#thegarageatcod

The Garage is located at the upper ground floor of City of Dreams Manila, just in front of the popular Dreamplay. The integrated casino resort takes pride in its many non-gaming activities and this is the area where most families and children usually stay, so The Garage provides a very convenient dining option for hungry guests. Entrance is free so everyone can enjoy its upbeat and energetic vibe.

I was met at the entrance by Ms. Romina Gervacio, Director for Public Relations at City of Dreams Manila who also happened to be celebrating her birthday that day. 

The Garage is set in a 2,714-square meter air-conditioned area which used to be part of the hotel’s parking building. The location is quite spacious, with plenty of plush and comfortable sofas, seats, and tables scattered across its vast floor area. Its modern industrial interiors cater to a 563-seating capacity and was designed by award-winning Paris-based creative design agency, Malherbe Design in collaboration with Westar Architectural Interior Design, a group known for its strong sensitivity to contemporary design aesthetics.

Giving the food park further life and vibrancy are various graffiti works of two prominent names in the street art scene, Kookoo Ramos and DeeJae Paeste. You can find their works of art carefully hidden or elegantly displayed along the walls and corners of The Garage.

There are several dining areas available, so just pick a spot and then head over to the carefully curated selection of food and beverage trucks and trailers available at the cool and comfortable food park. 

Hosting the day’s grand opening activities was KC Montero who brought along his energy and spirit to match The Garage’s entertaining activities. The food park offers a unique concept as it brings together 10 of the hippest names in the food and beverage industry and combines it with a VR Zone unlike any other in the country.

Kunihisa Yagisita, General Manager of Bandai Namco Amusement was present to welcome all the guests to the grand opening of The Garage. The company is honored to partner with luxury integrated resort City of Dreams Manila and bring to this exciting destination their first VR Zone entertainment facility in Southeast Asia.

It’s time for me to sample some of the awesome dining options available at The Garage, so let’s check out these 10 well-known establishments which include Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Katsu Sora, Pink’s Hotdog, Little Flour, El Chupacabra, Pizza Grigliata, Farmacy, Chocol8, The Roaster and Juiced. The casual dining experience is also enhanced with the sustainability drive of City of Dreams Manila. Only eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable plates, utensils and take-out bags are used at The Garage.

I love how they have designed the trailer trucks and integrated them into the space. You can really feel the open and casual ambiance, but without the sweltering heat.

Pizza Grigliata serves nothing but hot, freshly-made artisanal pizza which are uniquely prepared. Their pizzas are handmade from scratch everyday using thin crust dough topped with the freshest ingredients which are torched and grilled. 

Hollywood’s most popular hot dog stand since 1939, Pink’s Hot Dogs, can also be found at The Garage after opening their first Philippine outlet at Bonifacio Global City in 2016. I ordered their Tokyo Dog (P250) which comes with tempura flakes, unagi sauce, coleslaw, wasabi mayo, and togarashi. They also offer the iconic The Hollywood Legend (P280) which is a medley of Pink’s eponymous hotdogs with chili, cheddar cheese, mustard, and chopped onions. Just beside it is Farmacy Ice Cream which serves fresh homemade ice cream “the right way,” together with an extensive array of comforting treats such as milkshakes, sodas, coffee, and pastries. I had the Triple Scoop (P230) which had scoops of double chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream.

El Chupacabra is a casual street taco bar in Poblacion, Makati which was one of the pioneers of the massive foodie scene in that area. They serve a delectable array of Mexican-influenced dishes as well as uniquely-tweaked versions of popular local plates. 

Apart from Mexican-style street tacos, El Chupacabra is also known for burritos, enchiladas, and grilled chicken sticks. I don’t usually frequent the busy Poblacion area so this new outlet was a great opportunity for me to finally try their offerings. Best of all, parking is never a problem at City of Dreams Manila with their complimentary parking building.

I do love ramen and anything Japanese so I was happy to find the trailer for Ramen Santouka. The origin of this ramen shop traces back to Hitoshi Hatanaka who opened his own ramen shop in Hokkaido in 1988. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka’s well-loved ramen is characterized by its mild, pearl-colored Tonkotsu soup which is carefully prepared by taking the time to simmer the pork bones before adding vegetables, dried fish, kelp and other special ingredients.

I tried two of their popular ramen variants including the Kara-Miso Ramen (P395), a spicy ramen made with pork broth and seasoned with miso and hot spices. My favorite was the Awase Aji-Ramen (P380) which is their specialty ramen made with a combination of shio, shoyu, and miso ramen. I had never tasted a ramen using all three of the most popular flavors so this was really a surprising and satisfying discovery.

