Kissed By Fire: 17 Best Grilled And Torched Dishes In The Metro
Summer is here and the grill is calling.
Are you missing those hot summer days when you'd be at the beach in all your sun-tanned glory, reveling in fun, games, and lots of grilled food? You’re definitely not alone.
While we can’t take you to the beach, we can do the next best thing — and that is to share with you our curated list of all the best grilled foods we found in the metro. Some of these dishes (and even the restaurants that offer them) were actually born during the pandemic, kissed by fire, and guaranteed to make your tastebuds come alive.
Kissed by Fire
Kissed by Fire
Manila Inasal's Pork Belly and Bangus Inasal
Ridiculously tender, succulent, and oh-so-delicious, it's impossible to stick to just one serving of rice when Manila Inasal is on the table. Developed by restaurateur and professional chef Natalia Moran during the lockdown, Manila Inasal serves grilled meat packed with flavor, whether it’s their signature Bangus Inasal or the thick-cut pork belly iteration. Imagine the savory, smokey, tangy flavors of chicken inasal but with the light flakiness of bangus or the succulent goodness of fatty pork belly. It’s served with ensaladang talong (a local salad of chopped grilled eggplant with tomatoes, onions, and salted egg), green chili sauce, and their tangy inasal sauce. It’s best enjoyed with lots of garlic rice. PRO TIP: Try not to finish it all because it’s even better the next day. To order, call (0998) 998-1987, send a DM to @SarapManilaInasal on Facebook or Instagram, or order online at www.manilainasalgrillhouse.beepit.com.
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Baked by Machew’s Premium Kani Aburi Sushi Bake
Sushi bake was a culinary craze at the beginning of lockdown. One of the best in the sea of sushi bakes out there is Chef Matthew Lim’s Kani Aburi Sushi Bake from his brand, Baked by Machew. A creamy mixture of crab and mangoes lie atop wonderfully sticky Japanese sushi rice (mixed with their own blend of sushi vinegar), garnished with nori, black sesame, and capelin roe. It’s torched to add yet another layer of flavor and a bit of smokiness. They say each order is guaranteed to have 1/4 sushi rice and 3/4 toppings, and I’ve found this to be true. Baked by Machew now has a distribution partnership with FamilyMart, so you can order from the nearest branch via GrabMart. PRO TIP: If you have togarashi at home, go ahead and sprinkle it on this baby. Order at @BakedByMachew on Instagram or Facebook.
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Tsukune Yakitori From Please Senpai
This lockdown baby from The Sunny Side Group (yes, of Sunny Side Café Boracay fame) offers yakitori (Japanese grilled skewers) with their own twist. The delicate pork belly yakitori and its chicken version are excellent, but Please Senpai's Tsukune or Japanese chicken meatballs is my runaway winner. The juiciness and texture are just right and the flavor of their house-made Tare Sauce is so beautiful — savory, sweet, smoky, and not too gingery. The addition of their furikake (crunchy tempura bits and nori strips) makes every bite so much more interesting. It’s a joy to behold and especially to eat. Each yakitori bowl comes with three sticks of yakitori (pork belly and pork neck or chicken breast, chicken thigh, and tsukune), steamed rice, a lusciously creamy onsen egg, furikake, Japanese pickle, and that glorious tare sauce. PRO TIP: You can order a jar of their tare sauce, which you can use to cook with at home. It goes so well with meat as well as veggie stir-fries. Order online at bit.ly/shopoffgridph. Check out @pleasesenpaiph on Instagram.
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Byrd Tubs’ Chicken Inasal
What started as a humble business by chefs Angelo Comsti and Jorge Mendez (they were offering just Hainanese chicken in 2016) grew into a cloud kitchen while the rest of the metro stood still because of the lockdown. Byrd Tubs’ Chicken Inasal has huge cuts of chicken breast and boneless leg quarters marinated in lemongrass and spices making it incredibly juicy, smokey, savory, and herby in the best possible way. It’s served on a bed of java garlic rice with their signature tanglad chili sauce (not so spicy, citrusy, and goes so well with the soy-vinegar sauce), calamansi, and crispy fried garlic. Every bite is a confirmation: the tastiest chicken inasal outside Bacolod comes from a cloud kitchen. Order online at www.byrd-tubs.myshopify.com. Follow @byrdtubs on Instagram.
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Char Siu Chicken by Byrd Tubs
Aside from Hainanese and inasal chicken, Byrd Tubs also has different kinds of chicken tubs created in collaboration with other chefs. One of the most popular — and which has been offered several times due to insistent public demand — is Chef Decker Gokioko’s Char Siu Chicken, which boasts of the familiar flavors of Chinese BBQ: sweet, savory, and just the right amount of bitterness from the charred edges of the marinated meat. It’s served with Lapchang Egg Fried Rice and steamed Bok Choy. Each tub is good for three to four persons. Order online at www.byrd-tubs.myshopify.com. Follow @byrdtubs on Instagram.
