Bistro Manuel

Dined at your restaurant 5 times as i remembered. You deserve my 5 rating. As a Filipino cuisine Chef, i always keep on searching and looking for restaurants or eating place that will inspire me. Bistro Manuel is one of the most outstanding contemporary fine dining restaurant that will always make me WOW! � Thank you and Congrats Chef Ariel and Mia Manuel �

Had the Degustacion set menu, it was very filling and unique. Good food and excellent service, staff was very attentive and always ready. Chef Ariel is the best!

I admit, I haven't been to a lot of fine dining restaurants on my own. Why? Budget, companions, and that fear of getting embarrased for not knowing the right stuff to eat.

Thanks to my foodie community and their slew of invites, I get to experience high class dining while I'm with good friends.

So here I was in Bistro Manuel, a new restaurant created by Chef Ariel and Mia Manuel of Lolo Dad's fame. For those of us who don't know, yes including me, Lolo Dad's was helmed by Chef Ariel Manuel, it was located in Malate but had to close down. Now, I call it a blessing in disguise since Chef Ariel and his wife Chef Mia has put up Bistro Manuel, a restaurant all their own, to showcase their own masterpieces for the new generation of foodies to enjoy.

Lunch was very proper, starting with amuse bouche and freshly baked bread with butter, compliments of Chef Ariel himself.

Next, we were served 2 espresso cups in neat fancy boxes. At first I didn't know what to do but the curious cat in me just took a sip of each cup. I was blown away. These were soups, and you can down them just like shots! One was tomato based and the other was mushroom cream. I knew I'm in for more treats!

The salads came next. We ordered 2 - Romaine Caesar Salad, a classic with some anchovies, pancetta, boiled eggs and some lemon and parmesan dressing; and the Spinach and Warm Mushroom Salad, which had slices of mushrooms, smoked bacon and a roasted garlic vinaigrette dressing. Surprisingly, out of these 2 salads, i gravitated more on the Spinach and Warm Mushroom. It was really that good, and I think the garlic-lover in me enjoyed the difference it made on the tangy dressing.

We were treated to a Lolo Dad's classic too! Lolo Dad's Cafe Baked Oysters was a thing of beauty. Served with a twist of delicate angel hair pasta, some melted cheese and a sliver of foie gras, these baked oysters alone are a pleaser. I think I downed 2 of these!

Service was impeccable. After a lemony sorbet palate cleanser, we are totally ready for the mains. At first I thought we ordered a lot but I manage to tuck in a little bit of everything on this list:

Mild Spice Arabbiata - Penne in tomato sauce with basil, garlic and chili. The hint of chili was overpowering and made the dish more appetizing.

Seared Scallops and Scampi - Bechamel-stuffed rigatoni pasta with seared scallops and shrimps

Lamb Shawarma Grilled Pizza - A pizza that has that Mediterranean take on it. I was thinking this was made for the International crowd in Poblacion and yes, I was right, this is one of their bestsellers. The pizza has lamb belly, tomato and onions, and served with a yoghurt and chili dip. Very interesting!

Only for the Rich Pizza - This pizza is so rich and luxurious, it screams "You don't sit with us!" Luxury does even fit the word to describe its decadence. It has lobster, duck liver, scallops, prosciutto, smoked salmon, carabao milk cheese, and truffled tomato sauce. It looked so pretty, with edible flowers as garnish. Tastewise, everything melded together, and it was truly an indulgence at its peak.

Pan-fried Fillet of Salmon - The bacon butter sauce upped the taste of this fillet. Eat with the side of caramelized onions and potatoes, and it's heaven.

Roasted Duck Breast - Am not entirely a fan of duck but this Moulard duck was divine. Served with some compressed potatoes and sauce.

Lamb and Lamb with Lamb - Absolute one of the stars in this lineup. That's lamb served 3 ways! Roasf lamb rump, stewed lamb breast and fried lamb sweetbrrad with sieved potatoes. Suprisingly, there is no anggo or gamey aftertaste we usually get when eating lamb. Chef Ariel's secret? Best ingredients. No cutbacks. Just fine premium meat to serve to his guests.

US Ribeye Prime Steak - No complaints here. Steak was done medium and I couldn't be happier. Served with truffled mash potatoes and chilled hollandaise sauce, this is the steak done right.

What's good about the husband and wife tandem of Chef Ariel and Mia, is that Chef Ariel leaves the sweets to Chef Mia. That is her territory and boy, we had the best dessert spread ever! Each dessert was beautifully presented with sugar tuilles and all the fanfare. I can't pick a favorite!

