red ginger

we had a good time eating here , the food is good , tasty and served with fast . i love the food that they serve and the portion of it. will definetly come back again

service is not good.
food is not good.

chowking serves better tofu
nasi goreng tastes nothing like the original

but setting is good and relaxing.

i have to quickly share this crab laksa with you because this laksa is soooooo delicious.. #redginger laksa now beats all other types of laksa!!! i have to try this again before the promotion ends... 😍😍😍😍

red ginger offers a taste of our neighboring countries’ delectable cuisines. they’re a trendy southeast asian inspirited bistro and bar located in city of dreams. they sampled us with their vip lunch menu which includes signature dishes from thailand, india, malaysia, and vietnam.

this set is perfect for family. here’s what they served us:

popiah – this spring roll of goodness has crispy fried barbecue duck inside. it was really tasty and the pulled duck was well flavored. the best way to eat this is to wrap in lettuce and dip in chili garlic sauce.

vietnamese caesar salad – fresh romaine lettuce with garlic croutons, parmesan cheese, and soft poached egg. a healthy start of a meal.

satay platter – meat lovers will be delighted with this platter. it has coriander-spiced beef satay, coconut-glazed pork satay, prawn and salmon satay and chicken satay. but not all meat in here as there’s tofu satay too. all the meats were marinated so well and grilled to tender. there’s different sauces available too but my favorite would be the peanut sauce.

city of dreams manila has become a destination of choice for several locals and tourists alike with its top-class hotel amenities. aside from the striking suites and the popular dreamplay, city of dreams is also known for its great selection of restaurants. and a few weeks back, i was able to visit red ginger. 

hello, red ginger.

red ginger provides a casual dining experience of asian fusion bestsellers. you'd definitely feel like you've stepped into thailand or vietnam, without the need of a passport and plane ticket!

we were welcomed with a veritable spread of a vip family style lunch. i will list the dishes in order of how they were served.

°popiah
it is like our humble vegetable lumpia but with crispy fried barbecue duck inside. they recommend eating it with some iceberg lettuce, then dipped in the fiery chili garlic. the popiah is ubiquitous and the chili garlic dipping sauce is lit!

°vietnamese caesar salad
not your ordinary tossed salad. that soft poached egg gives it a luxurious feel, a silky sauce that coats the lettuce and everything in this salad. the ingredients look simple but when married together creates an exciting and balanced appetizer.

°satay platter
this was such a pretty sight to behold. spiced and skewered meats and yes, even tofu, were lined up, with a few bowls of sauce and vinegar with chili for dipping. each of these meats has its own marinade, like the beef satay spiced with coriander and the pork satay with coconut glaze. surprisingly (and ironically), my favorite was the silky tofu satay!

°mamak style lamb biryani
this biryani has tender chunks of lamb made more flavorful with authentic spices and curry. a huge crispy roll of papadam can be crushed on the rice itself to lend a crunchy texture. i personally loved the inclusion of pineapple chutney on the side. the sweetness of the pineapple proved to foil the aromatic spices of the basmati rice and provides freshness and balance to the dish.

°nasi lemak lobster
spicy lobster morsels still in its body, with slices of cucumber and roasted peanuts on the side, on top of coconut fried rice, with delicious crunchy bits of fried anchovy, yes dilis! my first instinct was to ask for beer but since it was the middle of the day, it was best to stick with a safe glass of pomelo lemonade.

°char kway teow
this looks like pad thai but is spicier and has more complex flavors in it due to the sambal belachan. the flat rice noodles were very hefty, and the dish itself was filled with surprises like sausage (which i initially thought was chorizo but was told to be air-dried lup cheong sausage), pieces of fish cake, and prawns!

°charcoal grill
this comprised of 3 grilled meats cooked to perfection, complete with grill marks and all. out of the 3, i enjoyed the °spiced blue marlin fillet with assam butter. the fish was done right, flaky and soft, and was topped with rich assam butter that gave it a sophisticated taste. the addition of curry leaves vaguely reminded me of a certain salted egg style dish. the °rosemary chicken was slightly overpowered by the pungent lemongrass but still proved to delicious as well. i was hoping though for a more sweet-sour sensation from the °honey and tamarind glazed pork belly.

