Shopgirl Jen: THE LIVING LEGACY OF FILIPINO FOOD AT VIA MARE

I remember when I was a kid every time we're craving for bibingka or puto bumbong we always head to the nearest Via Mare. And until now that I have a family of my own, Via Mare has a special place in our hearts. My family loves to dine-in at Via Mare, Promenade Greenhills branch and indulge with their Filipino merienda.

I can't believe Via Mare will be celebrating their 40th year in the food industry. In four decades, Via Mare not only change the Filipino's perception of its own cuisine, but they also brought global recognition to the sophistication and complex flavors of the Philippines. To kick off their anniversary, I was invited to attend the pre-anniversary lunch of Via Mare together with other bloggers.

In the many years that we frequent Via Mare, it was actually my first time to try their lunch menu. And it did not disappoint! As much as I love their merienda, I can't wait to go back for lunch time and bring my family to try all the Filipino dishes! Maybe we can stay until merienda time para mas solve! Haha!

Let me give you a quick background of Via Mare.. Chef Glenda Barretto, who has been at the helm of the restaurant since the beginning, had a strong belief that Filipino cuisines has the potential to be world class. She highlighted and present well-loved Filipino dishes with modern touches that made it more palatable to foreign guests.

"The past 40 years is not only the story of a restaurant, it is a story of the Filipino people. Via Mare is our pride as we helped a lot of Filipinos enjoy and be proud of the cuisine that we have here, of recipes that we have enjoyed throughout our childhood, and of what Filipino fine cuisine truly tastes like."

During our lunch, we learned that Via Mare made waves in the Philippine history and they've been part of the big events that happened in the country. For the past 40 years, Via Mare maintained to be a premier Filipino restaurant, branded itself according to the demands of its wide clientele. The Via Mare Oyster Bar was launched to cater to the more discriminating taste and specialized in serving the most succulent of oysters.

And it was a delightful lunch served with Filipino favorites dishes. Their authentic taste is incomparable to other restaurants. If you have balikbayan friends and relatives that are coming home or visit the country, you should bring them to Via Mare and taste the goodness of Filipino food. I'm sure it will bring back memories and they'll enjoy discovering more dishes to try.

Feast your eyes on these dishes! Yum!!!

Via Mare served Filipino cuisine that matches the eating pattern of Filipinos: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and merienda. You can find something in their menu that you can enjoy any time of the day. Just look under the Altanghap (almusal, tanghalian, hapunan) section of the menu.