Monday, February 20, 2012

...the best new US resto in 2012

'Maharlika Filipino Moderno' named among best new restaurants in US


February 19, 2012
GMA News

A United States-based entertainment guide, the Metromix New York, has named a Filipino restaurant, the Maharlika Filipino Moderno in New York City, as one of the best new restaurants in the US for 2012.




According to Metromix, "Maharlika has been a smashing success since they debuted in the East Village in January, booking all of their seatings weeks in advance."

Metromix cited the restaurant's longanisa slider, goat adobo braised in soy sauce, crispy pata, ube waffles, and spaghetti with hotdogs, which it noted was a "Filipino party staple."

Maharlika restaurant is located in East Village, 111 First Avenue, New York.

The restaurant serves Filipino and Asian cuisine from:
  • Monday to Thursday from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m., and
  • Friday to Sunday from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

The price ranges from $9 to $15 per meal.

Metromix said: "The space used to be the old Lautrec bistro, but the Maharlika folks have given it a major makeover."

Maharlika co-owner Nicole Ponseca told Metromix that the inspiration for their restaurant was a "1970s/1980s Pinoy home."

Ponseca said it's meant to evoke the period when many Filipino immigrants first went to the US.


'In pre-fame Pacquiao fashion'

On its website, Maharlika said that it was pleased with its underdog victory, in the style of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

Maharlika said: "Despite heavy competition from notable contenders Coppelia (Julian Medina), The Dutch (Andrew Carmellini), Fatty ‘Cue (Zak Pelaccio) and Redfarm we were able to pull through with an underdog victory in pre-fame Pacquiao fashion."

"A win of this magnitude would not be possible without our die hard supporters!" it added.


'Self-consciously Filipino'

Writer Laurel Fantauzzo, in a recent "Kwentong Kapuso" article for GMA News Online, wrote about the Maharlika restaurant.

"In Maharlika, the face of a jeepney adorns one wall, a game of sungka rests on one shelf, and a framed scene of The Last Supper hangs near the entrance. Bottles of vinegar are seemingly everywhere," Fantauzzo wrote.

"Every accent in the restaurant is self-consciously Filipino, with classic style, not irony, and the food follows this sentiment. Dishes of puffed, warm pan de sal. A perfectly fried mackerel curled next to a pile of egg-topped garlic rice," she said.

"The five small saucers of vinegar and Maggi Savor with Calamansi Liquid Seasoning that crowd our table. The arroz caldo, that most soothing of Filipino breakfast foods, dotted with fried garlic and dressed with shots of patis," she added. - VVP/HS, GMA News

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