If it wasn’t for the invitation of one of our close blogger friends Alex Dizon, I wouldn’t have known about the restaurants at the PRISM Plaza. I’ve always thought it was just a place meant for those working at the BPOs at One E-Com and Two E-com buildings near the Mall of Asia and wasn’t open to the public—except during those Pyromusic festivals.
Turns out, the PRISM was quite an interesting place. It had an events venue, coffee shops, casual and fine dining restaurants and a resto/bar called REDD.
The latest hangout spot in the city recently held its grand launch a month ago, introducing its cool combination of Filipino food fare and fun-filled attractions to Manila’s foodies. REDD is a concept that lets its customers eat, drink, and chill in an ambience that is relaxed and cozy, encouraging its customers to enjoy a hearty business lunch barkadas to unwind after a long day at work.
Here are six reasons why you should head over to REDD while reading this article.
1. IT TRANSFORMS DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF THE DAY—OR THE STATUS OF YOUR LOVELIFE.
Okay. It doesn’t literally turn into an Autobot, but the mood and ambiance of the resto changes during the day.
Be there when it opens at around 11 am and you’ll find a quiet place to enjoy brunch.
The Al Fresco area is a great place to enjoy the open scenery, as you enjoy their Corned Beef, Cagayan Tapa, Pork Tocino, Longganisa de Cagayan, while catching up on this blog and contemplating why you’ve been single (by choice or otherwise).
Since there’s a lot of foot traffic in the area, you can also do some people watching, or finally establish eye contact with that cute girl or guy who works nearby.
Drop by lunchtime till mid-afternoon and there’s bound to be a lot of people having lunch meetings.
In the afternoon till early evening you’d probably see people enjoying some snacks and catching up. If you’re taken or dating, the cozy interiors of REDD exude a modern relaxing vibe with its design that incorporates elements of steel, wood and concrete. If you go there in the afternoon or early evening you’ll find a corner where the lighting complements that romantic mood.
It’s also a pretty good place to meet the parents as REDD can accommodate big groups with its almost 200 seating capacity—and no one can say no to KareKare and Crispy Pata.
And if you’re planning to move on and let all those pent up emotions get loose over a few bottles of beer, might as well check it out in the evening until closing time.
2. DECONSTRUCTED PINOY DISHES: A lot of “modern” restaurants boasts of Filipino dishes with their own twist, unfortunately there are those that twist the dish too much that it becomes almost unrecognizable. According to REDD CEO, Rod Bacani, they’ve deconstructed the dishes just enough to give it a makeover but retain the same flavor and taste. Deconstructed meaning cooked separately and then brought together to create a specific dish.
Take for example their Kare Kare, instead of the ordinary beef or seafood, REDDs version has grilled chicken, beef brisket and fried pork—each cooked separately before being topped with peanut sauce and served with house-made sweet-salty Bagoong. Its worth noting that their bagoong is cooked for 6 to 8 hours!
Their “Sisig ala Kanto” meanwhile is an heirloom family recipe that puts the pork mascara, ears, and chicken liver front and center without the mayo and the egg on top. Their sisig chronicles also give you several choices such as corned beef, longaniza de Cagayan, or SeaSig—a healthy trio of tuna, bangus and dory.
Another must try is the Chicken Pork Adobo—where crispy pork belly bagnet is sandwiched in between slices of chicken inasal before being cooked in their garlicky adobo sauce!
Then there’s the REDD bestsellers Pork Binagoongan, Beef Kaldereta and the Chicken Pochero drenched in luxuriously thick real ham bone sauce!
The dishes are prepared and presented may be presented with a twist but it utilizes the authentic slow-cooking methods to bring out the best flavors from each ingredient.
Lighter options or for those going green can choose from the Oh My G! portion which includes
the Bicolano Gising-Gising made rich and creamy with coconut milk and the fresh and crisp veggies of the Pakbet de Iloco that takes inspiration from the regional cuisine of the North.
Carb choices can be between the specialty rice dishes such as Tinapa and Bagoong Rice or noodles with the Spaghetti Tinapa sa Aligue or Crispy Canton.
REDDs menu is quite extensive, (almost 65 choices) so you’ll surely find something to satisfy that craving or mood!
3. STATUS: ITS COMPLICATED: Want some alone time with your lechon kawali? Need a shoulder to cry on while sipping on that hearty broth of Corned Beef Nilaga, or maybe some group therapy with Crispy Pata on the side to uplift your mood?
Their main dishes can be ordered in selfie, date, and groufie sizes, so whether you are going solo, on a blind date, or bringing the entire squad, you can be sure that no one gets left behind—or hungry.
4. THE PRICE IS JUST RIGHT: Wasak na nga ang puso mo, break na nga kayo, pati ba naman wallet mo?
At REDD you don’t have to break the bank or wait for payday to enjoy your favorite comfort food. The main dishes are reasonably priced from about P200 (selfie) to P800 (groufie) and you can choose the the right serving for you.
5. HIT THE BAR WITH COCO MARTIN-I OR RC MUNOZ- If you are the man or woman who cant move-on and a food trip isn’t enough. You can hit the REDD bar to drown your sorrows with some famous names. Just like the witty names of their dishes, REDD serves Pinoy themed drinks such as Alamat (FPJ) Coco Martini, RC Munoz, Flush Elorde, or if you are feeling adventurous there’s also Lolongs Tail.
And when you’ve mustered enough courage you can hit the private videoke lounge and belt out Basa sa Ulan, or Why Cant it Be? Over and over ‘Till Your Heartaches end.
REDD has prepared very affordable special KTV packages that start at Php199.00 to Php4,999.00
depending on the number of guests.
6. WANT A REDD WEDDING OR BIRTHDAY PERHAPS? If you love their food so much and want them to be at your wedding or party, it’s nice to know that REDD now offers catering services. “We have the biggest kitchen here at PRISM Plaza, and the reason for that is because we also cater to events. Our kitchen can handle most of the cooking requirements from high pressure, low pressure, range, griller, griddle we can even customize a menu for you depending on your theme,” says Bacani.
REDD is a concept that offers the best opportunities to bond with friends and family over good food and fun times. It is located at Prism Plaza, Two E-Com Building, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. For more details and for updates on promos, visit the REDD Facebook page and Instagram account
