MKNA Food Adventure @ Comedor by Miguel & Maria

The best friend and I had an overdue date two weekends ago and since the damn girl just squeezed me in her extremely tight schedule (lol no hate, just lots of shade), we decided to just have lunch somewhere here in Marikina.

After a few ideas on where to eat, we settled on Comedor by Miguel & Maria. I have heard of and seen Miguel & Maria which is located at the infamous Lilac Street here in Marikina but I’ve always been too intimidated by it as it seems like such a high-end place.

I thought the same of Comedor but hey, I’m glad that I was wrong.

The place is cozy plus the interior is amazing and definitely Instagram-worthy (if that’s important to you).

When I looked at their menu, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the prices are actually reasonable. I was expecting somewhere along the lines of PHP400-500 for a single meal. Again, I’m definitely glad that I was wrong.

The best friend ordered the BBQ Filipino Ribs (PHP265) and I got the Sizzling Kare-Kare (PHP190). Both dishes are already served with rice and they both are actually already good for two so you definitely get your money’s worth with these.

We also ordered the Bacon Liempo Strips (PHP220) which the server suggested as the Chicken Skin Cracklings that I actually wanted was not available. 😦

The BBQ Filipino Ribs, which I also got to try was reaaaally good—one of the best ribs that I have tried so far. It definitely caters to the Filipino taste buds as it’s a little sweet with a hint of spice from the pepper.

Two thumbs up from me for this dish.

The Sizzling Kare-Kare, sadly, was disappointing. First off, it wasn’t even served sizzling hot, just on a sizzling plate. Second, it’s not a “real” kare-kare as the meat was lechon and not the classic tuwalya which is what kare-kares should have. And lastly, the damn thing was so bland I had to put a lot of bagoong to make something of it.

The peanut sauce was creamy but meh, what good is it if it didn’t taste anything.

Fortunately, the Bacon Liempo Strips saved the day. It’s super crispy, it didn’t taste like burnt bacon (what fried, crispy bacon usually tastes like if not done right), and it’s tasty!

I ended up finishing more than half of the serving because it was super good. I especially like the part with the fat as those were even crispier and tastier.

Overall, the experience was good. I was just really turned off by the kare-kare which is very unfortunate as I have been craving the dish weeks prior to eating at this place.

I’m definitely coming back to try their other dishes. And will surely give Miguel & Maria a try, too, in the future.

COMEDOR BY MIGUEL & MARIA
Everyday at 11AM to 10PM
Lot 1, Block 4, Gil Fernando Ave. Sto Niño, Marikina City