The last time I went to Magnum Cafe, the savory menu was unavailable so all we had was a variety of desserts. It was ice cream overload! Then they ran out of vanilla Magnum bars. All our orders were made with chocolate Magnum bars, something I didn’t really appreciate.
Just last week, I was invited to lunch at Magnum Cafe to celebrate Mrs. Martinez’s birthday. I was finally going to get a chance to try the savory menu and hopefully, correct versions of the desserts I had previously ordered.
We got good seats right smack in the middle of the dining area. We started off with Cajun Spiced Chicken Poppers (P180). It was served white bacon gravy and honey. I liked how crunchy each piece was, it was kind of like eating chicharon. Yum!
Then we had Asian Steak Salad (P380). OMG, I think I finished most of this — mixed greens with crispy fried wonton skins, sweet corn kernels, and tender pieces of grilled steak drizzled with sriracha honey dressing! It’s soooo good in a refreshing yet savory kind of way. One order can be shared by two people.
We also ordered Bacon Fat Fries (P215). I would describe this as french fries with bacon bits. It was kind of bland. The menu description makes it out as potatoes cooked in tasty bacon fat so I was expecting something with a lot of flavor. I would not order this again.
Carbonara with Cocoa Rubbed Bacon (I forgot to take not of the price, sorry!) is a rich and creamy pasta dish served with a sous vide egg right in the middle. There are also two super crunchy strips of bacon. I didn’t taste any cocoa though. My kids will probably like this but I found it cloying.
Seared Salmon with Basil Creme and Chorizo Confit (P450) was disappointing because the salmon was very dry. I think you can see from this photo how dry it was.
I really liked Magnum Burger (P450). The thick wagyu beef patty smothered with melted cheese is delicious, I highly recommend it! It’s tender and tasty plus it smells so good. I wanted to inhale it all, lol.
At last I was able to try Red Velvet (P250). A slice of red velvet cake is topped with a vanilla Magnum bar and served with a small pitcher of melted chocolate on the side. The cake is moist and laced with cream cheese frosting. The best way to indulge in this is to get a spoonful of cake, vanilla Magnum, and cream then drizzle melted chocolate over it. Divine!
This remains to be my favorite plated dessert at Magnum Manila… the Cookie Dough Skillet (P300). Two vanilla Magnum bars top a pan of chewy-crunchy chocolate chip cookie. It’s the stuff dreams are made of. In fact, I’m dreaming about it now. It’s just crazy how the price keeps going up every time I visit Magnum Manila. It was P250 when it was first introduced last April. It was P280 when I tried it for the first time. Now it’s P300. Darn, next time I go back it might be P300+!
The food in Magnum Cafe is a mixed bag for me. The concepts are there, I think it’s the execution that’s lacking. For example, the salmon would have been a good dish had the fish not been overcooked and dry. They had a good idea going when they thought up Bacon Fat Fries, unfortunately, I didn’t taste it. The chicken poppers, salad, and burger are highly recommended though. The desserts have all been amazing too. Don’t forget to try making your own Magnum at least once. 🙂
Magnum Cafe
5/F Sky Park, SM Aura Premier
Mckinley Parkway, McKinley Hill, Taguig City
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