BBQ Ribs in Manila, Philippines – Part Deux!
I found myself travelling back to Manila again last month and this time it was personal…
Ok, that’s a bit dramatic but I was on a mission on eating as much ribs as I could in five days, heck the McRib was on the agenda if it was still on the menu! After a long flight, a very friendly taxi ride and epic traffic I found myself back in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the financial district of Manila, which used to be part of the main Philippine Army camp and has a huge American influence. Perfect rib country!
We hit our hotel at around 9 pm local time; had a quick shower and we were out on the hunt for ribs! Realised how jet lagged we were and settled on the ‘Cue Modern Barbecue on Bonifacio High Street, 7th Ave, Taguig, BGC. I’d already been here but didn’t try their ribs last time, I know right!
I ordered the half slab of Baby Back Ribs… wet! That’s right, you get to choose if you want your ribs “wet” with a house-made BBQ glaze or “dry” rubbed with house-made spice rub. Cracked open my first San Miguel for the trip and waited, being the only customers at the restaurant we got our meals out pretty damn quick!
The ribs came out with a side of cheesy broccoli and cauliflower, by the photo above, you can see how good it looked! I won’t lie, these ribs didn’t last long. I loved the spice blend on the “wet” glaze and the meat just fell off the bone. It had just the right amount of sauce on the ribs, melted in the mouth and left me quite satisfied! What a perfect finish to a massive day of travel!
Couple of days in, we visit Racks @ The Fort Strip, located surprisingly on The Fort Strip at BGC, it was a hot afternoon in Manila and I was a bit concerned about how much ribs I could actually eat before going into a rib coma, not to mention the potential of meat sweats. We got there around 11 am to miss the lunch rush around BGC, which meant technically I was ordering ribs for brunch, always a first time for everything right?
I had to choose between Baby (Back) Ribs, Classic Pork Ribs or Beef Ribs! I couldn’t decide so I went the Racks Sampler, which came with all of the above plus hickory smoked chicken on the side. My meal came out and it was huge! Just watch the video below:
The Racks Sampler at Racks @ The Fort Strip is definitely worth your while if you happen to find yourself in Manila. It's a selection of all their smoked specialities on one massive plate!Review will be up in the new year but enjoy watching the demise of the Racks Sampler!
Posted by Rib Appreciation Society on Friday, 18 December 2015
The tables had a choice of two sauces, sweet BBQ sauce or spicy BBQ sauce; I went with the spicy BBQ sauce and didn’t look back. The baby back ribs, tasted great, meat was easy to eat and that was the same with the beef ribs as well. The Classic Pork Ribs on the other hand were just too try and as you can see in the video above, took some time to finish. It was way too much ribs for brunch but I loved it, if was to head back to Racks @ The Fort Strip, I would just stick to the Racks Baby Ribs, they were the winner on the dish.Full of ribs, the walk back to the office felt like forever but man was I satisfied!
Because we didn’t have enough meat for brunch, we visited K-Pub BBQ that night, a Korean BBQ restaurant at BGC where you cook your own meat. If you find yourself at BGC, I recommend checking this place out, where you pay for an hour to cook as much meat as you can eat. No traditional ribs here but there is a good variety of meat (see picture below) on the menu and the entertainment is great except when they’re hosting a Private Christmas Party!
On the last night in Manila we visited Bondi & Bourke located at 235 Salcedo St, Legaspi Village, Makati. A Modern Australian restaurant run by Chef Wade Watson, serving modern twists to some great Aussie classics like the Chicken Parma and Watson’s take on the iconic lamington.
The menu at Bondi & Bourke was impressive, I had a choice between BBQ Pork Ribs and U.S. Beef Ribs. I went for the BBQ Pork Ribs with house-made BBQ sauce, which came with butter glazed corn, potato puree and greens. I had heard good things about Chef Watson and when my ribs arrived at the table I nearly shed a tear, it look amazing, too good to eat!
The meat just fell off the bone but had a fantastic texture, which was a pleasure to eat, the flavours were perfect, with the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the dish and perfect spice balance to compliment the ribs. They even had just the right hint of burn from the grill, which seems to be a lost art with so many reheated rib dishes out there. I must say I have never had such well-cooked and refined flavours in a rib dish before. Best sides I have ever had, the potato puree was smooth and deliciously buttery, while the corn just topped of this amazing dish!
This trip to Manila did not disappoint, I honestly can’t recommend trying these restaurant enough and do yourself a massive favour, book a table at Bondi & Bourke, you will not be disappointed and I challenge you to find ribs this good in Australia.
Think you know where the Best Ribs in Manila are? Then let us know by commenting below!
Always on the hunt for the perfect rack of ribs and cooks up a storm at home, and yes, he loves to tell everyone about it.
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