Slayed by garlic at Mad for Garlic

MANILA, Philippines - It would be unwise to bring a date to a restaurant that prides itself in using a lot of garlic — as in 10 different kinds, and even claims on its very entrance that it is absolutely mad for it. But there are worse calamities than garlic breath, like being stuck in a cramped restaurant with lousy service, mediocre food and décor unworthy of your Instagram feed. Mad for Garlic in Bonifacio Global City has none of these — bring your date here, and trust me, garlic breath notwithstanding, a goodnight kiss awaits.

Since the restaurant opened, I have been its most voracious diner. It had me at crab and lobster pasta — a creamy, almost milky white sauce pasta with chunks of lobster. I counted, and it had more than the usual four chunks served at other restaurants. That day was a good day. Over the weekend, I went there again and brought my family for a post-birthday celebration of sorts, and we celebrated with what might just be the best pizza I’ve ever tasted in my life: the Old Ham and Sausage Pizza, thin-crust and crispy, with just the right blend of sweet, salty and garlicky goodness. Normally, I would pass on the all-meat pizza and go for the wussy four-cheese or Hawaiian, but for this one, an exception had to be made. And I am certain more exceptions would be made in its honor in the near future.

One ingredient common to many Mad for Garlic dishes, I noticed, is cream. I read somewhere that cream, in whatever form –– cream cheese, butter, sour cream –– balances the flavor, so do fresh herbs and spices. In every dish, there would be layers of flavor — not surprising, since Mad for Garlic is itself a collision of cultures. It’s a popular restaurant in Korea established 13 years ago by Caroline Nam, a Korean who loved Italian food, and Bonifacio Global City is its 23rd location. It looks and feels like an Italian wine bistro, but don’t let the tall racks of wine and perfectly-lit bar intimidate you –– the menu is inviting, descriptive, and tough to resist.

Dracula Killer, an entrée of soft buttered garlic bread served with garlic cooked in olive oil and anchovies, or their best-selling Caprese Salad, a plateful of fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese with traditional basil dressing. And then there’s the very Korean-sounding Garlic Snowing Pizza, a thin-crust pizza made with Mad for Garlic special sauce (my guess this one has a bit of honey and cream) and topped with shrimp, diced pineapple, and delicate slivers of fried garlic. End your meal with the much-buzzed-about Garlic Sprinkle Gelato, which is garlic ice cream served with a garlic cookie, and show your date exactly how hardcore you can be, at least when it comes to adventurous desserts.

Archie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc., the local partner of Mad for Garlic said, “Mad for Garlic  is a restaurant for the whole family. It’s affordable, if you look at the menu and look at the prices, it ranges from P150 to P600. My five-year-old daughter loves the Caprese Salad, she would finish the whole plate. It’s a good dish. Bring your date here so you can both have garlic breath and enjoy the food,” Archie added. Not a bad idea.

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Mad for Garlic is located at W Global Center in Bonifacio Global City and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. from Friday to Saturday.