Makati Foodie: Holiday Specials at The Grid Food Market (Power Plant Mall)

Meatloaf with Roasted Mushroom, Mashed Potato, and Gravy at Bucky’s

I’ve always wanted to write something about The Grid Food Market, a high-end food hall located in Power Plant Mall, Rockwell. However, I couldn’t visit it frequently because I find the food prices too high for me. I can only afford to eat there when it’s payday (and I have other plans when I get my pay).

Since I’ve been thinking of a Christmas entry and it so happened that The Grid has recently released its holiday specials, I finally have a reason to feature the food hall. Here are the items I tried per stall:

Bucky’s (Stall #2): Meatloaf with Roasted Mushroom, Mashed Potato, and Gravy

This dish is comfort food at its finest! The meatloaf is nicely meaty, the mashed potato is creamy, and the gravy is hearty.

Flower Boy (Stall#3): Holiday Spiced Thai Milk Tea

To wash down all the food, this milk tea will do the job. It’s mixed with cinnamon and almond extract. It’s like I’m drinking almond jelly, which I love!

Tsuke Men (Stall #4): Quezo de Bola Tsukemen

Tsuke Men specializes on ramen and tsukemen (dipping ramen). Their holiday special makes use of Quezo de Bola (literally “ball of cheese”), which is a common item in Filipino Christmas.

I find the Quezo de Bola Tsukemen an enjoyable dish. Its noodles are thick and nicely chewy, and the spring onions give a nice crunch. The cheese dip is not overpowering and has shavings of quezo de bola on top. The soft-boiled egg is creamy.

It’s also served with a broth on the side, which is thick and strongly flavored, perhaps too strong to my liking. It has a tender chashu, although it’s not melt-in-the-mouth.

Eating Quezo de Bola Tsukemen is like eating Mac and Cheese with ramen noodles.

Gochu Gang (Stall #6): Pork Hamgyupsal

Like the Quezo de Bola Tsukemen, this is also an enjoyable dish. Instead of the usual samgyupsal (pork belly popular in Korean cuisine), this one has a slightly sweetened pork belly, replicating a ham’s flavor. It’s tender and smoky, topped with kimchi-ed pineapple chunks, which is fruity and a bit spicy.

The eggplant banchan (small side dishes usually served in a Korean meal) is creamy and the greens are crisp. Altogether, this dish is a world of flavors and textures!

Beefier (Stall #7): Ham Burger

Instead of the typical bacon, this burger uses Christmas ham, which is smoky, slightly sweet, and somewhat chewy as typical ham are.

It’s my first time to try Beefier’s burger and I’m quite impressed. The patty is juicy and tender, the veggies add a nice crunch, and the buns are pillowy. I just wished that the patty has a bit more seasoning. But overall, their burgers are good!

EDSA BDG: (Stall #21): Gingerbread Latte

To end the holiday feast at The Grid, go to EDSA BDG for their holiday drinks. They offer Gingerbread Latte (coffee-based), Peppermint Hot Chocolate (non-coffee), and Eggnog (infused with alcohol, bourbon I believe), available in a single glass or carafe options. Since I wanted some caffeine, I tried the Gingerbread Latte, which has a nice spice and cinnamon taste.

I have yet to try the Christmas Ham Porchetta of Le Chon by Happy Ongpauco-Tiu (Stall #5). I visited thrice and they still haven’t launched it. And I also have to try some holiday desserts.

Have you tried any holiday special at The Grid? Which one was your favorite or which one would you like to try? Comment them below!

food, foodhall, makati, metromanilaEnzo CortesDecember 16, 2019christmas, food, makati, metromanilaComment