°dessert platter
ending this lunch with a sweet note from the kitchen was this filipino-inspired dessert platter trio. the uber cute °pandan coconut crepe roll can be dipped in the thick sauce it came with. this reminded me of suman latik mainly because of the fried sweet coconut bits on top. the °mango sticky rice was a sweet and filling treat through and through. it looks very vibrant too with the mango cubes on top. what came as a pleasant surprise was the °iced avocado condensada. it looked cold and unassuming but once you "break the ice" and mix the whole thing up, you'll find its vague similarity to halo-halo. there were red beans and nata, mango balls and pinipig, plus the luscious avocado at the bottom of the cup. the avocado gave this dessert a very refreshing note, and makes you yearn more for a bigger serving.

as another treat, we were presented with °the egg. it literally looks like a sunny side up egg, complete with a dash of pepper. but look again as the egg yolk is made from mangoes, while the egg white is custard cream, and the pepper are crushed cacao nibs. from the looks of it, the dish is quite difficult to execute, and so it was too pretty to eat! each spoonful was a delight, very velvety smooth, quite similar to a panna cotta. this dessert has won numerous awards and is cited as part of inquirer lifestyle's best desserts book 4.

all in all, a great dining experience that amplifies your tastebuds to another level. if you're a travel junkie who misses cuisines from the asian countries you have visited, this is the perfect spot for you. if you're like me who wants to immerse in different cultures, i also highly suggest you try dining at red ginger. what better way to drink up more culture but with food!

red ginger is located at the 2nd floor, city of dreams manila entertainment city in bustling paranaque city.

red ginger at city of dreams. a southeast asian themed restaurant that offers variety of fresh and well prepared dishes that would satisfy your palette. they offer a variety of thai, vietnamese, singaporean, indonesian, malaysian, and indian flavors. the ambiance is grand and welcoming with hanging dim lights, comfortable seating and cozy interior.

our recommended dishes to try are the following:

popiah a crispy fried bbq duck spring roll with iceberg lettuce and chill garlic dipping, sauce. the rich duck wrapped in lettuce and the zesty sauce gives a nice combination of rich flavors.

nasi lemak lobster, sambal lobster beside a steaming cup of fragrant coconut rice served with traditional side of  hard-boiled egg, sliced cucumber, crispy anchovy and peanuts. take a piece of each of the elements of the dish to taste it in its fullest glory. its a nice play in textures, fragrances, and tastes.

satay plate - a mix of pork, prawn & salmon, tofu, chicken and beef marinated in a coriander and fennel seed paste and grilled to perfection. add a bit of peanut sauce for even better flavor.

don't forget to try the egg dessert, smooth coconut cream and manga at the center. it's a nice take on the a sort of panna cotta cream with mangoes dessert.

while the price point is not the cheapest but the quality was of each dish was good.

city of dreams offers a wide array of restaurants to satisfy everyone's appetite and level of hunger. inspired by the flavors of other asian countries like thailand, vietnam, singapore, thailand, malaysia and other southeast asia countries. they've created dishes that take you out of the country through your senses and taking you on a cuisine adventure.

i was invited to visit city of dreams not play casino but to eat and indulge myself with southeast asian cuisines. red ginger offers asian-fusion dishes from vietnam, philippines, indonesia and thailand. located at the upper ground floor, city of dreams manila.

red ginger can accommodate big groups and the interiors looks elegant, fine and cozy. the staffs were well trained, attentive and they explain every item listed in the menu.

first, they served popiah (p420). in philippines, we called it lumpia, which is similar to fried spring rolls popular in southeast asia. the term popiah derives from hokkien lunpia. red ginger’s popiah was unique. very crispy and it compliments with the chili garlic sauce. you can also wrap it with iceberg lettuce and paired with spicy vinegar.

satay is a must try! it composed of different seasoned meat such as beef, pork, prawn & salmon, tofu and chicken. the beef and prawn & salmon satay surpassed my expectation. i loved the flavor and make sure to pair it with peanut sauce.

when i visited malaysia, my friend introduced me their famous spicy nasi lemak, which is for only 1 ringgit. well, the good thing about red ginger is they also offer nasi lemak lobster. this is a limited item and only available for the whole of month june.

i tried also their charcoal grill such as lemongrass & rosemary chicken, blue marlin except honey & tamarind glazed pork belly because i’m not a pork-lover though it looks tempting and enticing. 

for those people who are strictly diet, you can try their vietnamese caesar salad (php 270.00).

for the desserts, i ate all the items included in the dessert platter such as pandan coconut crepes roll, iced avocado condesada, mango sticky rice and the egg. i can’t event resist my self with the mango sticky rice and their famous, award-winning dessert: the egg - a custard cream with mango topped with crushed dark chocolate and some macapuno inside the cream.

my entire dining experience was really outstanding! i enjoyed all the southeast asian dishes. most of their items are good for sharing.

review and photos by our resident #sinopinasfoodie bernard magcarang

south east asian must-tries!
red ginger is a city of dreams restaurant located near the casino. they offer southeast asian cuisines. you'll find dishes from vietnam, indonesia, thailand, philippines, and more. the location is great because visitors from all over the world playing casino will be able to see it and when they decide to take a break, they can feast here and enjoy the food we and our neighboring countries have to offer.

popiah (php 420.00): this one is a crowd favorite and that has already been decided just at the start of our meal. popiah is a famous southeast asian dish but i've read it's also famous in china. in the west, it's known as an egg roll but to us filipinos, we call it "lumpia". however, this one is an upgrade as it has bbq duck instead of the usual pork or veggies. it's truly irresistible and you'll find yourself having a few pieces and getting yourself stuffed too early.

