What to Feed Your Mom This Mother's Day
Mother's Day used to be a huge day for restaurants. Hours are filled, tables are booked. It may be a fake holiday, but it's had a marked effect on our lives. There are flowers, chocolates, gifts, reunions.
But this time, we're at home, likely away from mom. Social distancing means there's no big reservation for 12. Bouquets are scarce and probably just plucked from our newly grown rooftop vegetable garden. Some shops have reopened, of course, so you can book someone to deliver something to make up for the pandemic.
There's a way to make the day special, still. Different, but still special. You can be together even when you're divided by screens. These restaurants are reminding you to live and celebrate.
La Spezia
After taking a monthlong respite, the young chefs and owners of this beloved Quezon City haunt are back and ready to make your moms happy. Reopening just before Mother's Day on May 9, La Spezia is unleashing its specialties: amazing pomodoro and carbonara. The menu is limited (no lamb or steak or the dessert that was inspired by breakfast), but it's always the pasta that counts anyway. Message La Spezia on social media, place your order, pay via bank transfer or Gcash, book the courier, and snap it for Instagram.
Hapag MNL
Hapag launched its delivery subsidiary Hapag Sa Inyong Hapag on May 6. Though it's far removed from the restaurant's signature tasting menu, the three young chefs have assured that their best work is available, like the sourdough loaf, Kare-Kare ni Lola V, Pares Toast, and more.
Hapag is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the cut-off for orders at 3 p.m. Pay via Paymaya or bank transfer. Pick-up and delivery are available.
Pepita's Kitchen
Yes, you can celebrate this Mother's Day—albeit through Zoom. Dedet dela Fuente is offering her beautiful stuffed pigs (as well as her other gustatory inventions), including her underrated yet just as delicious Breakfast Lechon, which comes bursting with garlic rice, salted egg, and tocino. It's pretty much a tocilog inside a roast pig. If a lechon isn't enough, there's also the Crab Gulong Gulong, 8 Treasure Boneless Chicken, Hiplog, and Biko Langka.
0917-866-0662
The Black Pig
We're hopping on one pig to the next. This Southern gem by chefs Carlos Garcia and Tricia McDonald is offering set meals for three to four people. Each set contains a bread starter, soup, a main with a side dish, and dessert. If sets are too much, The Black Pig is also offering kits to help you make stunning mains in your house: cochifrito (deboned suckling pig), confit salmon, salt-crusted seabass, chuleton, and pulpo.
urbanartisankitchen.com/collections/mothers-day; 0917-516-6469
Mantra Indian Kitchen and Bar
If you're a fan of this popular Indian restaurant, then you'll be glad to know that most of its menu is available to take home. Yes, including the tandoori prawns, rogan josh, green pea tiki, and traditional Indian curry. Just like a regular restaurant, orders are available only from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and then again from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
0926-049-9357; 8776-0318
Mecha Uma
It's not quite the same as chef Bruce Ricketts cooking in your face, but the quarantine is about small victories. The menu is limited, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for quality: rib-eye rosu don, Iberico katsu don, kamo yakisobo, Szechuan tori karaage, tamago custard. Each item is a limited edition so make sure to get your orders in early. It's only available from Monday to Saturday (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) so consider it a Mother's Day celebration.
0919-084-5537
People's Palace and Blackbird
Colin Mackay's restaurants are cooking up a storm. Thai OG People's Palace even has a full set menu for four specifically for Mother's Day: Thai fried chicken, pork skewers, prawn pomelo salad, green papaya salad, dry beef curry, kapi fried rice, and sticky rice with mangoes (P2,888++). As for Blackbird, it's all your usual favorites.
8828-4888, 8828-1937, 0917-889-2782; Both establishments deliver in Makati and Bonifacio Global City for a fee; Customers can arrange delivery outside these areas.
Earth Kitchen
Missing its beef kebabs? Earth Kitchen is back up and running, serving its farm-to-fork dishes all over Metro Manila via delivery. The kebabs, the grilled chicken, the mushroom soup, the fish tacos. All the bestsellers are there. Earth Kitchen accepts cash, bank transfer, Gcash, and Paymaya.
0917-584-3278; 0966-695-3545
Ambassador's Ice Cream
Sometimes, all mom needs is a sweet treat. All the flavors of this vegan ice cream brand are topnotch, but its latest uses 85-percent Malagos dark chocolate plus Oreo coffee cashew crumble and soy. Prices are P110 for a cup, P345 for a pint, P600 for a pie, and P500 for a gallon (promo price).
facebook.com/ambassadorsicecream
Looking for more food options?
Cooking Fatigue? More Restaurants Are at Your Service
Date-Night Deliveries to Keep Love Alive in the Time of COVID
All the Restaurant and Fast Food Dishes You Can Cook in Your Home
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