The Grid - Food Market — Restaurant in Makati

A high end market place type food hall that is the go to place right now. My first impression was a wow with the ambiance and the varied cuisine choices. My kids and I then went around to select their meal.

My daughter went with the Thai stall and ordered the Shrimp Pad Thai. My son went for Japanese and their Tonkatsu Ramen. I went for the Angus Belly Lechon.

First off, I found the prices to be a bit high for the concept especially for the added 6% service charge for the common service. There was no one to serve water when we sat. I guess they push you to order drinks. And also no one to clear your dishes after you finish.

Second, when you get your food, you start to question what you paid for. Average of about P500 per dish. Shrimp Pad Thai was just plain Jane and nothing special to go back for. It smelled too fishy in a wrong way and my daughter only ate half. It seemed to lack Nam Pla fish sauce, tamarind flavoring and shrimp head essence. Also no peanuts. Did not seem authentic.

The Tonkatsu Ramen was so-so okay but if you compare it to established Ramen places it is a tad expensive. Their broth was rich and tasty with the noodle perfectly chewy. The egg was done well and the pork okay.

The Angus belly was a big disappointment. The beef was pre-cut cut way too small to enjoy even with a mouthful and tasted like generic broiled beef. The only reason you know it is Angus is that it is tender not from any special taste. The eggplant with baba ganoush was the star of the dish. Their lechon sauces were okay and they go with brown rice. The white adobo sauce was a mayo-vinegar concoction. So mayo haters beware. But too much sidings and too little beef for the price.

The Worksop cake place was the other star of this lunch. My kids had the brownies and I had the Manchego cheesecake. Perfection is all I can say.

I may seem to be the only average reviewer but maybe I should have tried the tacos and the paella. There probably was a reason their lines were longer. Will update my review...

Over the weekend, the Beefier Stall at the Grid played host to the pop-up of Bored and Hungry. This is a cryptocurrency themed Burger restaurant in LA. This is the first restaurant concept of Food Fighters Universe, the world's first NFT restaurant group of restaurateur, Andrew Nguyen. Their mission is to help out chefs and restaurants in distress at this time. Recently, B and H was named "Best Burger" by Good Morning America.

Is it really that good? The Trill Burger of Bored and Hungry is a double patty smashedburger with cheese and bacon. It's good, maybe a bit better than Shake Shack but not as good as Five Guys. In the local burger scene, it is very similar to the smashedburgers of Burger Geek in Molito or the now defunct Buns N Bros at Ayala North Exchange before. The great thing going with smashedburgers is the crispy crust at the edges of the burger which differentiates it from regular grilled patties. At last weekend's pop-up, the Trill Burgers were offered at P565 a la carte and P765 as a meal with fries and drink. Now, their fries are really good. Better than all local fries, better even than some specialty shops. If you have tasted duckfat fries, it tastes and cracks similarly.

We also ordered from Gochu-gang, the Korean themed stall of the Tasteless Group. We ordered the Samgyup Pork with Kimchi Rice, Beef Bulgogi with Kimchi Rice, Kimchi Pancakes and the Snow Cheese Boneless Chicken. When you add kimchi to anything it just amps up the flavor experience plus kimchi has health benefits because it has antioxidants and is a good source of vitamins A and C.

The Grid Market has a wonderful array of food choices that each visit could be a virtual travel...

The Grid has a wide variety of cuisines to choose from. Here are some of the stalls that are already open: There's a wine bar and charcuterie on the left upon entering The Grid. Stall No. 1 Bucky's not a Brownie fare and other healthy dishes. Stall No. 2 serves Thai dishes in single or to share sizes. Stall No. 3 serves Ramen (Tonkotsu and Tsukemen variety), rice toppings, gyoza and karaage. No sushi/sashimi though. Stall No. 4 serves classic Pinoy dishes from lechon manok to liempo. Stall No. 5 - NOT YET OPEN Stall No. 6 is for burger lovers with their selection of Wagyu burgers. Stall No. 7 - SOON TO OPEN with a selection of noodles and rice dishes. Stall No. 8 serves typical Spanish fare like pintxos and paella. Stall No. 9 is managed by La Chinesca so you know they serve a wide selection of tacos and infladitas. Stall No. 10 - NOT YET OPEN Stall No. 11 is managed by BUN APETIT which serves the best Lobster, Shrimp and Crab rolls/grilled cheese. Stall No. 12 is managed by the WORKSHOP from the guys of Le Petit Souffle for all you pastry and desserts cravings. At the center of The Grid is the drinks bar where you can choose from a wide range of juices, coffee, teas, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks.

They have servers who can assist you to vacant seats or you can request to help you bring your food trays to your tables and serve you a glass of water.

The place is relatively clean all the time and they have their own restrooms and wash area.

This would be the best place for small groups of friends who can't make up their minds as to what to have for lunch,...