Eating Out at Fort Bonifacio

A day in the life of a Fort Bonifacio stroller will naturally have to involve eating.  And whether the dining experience is merely utilitarian or beyond, the operative word in this sprawling landscape is CHOICE.  An entire alphabet of dining choices abound here.

The Fort Square, the earliest food complex area built here, is perhaps the most famous landmark when fine-dine options are considered.  And this reputation has been made through the hard work of Le Souffle, Prince of Jaipur, Good Earth, Palm Beach and other premiere restaurants that have set up locations here. 

A taste of Paris for lunch will surely bring you to Le Souffle.  And if the French will provide our dining benchmark, then aside from the food, the proper meal will have to be composed of the ambiance, the service, and the beverage served with it.  Prince of Jaipur takes the dining experience up a notch by bringing in their belly dancers.  And their curry will definitely bring up the heat.

Minggoy's, for the authentic paella and other Spanish dishes, offer a taste of nostalgia especially to those who grew up spending Spanish meal Sundays with their families in Old Manila.

Of course, not every meal has to be of the wine and cheese and gourmet types.  For those moments where a quick bite will have to do, there is the Bonifacio Stop Over, which has a handful of fast food joints and retail shops.  Fans of Jollibee ChickenJoy will most certainly know where to head.  Believers of the one pounder burger can also have their fill at Brother's Burger.  Light eaters can head over to Nacho King or Japs.  Again, whatever you crave for, if you want it fast, then the Bonifacio Stop Over is going to be your kind of place.

Al Fresco dining under a three storey roof is a reinvention of the open-air fast food-cum-carinderia concept.  And if you haven't been to Market! Market! yet, then you are missing out on a truly authentic Filipino dining adventure.  First, head on over to Ineng's barbecue.  It is impossible to miss, because it consistently has the longest line of people buying two sticks of their inimitable pork barbecue with a cup of rice!  Expect to wait a while though.  Next, try out some fresh seafood such as the inihaw na panga ng tuna, or the more exotic seabass.  The aroma of charcoal grilling will certainly stimulate your appetite.  If meat is on your mind, try the lechon which you can have over several ways.  Traditional, paksiw, or served with stuffed paella.  Regional delicacies also abound here.  From the semi exotic balut, and about 12 different varieties of longaniza, to the amazing spread of sweet kakanin and rootcrop based desserts.  Choice again is the operative word.

For the adventurous gourmands, The Serendra Strip offers fusion cuisine and so much more.  And if at the end of the day you still have a bit of an appetite left, keep it for tomorrow.  You are definitely coming back to Fort Bonifacio!