New concepts at Boni Global City

Bonifacio Global City is fast building a reputation as the launching pad for new concepts in food and dining. This season, Embassy and Cold Rock appear destined to follow the path of Bonifacio Global City’s top grossers Le Souffle, upscale Chinese bistro Zong, and Chinese fusion haven Good Earth Oriental Cuisine and Bar.

Just last year, Italian-inspired Café Puccinni, Palm Beach and its chili crabs, and the big hit Go Nuts Donuts were the new kids on the block. Before them were still another batch headed by Gourdo’s, a cafe offering bistro favorites and a wide line of kitchenware and dining accessories.

Keen foodistas — that tribe of Metro Manilans who thrive on finding hot eating places — have given the newly opened three-in-one Embassy complex their blessings. The blackened chilean seabass with a soy-mirin glaze and lamb shank braised with dried fruit at the Embassy’s fine dining section have made them sit up and take notice. Diners are forewarned not to venture into the place on weekends without a reservation. Meanwhile, the rice bowls, sandwiches and wraps at the Embassy Cafeteria have likewise perked the interest of clubbers seeking meals in the wee hours.

Keen on the trail of innovative food concepts, foodistas have discovered Cold Rock’s ice cream creations. The franchise from Australia offers over 50 fruits, nuts, chocolates and biscuits to mix in with its special ice cream lines. Over 10,000 permutations are possible and a number are likely to hit anyone’s sweet tooth.

Jun Bisnar, Fort Bonifacio Development Corp.’s head of commercial operations, observes that The Fort and its adjoining buildings have become favored locations for food entrepreneurs with novel ideas primarily because of the area’s accessibility. Bonifacio Global City can easily be reached from Makati, Ortigas and Paranaque.

He relates that because it is just a few minutes drive from the high-end food mecca that is Makati through the Kalayaan flyover or McKinley Road, a number of restaurateurs have realized the feasibility of setting up their main stores in the area. Following the footsteps of Le Souffle which moved its main outlet from Makati to The Fort, L’Opera will soon open between Gourdo’s and Good Earth. L’Opera is a fine-dining Italian restaurant with impeccable pasta dishes.

Even middle-end food establishments seeking high visibility favor Bonifacio Global City. Kebab King, a fastfood venture by the owners of Café Mediterranean, and Big Topps, Bicol’s largest food chain, recently opened at the Bonifacio Stopover, the retail hub that includes Shell and Jollibee. Taco Bell will soon open at the Pizza Hut site.