After Five: Wine, Tapas and Desserts at The Grid Food Market In Power Plant Mall

When you're way too early for dinner, The Grid Food Market is exactly where you want to be. Here's what ending the day is like with a pre-dinner tipple and tasty bites at The Grid Food Market...

Wine and tapas. And awesome desserts. With so many tempting options, The Grid Food Market at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell is the perfect spot for a late afternoon or early evening casual dining experience with glasses of wine, tasty tapas and some indulgent desserts (for more on The Grid Food Market, see my earlier posts, Gochu-Gang, Beefier and Babu: By The Numbers with Stalls 5, 6 and 7 at The Grid Food Market in Power Plant Mall featuring the Korean-inspired cuisine of Chef Patrick Go at Gochu-Gang, the rich and authentic Malaysian flavors of Chef Him Uy de Baron at Babu and the signature burgers of Beefier and Rainy Days and Laksa. And Nasi Lemak. And Chicken Kalbi. And Beef Japchae. At The Grid Food Market. on my second visit). End the day, or start the evening right...at The Grid Food Market.

Redefining the food hall dining experience, The Grid Food Market also offers tasty options for that late afternoon break with fine wine and tapas. Happy Barrels is Rambla's first retail concept  at The Grid Food Market offering gourmet Spanish cheeses, cold cuts and charcuterie, draft beer and fine wine. 

Rambla is one of the metro's popular Spanish bars and restaurants, and diners at The Grid Food Market can savor these flavors at Spanish by Rambla and Happy Barrels (for more on Rambla, see my previous posts, A Black Truffle Affair at Rambla and Spanish Nights and Tapas with a Sexy Latin Vibe at Tomatito). Located near the entrance of The Grid Food Market, step inside Happy Barrels and choose from an impressive selection of wines and pair it with an equally wide array of premium cold cuts and jamon...

...including Jamon Serrano (P 325), Jamon Iberico Cebo (P 795), Jamon Blasquez Paleta (P 605), Chorizo (P 205) and Salchichon (P 255). Sliced paper-thin, the premium jamon at Happy Barrels offer rich and savory notes lining the palate with deep nutty hints perfectly washed down by red Spanish wine.

And when you find wine you like, go for the bottle. The night's just starting at The Grid Food Market...

Now that you've had a few tasty bites at Happy Barrels, head on down to Stall #8 at Spanish by Rambla for even more Spanish tapas like the Jamon & Tortilla (P 250) and Flamenquin (P 375)...

...to assorted Pintxos like Salmon & Truffle (P 195), Chipirones or squid (P 175), Chistorra & Brie (P 210), Foie Poele or seared foie gras (P 475), Tenderloin & Chimichurri Montadito (P 295), Gambas (P 185), Gulas or baby eels (P 170), Butifarra or sausage (P 195) and Anchovy Pintxo (P 150).

Each small plate of tasty tapas bring vibrant and savory flavors with each bite, masterfully executed by Spanish by Rambla. Enjoy Spanish by Rambla's pintxos and tapas with a refreshing Sangria (P 200) to complete your dining experience at The Grid Food Market.

And there's more. Spanish by Rambla also offers soft and crisp croquettes including the Croquetas de Jamon (P 170) and Sisig Croquetas (P 190)... 

...and Calamares Andaluza (P 290). One more round of Sangria? Si, por favor.

Wine and good vibes just keeps getting better as the next batch of tapas were served, like the soft Patatas Bravas (P 170)...

...the Chorizo with White Wine (P 550) and classic Gambas al Ajillo (P 625). By this time, the dinner crowd starts to arrive at The Grid Food Market, and that's fine. The second round of tapas matches the intensity of the dinner rush with rich and bold flavors. As more diners arrive, a glass of wine keeps the chill vibe at your own spot.

The hearty Callos (P 450) with tender beef, tripe and chickpeas caps your tapas feast on a high note. And if you're thinking of making this a real meal, order up some Garlic Rice (P 60) and it's game over.

The savory tapas and rounds of sangrias leaves you with a serious sugar craving. But no worries. You'll find Workshop by Le Petit Souffle at The Grid Food Market (for more on Workshop by Petit Souffle, see my other blog post, Elegant Indulgence in a Box from Workshop Bespoke Bakery by Le Petit Souffle). 

Chef Miko Aspiras weaves his own creative culinary style combining both innovation and classic baking methods at Workshop by Le Petit Souffle (more on Workshop by Le Petit Souffle on my post, Creative Innovation and Inspired Indulgence at The Workshop Bespoke Bakery). Workshop by Le Petit Souffle is Chef Miko Aspiras' lab where he explores and pushes the boundaries of baking. And the results are incredibly sinful... 

...like his Manchego Cheesecake (P 225/Slice) served with sliced almonds and rich creme anglais and his Basque Burnt Cheesecake, both refreshing expressions of the classic cheesecake. The silky smoothness of the cheesecake and the deep, mildly sharp hints of the Spanish cheese combine for a lavish flavor experience that can only come from Chef Miko Aspiras.

Then, Chef Miko Aspiras adds scale to indulgence with his decadent 17 Layer Chocolate Cake (P 295 Slice/P 1,900 Whole), a moist chocolate cake made with premium Valrhona chocolate. Deeper, darker and definitely taller, this is your favorite chocolate cake multiplied by 17. Now that's real chocolate cake indulgence.

If you can't have enough, Chef Miko Aspiras lays on even more indulgence with his 17-layer versions of Salted Caramel (L) and Strawberry (R). The craft of baking is elevated, refined and made even more indulgent at Workshop by Le Petit Souffle, elegantly showcased in their tempting array of baked creations...

...bringing together a wide palette of vibrant colors with an equally extensive range of flavors. Set your eyes and palate on an indulgent flight with Workshop by Le Petit Souffle's ornate creations...

...from their Calamansi Delight...

...the intricate Lemon Drop (P 190)...

...and their tempting creation with a delectable crunch draped in rich chocolate inspired by Ferrero Rocher.

The small cakes offer diners tasty bites to sample even more of Workshop by Le Petit Souffle's creations. Savor the deep notes of the Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake (P 190) or the tartness of the White Raspberry (P 190) draped in white chocolate, and come back for more...

...with the bright flavors of the colorful Orange Twist (P 190). That same feeling of a kid in a candy store is recreated to a whole new level of indulgence when you step inside the pristine white interiors of Workshop by Le Petit Souffle at The Grid Food Market.

From cookies to crepes, macarons, brownies, cinnamon rolls, caneles, madeleines and cakes, Workshop by Le Petit Souffle presents a whole new philosophy in indulgence. And one bite just isn't enough to experience their unique take on desserts.

One too many glasses of wine calls for a bold and robust brew. Head on down to the EDSA Beverage Design Group's stall located right at the center of The Grid Food Market for their Irish Coffee (P 250) made with espresso and Jameson Blended Irish Whiskey sweetened with brown sugar and capped by luscious cream.

The dinner crowd slowly thins out late in the evening at The Grid Food Market, and one more soothing sip of your Irish Coffee places everything in the proper perspective. Late afternoons before dinner reveals another facet to The Grid Food Market, and I can't wait to be back...

The Grid Food Market is located at the R2 Level Expansion Wing, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati or call 759-4605 for inquiries and more information. You can also visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/thegridfoodmarket/ for more updates.

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