Greyhound Café opened their second branch at Pasay’s Mall of Asia, and I am here for it! This fashion brand-turned-café was brought in by the entertainment-brand-turned-restauranteurs, Viva International Food and Restaurants, Inc., so the partnership seems to be a perfect match! I haven’t been to MoA since before the pandemic, when whole wings were closed for construction, so I was surprised at how nice the mall by Manila Bay looks now. They’ve closed off a lot of the open areas to allow for better air conditioning and the place looks a lot brighter and cleaner than it once was.
The café itself is a pretty big space, and the first thing I noticed during the lunch rush was how the place had turned into its own AFAM (A Foreigner Assigned in Manila) nation. There were a lot more white folks there than there were locals, which I took to interpret as either: 1.) They’re familiar with the brand already, and/or 2.) They’re just as attracted to the aesthetics of the place as I am. Heavy rattan chairs and wooden tables give a feel of the tropics, while the white subway tiled bar makes it seem like you just got off the MRT in Bangkok.
When I come back, I think I’ll just order a whole lot of appetizers, as everything is pretty good! take for example the Crablets in the Basket (₱350) that I couldn’t stop snacking on. The small crabs seasoned with Thai herbs and deep-fried with garlic until golden and served with a spicy, sweet peanut dip. The spiciness of the dip likes to come back a second time and hits you in the back of the tongue, but it isn’t as terrifyingly spicy as what you’d probably get in Thailand.
The Crispy Pumpkin and Tofu Salad (₱390) is a creative take on a vegetarian warm salad, with the tender, smoky grilled pumpkin and fried tofu being the ‘meat’ of the salad, on a bed of mixed greens with strips of cassava chips, served with an umami sesame and shoyu dressing.
The Greyhound Famous Fried Chicken Wings (₱390) is a best-seller, and while I like how you can eat one piece in one go, I personally find this to be a little expensive for what you get. The crispy single-bone wings are marinated in Thai fish sauce and fried ’til golden, and I’d ask for the crablets dipping sauce for that extra kick of heat.
What I find pretty cool about Greyhound Café is that each branch they open also has a special menu specifically for the area. And since MoA is located right by Manila Bay, their special menu focuses on the bounty of the sea. The Fried Red (₱1,899) does not disappoint – deep-fried whole red snapper that’s been filleted and cut into bite-sized pieces – served with a refreshing with a mango and apple salad, along with a sweet tamarind fish sauce dip. All the flavors work together harmoniously, and nothing is overly seasoned, so the sweetness of the fish compliments the sweet-sour tamarind dip, and you get the crunch of the salad to give that added texture. I would happily tuck into just this along with more of the mango-apple salad.
‘Marites’ has taken on a different meaning in modern local colloquial speak, but this Prawn Maritess (₱2,700) is a nod to Maritess Araneta, of who The Red Crab Alimango House’s Crab Maritess was named after. This is Greyhound’s Thai version using fresh, oversized black tiger prawns, stir-fried with onion, sriracha, and a whole load of garlic. The sauce almost tastes like sambal, and you want to scoop as much of it on the prawns as you can to get your money and tummy’s worth.
While they have a seafood heavy menu, the regular items aren’t to be sniffed at. Take the Weeping Hunters (₱790), for example – their take on the Thai Weeping Tiger Steak, a marinated beef recipe. Chunks of medium-grilled beef ribeye are served atop sliced cucumbers topped, with crispy basil leaves and their signature spicy pesto sauce. I mistook the pesto sauce for chimichurri, and it took me a while for my brain to come to terms as to why it didn’t taste like what I expected it to be, but the flavors are quite mild for all the green you see on the plate. I was hoping that the beef would be seasoned a lot more than it was, but then I am a bit of a pepper monkey, so maybe that’s just me.
If you’re looking for a classic Thai dish, stick to the tried and tested Phad Thai with Fresh Shrimp (₱450). The stir-fried Thai rice noodles are served with tamarind sauce and fresh shrimp along with with crushed peanuts and chilies on the side. I made the mistake of mixing everything up, when I should have probably put half of the chilies to the side since not everyone at the table likes their mouths on fire. More lime and some sugar can temper the heat when in a pinch.
I got to try all the new desserts on the MoA special menu, and I was surprised at how different they all tasted even though they mostly looked the same and were composed of either saba or buko. The Hola Banana (₱390) are saba fritters made with a coconutty batter that’s been fried golden until crispy, served with homemade ube ice cream – which was nice and grainy, almost – and two flavors of dipping sauce – mango and chocolate. This is my favorite out of the four – it’s crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and comes with chocolate. What’s not to like?
The Gimme More! (₱199) are three small pots of Thai custard that uses coconut milk as its base and is served warm with three flavors – pandan , butterfly pea, and Thai tea. I don’t think there was anything that particularly stood out with this dessert, and you can probably get around three good spoonfuls per pot.
The Golden Sunset (₱299) – better known as kluay kai cheum or bananas in syrup – is a classic Thai dessert that uses dainty golden bananas that have been caramelized in palm sugar and syrup, topped with fresh coconut milk, and served with homemade vanilla ice cream. This dessert isn’t as sugary sweet as you expect, and is a good balance of flavors, enough of a palate cleanser after going through all the spicy, oily dishes.
And lastly, there’s Greyhound’s take on the local Halo Halo (₱430) using Thai ingredients. Instead of just shaved ice, coconut granita serves as the base where caramelized bananas, tubtim krob (water chestnuts), lod chong (tapioca noodles), jackfruit, and coconut chunks are added. To the colorful bowl, fresh coconut milk is added, along with a scoop of ube ice cream on top. It is visually appealing and light on the stomach, but the Pinay in me is a little disappointed that they didn’t add nata de coco to the mix.
Overall, I love the concept of Greyhound Café’s modern BKK eats. You can really see the thought and effort that came into putting the menu together. I also appreciate how there is a balance of flavors in the sour, sweet, salty, and spicy. Some of the dishes came across as a little underseasoned, but I know full well it’s just from my overly seasoned Pinoy palate. They let the actual taste of the ingredients shine with each dish, which I appreciate. This is someplace I can probably bring girlfriends to to catch up and share plates of food whilst we all chatter away. I’m not sure if this would be value for money for, let’s say, a first date, as some items on the menu can be pretty pricey. You do get what you pay for, and I’m already excited to head back and try the other dishes on the menu, and I’m curious to see what theme the special menu will have once they open at The Podium.
