FOODTRIP(128): MARIQ Cafe + Restaurant

11/14/2016 02:32:00 AM

A few weeks ago, I got a chance to visit one of the newest restaurants in Marikina which is the MARIQ Cafe + Restaurant located at San Roque in Marikina City.

What makes this restaurant stand out from the rest is that MARIQ offers modern Filipino dishes but they mainly focuses on Marikina's homegrown dishes such as Everlasting, Pininyahanganok and Hamonado. Aside from that they also offer other dishes, homemade pastries and desserts.

Place has a modern vibe, very spacious and cozy. Since the restaurant targets families or big group, there are lots of tables and chairs to accommodate everyone. One can choose to dine indoor or at their Al Fresco area. They have a Mezzanine floor for group functions and events.

Their kitchen under their sister company, Academy Asia School of Technology and the Arts Inc. which started in April 2013, is located at one side of the restaurant. It's a technical vocational school that focuses on preparing its students for hospitality industry. They offer Culinary Arts, Baking & Pastry Arts, Food and Beverage and Bartending Programs. For more info, you can visit their website here: www.academyasia.ph.

Btw, their staffs are really friendly and accommodating. Kudos to them! :)

It was a Blogger's Night with some of my fellow bloggers as well as our friends. It was my first time to get this kind of welcome note from the owners of the restaurant :)) I felt loveeeed! <3 haha :)

Btw, here's their menu which I grabbed from their Zomato page: (click the photo to enlarge)

And here's what they served to us during our visit:

Ampalaya Salad (Php80)

"Slices of ampalaya, tomatoes in garlic-ginger vinaigrette"

- Not a fan of ampalaya but this is an exception. Everything tastes better as I think that the vinegar balanced the bitter taste of ampalaya. Price is affordable too for an appetizer.

Prawn Salpicao (Php260)

"Medium sized prawns stir-fried with bell peppers, onion and garlic"

- One of the appetizers served but given the amount of servings and the flavorful taste of the stir-fried prawns along with bell peppers, onion and garlic, my friends and I think that this can be upgraded to one of the main dishes instead. Also, there's a bit of spicy taste that gives a nice kick to the dish.

Pininyahang Manok (Php240)

"Slow-cooked chicken in savoury pineapple and coconut milk marinade, served with pineapple slices"

- I love the creamy and pineapple taste of own version of Pininyahang Manok. The chicken was soft and cooked well.

Special Everlasting (Php250)

"Marikina's famous meatloaf made special, using only the best ingredients, ground pork, peppers, sweet pickles and raisins"

- Again, another of my FAVORITE from the dishes served. Growing up in Marikina, my mom usually serves Everlasting when I was younger. Mariq's Special Everlasting totally reminded me of my childhood memories in every bite. Their thick, rich in flavors and ingredients taste of Everlasting definitely represents the best of Marikina's food. RECOMMENDED to try!

Beef Kare Kare (Php360)

"Tender beef chunks and ox tripe, with blanched vegetables in peanut sauce"

- With its distinct presentation of their Kare Kare (it was not mixed but partition), they were able to preserve the crispiness and freshness of the veggies included. Another FAVORITE, the thick peanut sauce was made to perfection! And mind you, their own bagoong paste tastes sooooo good!!

Pork Hamonado (Php220)

"Pineapple marinated pork loin, seared to perfection"

- Their soft and sweet taste Pork Hamonado is really cooked to perfection. There's no umay taste, ever, to this dish. Every taste just bursts in my mouth. One of my FAVES and recommended!!

Crab Aligue Rice (Php240)

*serving size is good for 3-4 persons

- If you're looking for a different taste of rice that isn't that empowering but just complimenting the food you eat, I recommend ordering this crab aligue rice.

Malunggay Pesto (Php180)

"Made with Basil and Moringa Leaves, served with grill chicken slices"

- Something unusual but healthy among all the dishes served. You won't really notice that this is made from malunggay. Perfect for health conscious and vegetarians.

Porchetta

"Our special boneless, rolled pork roast, stuffed with garlic, lemongrass and other local herbs. Crispy outside, tender and flavourful inside."

Single (good for 2-3 servings) - Php360

Half Roll (good for 10-12 servings) - Php2,000

Whole Roll (good for 20-25 servings) - Php3,800

- Forget your diet as one MUST really get to try Mariq's BEST SELLER Porchetta. This is no ordinary Porchetta as full efforts were made to be able to achieve it's one of a kind taste. No sauce included as the crunchy and crispy pork itself is enough to even forget your name. Haha Crispy on the outside, tasty on the inside :) This is a MUST TRY when you dine in here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Desserts:

Halo Halo Cake (Php65/slice; Php550/whole)

"Filipino dessert reinvented. Layers of moist ube cake, macapuno and langka bits, with caramel flan on top"

- First time to hear a halo halo cake and the taste is amazing! Ube flavored cake with a halo halo flavor inside. Yum!!

Quezo de Bola Cheesecake (Php125/slice; Php1,100/whole)

"The Bestseller, classic cream cheese with brown cookie base, topped with Edam cheese shavings"

- And I'm just SPEECHLESS to tell you how this became the BEST cheesecake ever for me!! Thick cream cheese topped with lotsssssssss of cheese.. ahh heaven!!! Cheese lovers and even non cheese lovers will totally love this! Typing this makes me wanna go immediately at Mariq and order this NOW! That's how I badly crave for this cheesecake. Haha :) I see myself coming back and ordering a whole cake one of this one of this day. Definitely RECOMMENDED!!

Langka Sansrival

- Sansirival are my faves and this one too! The langka on top gave a different taste to the typical sansrival we have. Not too sweet and makes you wanna crave for more. Recommended!

Chocolate Caramel Cake (Php80/slice; Php700/whole)

"Super-moist chocolate cake with layers of caramel covered with milk chocolate ganache"

- I give an A++ for this chocolate cake as it is really moist, chocolate-y and yummy.

House Blend Iced Tea (Php80)

"Made from brewed black tea, lemon cucumber and grenadine syrup"

- Forgot to take a photo of their house blend ice tea :( It's not your typical house blend ice tea because among all the house blend tea I've tried, this one definitely stands out. There is a distinct texture to every sip and found out that this is made from a brewed black tea. Btw, one glass is tall so I think it's really enough or maybe more than enough.

They also serve some local beers but haven't tried those.Though it looks good right? :)

And here are some pastries they served us:

**Pls take note that prices are exclusive of 10% service charge

With fellow bloggers grabbed from Mariq Cafe + Restaurant Facebook & Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/BMdTGlogAee/?taken-by=mariqrestaurant)

Extra photos of me and invited friends at Mariq Cafe + Restaurant. (Thanks Mariq for also having my friends in your restaurant:))

Overall, I really had a GREAT time trying out different dishes at Mariq. Their recipe was made from scratch so that's why most of the dishes served have a unique taste which one will really remember. Servings were huge and prices were reasonable. I think it's best to dine here in groups (family and friends) to be able to fully experience and taste Mariq's different dishes. No worries budget conscious as I believe, they also serve affordable rice bowls. Mariq Cafe + Restaurant really embodied Marikina through their dishes. So if you're looking for a specialty dishes that represents Marikina, this is definitely the place to be.

Thank you again Ms. Cindy and Ms. Leslie for the invite :)