Ok ok ok, I know what youโre thinkingโฆ. โOSTRICHโฆ.. ewwwwwwwwwwww!โ
Well, let me tell you right now, that I would have never known it was Ostrich if it wasnโt labeled as such in the menu, and if the chef wasnโt there right beside me to guarantee it. It tastes pretty much like beefโฆ wellโฆ. sorta a mix between chicken and beef, but mostly beefโฆ ostrich beef.
Anyway, weโve been trying to schedule a tasting with Moomba Restaurant for a while now, but they seem to always be fully booked. Not to mention their chef and kitchen Jedi Chef Jimmy Jardiniano really wanted to meet with us, but had a fully packed schedule. He teaches culinary classes and has other culinary work, so having to steal him for a night is really a very difficult thing to ask for.
Alas, the stars finally aligned, and so did our schedules. Chef Jimmy Jardiniano invited WhenInManila.com and FlairCandy.com over.
First of all, the place is absolutely wonderful. Itโs a very spacious two-story restaurant with lots of cool furniture, fixtures, and food! The staff is uber friendly and best of all, they have lots and lots of pillows everywhere, which really gives the whole place a very homely and comfy feel.
Furthermore, they have a couple of stages set up and they play some great music if youโre looking for a place to hang and experience the Manila / Quezon City Night Life.
Anyway, letโs start talking about the Moomba Bar FOOD!!!
We started off with a Cheezy Pizza (sorry, didnโt get the actual name, was too busy stuffing myself!). We started with this while we were still waiting for some people. Chef Jimmy Jardiniano gave us this little treat to help us pass the time. I took one bite and I was HOOKED! This is the CHEESIEST pizza Iโve tasted in a while!
I asked Chef Jimmy about it and he said that itโs a secret they have at Moomba that makes this pizza extra cheesy tasting! I promised to only have a slice as I knew I had more food comingโฆ. but I couldnโt help myself! I ended up eating the whole freakinโ plate of eight slices! So much for my diet! Damn you, good cheesy pizzaโฆ. damn you!
Anyway, from there, Iโll fast forward to the next highlight: the Ostrich dish! The Moomba โTiyan of Ostrich and Julienne of Vegetablesโ, to be exact!
As mentioned, it really tastes a lot like beef, but with a little zing to it! The Ostrich meat is very tender and is complemented perfectly by the mashed potatoes served on top of the Ostrich meat. MMMMMMMmmmmmm!
OMG, I swear, these Ostrich Dish photos are making me hungry again! It looks like an Ostrich pie, but itโs actually mashed potatoes on top of the Ostrich beef.
Anyway, other than the Ostrich Steak Dish, here are some photos of the drinks we had at the beautiful Moomba Bar in Quezon City (QC):
When in Manila, make sure you visit Moomba Bar in Quezon City where Ostrich cooking is at its best! Do try their Ostrich Steak Dishes! Itโs one big bird you wonโt mind chowing down on! Oh, and do also try their VERY cheesy pizza! If you like cheese, I guarantee youโll like their pizza!
Moomba Bar and Restaurant
Mother Ignacia St.corner Roces Ave. Quezon City
3711973
moomba_qc@yahoo.com
Educational, informative and enticing. Iโll be trying this out soon (I hope).