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| Sticky date pudding |
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| US Prime Ribeye |
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| Spiced grilled chicken with dal and brinjal -- my mom's favorite! |
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| Apple nougatine tart with burnt butter ice cream |
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| Prawn scotch eggs and betel leaves with coconut chili sambal - a MUST everytime! |
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| Burnt butter and vanilla seed ice cream, chocolate brownie, candied popcorn, salted caramel -- very much like ABC Kitchen's caramel sundae dessert although I like the latter better |
I think I've found my favorite restaurant in Manila. In the two and a half weeks that I was home, I visited Blackbird a total of five times--and two out of those five occasions were the last two days I had left at home--and have probably sampled the entire menu.
A bit of a background--Blackbird is helmed by Scottish chef Colin MacKay who is also behind classics like Sala, Sala Bistro, and People's Palace. If that repertoire doesn't say anything about the quality of Blackbird, then imagine the food being a fusion of all three restaurants but more heavily influenced by Southeast Asian flavors. The location is in Nielson Tower--a historic structure that dates back to World War II when it was used first as the US Far East Air Force Headquarters, next as the Japanese headquarters during their occupation in the 1940s, and then used by Philippine Airlines a few years later as the port of entry to the Philippines until its relocation. Fast forward to 2014, it is now Blackbird, which preserves all of the Nielson Tower's history and transformations. Perhaps that is why it almost makes you feel like you are not in Manila.
I highly recommend Blackbird to anyone, especially regulars of Sala and People's Palace. Just when you thought Chef Colin MacKay's food could not get any better--it does--and I honestly think this is his finest work yet. If you go for dinner (they offer a day/brunch menu, too), start off with their cocktails and be sure to order the prawn scotch eggs (amazing!!) and twice-cooked short ribs for appetizers. As for the rest of the meal--keep coming back to try everything and you will not be disappointed.
I cannot wait to be back.
