmone. To end our food trip at Sicilian Roast, we got to sample the Bombolone, similar to a fried doughnut with chocolate syrup in the center and dipped in cream.

Sicilian Roast is located on the 2nd floor of SM North Tower at SM North Edsa.