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Pyanggang Manok from Palm Grill
Pyanggang Manok is a traditional dish from Zamboanga that has gained popularity in Metro Manila, thanks in part to Palm Grill in Quezon City. Their signature curry is made with charred coconut and it is absolutely delicious, subtly spiced and beautifully seasoned. The chicken itself is so tender and still glistening in its juices. The recipe comes from owner Miguel Moreno's mom, so it's a cherished family recipe that's been enjoyed for so many years. If you're still hungry, go for the Tiyula Itum: black beef soup topped with torched bone marrow, that will surely make you reach for more turmeric rice. Palm Grill keeps making Zamboanga proud by making its regional cuisine more accessible to more people. Order from @palmpgrillph on Facebook or Instagram.
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Chicken Bao-Bq from Vito’s BBQ
People have been raving about this new barbecue joint in San Juan, which serves juicy char-grilled chicken and pork barbecue. Vito's BBQ is named after the owner's young son. Their best selling barbecue is made following a recipe that's been a staple at family gatherings, but it's their limited edition Chicken Bao-BQ that got my attention. Fluffy white bao encases a generous serving of chunky barbecue chicken doused in their signature sauce with atchara (local pickled vegetables like carrots, papaya, and onions), sliced cucumbers to contrast the bold flavors, and some cilantro for freshness. Order online at www.vitosbbq.com. Follow @vitosbbq on Instagram. (Photo: Myron Nepomuceno/@myronepo on Instagram)
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Torched Salmon Donburi by Your Local
Ever since Pan-Asian restaurant Your Local opened, one of its most famous dishes has been their Torched Salmon Donburi. The level of artistry that goes into one rice bowl is staggering, and the way they pay respect to the ingredients has earned them multiple accolades locally and internationally. Try it once and you'll understand why. It contains a beautifully torched Norwegian salmon – cooked to medium perfection to retain its flavor, natural moisture, and flakiness – on a bed of black rice with roasted corn and shiitake mushrooms. It's topped with mentaiko (Alaskan fish/pollock roe), oboro (crumbled shrimp paste), ebiko (shrimp eggs), and salmon skin texture. This is the perfect dish to welcome summer, if you're in the mood for something more fancy but still longing for the intense flavors of the sea. Order from @yourlocalph on Instagram or online at yourlocal.pickup.ph.
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SpiceBird’s Piri-Piri Grilled Chicken Burger
If you love heat, you'll love SpiceBird's Piri-Piri Grilled Chicken Burger made with their new Firebird Sauce. We can all agree that we'd rather be enjoying this along the shores of Boracay (the restaurant's place of birth), maskless and sipping ice cold beers in between bites, but having SpiceBird in the metro tastes just as good. You'll be reminded of warm days basking in the golden sunsets of Boracay... but I digress. Going back to the grilled chicken burger. It's a hefty burger with a huge slab of grilled chicken, which is already flavorful on its own. It's topped with their signature slaw, which won't be enough to save your taste buds from the Firebird Sauce. This looks like lava and tastes almost as hot. Don’t get me wrong, the sauce is delicious, but it’s gonna blow your socks off. It’s the kind of heat that hurts but is so darned good that if you stop eating it you just know you’re going to regret it. If you want to work up a sweat like you just worked out for four hours, order a burger, the grilled chicken, or their new fried chicken with the Firebird Sauce. Order online at www.spicebirdgrill.com and follow @spicebirdgrill on Instagram.
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Grilled Pizza from La Cabrera
La Cabrera Manila is not just about mouthwatering Argentinian steaks. They also make delicious Pizza a la Parrilla (grilled pizzas)! They have three variants so far: Fugazzeta (with white onions, Provolone, and Mozzarella), Pizza de Parma (Parma ham, tomato sauce, arugula pesto, Mozzarella, and Parmesan), and Pizza de Carne (chunks of prime beef, tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, Mozzarella, and Parmesan) – all equally delicious. I appreciate the perfect topping-to-crust ratio, ensuring each bite is just as tasty as the last. The crust is not too thick and not super thin, just the right thickness so it holds the generous toppings well. The savory Parma ham worked well with all that cheese and herby pesto, while the fresh arugula added a peppery flavor that balanced out the creaminess. PRO TIP: Try drizzling a little bit of honey on Pizza de Carne for an additional layer of flavor. Also, reheat it in a pan so the bottom gets crisp while the top gets all warm and gooey. To order, call (0905) 290-0703 or send a DM to @lacabrera_mnl on Instagram. (Photo: Ching Dee/ @chingsilog on Instagram)
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Capampangan Sisig Paella at Café Fleur
Celebrity chef, author, and restaurateur Sau del Rosario wowed the crowd in California's Napa Valley when he served his avant-garde take on sisig back in 2018. His twist? To turn his signature sisig into paella. But back home in Angeles City, locals and tourists have been raving about his Sisig Paella for years. In January 2021, when he opened the Café Fleur branch in Makati City, it was fully booked every day and this dish was already his bestseller. Imagine a paella base of seasoned rice topped with umami-rich sisig, each piece of pork grilled, chopped, and sautéed to savory perfection. A splash of calamansi and a sprinkle of red chili cuts through the otherwise heavy dish. It's a Pinoy masterpiece that deserves space at the center of any gathering. To order, call (0917) 192-8343. Check out @cafefleur.ph on Instagram.
