Restaurant Aurora — Restaurant in Makati

Aurora is a lovely small Southeast Asian fusion cafe hidden in the lobby of the Pacific Star building on the edge of Salcedo Village, Makati (only 8 tables in the main dining area, though you could seat 80 if you fill the seats all the way to the outdoor extension). It is not a Southeast Asian restaurant, but a cafe serving lighter fare inspired with Southeast Asian flavors, perhaps with a nod to how the Philippine palate has more restrained tastes compared to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. For example, they serve a lovely laksa-inspired soup that captures the flavor of the Singapore/Malaysia dish, but without the strong seafood tastes and thickness of the real gravy. In fact, it uses much thinner noodles and custard. They have a Mexican/Cuban inspired sea bass ceviche flavored with agave nectar instead of coconut milk or strong vinegar tastes, which gives a refreshingly different sweetness. Their lamb chops come with chimichurri whose Asian twist is miso, a result that gives "modern Australian" a run for its money. Their fried duck comes off tender inside and seasoned with Indonesian inspired flavors that comes out like a lighter Philippine fusion with just enough sambal to give a nod to Bali's bebek bengil. Despite the names in the menu, none of these are authentic imports of the actual dishes, and that is the fun of it. Rounding out the cozy venue and interesting combinations of flavors are the warm and attentive staff. The young chefs take turns coming out of the kitchen and explaining the dishes, and the door is open so one is welcome to peek. They are clearly having fun and proud of the Asian twists they are putting together. The rest of the staff are all smiles and kept my degustacion coming out at a fair cadence even though the cafe was full on...

Visited Cafe Aurora recently and had a mixed dining experience. Starting on a positive note, the tartare and pomelo salad were delightful, each delivering a burst of fresh and well-balanced flavors. A standout dish for me was the sourdough grilled with butter – it was simply excellent, with a perfect crunch and just the right amount of buttery goodness.

However, not everything hit the mark. While the meatball was initially pleasing, I found it quickly became overwhelming to the palate. More disappointing was the beef tapa. Unfortunately, it was overly salted and burnt, detracting significantly from what could have been a flavorful dish. This was particularly unacceptable and marred what could have been a flawless meal.

On the brighter side, the service at Cafe Aurora deserves commendation. The staff was attentive and polite, contributing to a pleasant dining atmosphere. The ambiance of the cafe is modern and contemporary, creating a relaxed environment. The choice of music complemented the setting well, enhancing the overall experience.

In summary, Cafe Aurora offers a generally good dining experience with a few notable highlights, especially in terms of service and ambiance. However, the mishap with the beef tapa was a significant letdown. I hope this was an isolated incident and not indicative of their usual...

Was pleasantly surprised with this restaurant nestled in an unassuming building at the corner of Makati Ave and Gil Puyat Ave. Worry not, ample parking is readily available at the basement of the building.

Ambiance and service were absolutely excellent. Our server, Ms. Zel, had excellent mastery of the menu and even provided to us tasting notes of the cocktails, and her food recommendations were we enjoyed.

Showing our order below:

Starters: Crudo, Pani Puri*, Tamago Don, BBQ Beef Mains: Meatball, Rendang, Duck Dessert: Mousse, Kachang Drinks: Nikita

*Must order

To conclude, food & drinks were good, but nothing super special. They were presented well, served within reasonable time, and tasted good. Would recommend coming here with friends so you can try more dishes and would also recommend trying the cocktails as they were excellent. It helps too that the servings are not that big so you can eat and drink several items in the menu in one seating. (This might be a con for some) The chef did a table touch at the end of the meal, and it was a great and welcoming gesture.

Would come back to try the other...