samba - shangri-la the fort

when it comes to shangri-la fort, raging bull might get all the hype but it’s samba that actually deserves it.

peruvian food in a casual, hip, drinks by the pool setting. i’m so pleased with my discovery i almost don’t want to share it for fear that it will get crowded. but credit must be given, where credit is due.

what we (2 of us) ordered:
1. ceviche, particularly limone. a must for anyone trying peruvian food. it’s basically kilawin, delicious. they say it’s good for 1 but they’re lying because it’s good for 2.
2. soft shell crab appetizer - a lot like tempura with a peruvian flare. definitely good for like..3 people. a bit starchy so share this and break it up with somecevichesauce for acidity.
3. grilled octopus - perfectly cooked but mildly underseasoned (for me) although my date who likes octopus says it’s supposed to be this way so the octopus flavor comes out. ok, gets. good for 3 people.
4. prawn quinnotto - quinoa, seafood, cheese. ugh. must order. just forget rice exists and order this.
5. lomo saltado - beef and rice. see #4 about skipping the rice and eating the beef, there’s a lot happening on this plate, huge potato wedges and veggies so you gotta work to find your beef
6. marisco paella (for takeout) - so good even if you microwave it the next day.
7. chocolate ball dessert thing - i don’t want to spoil this for you but let’s say there’s audience participation and the chocolate is pretty amazing. also i’m proud that the server said we created one of the nicer versions of the dessert that he’s seen. well. unless binola lang niya kami.

some notes:
- 2k per person for all this food. paid for by
my brother who gave me a gc for my bday.
- their drinks need a little bit of work. skip their cocktails and go for the pure liquors. we returned our mojito because it tasted llike robutussin.
- al fresco dining is an option on a not so hot day.
- service was perfect.
- we walked home after this meal because we were so full!

samba has really good and authentic peruvian food. i loved how fresh thecevichewas, every bite was light and flavorful. the arroz con mariscos was also surprisingly really good and refreshing, tasted better than what i expected. the large, flavorful prawns on top made it even more special. the pastel de choclo had a really nice corn flavor with a smooth texture, something different from pot pies we usually have here.

as for their drinks, the hakuna matata had a juicy flavor and was more on the playful side. it was also served in a very interesting looking mug! their moana was lighter in flavor, and had a taste reminiscent to that of pandan leaves.

for dessert, we had their marquesa de chocolate. it was my first time to have a dessert which was fun to eat. the dark chocolate balloon and the passion fruit sorbet were really good, although the experience of breaking the chocolate balloon on to the plate is enough for you to want to try this dessert!

threw a suprise birthday dinner for my husband at samba. we all enjoyed the food! definitely a must visit if you want to try peruvian cuisine! we orderedcevichelimeno, anticucho de pulpo and conchas al carbon for appetizers, brazilian moqueca de camarao, arroz con mariscos, chuleton de res and lomo saltado for main dishes and the unique merengado de guanabana for dessert. all of these are highly recommended. i didn't get to take pictures of the food as we were too busy with family and friends. thanks again samba! my husband had a great time!

food is nothing great. quite overpriced for the quality of food served. we orderedcevichelimeno, arroz con mariscos, chicharron de calamar.. i forgot our other orders. the only one that group actually enjoyed was the ceviche.

love the food and the ambience here! the skewers were fantastic. it was my first time to try grilled octopus and was not dissapointed. the grilled chicken was also flavorful. thecevichelimone was a bit mild for my taste. maybe because im used to the traditional homemade kilawin made with lots and lots of vinegar and sili. nevertheles the seafood in thecevichewas fresh and yummy. the lomo saltado was tender and cooked perfectly. we also tried the magic liquid drink (which is non alcoholic) and loved the passion fruit flavor in it.

also, the servers were very accommodating and patient in explaining to us the menu. :)

i want to give this restaurant 5 stars because clearly head chef carlo has done an amazing job with this menu and it is better today that it was over a year ago. but i’m down grading it one star because the restaurant is now missing its other star of the show... and that’s chloe the previous restaurant manager.

