Calling on all foodies!
The Ayala Malls and The Bistro Group are cooking up something new that’s sure to keep foodies abuzz. With five recently opened restaurants and 17 more in the coming months across various Ayala Malls nationwide, Filipino food lovers have much to anticipate.
Ayala Malls Strategic Leasing head Mark Sablan says, “Our patrons are always in search of good food and delightful dining experiences. We at Ayala Malls have made it our quest to satisfy this craving, and bring the newest and most exciting restaurant concepts they’re sure to enjoy.”
Together with The Bistro Group’s aggressive expansion, they do just that.
Sablan continues, “The Bistro Group has been a longtime partner of Ayala Malls. It has been 25 years since The Bistro Group opened their first TGIFridays restaurant in Glorietta 3. We are very happy to have such successful relationships with The Bistro Group, as well as all our food merchants. This enables us to continually provide the best dining experiences for our customers all over the country.”
Exciting new flavors and gastronomic treats
Targeted to launch this April in Greenbelt’s refurbished wing, the much-talked-about Ember is a new restaurant concept created by award-winning chef Josh Boutwood. Known for his unique concepts, including The Test Kitchen and Helm, Boutwood continues to redefine the modern dining experience. Designed as a sophisticated and chic evolution of Savage, a concept he launched in 2017, Ember uses a more delicate cooking method. While Savage follows pre-industrial cooking using fire, smoke, and ash, Ember cooks with what is left glowing from the flame, hence the name.
Another restaurant to look forward to is Rumba, a new Mediterranean-Spanish restaurant that will open its doors at Shops at Ayala Triangle Gardens in June. It features a curated menu by chef Alfredo Rodriguez, a Barcelona native who specializes in his hometown’s cuisine.
Olive Garden, a renowned chain of Italian favorites, is also set to open in August at Glorietta 3. The popular US-based chain serves classic favorites like Fettuccine Alfredo, Lasagna Classico, homemade soups, salads, and bountiful servings of freshly baked breadsticks. It also offers its famous Tour of Italy, which is a set meal that introduces varieties of unique Italian flavors in just one order.
All-time favorites
Familiar and nostalgic flavors bring delight to the heart with The Bisto Group’s soon-to-open and recently opened restaurants, including fan favorites in various Ayala Malls.
Modern Shanghai is opening at U.P. Town Center and Greenbelt in June, and in Glorietta 3 in August. Serving authentic Shanghai cuisine in a casual, home-like setting, the restaurant revives all the simple but hearty meals that connect customers with Chinese traditions. Modern Shanghai is currently operating in other Ayala Malls nationwide, including Alabang Town Center, which opened just last December.
TGIFridays is opening at U.P. Town Center in June. A favorite food haunt since 1965, the American chain welcomes friends and families once again to enjoy good times and great food while savoring that fun-Fridays feeling all week long.
Italianni’s is opening at Shops in Ayala Triangle Gardens in June, while Helm follows in July. The latter is another Boutwood masterpiece — a must-try concept since 2017 that invites diners to a 10-seat, multi-course tasting menu and one-on-one interaction with the kitchen. Meanwhile, the former is an established favorite for classic Italian dishes like pizza, pasta, and more.
El Pollo Loco is opening at U.P. Town Center, Alabang Town Center, and Greenbelt in August; as well as at Ayala 30th and TriNoma in September. The Mexican fast-food chain continues to serve its famous fire-grilled chicken paired with delicious sauces.
Watami is opening at Glorietta 3 in August. Known for bestselling dishes like Tonkatsu Chasu Ramen, Spicy Salmon Bowl, Pork Katsudon, Salmon Teriyaki Teishoku Set, and Shrimp Tempura, Watami is a no-fail, go-to spot for Japanese cuisine. The restaurant also opened at U.P. Town Center last February and at Alabang Town Center in November 2021.
Fish & Co. is opening at U.P. Town Center and Glorietta 3 in June 2023 and August 2023, respectively. This follows the brand’s recent launch at Alabang Town Center last December. Fish & Co. guarantees a scrumptious surf-and-turf experience in a fuss-free environment.
Las Flores recently added Greenbelt to its roster of branches when it opened last December. Serving contemporary Spanish tapas and Mediterranean dishes, it never fails to bring hearty joy to dining customers.
Good food, optimistic times
Ayala Malls continues to be the favored home of The Bistro Group restaurants with 17 of its 30 new stores opening in various Ayala Malls. The Bistro Group president Paul Manuud says, “We’ve gathered invaluable lessons during the pandemic, pivoting to new strategies to adapt to the situation. Now that the economy is opening up and restrictions are being eased, we are back in high spirits. We remain steadfast for a bright future for the restaurant industry. We have not changed our expansion plans to bring in more concepts; we just delayed them. We are hopeful that the present scenario of optimism will prevail. And we’re happy to be working with Ayala Malls in bringing these expansion plans to life.”
He continues, “The takeaway in such a situation is to soldier on and seize opportunities to bounce back, recover and re-strengthen strategic partnerships and collaboration. The success of any business depends, to a large extent, on relationships, trust, and synergy. We value our history with Ayala Malls and remain optimistic that we will be working alongside them for many more years.”
Safe and worry-free dining
The safety of their patrons is always the priority. For the safety of guests and staff, Ayala Malls have partnered with the Department of Health and local government units to immunize all mall employees with regular antigen testing. Ayala Malls is also a recipient of the Safety Seal, which confirms faithful adherence to the minimum public health standards required by the government, thus guaranteeing safe dining in the new normal.
For its part, The Bistro Group echoes this sentiment, and continues to implement strict guidelines for a safe dine-in experience.
Ayala Malls “awakens amazing” with a wide array of exclusive and well-curated shopping and dining establishments assembled to effectively serve the needs and wants of today’s discerning patrons nationwide.
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For more information on ongoing promos, mall events, and safety measures, visit Ayala Malls at www.ayalamalls.com, or through social media at www.facebook.com/AyalaMalls360/ and IG @iloveayalamalls.a
