Thai food. We absolutely LOVE Thai food! In our opinion, it’s one of the most flavorful and complex cuisines that we have ever had. It has amazing character and balance of different Southeast Asian flavors. Thai food is simply irresistible. In this edition of EATSplorations, we will be sharing our EATSperience of Authentic Thai Cuisine at Benjarong in Dusit Thani Manila! Benjarong is considered to be one of the best Thai restaurants in town and we were really excited to find out about what makes their food so special. As first-time diners in one of Metro Manila’s most iconic Thai restaurants, what must we order? Shall we order on our own or shall we seek some expert advice from one of its servers? Keep on reading to find out what we EATSperienced at Benjarong in Dusit Thani Manila!
Authentic Thai Cuisine at Benjarong – Dusit Thani Manila!
Located at Dusit Thani Manila in Makati’s famed Ayala Center, Benjarong is the hotel’s in-house Thai restaurant. Aside from serving amazing Thai food, it also has a bar that serves famous cocktails using Thai and local ingredients!
Upon entering Benjarong, there’s a lovely view of its kitchen and a long table facing it. That area, aside from having an up-close look of the kitchen, is where they host Thai cooking classes that they offer for both hotel and walk-in guests.
Benjarong’s bar! It’s where the magic happens before, during, and after a sumptuous Thai meal. Make sure to ask for the bartender’s recommendations, they really have an amazing selection of in-house cocktail creations.
If you’d like to try out some Thai wines, Benjarong has a wide selection of those in this vintage-looking cart.
Intimate, elegant, and royalty-like interiors, for us, it’s what best describes Benjarong. A restaurant that can satisfy the cravings of each and every member of the family while still intimate enough for a date with a special someone.
Of course, Thai Iced Tea before starting our Benjarong feast! Sweet, creamy, and really refreshing.
Som Tam (authentic Thai papaya salad prepared tableside, Php 395)
Benjarong’s Som Tam has the beauty, the showmanship, and of course, it has the flavor! It tastes as good as it looks. Crunchy fresh vegetables with a delightfully spicy and sour dressing, this Som Tam definitely awakened our tastebuds and started our Benjarong EATSperience with a bang!
Tom Yang Gung (Php 495)
Made with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime, tiger prawns, and chili, Benjarong’s Tom Yang Gung is another classic Thai dish that’s everyone must try. It’s got a great balance of spicy, sour, and a little sweetness from the fresh tiger prawns. Every spoonful of this was definitely lit!
See Sa Hai (chicken, beef, tiger prawn, and pork skewers, Php 675)
Can’t say no to properly grilled meat and seafood skewers! Benjarong’s sampler of grilled skewers is amazing. We loved everything especially the beef and tiger prawn! The selection of sauces was great, too!
Gaeng Khieo Wan See Krong Neau Toon (72-hour cooked beef ribs green curry, Php 890)
A Thai cuisine EATSperience won’t be complete without curry, right?! Good thing Benjarong has its specialty of the house, this 72-hour cooked beef ribs green curry! Man, this was flat out amazing. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth and the green curry has a great balance of sweet and spicy flavors that made us eat more rice than what we’d usually have. Make sure to order this at Benjarong, you won’t regret it!
Pad Thai Gung Sod (traditional Thai rice noodle dish with prawn, Php 595)
Last but definitely not least, Pad Thai! This is heaven on a plate. The taste of the tamarind was absorbed by the rice noodles. It was smoky and really fragrant. Even though we were already stuffed with the first few dishes, we made sure that we finished this plate of awesomeness! Amazing job, Benjarong! We absolutely loved this dish.
Dessert Sampler (Water Chestnut Tapioca Pearl Pudding, Mango Sticky Rice, Coconut and Mango Ice Cream)
This plate of Thai dessert to cap off a wonderful meal at Benjarong! Why choose one when you can have it all, hehe. Of course, our favorite was the Mango Sticky Rice. It was sweet, lovely, and really really yummy. The only way to end a meal at Benjarong.
Cheers to Benjarong, its amazing food, its lovely ambiance, and of course, its warm and hospitable staff! We’ve found a new favorite when it comes to authentic Thai food. We really had a memorable first EATSperience at Benjarong! Every dish that we had just brought us to Thailand and back. We can’t wait to have another date night at Benjarong really soon. Special thanks to Benjarong’s Thai manager for recommending the dishes that we had and to their bartender for introducing us to the Thai-garita (Thai Margarita) and the Far East Mojito (their version of a Mojito)! We haven’t been drinking much since becoming parents and we definitely loved these two signature Benjarong cocktails. What a way to end our beautiful Benjarong EATSperience! That’s it for this edition of EATSplorations, until next time!
***For more EATSperiences, follow us on Facebook / Instagram / Twitter***
Benjarong – Dusit Thani Manila
Ground Floor, Dusit Thani Manila, Ayala Centre, San Lorenzo, Makati City
+632 7238 8888
Operating Hours:
12:00pm to 2:30pm and 6:00pm to 9:30pm (Mon-Fri)
12:00pm to 2:30pm and 6:00pm to 11:00pm (Sat-Sun)
Budget: 2500 php for two
EATSplorations 