chloe was simply a 5 star manager. someone who really should be working in a gordon ramsay michellin star restaurant in paris, ny or vegas. where she goes customers will follow. only to be replaced with a normal middle standard on-looker type manager (nothing wrong with that) it has definitely dampened the restaurant’s fine touch.

nevertheless, the food is all class. try the mariscos
with extra sauce, thecevicheselection and lamb. just wow. the grilled octopus also is amazing! happy eating.

wish i could give more than five stars because my samba experience was above and beyond!

food — excellent, excellent, excellent! my group of five ordered quite a bit, but we managed to finish everything. my personal favorite was the char grilled octopus: it was incredibly soft but had the perfect bite. really didn’t expect it, because i’m kinda used to having rubbery cephalopods. haha! it didn’t even need the sauces that came with it to taste great. i also liked theircevichelimeno. very light & bright, easy on the stomach, but packed with flavor.

service: man, their service here is fantastic. i’m sorry i forgot to take the name of our server, but he was so nice and pleasant and looked genuinely happy to help us out. he was also nice enough to ask us if we were allergic to anything and had the dishes specially prepared to eliminate any allergens. :)

ambience: we stayed outside and i highly recommend this! i was worried initially that it would be hot but the outside dining area comes with nice ceiling fans and well, it’s on the 8th floor so it’s expected to be breezier. the outside area is great for big (and loud!) groups, and it’s much more relaxed than staying inside. loved it!

thank you samba! never knew i liked peruvian food until trying your food!

theircevichewas definitely refreshing!

service was good, even if we dined on a saturday night and most of their tables were full. ambiance was great as well.

try the magic liquid if you want a fruity drink.. tastes really good!

i have never tried peruvian cuisine until last night. these guys set the bar pretty high because i loved it!!! we started our meal with the ensalada samba which had a really nice light summery taste. perfect for the hot night. it was followed by acevichelimeno, which was served with the main course because i had to follow it up. main course was arroz con mariscos which was really nice and creamy. prawns anticucho was perfectly seasoned. the prawns were still the star of the show and not the seasoning. for dessert, we had the marquesa con chocolate. ok, i’m a diabetic and i cheated for this. presentation was great and the taste lived up to it. so why the 4 and not 5? it was pretty difficult to get the attention of the servers from where we were seated. there was one who seemed like he didn’t hear me each and every time i called him. the bill also took forever. but despite the small service problems, i was very happy with the experience and will be back to try other things on the menu.

the restaurants in shangri-la the fort never disappoints! my tastebuds were very happy! as expected service was superb! the manager chloe made sure everything was perfect 👌. we got the piqueo tres decevichewhich is like acevichesampler i personally liked thecevichelimeño all the flavours were just blending well together the seafood melts in your mouth. we also got the salmon tiradito, i read that it has truffle oil which i though was interesting however it didn’t really taste like it has truffle oil over all nothing special with it. we also got the conchas al carbon which was torched scallops which was absolutely delicious! they actually torched it in front of us which i though was cool. one favorite is also the arroz con mariscos! the dessert was interesting we got 3 different ones the black and white chocolate shell which they lift and break, it was interesting i’m just not decided yet whether i like it or not. the dark chocolate shell was actually good. the other one we got was suspiro limeño which was soooo sweet you only need one bite to get a sugar rush! i’m giving them a 4 and not 5 because there was a lot of things that was not available when we went i was personally looking forward for the oysters and the anticucho de corazon. overall i would love yo come back. note though to set your expectations regarding price and serving size cause you’re dining in shangri-la so the high price shouldn’t be a surprise.

this place is a good dinner place for groups. their servings are good for sharing. got to try a lot of their dishes and we loved it. what we particulatly love was theircevichelimeno and their arroz con mariscos. we also liked their peruvian pork adobo and their steak (chuleton). it was interesting also that the steak was torched was in front of us. the steak was tender. dessert was also good with the effect of dry ice giving the dessert a new feel and experience. service was good as well with the chef interacting with the guests. ambience was great.