Another food truck specializing in Japanese cuisine is Katsu Sora which specialized in my new comfort food, tonkatsu. The restaurant is known for serving dishes that use four kinds of world-class pork that are of the highest quality: Iberico, Kurobuta, Shimofuri, and Sakura. This time, I ordered the Ebi Furai Katsu Set (P455) which comes with three huge tiger prawns deep fried in wood-fired panko, creating a crispy exterior while remaining plump and juicy inside.

Alongside the well-curated food and beverage outlets at The Garage are City of Dreams Manila’s own exceptional outlets servings beverages and desserts. Juiced offers a variety of freshly squeezed smoothies, slushies, and juices for those into healthy concoctions.

I tried two of their best-sellers including the Avocado Booster (P240) smoothie and the Sunburst (P280) from their Detox line. Both were indeed refreshing and made with only the finest ingredients. Coffee lovers should head to The Roaster which offers an array of gourmet coffee creations made from freshly roasted Philippine beans. In keeping with the resort’s sustainability campaign, the beans are sourced from coffee growers and farmers in various communities supported by the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc.

Those into heavier drinks can go to The Bar with its selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It’s specialty cocktails include The Garage (P380), a heavenly combination of Jack Daniels whiskey infused with apple cinnamon honey, peach syrup, apple juice, and ginger ale.

Also a favorite is the Manila Five-O (P350), a cocktail made with brandy, Malibu rum, Grand Mariner, pineapple juice, and orange juice. You can also try the Jasmine Red (P220) signature iced tea made from Jasmine tea, apple juice, calamansi with honey, and grenadine.

End your meals with some sweet desserts from Chocol8 which features handcrafted chocolates in a number of shapes and forms and enhanced with special ingredients such as fruits, nuts, and spices. They offer white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate bars and chocolate tiles. You can also marvel at some of their displays which are all made from pure chocolate!

But what sets The Garage apart from the rest of the local food park industry is its unique VR Zone which features a new generation entertainment facility that offers an exhilarating and startling experience with top-of-class Virtual Reality technology.

There are currently three VR games on hand at the VR Zone but more will be coming in the next few months. You can buy single player tickets for P450 each or you can avail of their group packages for up to four players. There are some age and height restrictions in each game so make sure that the kids only play games appropriate for them.

The two-minute Ski Rodeo is a steep downhill ski simulator that lets a player ski a vast snowy mountain course with sharp slopes and steep drops. Your goal to finish at the fastest time possible within the allotted time. I wanted to try this out for myself, but because of my recent Hip Replacement Surgery, I don’t think I’m ready yet for this type of hip action.

I was more than ready though to hop on the Mario Kart Arcade GP VR. The three-minute Mario Kart game lets you play as either Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or Yoshi and step right into the action-packed world of the Mario Kart universe. Your goal is to race against each other until the finish line through a course filled with traps. This highly sought-after game can be played by up to four persons who will battle for greatness.

This was actually my first time to experience a virtual reality game and I was really impressed with the clarity and total immersive experience of the game. I really felt like I was inside the game and racing against my opponents, especially with the 360-degree viewing angles. It was amazing that I could also reach out my hands in the air to catch useful items like hammers which I can use to pound on my enemies. We all looked funny waving our arms around but I was totally hooked on the game! Unfortunately, I ended up last among the four, but I’ll get them next time.

This next attraction is definitely not for the faint for heart. The Hospital Escape Terror can be played by up to four participants who will be entering a horrifying experience unlike any other. The lines can be quite long for this VR game which can last up to 9 minutes per group if you all end up surviving the terror. The goal is to escape and survive the dark, cursed, and abandoned hospital while being restrained on a wheel chair.

I couldn’t believe that I would be sitting in a wheelchair again in this game, because it was just a few weeks ago when I was still using a wheelchair in the hospital after my surgery. Thankfully, this is only a VR game but when you are inside it, everything really looks real! I have to gather up all my courage just to stay on my chair and not run outside, but it was really an experience I will not forget. 

If you think you are ready to face all these VR challenges, then go and visit The Garage at City of Dreams which is open daily from 10:00am to 2:00am. Don’t worry, if you just want to relax and dine at some of the best restaurants in the city, then you can always just stay at the food park and enjoy its beautiful surroundings. Whatever the case, The Garage is destined to be one of the hottest dining and entertainment destinations of the year.

The Garage

Upper Ground Floor, City of Dreams Manila, Entertainment City, Parañaque

800-8080

www.cityofdreamsmanila.com