Gumbo: Discovering the Taste of New Orleans Here in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Your friendly neighborhood Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas got an invite to try out a restaurant called Gumbo with a sub-line of "A New Orleans Restaurant" at its branch located at SM Megamall. Their very first branch was at SM Mall of Asia but since the branch in the said Mandaluyong mall is conveniently located at the center of the metro, the organizers decided to have the bloggers' event there.

While having our lunch, Mr. Albert, the Managing Director of both Gumbo and its sister restaurant Burgoo, informed us of some of the trivial information about the Gumbo restaurant, including where it got its name. I was surprised to know that the word Gumbo was derived from the African word for "okra," a pod like vegetable that was introduced by African slaves to thicken the stew we now call Gumbo. It has an incomparably rich flavor and texture and was derived from the cooking of French, Spanish, Indian, and African residents of the area.

When asked for my preferred drink, I had the urge to order for the drink with most unusual and intriguing name - the Elephant Charger. I don't really know why they call it that way but there's definitely no elephant harmed in the preparation of this concoction. It was a refreshing blend of a few fruits that go smoothly well with the sumptuous dishes served.

Another very interesting fact about the restaurant is that whenever customers order for their Gumbo or their other specialty called the Jambalaya, the restaurant crew will shout the dishes name as soon as they come out of the kitchen.

The SM Megamall branch is not that big but could probably seat around 100 customers comfortably. The dining area is decorated ala Mardi Gras with ribbons colored gold, violet and green to represent the official colors of the Mardi Gras celebrations.

 
You'll see colorful masks hanging on their walls, and some book decors stacked on shelves. The head gear

 

What I noticed of their kitchen is that its literally squeaky clean. I don't think I've seen a messy work place. Every part of the kitchen was neat and well-organized.

 

Served for lunch were Seafood Jambalaya, Putanesca Pasta, Family Feast, Fish and Chips and of course, Gumbo. We also had two kinds of desserts namely their Mississippi Mud Pie and New Orleans Bread Pudding.

Elephant Charger

A smooth combination of banana and orange and probably something else that makes the Elephant Charger one awesome drink. I want one in a taller and bigger glass.

Gumbo

The Gumbo dish had a lump of rice right smack in the middle, but Sir Albert showed us that the proper way to eat the dish was to mix everything evenly. It's like one filling meal in one huge bowl-like plate. A tolerable but tasty spiciness can be expected.

Seafood Jambalaya

The Seafood Jambalaya is another spicy meal but just like the Gumbo, you can request it to be served in a milder preparation having less of the spiciness. You can really taste the herbs and spices on this particular dish that's deserving of a loud mention, and additional applause.

Spaghetti Putanesca

It's very rare that I get to love pasta dishes but the Spaghetti Putanesca of Gumbo is one that came closer to my heart. I enjoyed its flavorful sauce and toppings.

Family Feast

 The Family Feast is the best choice if you want to try a little bit of almost everything served in one plate. chicken, fish fillets, barbecue ribs, suahe, and grilled veggies

Fish and Chips

Another huge meal serving of fish (cream dory) with fries (chips) and tasty dip is the Fish and Chips. This is definitely too big for just one person to handle. The dip is also flavorful and strong already even with just a little dip.

Mississippi Mud Pie

The Mississippi Mud Pie is like a huge popsicle in taste and with an icy version resemblance to a loaf of raisin or monggo bread. It was definitely another huge dessert treat that is ideal for sharing.

New Orleans Bread Pudding

We all know waht pudding is but this huge serving of New Orleans Bread Pudding has two scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream on top.

The Mardi Gras look

They also have some fancy head-gears similar to what they wear during Mardi Gras celebrations that customers can wear for photo ops and selfies. We all tried them and took some photos of ourselves for some memorable souvenirs to bring home aside from the yummy pizza we had for take-out.

Thank you for the All Meat pizza take-out

The dining crew

The Kitchen crew

 Below are part of their official press release for your additional information:

Gumbo has been called the greatest contribution of Louisiana Kitchens to American cuisine. When the first French settlers came to Louisiana, they brought their love for bouillabaisse, a highly seasoned fish stew. Having none of the usual ingredients necessary to make a typical French bouillabaisse, they substituted local ingredients.

After about a century, with the Spanish, Africans, and natives of the region offering their contributions of food, the stew was no longer recognizable as bouillabaisse and became Gumbo. What started out as second best became better than the original.

Today, Gumbo is generally a southern U.S regional term for stew-like dishes with meat or seafood , tomatoes and sweet bell peppers, but more specifically it is a Creole dish, whose characteristics ingredients are okra and file powder.


The Concept

Gumbo… A Taste of New Orleans, a casual dining restaurant that provides extra ordinary atmosphere of fun, quality food , best service and cleanliness. Fill your senses with the authentic taste of Cajun and Creole cooking such as freshly caught seafood’s, tender and juicy steaks and ribs, a variety of pasta and pizza dishes and whole lot more. Hear the Dixieland jazz music and feel the vibrant energy of a Mardi Gras Celebration.


Contemporary And Inviting

The restaurant’s comfortable dining ambience add character to the place with the elegant interior of French Quarter , open kitchen , colorful beads and head dresses of staffs and not to mention the chants every time Gumbo and Jambalaya are being served. Gumbo is a New Orleans restaurant in a family casual dining set up: it’s owned by Well-Loved Seafood Harvest Inc. It is a melting pot of different cultures from France, Italy, Spain, Carribbean and African descendant. It is conceptualized to introduce and bring New Orleans to Manila. The character of the restaurant is unique and the ambience is different from other themed restaurant in the Philippines. The Cajun and Creole cooking is introduced and portion are hefty and meant for sharing. It is contemporary yet inviting and chic. The restaurant specialties are Seafood Gumbo, Seafood Jambalaya, Bourbon-Style Ribs, Fish and Chips, New England Clam Chowder, the polenta crusted pizza and a lot more. There’s a wide array of menu choices from appetizer, soup, and salad, seafood, meat, pasta, pizza sandwiches and section solely for authentic Cajun Creole dishes and don’t forget to die for desserts. An exhibition kitchen is located right in the middle of the restaurant with green canopy and seafood well lit band.

Food Bloggers still enjoying our head gears

Gumbo is located at the 3rd level of Robinsons Magnolia, Aurora Blvd; 2nd level Atrium Mall, SM Megamall; the 2nd level,Entertainment Mall,Mall of Asia, Pasay City; 2nd level The Block SM City, North Edsa; 3rd level, Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita; and 2nd level Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao. For reservations and inquiries, please call 5560288, 6353015, 5671820, 4404632 and 7209632.

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