Exploring Marikina: Miguel and Maria

Note: Very late post

Marikina, especially Lilac Street is slowly becoming known as a haven for food enthusiasts. Miguel and Maria is one of the new gems of Lilac Street. From the outside it looks elegant and cozy with its minimalist facade.

The inside was decorated with old movie posters, adding to its sort of vintage appeal. We weren’t really that hungry so we just decided to get a few courses for sharing.

Their famous Mac and Cheese (PhP 220.00). Will you look at that glorious pile of cheese? As a cheese enthusiast, for me, you can never go wrong with too much cheese. Or rather, there is no such thing as too much cheese.

 

The baby back ribs were for me, all right. Ribs were juicy and tender, but I have eaten better ribs.

The buffalo wings were great. Since I’m also a fan of wings in general, I always end up comparing them to those of Wingman’s. Wingman still has the best wings, in my opinion. But Miguel and Maria’s wings can pass for a close second.

Their steak, described as “New Zealand tender beef” was cooked just right and was okay for its price.

 

If you’re a fan of paella, this you will enjoy. I personally felt that the serving was small, but maybe it was because we are a family of 6. The toppings did not disappoint, however. Everything was cooked well and tasted great.

 

Aside from the Mac and Cheese, their baked salmon was the other unforgettable meal in their menu. The Norwegian salmon came with THREE kinds of cheese, herbs, mashed potato and vegetables.

The verdict: 4 out of 5 stars

In a nutshell:
Average price of food is PhP 200-400.
Servings are not small, but not too big either.
Ambience is good, perfect for dates. But since the place is pretty well known, good luck trying to have an intimate conversation–the place fills up pretty fast, and it’s not that big.
Do not leave without trying the Mac and Cheese.
Will I come back? Definitely, but not anytime soon. It’s an interesting place, but not something that will make me want to eat there every week.