vietnamese caesar salad (php 270.00): a salad not for those in a strict diet but a salad i could really dig into. it's not just leaves and croutons and that's what i love about it because this way, i can finally enjoy my greens. thanks to the poached egg and to the salad dressing that covered almost every inch of the leaves. it's very tasty and creamy.

satay platter (php 950.00): it's a meat party with this platter. satay means seasoned and grilled meat. there's beef, pork, prawn & salmon, chicken, and tofu satay. it basically caters to almost every meat any person prefers. even the tofu is seasoned so there's not a bland meat in this platter. this can probably be shared by 5-6 people depending on how many you will order.

nasi lemak lobster: this malaysian-inspired dish is only available until june 30, 2018 so grab it while you still can! it's spicy but the spiciness doesn't interfere with the tastiness the dish has. if you're familiar with nasi lemak, you already know what to expect with its taste except this time, you get to enjoy it with some lobster meat.

you can also get some charcoal grilled meat like lemongrass & rosemary chicken (php 420.00), spiced blue marlin fillet with assam butter (php 780.00), and honey & tamarind glazed pork belly (php 460.00): there are lots of other options. i really loved the pork belly. it was sweet and sour and you'll find yourself looking for that cup of rice.

for our desserts, we had small servings on a platter but i'll put the full servings price, we had iced avocado condensada (php 280.00): which won my heart at my first spoonful. it's basically halo-halo with a scoop of avocado ice cream. from that first bite, i suddenly realized that from now on i want all my halo-halos to have a scoop of avocado ice cream.

pandan coconut crepe roll (php 300.00): a pandan flavored crepe with coconut on the inside and a scoop of ube ice cream. i could probably just had the pandan crepe and ube ice cream and i'll be able to enjoy this more. i'm only saying that because i'm not a big fan of coconut in general. don't hate me.

the egg (php 240.00): omg. you have to try this. trust me. this dessert has won awards. if you want to know more, just ask the staff at the restaurant. this dish looks like an egg but it's one of the best desserts you'll try out there. the yolk is a mango, the white is a custard cream, and the pepper are dark chocolate bits. there's also some gelatin and other chewy stuff inside. just try it out, every component in this dish makes it absolutely perfect.

i love the interior of this place. the lighting is a bit dim so it gives you a more intimate dining experience. however, they don't have glass windows so you'll be able to hear the outside a bit more but it's not noisy outside so it's fine. the servers are very friendly and professional. they're very easy to call and they get back to you right away when you ask them for something.

we occasionally drop by cod so hubby can get his itchy finger fix , so the kids and i
make it our mission to try different restaurants .
the current favorites, nobu and prego were outvoted by red ginger simply because we were starving and impatient (and in front of that restaurant at that particular moment😂) . we had gai yang- garlic and lime grilled chicken- this was too bland , the flavors not even touching the outer part of the meat. disappointing, to say the least; mee goreng mamak- hawker fried yellow noodles with sambal, shrimp, tomatoes, potatoes and bok choy. ah, the depth of flavor of this dish! with just the right amount of heat; and nasi goreng jakarta- indonesian bagoong fried rice with 2 sticks of chicken satay , topped with fried egg. the rice wasn't close to authentic but the satay was quite good, the peanut sauce adding depth of flavor to the dish. on a whole, our dining experience could be better- service, for one thing, needs improvement. given that only about 3 tables were occupied, i didn't understand why it was difficult to anticipate customers' needs. they were quite inflexible too at first, insisting that the mee goreng be served ahead (as this was part of their bfast menu), and the two other dishes later. i mean, come on! showing the customer that you're willing to bend over a bit to make them happy will result to many of them returning because after all, service always surpasses the food. just something to consider.

nasi goreng from jakarta. the fried rice blends well with every bite of chicken satay and pickled vegetables. late night cravings will be satisfied with this from red ginger.

nasi campur was quite spicy to my tastebuds. however you can taste the blend of the different spices used on this dish.

thai fried eggs with chili, coriander and chinese sausage is also a perfect dish for late night cravings. the crispy shallots make it more flavorful!

food is good! i just don’t like the idea of having the place open (no glass wall). the smell of cigarette from the casino area in the 2nd floor was reeking to the restaurant.

the ambiance is unique for me. i even tried to pass between the spaces of those wood because it doesn't have a glass lol! though it's near the casino, i did not feel uncomfortable. the place is classy and serene.
on the other hand, i think that the meals are too pricey. it's not something you'd crave for. 

check out travelwithkarla.com for the full review.

we ordered satay platter, it was not amazing as it sounds as the choices have shrimp,squid,beef, chicken but it almost kinda tastes the same. we actually cant distinguish which one is the chicken or the pork at first because it has the same marinate and taste. the vietnamese garlic bread is just an ordinary garlic bread. i like the spicy tofu and the palm fizz. service was also mediocre as well. nothing special for something so pricey.