The Makati Food Tour 2014 Part 3: Good Food Simplified at Simple Lang

Simple is better. All the time. Add a few imaginative twists and familiar flavors are suddenly new and different. Welcome to Simple Lang...

The full day tour of The Makati Food Tour 2014 culminates with dinner at Simple Lang, one more from Raintree Restaurants' group of diverse dining concepts focusing on local and traditional Filipino flavors. Simple flavors with a playful and innovative spin define the culinary style of Simple Lang for a unique dining experience with new yet familiar flavors (for more on The Makati Food Tour 2014, check out my previous posts on M Cafe here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-makati-food-tour-2014-part-1.html and Terraz Bistro & Meetings here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-makati-food-tour-2014-part-2.html).

Located at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Simple Lang is a welcome addition to the varied flavors at the scenic park. A leisurely walk around the gardens can easily build up a serious appetite, and Simple Lang is the perfect spot to satisfy any craving. 

The bright and cozy interiors are amplified by the bold splashes of red, and a quick glance at the counter display of crispy pork belly bagnet triggers an immediate response as you pick a table. Many of Simple Lang's signature dishes include crispy bagnet, and if you enjoy bagnet, this is the place.

Start your dining experience at Simple Lang with any of their signature drinks, like the refreshing Watermelon & Coconut Cream with Tapioca Pearls (P 150).

A complimentary bowl of steaming hot chicken broth goes with every meal at Simple Lang, and you're off to a good start.

Dinner begins with Tinapa Tops Salad (P 185), a medley of fresh kamote tops, kangkong, alugbati tops, tomatoes, and red onions in a rich salted egg dressing topped with crispy tinapa bits. Light and refreshing with a flavorful punch, and a great starter before the mains.

Grilled Stuffed Bangus (P 285), with green mango and tomato stuffing drizzled with calamansi. The soft, tender grilled milkfish delivers delicate flavors, given a flavorful boost by the tart green mangoes and tomatoes.

Crispy "Chop-Chop" Pork Belly Dinakdakan (P 195), with flavorful chopped roasted pork belly mixed with calamansi, pepper, onions, and chili in a special sauce. A regional Ilocano dish, the tender chunks of pork have a thin crisp layer for contrasting textures, great as is or with rice, perfect with a cold beer.

Longanisa Torta Talong Pancake (P 160), topped with salted egg, tomatoes, and onions. This is probably the prettiest tortang talong I've seen, with generous toppings for rich flavors. It's creative twists like this that make your dining experience at Simple Lang different and special.

Fresh Lumpia Rolls (P 95), filled with fresh vegetables topped with garlic and sprinkled with sesame peanut on sweet muscovado sauce. Comforting and familiar flavors, with the muscovado sauce adding a distinct and new layer of flavor.

Mixed BBQ Plate (P 595), a platter of grilled Chicken Inasal, Chicken Leg Quarters, Pork Barbecue and Grilled Squid with tomatoes and onions. A great sampler with chicken, pork, and squid, ideal for sharing. The sweet glaze on the chicken and pork barbecue complements the smoky grilled flavors, the tomatoes and onions add even more flavor to the grilled squid.

Sisig Fried Rice (P 180), soft and fluffy rice blended with rich pork sisig, another playful twist from Simple Lang. Simple Lang also offers an equally flavorful Inasal Rice that's perfect with their pork and chicken barbecue.

Seafood Bicol Express (P 375), a rich and creamy coconut cream broth with shrimps, clams, squid, fish fillet, and sayote shreds. The familiar richness of the creamy Southern dish is used as the foundation for a unique dish with seafood, without the heat. A personal favorite.

Sinigang na Crispy Bagnet sa Watermelon (P 395), a hearty sour tamarind broth balanced by the sweetness of the watermelon with crisp pork belly, kang kong, tomatoes, and string beans. Definitely not your usual sinigang, the addition of crispy bagnet with the crunchy crackling makes this stand out. And the watermelon adds another new element to the traditional dish. Quirky and fun, this dish really works. Another personal favorite.

How else can you improve on the tried and tested mongo? Add some bagnet. Simple Lang's M. B. T. Mongo Bagnet Tinapa (P 175), a comforting broth with mongo, sili leaves, and crisp pork belly. The bagnet simply brings this homey dish to a whole new level.

Cap your meal with one of Simple Lang's local desserts, like the The Simple Lang Halo-Halo (P 175)...

...or the Mango Madness Crush (P 175) and Buko Pandan Pinipig Crush (P 175), iced treats with milk, ice cream, and fruits.

And if you have a sudden craving for Choc-Nut, go for Simple Lang's Choc-Nut Milk Shake (P 150) with the familiar nutty chocolate candy. Cool local flavors with a playful spin, and you can find all these at Simple Lang.

Simple Lang's Chef Frederick Arellano and Michelle Magtoto, Marketing Associate of Raintree Restaurants, invite you to sample some of Simple Lang's creative take on local flavors. Simple yet bold flavors, prepare to be pleasantly surprised at Simple Lang.

Simple Lang is located at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City  or call 621-6161 or 621-6162 for inquiries.

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