Aracama - Home of Filipino Delicacies and other Favorites

Aracama is a Filipino Resto-Bar found in the "disputed territory" of Bonifacio Global City. I found myself dining in there because of a blogger event wherein Red Ribbon gave a sneak peek of its Birthday Budget Planner. (You may read more about it here: Red Ribbon's Birthday Budget Planner). I had a fantastic time simply because it was the first client event that I attended, and I felt proud because they considered us "digital partners". Sounds cool, huh?

Anyhoo, in this blog post, we will learn more about the place and some of the dishes offered by Aracama. Let's begin!

The Place 

I adore how Aracama was able to work on making the structure and interior look simple yet catchy, as they both feature a modern design with simple yet striking embellishments. There were also a few hints of Filipino elements from the materials of the chairs to paintings on the wall, so somehow you'll feel the "Filipino ambiance" within.

Good table setting and ambiance in Aracama near Fort Strip

Aside from its beauty, Aracama also provides you with a sufficient breathable space suitable for breaking free from the stress and cramp places we work in. Best of all, it maximizes the use of natural lighting which makes the place look bright and vibrant, leaving a magic of positivism in you! (I'm not sure whether this applies during night time, though).

Okay, now that you we had an overview of the place, let's proceed with the food!

The Food 

Since this is a client event, and we were just guests (or should I say "digital partners"), I had no control over the orders. Luckily, the selection was great. Let's start with the 2 appetizers we had that time. 

Chorizo Frito || P330 

Spanish sausages glazed with chili honey

Going Spanish with this Chorizo Frito

Oooh la la! Does it look amazing? Well, not only did it look so great. It also tasted fantastic - sweet with a tinge of spiciness! That's how I want my chorizo. Well, as mentioned in my previous blog posts (e.g. Breakfast in Antonio's), I am not a big fan of salty version of chorizo. This is why I felt so happy when I took a bite of this highly appetizing starter!

Malunggay Mozzarella Dip || P195

Spinach and vitamin fortified creamy, cheesy brulee and crostinis for scooping

Uyyyy, cheezy! Check out this malunggay and mozzarella dip!

By now, you should already have a clue that I am a cheese lover! However, weirdly enough, I consider this appetizer plain and ordinary. Nothing so special, but perhaps this was because I had such a jolly time with the Chorizo that I ended up not focusing on this one. Still, I believe something was lacking with the cheesy dip - perhaps some hint of spiciness (uh-oh, it looks like I did have hangover from the Chorizo).

Insalata Uva || P220

Signature salad with kesong puti, toasted walnuts, grapes and honey balsamic vinaigrette

Insalata Uva - more than a salad with grapes

Hmmm, I got so busy listening to the presenter that I forgot to taste this one. I apologize, but I can't comment on something that I wasn't able to try out myself. Next time, I'll try to multitask. *haha*

Pancit Molo || P290

Iconic Illonggo wanton, chicken and shrimp soup with garlic and green onions

A bowlful of spices - Pancit Molo without the pancit

It says in the description "Iconic", was it really so? Well, I have to agree! You may have heard me say this quite a number of times already, but I think this word is most suitable here - FLAVORFUL! Yup, this Pancit Molo (which oddly do not really have pancit or noodles in it, but rather just a soup) was also an energizer! It gave me an exciting taste adventure. It's difficult to specifically describe the taste, but all I can say is that it was definitely "malasa" coming from a combination of reinforcing flavors. However, if you are not a fan of garlic taste, you may not enjoy this much.

Inasal na Manok || P390

Bacolod style grilled chicken in secret marinade and ubod atchara

Hmmm, can I just say next? 

I definitely got bored with this. It was one of those dishes that you don't want more of. Considerably, it was dry (contrary to the juicy authentic chicken inasal of Bacolod). Taste-wise it was fine, but the lack of tenderness and juiciness overshadowed the taste. 

Related Post: Aida's Chicken Manokan - Famous Inasal in Bacolod

Daing na Pritong Tilapia || P375 

Crisp fried tilapia with a sour mango-cilantro salad and green sili sawsawan

Truly outstanding - daing na pritong tilapia, bow!

Now this was something! First, I thought this was a bangus, and later on I found out that it was a tilapia! Moving on, do you know what's great about this dish? Well, it can stand alone! You don't need to have any sauce or dips for it to be quite enjoyable! This was truly one of the good ones I've tried!

Kare Kareng Baka || P480

Beef, ox tail and ox tripe stew, fresh ground peanuts, side of vegetables and home made bagoong

Good but not entirely great enough Kare Kare of Aracama

Ahhhhh, here's another Filipino Favorite - Kare Kare, and when it comes to this dish, I have a high expectation and a handful of benchmarks; hence, I tend to be not-so-lenient on giving a comment on the taste. By now, you should have felt that I'm not giving a super-great review on this specific dish. *wink*

Yes, I found the texture of the beef problematic as it lacked the tenderness that it needed. Also, the sauce was literally rough on palate. However, to be fair, I enjoyed how it tasted, even if it was not the best I've tried so far. In fact, I still prefer that one of ABE's Filipino Cuisine and of course Barrio Fiesta's.

Dulce Gatas + bunuelos || P230 

Caramelized gooey dulce de leche with warm fried pastries

A sweet way to end the feast - Dulce Gatas!

Alright, for the last dish, we had the Dulce Gatas which was interesting and fabulous! The concept was fresh for me because you will be the one to add the creamy, milky and sweet "filling" on the crispy yet somehow-soft-in-the-inside pastry! I recommend this not more on the taste, but because of the concept (although, I admit that I love how it tasted as well). It resembles the goodness of yema and a bit of the Dulce de Leche (except this was thicker and creamier).

Aracama in a Nutshell and Rating Overview

Place:  ★★★★☆
Food: ★★★
Service: no sufficient basis
Price:  ★★★☆

I really enjoyed my dining experience in Aracama because of the great ambiance, and splendid dishes (except for some ordinary ones), but on the average, I appreciated them!

Well, does this mean that I recommend you to try it out? Well, no doubt about that!

Aracama Manila - Filipino Cuisine
Unit C-1 The Fort Entertainment Center
(Near Fort Strip, the other side of the road
where Coffee Bean is)
Bonifacio Global City, 1201 Taguig