Unit 8 Cafe Favorites

A couple of weeks back, I received an invite to try out this new restaurant at the Mall of Asia, Unit 8 Cafe. Turns out a couple of food blogger friends were invited as well, so we all trooped to the bayside to check out this new addition to the Manila dining scene.

The refreshing Kamias and Mango shakes match Unit 8 Cafe’s cheery interiors

We were warmly welcomed by Oman, one of Unit 8’s owners. While waiting for Juned, Karla, Sha, Rotch and Ryan to arrive, Melo and I sampled their fresh fruits shakes. While Melo had the Kamias-Lychee shake, a Unit 8 specialty, I opted for the more familiar ripe mango shake, something I terribly missed while traveling (Philippine mango is still the best in the world!).

Fruity Wonton Salad with the Chili Crusted Tofu in the background

As our friends arrive one by one, so did Unit 8’s signature dishes. We started off with the Chili Crusted Tofu: tofu cubes breaded and deep fried, served with a side of sweet chili sauce. It was a great start, I thought, and a sign of the yummy things to come. Soon enough, we were overwhelmed with the number of dishes in our table, but that didn’t stop us from trying and savoring each one!

Unit 8’s Eggplant Rollini

What I love about Unit 8, aside from their location fronting the gorgeous Manila Bay, is that offers a diverse menu that can make meat lovers enjoy vegetarian fare. Their Fruity Wonton Salad is easily one of the best salads I’ve had in Manila: crisp lettuce leaves topped with walnuts, dried cranberries and cream-cheese filled fried wontons with raspberry vinaigrette. I’m not a big berry fan, but the raspberry makes for great salad dressing. Another veggie-only house specialty is the Eggplant Rollini: thinnly sliced eggplant, breaded and used to roll over cheese and baked. Think of it as cannelloni, except with eggplant and there’s no meat in the yummy tomato sauce.

Crisp Fried Whitebait

Another thing I liked about Unit 8 is that they made me eat and like fish! I’m not too fond of fish, and will avoid ordering them when there’s meat on the menu. Unit 8 Cafe’s fish dishes are something else, though! First was the Crisp Fried Whitebait. Small, slim fish lightly breaded and deep fried to a crisp. It’s served with three kinds of dipping sauces, soy-vinegar, tartar sauce and spicy mango aioli. It’s hard to say which sauce is the best, as all three match the fish perfectly. I ended up alternating between all three.

Fish Fillet in Light Soy Sauce

Another fishy favorite is their Fish Fillet in Light Soy Sauce. Pan seared dory, that is just bursting with flavor, yet leaves you wanting for more. These are my favorites, but everything we tried at Unit 8 was fantastic. Other dishes we tried were the Fried Lasagna Rolls, Asian Style Barbequed Chicken, Carolina Barbequed Country Style Pork, Beer Battered Fish and Chips, and for dessert, White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Frozen Mango Tango and Tiramisu.

Are you headed to MOA anytime soon? Why not try something different and head over to Unit 8 Cafe? You won’t be disappointed.

Unit 8 Cafe, SM Mall of Asia
G/F South Wing Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Bay Blvd.
Pasay City, Metro Manila
+632 804-0853