Garlic is something that is loved in many countries and cultures, and even in cuisine there would be a dish that would need the intercession of garlic to make the dish stand out. And it is probably the common denominator for the taste of many.
What if you can infuse this flavor in one of the well-loved cuisine in the world - Italian, and create a whole new line of menu that will definitely tickle the taste buds and make a great impression on your food portfolio. That idea has now become true and is now in the Philippines with the opening of the first restaurant of MAD FOR GARLIC.
Italian with an Asian twist makes one Mad for Garlic
A new wine bistro that kicks up the Italian dining experience a notch has opened its doors in Bonifacio Global City. It’s the 23rd location for Korea’s popular Mad for Garlic restaurant, which has also been making waves in Singapore and Jakarta.
Mad for Garlic is at its heart, a place for wining and dining on Italian-style pizza, pasta, salads, rice dishes, risotto and steaks, highlighted by a tasteful profusion of garlic. Garlic bulb-shaped lamps and garlic wreaths decorate the interiors, along with walls of wine bottles. It feels like an Italian wine bistro but a look at the menu reveals that there is so much more.
The starters include the interestingly named Dracula Killer, an entree of soft buttered garlic bread served with garlic cooked in olive oil and anchovies. The Tutto Mushroom Salad features three kinds of mushrooms, along with grilled red pepper, asparagus and arugula, and the sauce? Teriyaki. The salad is divine. Another Mad for Garlic hit is the Caprese Salad, fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese atop traditional basil dressing. Zuppa di Pesce raises the spice meter by two levels, made of a special spicy soup of various kinds of seafood served with garlic bread sticks.
Then, there is the global hit called Garlic Snowing Pizza, a thin crust pizza made with Mad for Garlic Special Sauce and topped with shrimps, diced pineapples and of course, fried sliced garlic. Even those who do not usually put pineapples on their pizzas find it enjoyable.
“We think Garlic Snowing Pizza will become a hit here as well. It has a good mild sweet flavor, comes well mixed with garlic, and is nice and crispy,” says Archie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc., the local partner of Mad for Garlic. Another bestseller is the Gorgonzola Pizza, a thin crust pizza made of Italian gorgonzola cheese and served with honey dipping sauce topped with garlic bits.
Among the pasta dishes, Crab and Lobster Pasta is a good creamy winner, made of garlic cream sauce pasta with crab and lobster meat. Dancing Salsa Rice with Steak is served on a hot plate, which the server will mix teppanyaki-style. It’s a garlic rice dish with wine marinated beef, topped with fresh bean sprouts and fried egg, along with diced tomatoes and jalapeño. Dessert is not spared the garlic treatment. The Garlic Sprinkle Gelato, garlic ice cream served with a garlic cookie, makes a great ending to a Mad for Garlic meal.
The drink menu is a mix of fruit shakes, beers, coffee, soda and tea. Try their “Signature Ades” such as Lemon_Ade and Orange_Ade. Standout drinks are the Wine_Ade and Yuja_Ade, two refreshing and original concoctions from Mad for Garlic. “In general, we would recommend dry, sweet wine for our spicy and garlicky menu. Our white wine selections would also go very well with the cheese platter,” says Mr. Rodriguez.
Sweetness, spiciness and a garlicky taste all mix up to make Mad for Garlic quite a memorable dining experience. “One will find that Italian dishes served here at Mad for Garlic not only stand out because of garlic, but because they are uniquely flavoured,” explains Mr. Rodriguez. Mad for Garlic was established 13 years ago in Korea. “Our Korean partner, Caroline Nam, simply loved Italian food. She realized that people in Korea really loved garlic as well, which is a main ingredient in Italian cuisine. So with that in mind, she and her team created this wonderful concept of Mad for Garlic,” relates Mr. Rodriguez.
Mad for Garlic is open from 11 am to 11 pm from Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. from Friday to Saturday.
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