We want Momo!

MANILA, Philippines - With the proliferation of 140-character thoughts and high-speed interaction, a yearning for a much simpler life is inevitable. We go about our days neck-deep in work and stress. Most of the time, we get accustomed to roaming our office cubicles and the trip to the water cooler is the closest thing that we get as an exercise, or maybe the daily train commute but it’s more of an action movie than an exercise.

You can actually call the longing for an idyllic life a backlash. Streaming the wonderful micro-blogging world of Twitter (with tweets sent via smart phones and android-powered gadgets, no less), you’ll encounter a lot of whining about the need for a much laidback atmosphere. These days, the last place you’ll go to for such a thing is the mall; it’s the veritable concrete jungle teeming with endless droves of people wandering and aimless, or just trying to get home.

For those who like their cookies adventurous, try Momo’s deep-fried Oreos with cornflakes.

Home, now that’s something we appreciate more these days. Aside from laundry and comfortable beds, one thing we associate with the word “home” is food. No amount of ready-to-cook meals and fast-food delivery can obscure the charms of a home-cooked meal, not to mention the memories we associate with it.

As fans of home-cooked food, the folks at Raintree Restaurants, the people responsible for some of the best restaurants in the metro, such as Mr. Jones and Chelsea Market and Café, thought of another concept restaurant that combines the warm embrace of home-cooked meals and casual dining.

“Momo is shorthand for More Food, More Drinks, which is basically the concept behind the restaurant,” explains Belle Cagadas, Raintree’s marketing manager. “We don’t shy away from home-style favorites. If you want baked mac, we have that, but we give it a twist like more premium ingredients to make it more special.”

Located at Ayala Triangle Gardens (they also have another restaurant at Eastwood Mall, Libis), Momo’s interiors are a clear reflection of the restaurant’s ideals and concept: no fuss fixtures, neatly arranged tables, eye-friendly color schemes of yellow and purple. Plus, you gotta love that wallpaper with teapots which is equal parts quirky and adorable. The restaurant’s also a spacious enough place to hang out with your friends and family, which is what Momo is all about.

Momo’s servings are huge, which makes it ideal for barkadas and families. “It’s all about sharing,” Cagadas remarks.

Cheese overload: Melted Quesofundido and potato skins

Their aforementioned creamy baked mac, topped with roasted tomatoes and spinach cream, can already fill the stomach. Pair it with their 12-inch thin crust pizza of roasted garlic vongole, fresh herbs, white sauce and anchovies, and you’ve got a meal that’s set to linger on your taste buds for a long time you wouldn’t want to eat anything else.

Diners will be happy to know that the food on Momo’s menu stems from a collaborative effort from the chef and the rest of the kitchen staff, a strong testament to their concept of camaraderie and family ties. “It’s usually the chefs who create the dishes for the menu, but here at Momo, we ask everyone’s input to create the dishes that we serve. Everyone is hands on,” explains Chef Kalel Khan.

Momo’s appeal lies on the accessibility and the friendliness of its menu. It’s not too conceptualized and gives customers a chance to experience their favorite dishes in a new light. While casual diners may think of shark’s fin dumplings as a mere staple, Momo’s sumptuous crispy shark’s fin salad is a wonderland for your tastet buds, with fresh cilantro, Mandarin organges, and fried noodles tossed in.

So the next time you and your friends or your family have a hard time deciding where to eat, or if you’re all tired of going to the same restaurant every week, Momo offers a smorgasbord of delights, whether its Asian, European or Contemporary American cuisine that you crave.