If you’ve walked along Salcedo, Makati, recently, you must have spotted the new joint in the area: Restoran Garuda.
It’s only been open for a couple of weeks, so don’t be surprised that foot traffic hasn’t picked up just yet; even online information remains quite limited.
If you’re into the coconut-y and peanut-y Indonesian fare, then Restoran Garuda is for you.
They serve Packet meals, where you can choose your own main (Daging, Ayan, or Ikan) and side. It comes with rice and pickled vegetables, and krupuk (an order is good for one, at P295). We were also able to try their Chicken Sate (P290) and Martabak (P385). Both are really good, but serving-wise, everything was too much for me.
“We felt that there’s not enough justice done on the flavors of Indonesian food,” Ashwin and Kamlesh Budhrani — two of the parters at Garuda — said. “We wanted to acquaint the locals with the wonderful Indonesian palette. Hopefully, Garuda is able to bridge [that] gap.”
For you to have the best foodie experience here, go with friends and try a bit of everything! And oh, another tip: Order their “Tehbotol,” an Indonesian take on iced tea, which is really handy in dealing with the spices.
Garuda may not be listed in Google Maps yet, so to help you out, the Indonesian resto is located —aptly — right across the Indonesian Embassy.
Find Restoran Garuda at 166, Beneficial Life Building, Salcedo Street, Legazpi Village, Makati. You may get in touch with them through their Facebook page or call +632 824–3440.