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Lamb Chops Scottadita from Discovery Primea
At Discovery Primea in Makati City, they serve Lamb Chops Scottadita, a staple in Italian cookouts especially during summertime. The chops are seasoned with rosemary, honey and mint. It's juicy, it's tender, and it's flavorful. The technique turns any meal into an Italian experience. Each order comes with baby salad greens, which makes me feel I'm still eating healthy even as I attack the meat with my bare hands. To order, call 02) 7955-8888. Follow @discoveryprimea on Instagram.
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Wood-Fired Pizza from Elbert’s Pizzeria
We can't talk about fire without discussing one of its greatest gifts: wood-fired pizza! At Elbert's Pizzeria in Salcedo Village, Makati, every pizza gets the same Neapolitan-style treatment to make it as close to authentic as possible – from the professional Alfa Forno Quick Legna wood-fired pizza oven flown all the way from Italia to the Brichetto Il Faggetto (100% Pure Beechwood briquettes) from Napoli to the Caputo “00” pizzeria flour used to make the crust. Whether it’s their basic Pizza Margherita (Dega Polpa di Pomodoro tomato pulp, mozzarella fior di latte, Parmesan, EVOO, basil) or the Bianca Prosciutto e Rucola (mozzarella fior di latte, prosciutto crudo, rocket arugula, 14-month aged Parmesan shavings) from their specialty selection, it's going to taste amazing. Pizza is perfect any time of the year, so Elbert's Pizzeria is a great choice any day. Check out @elbertspizzeria on Instagram. Order online at www.elbertsdelivers.com.
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Pollo Al Mattone from Francesco’s
Polla Al Mattone or Italian roasted chicken is another gift from Lo Stivale (a nickname for Italy, it means "the boot" in reference to the country's shape). And one of the best (if not the best) places to experience Pollo Al Mattone is at Francesco's in San Juan. According to Serious Eats, this method of cooking requires roasting the chicken under a brick, which "delivers some of the crispiest skin ever with an even shorter cooking time than a more traditional roast bird". Since it's seared on both sides, the juices are locked in, resulting in juicier and more tender chicken. The meat is marinated with lemons, honey, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme then seasoned generously with Spanish paprika, lemon pepper, and chili powder before being grilled and pressed under a heavy brick to cook. It's a labor of love that will send you to the Italian countryside with just one bite. To order, call (0917) 144-4395. Follow @francescosph on Instagram or Facebook.
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Babu’s Vietnamese Grilled Pork Belly
Helmed by Chef Him Uy de Baron, Babu at The Grid Food Market serves Southeast Asian comfort food. Their bestsellers are Hainanese Chicken and Laksa, but their Vietnamese Grilled Pork Belly will remind you of days spent grilling by the beach. Their Grilled Pork Belly meal comes in various sizes, from single serving to party trays good for four to six persons. Each serving comes with their signature grilled pork belly (juices locked in, bursting with flavor, and charred in all the right places), crispy fried spring rolls, fluffy fragrant rice, a few crunchy prawn crackers for texture, cucumber slices for freshness, and dipping sauce to keep things interesting. Check out @babu_ph on Instagram. Order online at https://thegridfoodmarket.com/collections/stall-8-babu
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Char-Grilled Vegan Burger from Novotel
We're sure by now you've noticed the many different kinds of burgers and burger joints that sprouted as if from nowhere. We're not complaining. Far from it, we embrace all these new options that are getting even more creative than ever. From Novotel Manila Araneta City's Take Me Out selections comes a Vegan Burger that exceeds expectations. It’s made of dry legumes, but it’s so tender, flavorful, and surprisingly juicy! The plant-based patty doesn't make you miss the meat and instead makes you consider if going vegan is easier than you first thought. The burger comes with white onions, tomatoes, pickles, fresh lettuce from their very own El Dorado Farm, a squeeze of sweet relish, and a side of fries. If you’re looking for a reason to give vegan a try, this is it. Order from @novotelmaniaaranetacity on Instagram or @TakeMeOutbyNMAC on Facebook. (Photo: Ching Dee/ @chingsilog on Instagram.)
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17. Mimi & Bros Campfire S'mores
Craving for something sweet? Mimi & Bros in BGC will take care of it with their Campfire S'mores, an elevated take on this kiddie classic. This torched dessert has graham cracker crust, candied rice crispies topped with bittersweet chocolate and everything's topped with smoked fluff marshmallow that will surely remind you of many bonfires from your childhood (okay, maybe even adulthood). Order via FB Messenger @mimiandbros or online at: https://m.me/mimiandbros
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Lead photo: Manila Inasal, Francesco's
