Now open: A wider table of urban flavors at Capitol Commons’ Estancia mall

Who hasn’t been to Capitol Commons? It may not be smack in the center of the usual lifestyle developments like Ayala Avenue or Bonifacio Global City, but being slightly out of the way might just be part of its charm. Just a year after Capitol Commons opened its doors to the public, it seems that everyone—yuppies, foodies, and urban dwellers alike—have dropped by for a quick jog in the park, a round of drinks with friends, a business meeting over coffee, or an intimate dinner with loved ones.

And where, just a few months ago, were just concrete skeletons right across the park now stands a sleek mall called Estancia, which will not only be home to big imported apparel brands but also a wide array of restaurants.

Urban Flavors weekend

As part of its soft opening promotions, Estancia is holding Urban Flavors for the first two weekends of December. For the price of a ticket (P500), diners can enjoy tasting portions from 20 establishments. There are two more dates left: December 13 and 14.

More to explore

The lineup doesn’t get more eclectic than this. Let’s start with the pioneers at the park and their offerings at the media event. Tipsy Pig served popular comfort hangover food sisig tacos. Black Olive, known for their Mediterranean cuisine and cerveceria, unfortunately did not serve beer.  But what they did hand out are worth coming back for more: truffle popcorn and the addictive involtini of grilled eggplant, roast tomato, black olives and feta cheese. Sentro 1771 served steaming bowls of its most famous dish, sinigang na corned beef.

Foodies are in for surprising flavor twists with Nomama and I personally can’t wait to eat a full meal there. A serving portion of their spicy fresh prawn wonton with dandan sauce was enough to convince me to set a dinner date to taste more of their artisanal ramen and inventive Japanese fare.

At Estancia, there is a dizzying array of options to choose from. If in the mood for traditional Filipino food, hop over to XO46 The Heritage Bistro for their delicious rendition of binagoongan. Vietnamese cuisine contender Ba Noi’s new residence in Estancia is just a stone’s throw away from its first home in Kapitolyo. The fresh spring rolls are the best ones I’ve tried so far. B&B Burgers and Brewskies presented appetizing samplers of hand-made pretzels with spicy bacon ranch and cheeracha dips.

Other familiar favorites at Estancia are Jipan, Cinnabon, Café Mediterranean, Caramia, Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Mary Grace, Mrs. Fields and Pancake House.

For those into third wave or specialty coffees, a must-try is Craft Coffee. On what makes their specialty coffee unique, operations manager Peter Ong said, “Basically we freshly roast our coffee. Practices and parameters namin patterned after [those of the] Specialty Coffee Association of America.”

With Craft Estancia as their fourth branch, Ong said they’re offering savory foods like sandwiches and pasta to complement their coffees. If you’re not familiar with Craft, start first with their simple, no-nonsense iced chocolate to let out your inner child. For those who are acidic, Peter recommends their cold brews. The acidity is low, yet the caffeine is high.

New places to try

Estancia also blends old established restaurants with rookie ones.

Eum Ma Nae, which means “Mother’s Place,” is a restaurant serving Grace Lee and her mother’s authentic Korean recipes. But Eum Ma Nae will also serve modern dishes like kimchi quesadilla and Kalbi beef infused with cheese and mushroom sauce.

“We’re already familiar with Korean barbecue, all-you-can-eat. What we’re trying to do is to bring Korean cuisine to a different level,” said Eum Ma Nae’s marketing head Jerome Smooth.

And what better way to try modern Korean food than complementing them with Eum Ma Nae’s Soju Lounge? Soju is a popular alcoholic beverage in Korea, which is often matched with Yakult, yogurt, beer or fruits like pomegranate to make cocktail drinks.

Not exactly new, Larcy’s Cupcakery Café gained a following as a neighborhood café on Aguirre St. in BF Homes, Parañaque. The Estancia outlet is their second branch, and their first in a more accessible, mainstream location.

Larcy will be introducing 10 new exciting flavors in Estancia, such as black-bottom cupcakes, chocolate milk shake cupcakes, apple caramel and apple pie a la mode. For first-timers, Larcy recommends their all-day Filipino breakfast or comfort food dishes like barbecued pork belly and beef stew, and for dessert their salted caramel or pink velvet cupcake and a glass of hot frozen chocolate velvet.

Other new restaurant concepts are Bap Bap Buffalo Wild Wings and Japanese curry house Coco Ichibanya.

If you want to be familiar with these diverse restaurants, catch Urban Flavors on December 13 and 14. — BM, GMA News

For more information about Urban Flavors, call 721-0572, email info@estancia.com.ph or visit their Facebook page.