food - 4.5
service - 4.5
ambience - 5.0

best peruvian restaurant in the philippines! theircevichejalapeño p570 is soooo 👍👍👍 and satisfying that i would go back just for this (in fact i did with my mom and she loved it)! this is the dish that appears twice on my review.cevichelimeno p550, the other pic, is not as good.

any samba experience would be incomplete without the following: parihuela p975, arroz con mariscos p790 and prawns quinotto p790. servings are big so enjoy it with your friends!

other recos include: empanadas de lomo p480 (put all the sauces please!), anticucho de pulpo p590, and lomo saltado p770.

for dessert, we really enjoyed "breaking" the white chocolate ball of the merengado guanabana p380 (before and after shots in my gallery). tres leches p375 is also good - best paired with a hot cup of coffee!

for a nightcap, try their cocktails, served on tiki mugs at p400 each.

can't wait to go back here again!!

it was my first time to try peruvian dishes and i would say bravo. i'm not into "kilawin" but thecevichelimeno is a must-try, as the rest of the dishes we ordered - scallops, mixed seafoods. the chef even whipped-up something for my vegan-friend. what craves me most is the peruvian fried rice. there's this smokiness that keeps me going back for more and more. we ended the meal with merengado guanabana, fresh berries coated in guyabano cream. it was enclosed in a white choc balloon and none other than the chef himself who unveiled the dessert in front of us.

we ordered the anticucho de pulpo,cevichelimeño, lomo saltado, and arroz con mariscos, and finished it all with a tres leches.

i must've cried about three times. i had to take breaks because i was chewing so continously, i was forgetting to breathe. i don't know if i will ever feel happiness like i did tonight again.

also, chef carlo huerta was nice!

when shangri-la hotel in the fort, bgc, first opened its doors to guests early last year, i immediately went around the place for a quick stroll and did my own tour of it. it was only the ground floor back then that was accessible to the public. this posh hotel is still in the works to date, and its construction would most likely be done before the year ends. nonetheless, some parts of it are ready and accessible to guests, including one of their restaurants, samba, which is now up and available to the dining public.

"it is located on the 8th floor,” replied the concierge when i have inquired as to where samba exactly is in the hotel. i reiterated my question, and made a follow-up by asking if she is sure of her info, of which she politely responded and gave confirmation to.

it was a great surprise for me actually to see samba’s location. samba has a fitting setup, with it being located near the hotel pool, adding up more good vibes to an already impressive restaurant theme. together with other foodies from zomato, we were all seated in the resto’s al fresco dining area, and were all in for a banquet on a sponsored invite. this feast is nothing like any other, as it boasts of a complete array of special dishes, unlimited drinks, and social interactions with the restaurant’s local and foreign team.

along with a number of players in the restaurant industry having a consistent flow of patrons coming in, are the dining place owners that are serving south american cuisines. they have been slowly but surely inching their way into penetrating our own local food scene. proof of this is the dining public’s display of appreciation and support for cocina peruvia, which is situated a block away from shangri-la the fort, bgc. despite this resto’s upscale food, the place gets packed on most nights with dining customers who are willing to splurge so much on food. cocina peruvia should keep their eyes open though for competition, especially since samba’s now around to serve a unique lineup of food offerings and authentic latin american dishes to a number of food lovers.

now let me make a rundown of all the dishes we were served in samba that night.

the first appetizer that was served to us is peru’s signature ceviche,cevichelimeño. it had all there is to it that you love most about seafood. the red onions, coriander sprouts, tobiko, and the leche de tigre dressing complemented the flavors of shrimps, octopus, scallops, calamari (squid), and the lapu-lapu fish. the soup base was a nice combination too of garden fresh herbs, spices, and citrus flavors.

the next dish that was served to us is the salmon t-r-a-d-t-o. it was a lighter meal compared to thecevichelimeño. this flavorful dish is composed of thin salmon slices, that were simply tossed in oil and mixed with lime juice.this omega-3 rich dish would have your appetite wanting more. the salmon t-r-a-d-to is also available in tuna variety.

