Marikina City is known to be the shoe capital of the Philippines that creates very affordable leather shoes that are durable and stylish at the same time. There are still a lot of stores and factories in Marikina that create world-class shoes that are even for export to different countries but some say that Marikina City is now gaining a new title besides being the Shoe Capital of this country. 

Restaurants have been mushrooming all over the city and people are now claiming that Marikina is the city with the most number of restaurants up to date although there are no official basis regarding this claim. I haven't really visited a lot of restaurants in the city ever since 2009-2011 (when I was still a band vocalist of Stacatto and Brewd Band doing gigs in some of the restaurants in Marikina) but last November 28, 2016, I got to try a newly opened restaurant located at MEC Building, Pitpitan Street, San Roque, Marikina City right behind Mcdonald's Marcos Highway.

Ghella's Kitchen is an 8 month old restaurant that was originally located at Soliven Ave., Antipolo City but because of a better location at Marikina, they decided to transfer last October 2016. Owned by mother and daughter, Leny and Angela Aquino, who were based in Brunei for quite some time, decided to create a restaurant that serve Malaysian cuisine that they loved back when they were out of the country. They thought that there are only a few places that serve this cuisine so they made sure that they will be able to share to other Filipinos how delicious Malaysian dishes are.

Honestly, when I got an invite from Ms. Angela, I was a bit unsure if I wanted to give it a try because I've never tried Malaysian Cuisine before. Maybe I was kind of intimidated by then, but the foodie in me decided to go for it.



It has a cozy interior that can fit around 25-30 pax including the space outside the restaurant. Pictures of their dishes were hanged on walls which I think was a great idea so that unfamiliar customers like me would know how some of the Malaysian food in the menu look like. When it was time to order, I checked out their menu, but because I haven't tried any of it yet, I just asked Ms. Angela to serve the best sellers. Below is their menu for reference on your future visit:



I was alone when I went to Ghella's Kitchen for a food review so I was only able to try 2 dishes and a drink since I won't be able to finish eating more than that (I guess haha). So here's what I was able to taste that night:

Roti Telur - P65.00

Roti Telur is a new addition to their menu but it has been a huge hit to their customers. It is a fried egg wrapped in flat bread. You can enjoy this by dipping it in either condensed milk or curry sauce. It is perfect for an afternoon snack which I really loved especially with the condensed milk. Best eaten when still warm. Definitely something that I would order every time I am at Ghella's Kitchen.

Buttered Prawn with Nasi - P240.00

It has 4 medium-sized prawns topped with butter and chili served with Nasi. Nasi is a pre-cooked rice fried using a small amount of oil or margarine and spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). What made me really interested to try this dish is the unusual consistency of the butter. Yes, that yellow stuff on top of the shrimp is the butter. I enjoyed the freshly cooked and perfectly seasoned shrimp that matches the sticky-sweet Nasi. One order is already good for 2 pax or for 1 hungry individual. 

Iced Teh Tarik - P50.00

Considered as Malaysia's national drink, Teh Tarik which literally means pulled tea, is made from black tea and milk. I've been an addict when it comes to milk teas so I enjoyed this beverage very much. I just hope they could have an option to add tapioca pearls to the Teh Tarik. I had mine cold but you can also opt to have it served hot.

I wasn't able to try out their desserts which are fruit salad, leche flan, buko pandan, chocolate chip cookies (available for take out) and fruits seen at the counter, but they are planning to add more soon.



Besides the Malaysian dishes, Ghella's Kitchen also serves Filipino dishes such as Tapsilog, Adobo and Pinakbet. Pastas are also available on their menu that kids truly enjoy. They also provide catering services that are very delicious and affordable at the same time:



For inquiries and other concerns, you may contact them at 09273429497/8818725 or email them at ghellaskitchen@gmail.com. You can also follow them on their social media accounts: Facebook and Instagram to get updates on their ongoing promos.

The experience of tasting a cuisine for the first time is very unpredictable because you may or may not like the food that will be served. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the Malaysian dishes that was served and I am pretty sure that I will be back to try out more of what Ghella's Kitchen has to offer. Thanks to Ms. Leny and Ms. Angela Aquino for having me and see you when I get back to try the Laksa and all the other items on your menu.