The Kitchen Goddess' Top 12 Restaurant List for 2022

I haven't done this since 2019! I mean, the world stopped for about 2 years due to the pandemic and I guess we've all been affected by that. So cheers to 2022 for its bravery. 

Gosh, it's so hard to create this list because the Year 2022 has been a culinary adventure for me and my family. 


Starting my list with Amano at the Power Plant Mall. The food and coffee here tastes so good! Especially the pizza and butter pasta. It is best to reserve a table here especially if you're dining during lunch or dinner because it is usually full. Otherwise, prepare to wait or you can just dine between 2-5pm when it is possible to get a table. 

Moving on to Marudori which is at 8 Rockwell, just across Power Plant Mall. Marudori is a ramen-place that serves only tori paitan or chicken. I love love the tantanmen and DD is overly crazy about their version of gyoza which is similar to xiao long bao. 

Another favorite at Power Plant Mall is Milky Way. We used to dine at the Pasay Road branch ages ago and I don't know why it was only last year that we started dining at their branch inside the mall. Oh right, it all started with dinuguan cravings. The best dinuguan! Actually, we love all their food. Another must-try at Milk Way is the adobong pusit. 

Also discovered Hey Papi! at The Grid Rockwell. This food stall serves Cuban food. I'm not really well-versed in Cuban food but I love this place because of their cassava sticks. Yum!

And along Poblacion in Makati, you can find SOMS Noodle House. If you're a foodie like me, you'll know that this is the same SOMS just over the bakod of Rockwell, hahaha. I mean, do you remember the tables and chairs along the sidewalk, and the big table umbrellas? I think my earliest post about SOMS was around 2009. Post is- Som's Thai Food. 

Then there's Yaku at The Podium. We're not really newbies at Yaku but since we started visiting Podium again after the lockdowns, we got to reacquaint ourselves with this restaurant. Yaku is a yakiniku with great Japanese food and reasonably priced. Serving portions are also good for sharing and you can get unlimited free house tea. My default order here is the Moriawase and Spicy Salmon Sashimi. 

Nanyang is another favorite in Podium, but there are branches in Makati and BGC also. This has been a consistent favorite because the food greatly reminds me of my fave laksa and nasi lemak in Singapore. Nanyang also serves kopi and teh. 

From Ortigas, we head on to Sarsa in Makati. This restaurant closed down during the lockdown in 2020 but opened up again mid-2022. We used to dine at their branch in Rockwell which is sadly not there anymore so dining here is like a reunion. Did I say I love their isaw? Yes, there's isaw on the menu and that's what we ordered first. 

I've been hearing about Garuda for years now but it was only last year when we got to visit. And it was worth it. Garuda is an Indonesia restaurant just in front of the Indonesian Embassy so this is legit! Love love love the Beef Rendang and Ayam Goreng Garuda. 

Now, these next restaurants are not in Manila but in Boracay! Hahaha. We've visited the lovely island of Boracay several times last year and sharing our Top 3 favorites there beginning with Guiseppe Pizzeria and Sicilian Roast. 

Had it not been for my cousin, I wouldn't have discovered Giuseppe because it's in Station 3, and we're staying at Station 1. If you love Italian food, this is the place to be. A bit expensive but the serving portions are good for sharing. Super love the pizza and the carpaccio. 

Then there's Kasbar, which is just a short walk from our hotel. Good Mediterranean food. Big portions also. And they do have an al fresco area if you want to watch the sunset while sipping cocktails. 

And last but definitely not the least, Little Taj for your Indian cuisine cravings. Visited these restaurant twice on separate trip to Boracay and it was so, so good! Food is good for sharing also. My hubby super love the beef curry! 

Overall, the Year 2022 made us feel that moving around freely are getting to be normal again. Cheers to 2023 and may it bring more good tidings to every one. 


Labels: ,