This April, the food scene in the Philippines is alive and kicking with restaurant and food launches, as well as recipes and other dining options.
Here’s what’s cooking in the local food scene this month:
Lenten pairings
This month, Catholic Filipinos are also observing the Lenten season, which concludes on Easter Sunday, April 20.
Because of this, some restaurants are open to serve during the Holy Week.
Grill expert, Mang Inasal, announced that it would be open nationwide to serve its well-loved grilled favorites throughout the Lenten season.
It advised customers to visit its website, manginasal.ph/locations, to check store hours and contact information. The page lists operating hours, addresses, and phone numbers for each branch.
The restaurant is also offering meat-free options: Lumpiang Togue and Bangus Sisig.
Launches
Meanwhile, for Holy Week and beyond, the Japanese comfort food restaurant, Ebi10, is also offering meat-free options.
It announced that it has returned to Makati City with a refreshed spot on Level 2 Alfresco, One Ayala Mall. The design, featuring clean tiles, patterned noren curtains and bright murals, is a collaborative effort between And a Half Design Studio and Studio Mara.
Ebi10 used to be housed in a hole in the wall in Poblacion and has since spread its reach across various locations in and around Metro Manila, including Capitol Commons, Greenhills, Nuvali, Vermosa and Angeles.
It is originally known and lauded for its namesake tempura, The restaurant has expanded its menu to cater to a wide variety of Japanese comfort food cravings.
The current menu features signature items such as a range of tempura offerings, which can be ordered by the piece, as well as beloved fusion sushi selections like Senju Roll and Tuna and Scallop Dynamite Roll, and plates for sharing like
Bacon Yakisoba and Kani Salad.
It also added new items such as mains Sukiyaki and Truffle Ponzu Steak and noodle specials Seafood Mazemen and Gyu Ramen. Its bar offers cocktails for after-work fun, plus new mocktails like the Ichigo Fizz and Muscat Fizz.
Apart from the Ayala branch, Ebi10 said it would reopen its Eastwood branch, the first Metro Manila location to offer teppanyaki. The teppanyaki menu is already available, featuring family and individual sets.
The restaurant released a schedule for Holy Week.
For your summer merienda needs, homegrown Potato Corner also introduce Snack Bites where customers can now mix and match their signature flavored fries, Loopy’s, and Crunchy Chicken Pops, to create the perfect snack combination.
Here’s a rundown of the new sizes included in the Snack Bites lineup:
Loopys and Crunchy Chicken Pops are now available in Solo servings, offered in either a Large or Mega cup. For those who want more variety, the Large and Mega Mixes allow customers to create their own combinations by choosing any two items from Flavored Fries, Loopys, or Crunchy Chicken Pops.
Meanwhile, OREO, the world’s beloved cookie brand, hosted a historic launch of its cookie into the into the Milky Way, dubbed OREO Space Dunk. The star-studded launch event is in partnership with space agency Sent Into Space, in a broadcast live streamed from Nimo Highlands, Bandung, Indonesia.
Lucas Levy, Mondelez Southeast Asia regional marketing director, said the cookie space launch is part of the brand’s belief in pushing the boundaries of playfulness.
“By sending the cookie into space — which for ages has sparked our collective human imaginations and pushed the frontiers of science, we’re taking this to the next level! OREO Space Dunk highlights our enduring commitment to ignite imagination, inspire curiosity and bring people together through out-of-this-world experiences that fans have come to love,” Levy said.
The cookie brand also unveiled the OREO Spaceburst Cream cookie, an exclusive limited-edition flavor with a subtle cooling sensation that feels like space in a bite.
In addition to the limited-edition Spaceburst Cream, the OREO Space Dunk Cookie collection includes fan-favorite core flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry, available in Multipack and Full Slug. You can find them in stores and online on Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop.
Awards
In February this year, UAE-based Prime Group, a global leader in quality assurance, compliance, and certification across Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, honored Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc. with two excellence awards during the Stakeholders Recognition Day & Gala Night held at Al Habtoor Palace Hotel in Dubai on February 19, 2025.
Goldilocks received the prestigious Sustaining Halal Champion Excellence Award for its consistent commitment to upholding and promoting Halal standards, reflecting the brand’s dedication to quality and compliance with Islamic dietary and ethical guidelines.
The company was also recognized with the Product & System Excellence Award, celebrating its outstanding performance in product quality, manufacturing processes, quality assurance, and overall management practices.
Last month, Bonchon Philippines, the popular Korean fried chicken brand, marked its 15th anniversary with an award. It was named InfluentialBrands® Top Brand 2024 in the Korean Restaurant category.
Recipes
Mega Prime Foods Inc., the company behind the popular sardines brand in the Philippines, continues its mission to nourish Filipino families—this time through Mega Mackerel.
Ahead of Lent and Holy Week, the brand introduced a series of meat-free recipes using Mega Mackerel as a recommended alternative for dishes like sinigang, bistek, and even sisig. These recipes offer the same level of flavor, fullness, and nutrition—while also being more heart-healthy and budget-friendly.
Here are some of the meat-free recipes:
Pesto Pasta
Sinigang
Spring rolls
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Cucumber salad
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Omurice
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Curry
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— Rosette Adel