the presentation of their conchas al carbon would surely steal people’s attention as it is served flaming. i assume that the fresh scallops in it were all raw, given that the heat of the flame would already cook them good. the scallops were nicely laid out with their shells on, and they were seasoned with salt, and accentuated with the fragrant cilantro and the sweetness of red onions.

another scallop dish that was served to us that night was the chalaquitas. in this dish, the scallops were perfectly combined with the onions, tomatoes, lime juice, coriander, and corn. i’d have to say that i like this better than the conchas al carbon for its balmy characteristic.

the first entree that was served to us during the evening was their anticucho de pulpo. since most of the foodies have gotten most of it, i was only able to try out a little. and man, was it so delightful and worth raving about, even if i only had the chance of getting a little taste of it. the chargrilled octopus was slightly chewy, yet tender to dig your teeth into. i also love the generous serving of grilled bell peppers garnished with the rocoto carretillero that came together with it.

i thought that south americans’ cooking expertise centers on mostly meat dishes, but i was proven wrong. samba served us with another great-tasting seafood dish, which was the brazilian moqueca de camaro. together with this dish was a serving of malagueta chili chowder, which was later on poured into a bowl of lapu-lapu fillet and prawns. i was like a wee little kid that’s too jumpy to do the thing myself. for me, the process definitely made the whole dining experience all the more exciting.

my favorite of all the dishes that was served in samba that night was their own version of the spanish paella. they have used peruvian rice in their arroz con mariscos, with generous portions of calamari, octopus, shrimps, and scallops. it definitely went well with the white wine, paprika creole seasoning, parmesan cheese, and coral butter. this plate will surely bring heaven and happiness to my pescetarian friends. (sorry for my french, but if you aren’t familiar with what “pescetarian” means, then a ‘pescetarian’ is a person who doesn’t eat meat but enjoys wolfing down fish.) i like this dish because of its creaminess, just like how it is with risotto.

the night is young and the novelty dishes by samba just keep on being served to our table. their pork anticuchos con salsa de adobo was served on a crispy sourdough bread. apparently, this pork belly dish bursting of rich flavors of panca peppers, oregano, and red onions, was cooked for 18 hours! the flavors were made even better with its sauce. yum.

pleasing the meatlovers was samba’s chuleton de res. this 800-gram sous-vide black angus prime rib most definitely took the spotlight. the flavors in this juicy and tender meat were heightened even more with its well-tasting pepper sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beetroot and asparagus. but lo and behold, a platter of this will cost you php 4,500. but i assure you, you will definitely get what you pay for.

for the final lap of this whole food ensemble, we had a variety of samba’s desserts. it was a sweet ending to a delicious gastronomic adventure. first up, we had the picarones, a peruvian pumpkin donut, glazed in sugarcane syrup and topped with a sorbet. the contradicting temperatures in it makes this dessert a pleasure to the palate.

another dessert that we got to try out was their merengado de guanabana. in order for us to have a taste of this unique sweet piece, we have to crack this sphere-shaped dessert by dropping it from a foot high off of the table. inside it was guyabano cream, crispy almond meringue, and blueberry and strawberry coulis. i never had guyabano this good, and i liked it for tasting so nicely with the sweet and sour flavors in it.

the entire course was capped off with their peruvian home-made ice cream. you will go crazy over their concocted queso helado (milk, cinnamon and cheese), lacuma (andean chesa), and choclo (corn) ice cream. the queso helado was hands down my fave among the three, with the salty cheese bits overwhelming my palate.

what a great night that was. it wasn’t exactly just the thought about samba’s dishes that’s pleasing for me, but the efforts exerted alone by the people behind them, who are all passionate to satisfy their dining clients. thanks to samba for that wonderful experience, especially to their beautiful chef and friend, chef mya pamintuan, for a masterfully done set of recipes that she prepped for us that night. it was truly a great memory i would always look back on, especially when i’m craving for a well-curated menu.