Planet Grapes in Shangri-La Plaza is the third branch of PG in the Philippines. Now we don’t need to travel to outer space to actually land on another planet! 😛 Kidding aside, Planet Grapes is where traditional Filipino street food is glorified and earns its own spot together with wine on the menu.
Whether you want to try a traditional wine pairing, an adventurous meal, or just some great Pinoy dessert, Planet Grapes is sure to delight. The selections here are as different and exciting as you’d want them to be. This is where you can let go your traditional ideas of what a good restaurant is supposed to be and just enjoy some winning combos.
Review of Planet Grapes (Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong)
Ambiance: ★★★★★
Planet Grapes’ interior was full of attractive wine bottles that are displayed on the background and those striking ones that make up the chandelier. The ambiance was splendid, and the overall setting was quiet and intimate.
I love the coherent and consistent theme on the first and second floors. It gave a cozy, upscale, and warm vibe that’s desirable and presentable—anything but low key. It’s lively without being real loud, so you can come for food and wine but still hear the people next to you.
Fixtures throughout the space and the enomatic machines look most sleek. Speaking of enomatic machines, these are state-of-the-art Italian machines that allow customers to try different wines by sip, half-glass, and full glass sizes. Cool stuff!
With all these combined, Planet Grapes must be the next new classic. Sound the alarm. It’s a headliner, an ideal place to take your date on a nice, sit-down dinner and share a magical spark over some comforting Filipino food. It’s also a great go-to restaurant to grab lunch or snacks with business partners and colleagues.
Service: ★★★★★
Service was fantastic. Especially if you’re trying out wine for the first time and can’t decide which would go well to complement your food orders, Planet Grapes is a good place to start to learn about the types of wine and their characteristics. The service attendants are equipped with the knowledge to describe wine and serve it correctly and confidently to customers. They’re incredibly helpful with wine options, food recommendations, and general pleasantries.
The Open Kitchen
Food: ★★★★☆
We had our department planning here and stayed for both lunch and merienda. The food we ordered were delicious, interesting, and slightly overwhelming all at once. Planet Grapes – Shangri-La Mall’s menu is focused around plates rooted in Filipino cuisine, but with some modern twists that kept us engaged and satisfied in our dining experience. To know more about the items on the menu, click here.
For starters, we had Chicharon with Tinapa Dip (PhP 215), PG Super Sisig (PhP 210) and Grilled Chorizo (PhP 135). All were indulging and maybe the type that you don’t want to eat in front of your boss as you’re sure to end up with a little bit of grease on your lips.
Chicharon with Tinapa Dip is one of the best-sellers and for good reason. It’s the familiar taste of crispy pork rinds cooked through an air fryer matched in heaven with salty smoked fish. The bold taste of smoked fish made this appetizer really sumptuous. It was nearly impossible to stop the “hand to mouth” action. Nom nom nom.
On a screaming-hot cast-iron pan, the Super Sisig entree was good but nothing out of the ordinary. I thought it’s tempting to eat it with rice, but it also tasted fine by itself.
The chunks of chorizo, on another plate, was pleasurable with nice pockets of firm pork fat. They were made just right, neither too sweet nor heavily spiced.
Our mains consisted of some grilled specialties: Organic BBQ Pork Spare Ribs (PhP 725, 450g), Organic Pork Chop (PhP 450), and Black Cod Steak (PhP 395) with our chosen sides: Grilled Parmesan Corn, Fresh Mixed Salad, Plain Rice.
BBQ pork ribs come to mind first when I think of “ribs.” Prepared and rubbed with a good mess of seasonings and smoked on the grill as we’ve seen in the kitchen, these organic bbq pork square ribs by Planet Grapes are a hit. The tender ribs stood out to me primarily with the barbecue sauce having a good blast of flavor.
Dry and chewy pork chops are a thing of the past. PG’s thick-cut organic pork chops were not too tough but also not too fork-tender. I thought eating them with apple sauce or pickled vegetables would be great, but that’s a story for another appetite.
Among the three, the black cod steak was my favorite. Wonderfully buttery, it was deeply seasoned and the result was completely irresistible. The rich white-flesh fish came with a moist, succulent texture.
To cap off our meal, we had Turon Trilogy (PhP 165) which reminded me of Napolones from Bacolod and Choco Collision (PhP 225) for desserts. With beautiful flaky crisp layer of skin on the exterior, Turon Trilogy was filled with three classic Filipino dessert delicacies: thinly sliced banana, purple yam (ube) and jackfruit (langka). It definitely scored high.
As a chocolate lover, I have to give the sexy plate of Choco Collision a round of applause! It’s hard to say no to a rich and creamy chocolaty treat topped with vanilla ice cream like this. 🙂
The wines available at Planet Grapes represent different wine regions in the world. We tried the “Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett 2013, Pradikätswein.” Yes, the name is quite a mouthful. It’s a light-bodied white wine with a cool nose of barely ripe apple, a touch of honey, orange and gentle herbs. It tasted clean, vibrant, and edgy with a scintillating mineral. I like that it has a low level of sweetness and somewhat a silky mouth-feel. Let’s toast!
Price for Value: ★★★★☆
If your goal is treating yourself to familiar Filipino comfort food and be surprised at how wonderful it would taste with wine, then Planet Grapes in EDSA Shangri-La Mall is the spot. It may not serve the best Filipino food ultimately, but it cooks up decent and flavorful meals.
Hitting good notes on the ambiance and services as well, Planet Grapes is a solid choice, a respectable one. It also has branches in Tuscany, Cebu, and Riverpark. Prices are more on the costly side but they’re expected and acceptable for their given value. Here, you can find yourself wanting to linger, talk, and relax no matter who you are with. Check this place out! 🙂
“Planet Grapes is a bar and restaurant that offers wine without the drama. This no-nonsense approach to wine enjoyment provides a refreshing twist for budding wine drinkers both young and old. Find the wines you love, one grape at a time with flexible options to different serving sizes of wine.”
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