Back in the 90s, New Orleans in Greenbelt, Makati was my favorite restaurant. New Orleans is always associated with jambalaya but I didn’t order this; I always went for their barbecued baby back ribs – tender, succulent and so full of flavor. The resto, with its grand piano and dark, somber surroundings, was one of my first introductions to fine dining and am sad that it’s all a memory now, going the way of similar establishments with a definitive life span.
Enter Gumbo, the latest New Orleans-themed resto found at the 2nd level Entertainment Mall of the Mall of Asia. My visit to this place, on assignment from my editor, was quite significant for moi since it’s my first time to land in MOA. Well, what can I say, the bayside view at MOA’s resto strip was really fantastic. I immediately made a mental note to go back here again and enjoy the breeze, literally.
Gumbo adopts the modern colonial theme in its furnishings and proved to be very homey. I also liked the fact that diners can see everything in its open kitchen. Btw, don’t be misled because Gumbo is not a foreign franchise, it is a fully-owned Filipino resto and that already says a lot about the Pinoys’ ability to go global when it comes to making some business out of a foreign cuisine.
I’ve read some mixed reviews about Gumbo in Anton’s blog but the lunch fare served to us that day didn’t disappoint. My only problem was my tummy undergoing a “revolution” afterwards, probably from the exotic spices in my gumbo, lol.
The New England Clam Chowder (P125) was served in a whole wheat bun which I plant to duplicate at home one day (French Baker sells these deep-bowl breads). The grande serving of Southern Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (at P475) was ultra-generous and the jambalaya you can order if you’re the type of person who likes flavored rice (not moi, unfortunately, I like it plain.)
We also sampled the Super Salmon Pizza and the Sicilian pasta but here are my favorites from the food tasting which you can try when you visit: the Oops Jumpin’ Fish & Chips which is cream dory fillet ( dory is a kind of fish in Louisiana) deep-fried in a special batter and served with seasoned French fries ( my seatmate said it was better than the one at Fish & Co.) ; the cinnamon-based bananas foster dessert topped with vanilla ice cream (kinda reminded me of an embellished version of our minatamis na saging, only this one used lakatan); and of course, who can forget the house specialty gumbo whose stew was so rich and flavorful that I secretly pined for a nice hot French baguette.
Hope to be back in Gumbo again to try the dory and the other delicious-looking items on its menu (Mississippi mud pie here I come!) . In the meantime, excuse me while I burp..
I am curious if the gumbo was thick and almost gelatinous or thin and soupy… I am in search of a good gumbo in Manila…thanks.
anton will be glad to know that the food in GUMBO has improved!
are you 100% confirmed for the Famfanga Food Trif next Saturday, Ajay?
Hi Marketman, the gumbo was rich and thick and also spicy:wink:
I guess it depends on what you order Spanx. I said count me in..hope the weather is nice on that day. Looking forward to see you:cool:
hi ajay! oooh wonderful review. i don’t think i’ve ever tasted gumbo. this would certainly make for a nice hearty lunch!
Ajay in MOA, finally!:smile:
Ganda ng pics ajay..how do you align them in 1 box?
Mall of Asia is called MOA? Is it the latest
hang out there in manila, i gotta go there and try the
resto with the bayside view,that’s cool!
Hi Toni and Sachi. A nice hearty lunch with you.. sana we can meet here with the Berks:wink:
Jane, a marathon trip to the MOA kamo. I wasn’t even able to windowshop:!:
the photos make me hungry. they look so good. hehe. i love pizza. btw, i tried accessing eric’s blog i couldn’t open it. you know what could be the problem?
yummy! yummy!:arrow:
Hi Jaypee. I don’t know why these photos are getting the raves. They’re just taken by my Nokia 6230i phone camera, lol. I couldn’t access Eric’s site either, lemme ask him..
Enjoy your weekend, Ang-ang:)
Really? I thought those photos were taken with a digital camera. Siguro nasa kumukuha, di ba? Hehe. Ah ok, kala ko ako lang ang hindi maka access sa site ni Eric.
unfortunately, Mall of Asia’s only pull for me really is kopi roti 😀
andito ako. eheheh ganda nga ng food pics mo ajay.
been having intermittent probs from time to time. especially nung nasa baguio/ilocos ako. sobrang baba ng visits/day ko. 🙁 pero ok na sya ngayon
Is that a compliment Jaypee? Thanks a lotsa.:razz::razz:
That was how I also felt with Kopi Roti before Mec:grin:
Eric! Ang daya mo. I thought you were all set to go to the Cabalen food trip..haaay:wink:
yummy yummy:shock:
Price range? is it sulit forthe price?
I should visit the place. I am hinting to my husband that we should dine there and view the sunset. He just hates the mall crowds.
Ye, those were nice pics, Ajay. Good job!!! 😀
Hi red. Damage here should be P300 to P500 per pax. Mala-Fridays ang serving. 😉
Noemi, it was my first time to visit the place too and fell in love with the bayview. Perfect for sunny weather though I guess the mood can get gloomy when it rains…
Thanks Lani:)