Estancia Mall: From organic farm-to-table to handcrafted sausages to novelty Korean

MANILA, Philippines - Picky, healthy eater or hearty, heavy diner? Tedious calorie-counter or determined plate-cleaner? Whatever your dining style may be, it seems the metro isn’t running out of options. Luckily, Estancia, the new urban mall in Ortigas, puts many choices under one roof. 

“Estancia is a name that means ‘stay a while,’ and what we envisioned is a place where people can come with their family or friends and discover something exactly for them to enjoy and while their time with,” shares Ortigas & Co.’s general manager for shopping centers Cathy Casares-Ko. “We’ve actually been very deliberate in choosing the restaurants we have here at Estancia. We took our time to make sure the restaurants we have here actually complement each other, but at the same time, really stand out. So you can have something that caters to your carnivore nature one time, and come back for something wholesome the next.”

Estancia tapped the powers of renowned cosmopolitan gastronome JJ Yulo to curate a special sampling of what this new dining oasis actually has in store. “I kept it really simple,” Yulo says about the rustic banquet he laid out in the mall’s bridge-way on the second floor, which serves as the dining hub for the restaurants featured in its Urban Flavors gourmet showcase. “I tried to get as many of Estancia’s homegrown restaurant concepts as I could, and we chose a couple of special items off their menu.”

Starting light

After frosty goblets of sangria, we were whisked off to sample cold tapas from Estancia’s long-time neighbor, Black Olive. “Black Olive is basically a cerveseria, and what we do here is pub-style Mediterranean and Italian comfort food,” says resident chef Carlo Miguel. Long a favored drinking spot, the modern watering hole also serves light but delectable snacks. With its earthy mushroom bruschetta — just the right size for a mouthful of flavors, a consoling spinach and artichoke dip that is a no-fail classic, and a generous selection of pizzas straight from its brick-fire oven, Black Olive gives us an intriguing savory start. “Everything here goes great with beer,” says Carlo Miguel, referring to Black Olive’s 11 brews available on tap at any given time. Perhaps I’ll save those for happy hour.

Next is a mouthwatering spread of burrata from The Wholesome Table. “The Wholesome Table is really about organic ingredients served straight to your plate,” says chef John Rafael Santiago. And despite increasing demands for its Greek yogurt and buffalo mozzarella platter served with basil, cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, and balsamic vinegar, the healthful restaurant still makes their burrata from scratch — a total of two kilos per day.

And what is cheese without a few rolls? “Artisan Emporium is a market street bakery that offers sandwiches, breads, and some desserts as well,” says owner Dana Lee. But what struck my fancy the most was the baker’s rich selection of spreads, of which the strawberry and chicken liver paté was the ultimate star.

Speaking of stars, a star-powered chef also finds her home in Estancia, as this is where chef Florabel Co-Yatco built her namesake restaurant. She serves us her bestselling Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad, which was sweet, light, and refreshing, and topped it with almond slivers for good measure. Ever the well-rounded restaurateur, she finished the experience with a glass of Florabel’s House Iced Tea, lovingly laced with a tangy-sweet strawberry sherbet.  

Main heavyweights

Yet, even as the starter plates come piling in, any Filipino foodie could still be left wanting, especially for meat and rice. This is where the dining and drinking duo of Spice & Cleaver comes in. “It is the house of handcrafted sausages,” says chef Quito Jose. “We have the traditional ones, and on our artisanal side, we make our own versions.”

He serves us a platter of what could only be called a sausage-fest on a plate where, on a bed of traditional German sauerkraut and virgin mashed potatoes, is a sampling of the three most popular wursts: Mexican Spice, Lamb and Feta, and the curiously named “The Mask.” “The Mask is basically the flavors of the sisig stuffed in a casing,” chef Quito notes, and it tastes just as good as it sounds.

Chef Him Uy-DeBaron’s novelty Korean joint, I Am Kim, serves the traditional bibimbap in its stone-bowl, a crackling-hot centerpiece for the already heavy dining affair. “It’s a complete meal. It’s got rice, barbecued meat, veggies, egg, and a nice gochujang sauce which we make in-house,” says DeBaron, prior to ushering in his Kitayama Steak and Eggs Bap. While you can make your own special bibimbap from scratch with an endless array of viands at his eatery downstairs, DeBaron served us his special, replete with the perfectly crunchy tutong, which simply invites you to scrape the bottom of the bowl.        

Sweet endings

Yet, after all that savory treats, the taste buds definitely search for something sweet. PB&Co., the diner-style eatery built on peanut butter passions, ended our meal with an airy yet substantial Marshmallow Toast Ice Cream, which mimics the consistency of a fluffy marshmallow flan atop a toasted-bread ice cream base, and a generous helping of tasty peanut butter sauce to top it off. It’s a spoonful of pure bliss.

And matching its triple threat of cakes — the Matcha Sansrival, Hokkaido Malt Cake, and Mango Crème Brulee — is UCC Clockwork’s after-meal coffee, served with masterful latte art. “UCC Clockwork is our concept store which focuses on third-wave coffee,” UCC Clockwork’s Janna Arceo notes. “This means we have a lot of single-origin coffee available.” At any given time, the hip Japanese kisaten café houses 12 single-origin beans.

The most suitable ending for such a gluttonous affair was a detox with juices by The Wholesome Table. The latest addition to the Estancia gourmet block, its owner Bianca Araneta-Elizalde couldn’t feel more at home at her newfound address. “We love the mall, we love the plans, and we liked the proximity to the villages as well,” she says. “I feel like it really does cater to our market, and it’s been so great for our brand; even better than we actually expected.” This is her third branch, and it’s becoming the most popular branch for her farm-to-table fare.

You can brave traffic in search of the ultimate city-dining experience, or you can simply go to one place that seems to have it all. With all the good things to taste at Estancia, perhaps your only problem will be in the choosing. Photos by WALTER BOLLOZOS

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Estancia Mall is located at The Capitol Commons, Meralco Ave., Pasig City.