Manila's Best Kept Restaurant Secrets

In search of the best hidden restaurants? Then this book is calling out to you. 


Nothing beats the satisfaction of finding a quaint hidden restaurant or uncovering another restaurant gem. Aside from reading blogs and asking around, books have also guided me in my search for the best food finds. 

Since my friend, Andre, knows how much I love searching for new restaurants, she lent me her heavy coffee table book, "Manila's Best Kept Restaurant Secrets." I couldn't help but let out a faint fan girl squeal when I cradled the book in my arms for the first time. 


Yes, I've been dying to get my hands on this book. I've been lovingly browsing through it, smelling the pages and even dreaming about it in several bookstore trips. Finally, Andre handed me the luxury of reading the entire book. 


Since I received some inquiries about this book from my New Years Resolution post, let me give you a quick tour of the book. 

Manila's Best Kept Restaurant Secrets covers over 50 restaurants, 59 to be exact, in Metro Manila which fall under the following criteria:

• Preference for family-owned restaurants, as much as possible not in a mall
• One location restaurants unless the family personally attends to other branches
• Restaurants with interesting owners and rich histories
• Some restaurants in hotels with their special secrets
• No franchises

Probably because of familiarity, bulk of the restaurants covered in the book are located in Makati. Most of which also fall in the range of expensive, thus making it a great reference for special occasions such as the upcoming Valentine's Day. 

After going through colorful restaurant stories and indulging in the most tempting and seemingly breathing food photographs, it was a delight that a humble karinderia, Som's, made its way to this elite hardbound book. 


Despite the perceptible disadvantage in numbers, a couple of my Quezon City favorites also made it to this list: Bellini's and Ninyo Fusion Restaurant, formerly called Inyo. Not to fret though, their list of restaurants grows almost every year with their MBKRS Awards. 

Story lovers are bound to fall in love with its brimming narratives behind the chefs and owners of every restaurant. Indeed, each one has such a rich story to tell. Every story then is a accompanied by such artistically photographed dishes that will surely stimulate your senses and probably even call upon your stomach. 


The book also serves as a culinary road map to foodies who are constantly on the look out for the best dining experience. Every feature discloses the restaurant's must-order dishes. Now, you won't ever have to worry about "ordering the wrong food" - if there's such a thing. 

Featured restaurants are arranged alphabetically, by location and by cuisine. Too bad the index does not indicate corresponding the page numbers though, making it tad difficult to search for a particular restaurant in the book.

Good thing the restaurants are listed in every section page: The Secret Accord, The Secret Mix, The Family Secrets, etc. 

The book is widely distributed in various bookstores so owning a personal copy won't ever be a problem. It's a little expensive at Php1999 but it's quite a fair price for all the hidden gems that this book unveils. 

Once again, thank you to my friend, Andre, for lending me her copy. :D 

Watch out this week for my Valentine's Special: 14 Romantic Restaurants for Valentine's Day! 

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Are you looking for a nice restaurant or a vacation spot? I'll be more than willing to help! Go to "Ask Smarla" section and check out my Food & Travel Map. I'll do my best to help you out. :) 

~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter~