Chef Benjo Tuason’s new menu features versions of popular local drinking food, gourmet-style.
You can’t go wrong with the Homemade Potato-Chips (P250)---crisp and thin, with a choice of aioli or pesto dip. The Black Benny Fries (P250), the restaurant’s version of Canada's popular street food, the poutine , features hand-cut fries, smoked bacon and cheese and smothered in gravy. Just like the poutine, this was salty and best paired with a cold drink.
If you’re a fan of rashers, you can’t go wrong with the Country Fried Bacon (P350). Bacon cooked a la country fried chicken, with the breading and mushroom gravy, make for a highly flavorful bite.
But if you’re looking for something a little “delicate,” we recommend the Caramelized Onion and Bacon Tartlets (P260), with flaky melts-in-your-mouth crust, sweet-salty bacon and onion and a pesto cream topping.
If burgers are more your thing, URBN serves Mini Blackbenny Angus Burgers and Mini Curried Shrimp Burgers (P260 for three pieces; P520 for six) . The Angus burger was juicy accompanied with bacon, mild cheddar, onion jam and aioli, while the shrimp burger had just the right curry kick.
URBN’s version of the buffalo wings was the innocuously named Sticky BBQ Chicken Pops (P350), also one of its bestsellers. Those who enjoy spicy food would love this dish. One fiery bite after another, accompanied by a tasty, albeit a bit runny Roquefort dip.
Sisig was said to be the inspiration of the Lamb Hash (P350). This simple mix of lamb and potatoes made everyone say “yum” at the first bite of its sweet, salty, fatty, meaty goodness. Best paired with a cocktail, a beer or a cup of rice, this dish is a must-try.
Pizzas
Chef Tuason also introduced four new URBN pizza flavors.
The All-Meat with BBQ Sauce Pizza (P410) was a terrific marriage of the sweet barbecue sauce and generous chunks of roast beef, chorizo and salami. Creamy and cheesy, the Seafood Pizza (P380), with shrimps, white fish and scallops, was a seafood lover’s dream, nicely accentuated with anchovies and a pesto sauce drizzle.
URBN’s version of the Four Cheese Pizza (P370) didn’t include a bleu or a green cheese. But those looking for intense cheese flavors will still be happy, as it features sharp cheeses like manchego, cheddar and parmesan, with mozzarella for added texture.
Vegans will have no cause to complain with the Vegetarian Pizza (P320), with caramelized onions giving a sweet zing to this pizza, complementing the mushrooms, capsicum and olives.
Desserts
Cheesecake lovers will enjoy the new dessert offerings of URBN, as it features not one, but three new cheesecakes.
Ferrero lovers will go crazy over the Nutella and Candied Hazelnut Cheesecake (P250), while the Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake (P250), with its thick brownie “crust,” marbled cheesecake, topped with more brownie slices and nuts, will make both brownie and cheesecake lovers approve.
"Trippy" was one of the words used to describe the last cheesecake, the Maple Bacon Cheesecake(P250). This is definitely a must-try for bacon lovers and those that enjoy sweet, salty, and creamy in one bite.
But the lone, non-cheesecake dessert was hands-down the best of the bunch. With a name like White Chocolate and Cookie Butter Love-Ah Cake (P270), it came with many expectations. But these were more than met by this dessert, which had wonderful texture and balance. Silky white chocolate lava flowed from a cake that was buttery and had a hint of saltiness, which was a great balance to the sweet molten center. While the cookie butter center was a little bit hard to find, when taken with the rest of the cake, it truly made the dessert excellent, with or without the vanilla ice cream.
As URBN turns into one of the best places to dance in Manila after 10 p.m., the drink list is extensive, but you can’t go wrong with a mojito (order the Strawberry Mojito—it’s to die for!), a margarita, or even the Godfather.
Drink, sip, and definitely eat.
Urbn Bar and Kitchen is located at the Fort Pointe II Building at the Fort Strip of Bonifacio Global City. Happy hour happens every weekday from 6-9pm, buy one, take one on local beers and selected cocktails.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