Lemon Meringue Pie with Chocolate Ice Cream
- Cloudlike meringe pie eated with chocolate ice cream is a dream! Best for sharing!

Freshly Baked Apple Tart with Rock salt and Olive Oil Ice Cream
- The warm freshly baked tart pairs well with the cold ice cream. The clash of temperatures and textures is always a treat. The ice cream did not disappoint!

Baked Cheesecake with Orange in Spiced Syrup
- This foodie is a sucker for cheesecake. I know, right!? The orange and spiced syrup is a welcome addition. The cheesecake itself was sinful!

White Chocolate Creme Brulee with Berry Tartlet
- One can never go wrong with white chocolate and berries!

Tiramisu Souffle with Vanilla Sauce
- The coffee-flavored souffle was slowly drizzled with vanilla sauce right in front of us. Plus points for presentation!

Declension of Mango and Mascarpone Cheese with Vanilla Frozen Creme and Dulce de Leche Sauce
- I will order this again, but I won't share! Hahahaha I didn't know mango and mascarpone go well together. This was a total treat on its own.

You wouldn't think a restaurant serving fine contemporary cuisine can be found in Poblacion. Chef Ariel and Mia prove us wrong. It might be tucked away on the 2nd floor of a building, not as loud as other big brand restaurants out there. I felt this was reminiscent of Lolo Dad's fame. A quiet bistro that offers exceptionally crafted dishes, they are slowly making some noise in the foodie community, with their wonderful food and impeccable service and how Chef Ariel himself builds relationships with his guests and patrons. He opens Bistro Manuel too as a place good for notable events and functions, maybe it be big or small, all depending on the client's budget, with a customizable menu, with chef recommendations. Imagine THE Chef Ariel Manuel cooking for your holiday gatherings or business meetings?! Definitely a great idea!

✔️ Bistro Manuel
Poblacion Makati

I’ve been eyeing to try Bistro Manuel for some time now and I was glad I had a taste of its fine dishes last week with some of my friends.  I’ve heard of Lolo Dad’s but wasn’t fortunate to try it as its already closed its doors. As you know, this restaurant is famous for its fine dining menu outside of hotels with dishes that were truly pleasing to both eyes and appetite.

Poblacion - An old downtown area of Makati that has so much to see and do, from various types of restaurants and bars. Who would've thought that the noisy area of Poblacion hides a restaurant that is out of the ordinary - BISTRO MANUEL. A fine-casual dining bistro that serves fine contemporary cuisine by Chef Ariel. Ever heard of Lolo Dad's who closed down last 2014. The same guy behind Lolo Dad's is here in Bistro Manuel and not only that as they've decided to keep a few of the signature dishes from Lolo Dad's!

initially, i thought it’s a “call before you dine” kinda resto ‘coz of its fine-casual dining category. but it wasnt, walk-ins are entertained but the former is required to ensure that what you want from the menu is served to you because of availability of the food. they have imported and locally sourced ingredients, hence the need to ring in to reserve because it might not be available for walk-ins.

nonetheless, this shouldn’t discourage you from visiting this wonderful resto in poblacion, makati. ‘coz the service and the food will leave you praising it from start to finish.

may it be a big gathering or solo-flight kinda of special or relax mode eat feels, bistro manuel surely attends to your needs. most of the time, chef manuel is there and goes about w/ the customers re the resto, the food served and what wine pairings are perf for it.

had an amazing time stuffing myself of the flavorous and wonderful food items he had in store for us. i mean from the warm bread basket to the wow-factor appetizer, its smokin’ sherbet palate cleanser then the sosh mains down to the gala of their sweet meal-enders - EXQUISITE in all caps

oh before i forget. they also serve an 8-course degustation if you’re interested and the cuisine varies too so chef manuel’s interpretation of such rich food is made real in his dishes and i assure you lots of hmms and mmmhs will be heard.

parking may be an issue for some, but the guard will tell you where to leave your car safely. the resto is quite out of sight from the main makati ave part and is located at the second floor of the six axis building to w/c i got lost at first but forgivable coz the foods near perfection.

my fave:
the complimentary bread basket - sweet, warm, fluffy and that butter was luscious
baked oysters w/ foie gras- surprised to learn that there’s a creamy angel hair pasta at the bottom.
only for the rich pizza- the ingredients are so posh that one bite was out of this world
shrimp scampi pasta- ay yay yay the plating was mind blowing ( i wish there was more long macaroni stuffed cheese pasta in my plate)
mushroom and tomato soup- served in espresso cups were DELICIOUS!
the citrusy palate cleanser sherbet - wow
duck breasts - were spectacular, wanted some gravy in it but it was cool.
all their desserts were heavenly and looked splendid!