Chef's Table in Little Manila

Little Manila celebrated its first anniversary today, and I, along with Hubby and a few other bloggers and vloggers, was lucky to have been part of the restaurant's history when we were invited to the Chef's Table last Saturday to try out new items that were going to be introduced to their menu.

The first thing I noticed upon approaching the Pinoy resto was the iconic jeepney parked proudly outside.  This was made and brought all the way from the Philippines, in time for Little Manila's anniversary, and passersby are very welcome to sit inside!

with Milo (of Milo Torres Photography), Junie Sorsano (of Buhay sa Dubai),
and MM Gimena (of MM in Dubai)

Upon entering, you couldn't miss the colorful fiesta theme that adorned the entire restaurant.  You could even take pictures at their photobooth.

Anyway, moving on to the main event and reason why we were there. I felt so kilig when, approaching the area, I saw this:

my name on the table!

With the food in front of us, Ken and Executive Chef Jojo Joaquin explained the new items that diners could soon order from their menu.

First was the pizza.  It wasn't just any ordinary pizza, mind you.  At 27 inches in diameter, it's THE BIGGEST PIZZA IN THE ENTIRE UAE!

Just look at that huge pan of assorted flavors!

Next were the pastas: Spaghetti Bolognese and Spaghetti ala Carbonara with Mushroom

This was soon followed by the Buffalo Texas Wings

And for dessert, we all had slices of the Double Decker Choco Fudge Cake

We were there not just to taste, but to also share our opinions as well, which we really appreciated.  It allowed us to give our feedback directly to the person responsible.  Plus, when we had questions, they were immediately answered.

So how did I find it?

The pizza, as you can see, was huge!  But because the dough used was focaccia bread, it didn't make us full easily, allowing us to enjoy more slices than we would normally eat ☺

The carbonara was very creamy.  According to Chef Jojo, he uses cheddar cheese to thicken the sauce, which explains the deliciously cheesy taste.

The spaghetti tasted just like it's name: Spaghetti Bolognese.  Now I'm more of a Pinoy-style sweet-taste spaghetti type of person, so I didn't appreciate it as much.  But hey, don't let that stop you.  If you like the Italian recipe, you'll definitely like it.  Hubby finished his serving, so that explains a lot.

I was glad to see that the Buffalo Texas Wings were bigger than what we're usually served in regular restos. Made with tabasco sauce and lemon, I'm sure these will be a hit with diners...even the ones who aren't fond of spicy food (like me ☺)!

And finally, the cake which was made with Swiss chocolate fudge from Germany.  As I was finishing my dessert, I was thinking it was the perfect way to end the meal.  But just when I thought that, out came one of the Little Manila staff, delighting us with one of the cheapest treats Pinoys enjoy to fight off the summer heat: Ice Candy!

Despite being full and the fact that we just had dessert, we couldn't resist trying the frozen snack.

So are you hungry yet?  Here's what you need to know:

The biggest pizza will be available from Bread Shop in any 4 of the following flavors:
• Carne pina amore (Hawaiian)
• Centura grande (Super Supreme)
• Granja de venturas (Vegetarian)
• Kwatro kantos (4 flavors: pepperoni, margarita with jalapeños, Hawaiian and vegetables)
• Pollo barbacoa (Smoked Chicken Barbeque)
• Queso loco de pimento (3 kinds of cheese with jalapeños)

The Pizza Fiesta comes in 3 different sizes and combos, depending on the number of people in your group and the size of your appetites:
• 14 inches - for Dhs70, this is good for 2 to 4 people and comes with red iced tea or Coke
• 21 inches - for Dhs205, this is good for 7 to 9 people, and comes with a choice of pasta (Carbonara or Bolognese), Buffalo Texas wings, and red iced tea or Coke
• 27 inches - for Dhs360, this is good for 10 to 12 people, and comes with a choice of pasta (Carbonara or Bolognese), Buffalo Texas wings, and red iced tea or Coke

The delectable chocolate cake is Dhs100 for 1kg, or Dhs15 per slice.   This is also available from Bread Shop.

For Dhs2, you can beat the summer heat with an ice candy of any of the 7 flavors: Avocado (my favorite!), Buko, Watermelon, Strawberry, Mango, Sweet Melon, and Buko-Mango.  And believe me, you won't be disappointed.  This is the kind that you can really say "Hindi tinipid sa sangkap."  My ice candy was creamy and distinctly tasted of avocado, and Hubby's equally creamy buko-mango had bits of young coconut and mango in it.

Thanks to Ken, Chef Jojo, Rachel and every one else from Little Manila, for such a delectable event. We surely had a great time as we tasted the new offerings in such a festive place, just like home. Nostalgia at its best!

Little Manila Restaurant
K6 Building, Al Muraqqabat Street
Deira, Dubai
Phone: 04-2999315