Exploring the winding streets of Marikina welcomes you with a bunch of good restaurants. And if you thought you’ve known it all, then this restaurant café better be on your list—especially out on a date.
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While Marikina remains idle and quiet on a weekday noon, this chef/owner stays very busy inside the kitchen of his restaurant, Café Amarela. If you’ve gone somewhere near this café, the Korean BBQ and chicken wings restaurant up front may be the first to catch your attention. But discovering the roof deck of this establishment leads you to a better restaurant to try, and perhaps even go on a date to, even solely for its serene vibe. But wait, there’s more to it than just the ambiance.
After touring to several international destinations, Café Amarela owner Vergel Barcelon has been well-curating the dishes for his restaurant. Transporting you across Asia and Europe, getting a taste of global cuisines in one seating is made possible at this restaurant café. Keeping Filipino spirit alive with street food favorites, Café Amarela serves the best Crispy Isaw Fries, which goes through a long cleaning process before the delicious battering and deep frying.
Their main dishes boast of unique taste and flavor that are hard to find elsewhere. Some of their must-tries are their flavorful Russian Baked Salmon—Norwegian salmon fillet served with homemade mayonnaise, garlic and cheddar cheese along with creamy mashed potato, corn and carrots, their Indonesian Beef Rendang that oozes in strong flavors of spice paste, coconut milk, yellow rice, and their Portuguese Chicken which is contrasting to the local grilled chicken as every slice of the chicken hugs the fiery spices.
Don’t limit your taste buds with dishes that may seem already familiar. We suggest you also try Vietnamese Grilled Pork served with sticky Saigon rice, which I must say is a perfect match to the mouth-watering grilled pork. Then, go for some highly-recommended seafood dishes like SG Salted Egg Prawns coated with homemade salted egg sauce, served with rice, and crispy curry leaves.
If you think you need some good pasta fix, you’ve come to the right place still. Café Amarela serves creamy and appetizing pasta like New Orleans Oyster Pasta, and Truffle Salmon Pasta inspired from overseas dishes as well. Get the luscious taste of truffle oil, bacon cream sauce, and generous amount of Parmesan cheese in every plate of their pastas. For some big group dining, Café Amarela would be even more delighted to cater to your event and occasion feasts.
The thought of extreme spices and sapid flavors can bring an intimidation to even try, but with Café Amarela’s expertise in bringing authentic international cuisines to the Filipino food scene, you can never go wrong in trying these unusual yet scrumptious dishes. You will definitely thank us for this try, and we reckon, even your date.
Café Amarela is located at 69 Mayor Gil Fernando Ave, San Roque, Marikina City. For more information on Café Amarela, you can check Café Amarela on Facebook and @cafeamarela on Instagram.
