With the industrial, metal-and-brick décor and fusion menu, it’s clear that being different is what Toast Asian Kitchen & Tasting Room is all about.
(Toast Asian Kitchen & Tasting Room)
Toast does away with the hard-and-fast rules of tradition in favor of more playful and unique Asian mash-ups, like the sinfully savory Gyozig — Japanese dumplings stuffed with Filipino sisig, as well as East-meets-West fusion dishes like the saucy and cheesy Tom Yum Meatballs, the crispy Thai Chicken Poppers, the signature Longganisa Pasta and the sweet and sticky Tapioca and Mango Trifle.
Even the more “traditional” Asian dishes are given their own clever twist in this place, like the restaurant’s take on laksa, to which they add squid ink, giving the broth a darker and brinier flavor (it’s listed as Blaksa on the menu), and the Twice Cooked Pork with Salted Egg Fried Rice, in which crisp and tender slices of pork slathered in salty-sweet sauce are served on top of a plate of fried rice flavored with the latest food craze, salted egg.
(Tom Yum Meatballs)
Accompanying Toast’s food offerings is a slew of one-of-a-kind cocktails by Singaporean mixologist Jason Gray. His cocktail selection features Asian-inspired drinks made with top-notch liquor bases and exotic mixers, like the Pomelo Sour with its vodka infused with lime, red bell pepper and ginger, and the clean and crisp Tokyo Fog Cutter made with Japanese whisky, lemon juice, apple juice and Absinthe flame. Those who tend towards sweeter concoctions will enjoy Seoul Searcher, which is made with gin, lime juice, Thai basil, pomelo chunks and white pepper, or the Jack Sparrow, made with spiced rum, jackfruit, apple and lime juice and Pandan syrup.
With its original dishes and cocktails, there’s always something new to discover here. Whether you’re in the mood for an adventurous food trip or simply looking for a new place to go drinking session with friends, Toast is definitely the place to be.
Toast Asian Kitchen and Tasting Room is located at Ayala Mall’s The 30th in Ortigas Ave., Mandaluyong.
(Blaksa)
(Chicken Pomelo Salad)
(Yakitori)
(Seared Salmon)
(Twice-Cooked Pork)
(Mango Tapioca)
