Manam opens in SM City Baguio, its first shop outside the Greater Manila Area

This is a press release from The Moment Group.  

The Moment Group introduces its beloved classics and twists to the Baguio dining scene as it brings its home- grown Comfort Filipino restaurant to the Summer Capital of the Philippines.

Manam is raring to celebrate yet another milestone: its first shop outside the Greater Manila Area, Manamin SM City Baguio, which opened its doors on March 12, 2020. 

In 2019, Manam launched 9 new locations in the north and south of Metro Manila, rounding up its total shop to 15. It launched its first regional opening in SM City Bacoor last January 2020. 

“It has always been on our minds to try and be part of the Baguio dining scene, which has produced its own great local concepts over the years. It’s quite an honor for Manam to be part of this new neighborhood,” says Moment co-founder Jon Syjuco.

A place to discover super paboritos

Locals and visitors of Baguio alike will find plenty to enjoy at the new Manam shop, with its supersized menu of distinctly Filipino flavors.

The 120-seater shop, which is located on the Upper Ground Level of the Sunset Terraces at SM City Baguio’s breezy new expansion wing, also serves the full selection of minatamis at kakanin first launched in Manam Cafe.

In true Manam fashion, the restaurant’s culinary team took iconic Filipino recipes and turned them into pastries and desserts for the modern Filipino diner.

These include the wonderfully sweet and tangy Calamansi Tart, the delightful Buko Pie, and the cheesy Ensaymada ‘Wiches duo: the Three Cheese Ensaymada ‘Wich, with kesong puti, parmesan and local cheddar; and the meatier Chorizo Ensaymada ‘Wich, which packs a chorizo patty, fried egg, and arugula at its center. There’s also the option of topping all that with shaved raclette. 

“We like to think it’s all of these things that go into creating great experiences for our diners. That is exactly what we hope to bring to our new neighborhoods,” Jon Syjuco said.

An ode to local

Apart from introducing its beloved classics and twists to the dining public in both Baguio and its surrounding communities, the new Manam shop also serves two new dishes inspired by the iconic flavors of the region.

Etag Fried Rice celebrates the smoked and salty tastes of the pork meat that’s traditionally cured, aged, and air-dried for weeks in the Cordilleras. Meanwhile, the Mountain Coffee Shake highlights the fruity and nutty notes of Arabica coffee beans from Atok, Benguet.

Both of these dishes will be offered for a limited-time across all Manam shops, but will be mainstays in Manam SM City Baguio’s menu.

Entering a location outside of Manila also gives Manam the opportunity to collaborate more closely with local farmers, and proudly make use of locally-sourced ingredients—adding a further twist that is also a tribute to Manam’s new Baguio community.

“We respect the unique ingredients offered by the locales we tap, so we want to have something on Manam’s regional menus to honor that. We’re also excited to bring them our own menu, which has our take on cuisines from around the country,” Moment co-founder Abba Napa said. 

Championing Filipino cuisine

Now with 17 shops under its belt, the restaurant promised to stay steadfast in its mission to uphold Filipino cuisine by introducing new and different ways to enjoy it.

According to the restaurant, the new branch in SM City Baguio is just another step towards this goal, and is a gateway to more new neighborhoods which Manam can be in. 

“The more Manams we open, the more our eyes are also opened to the opportunities we have to help shape the dining scene in The Philippines. Today, in Metro Manila, we’re happy to be the go-to place,” Moment co-founder Eliza Antonino said. 

“To be that all around the country would be a dream come true. I can just imagine Manam being in new cities, where the local dishes are amazing, and being able to show what kind of twist Manam can do for these local specialties,” she added. – Rappler.com