Tucked away at the second floor of Manila Ocean Park, Makan Makan Asian Food Village deals with super hungry hordes who insanely crave for mixed Asian cuisine, particularly authentic Singaporean, Chinese, Malay, Thai, Indian and Filipino food.
My family and I found out about this “hawker-style” Singaporean dining place only last weekend coincidentally, when we accompanied my sister for her monthly braces adjustment at Vaxcen Clinic (located at the first floor in the same building). We had just finished with lunch at that time. Still, I was urged to take a bite and grab a quick meal here to know how promising their dishes are.
Review of Makan Makan Asian Food Village (Manila Ocean Park)
Ambiance: β β β β β
Makan Makan has two entrances: front and back. You can enter from either way and you will see cooks in their own stations right through to the depths of open kitchens, as they showcase showmanship and artistry in cooking and preparing food.
The concept combines typical Singaporean hawker fare which basically consists of a good mix of standalone pushcarts put together featuring different food options that can make you quite dizzy, especially if you don’t know exactly what you want. If you’ve been to Food Republic or Food Opera in Singapore or Hong Kong, you will get a clearer idea and picture the ambiance of Makan Makan more vividly. Why? They are likely the same, except that this localized version has less overwhelming crowd and fewer food stalls.
Makan Makan Asian Food Village offers open dining and free seating to guests (not exclusive to stalls where you order your food from). Theme is vintage, invoking a nostalgic kampong atmosphere.
Service: β β β β β
The staff were polite and courteous from beginning to end. Unlike the mentioned food courts in Singapore, here, dining customers order through the waiters after reviewing the menu and not through the staff inside each food stall. This non-self-service arrangement givesΒ Makan Makan Asian Food Village a fully decent and classy restaurant setting.
Food: β β β β β
With so many international food choices on the menu, it was hard for us to decide which ones to order. Finally, we went for my two favorite Singaporean dishes: Laksa (PHp 160) and Char Kway Teow (PHp 175). My mom and my sister didn’t get to taste these before when they came to visit me in Singapore because there were a lot more they sampled. Despite that, they had the inkling and feeling that they won’t like them, especially laksa. :O But of course, that had to change! 
Let’s start with the Cha Kway Teow.Β Cooked in sweet and savory soy sauce and oyster sauce, the kway teow was neither too oily nor dry for anyone to dislike. In fact, it was really delicious! Ingredients used were slices of fish cake, squid, lup cheong (chinese sausage), bean sprouts and egg. I think this was a Singapore-style char kway teow, a darker and sweeter version of its Penang rival.
As for the laksa, the soup and the noodles were superb and flavorsome! The taste of curry and coconut milk with the usual herbs and condiments was very evident, making up for the sour, sweet and spicy concoction. Small prawns, bite-size chicken meat, shredded vegetables and tofu were present in the bowl.
End result? My mom and sister gave positive feedback on the food. π
It’s confirmed then. Makan Makan’s food flavors are authentic! I’m so glad it’s here in Manila, so I don’t have to travel far to quell my cry to Singapore and Malaysian food once in a while.
Other must-try dishes are:
- Wanton Mee (PHp 160) – egg noodles in special sauce with asado
- Oyster Omelet (PHp 160) – topped with stir fried spring onions and fresh oyster served with chili dip
- Singaporean Carrot Cake (PHp 160) – stir fried radish cake
- Hainanese Chicken Rice (PHp 500 for half chicken and PHp 900 for the whole) – poached chicken served with sauces
- Crispy Cereal Prawns (PHp 550 for 2-3 and PHp 900 for 4-5) – stir fried prawns in butter and cereals
- Chili Crab (PHp 200 per 100 grams) – stir fried crabs in chili sambal sauce
- Pepper Crab (PHp 200 per 100 grams) – stir fried crabs in chili pepper sauce
- Pad Thai Seafood (PHp 190) – stir fried seafood rice noodle with pickled radish, bean curd and special tamarind sauce
Price for Value: β β β β β
When compared to prices of hawkers in Singapore, prices of food inΒ Makan Makan Asian Food Village – Manila Ocean Park are quite the same. Eating here will cost 1-2 diners around PHp 150 to PHp 300, or around S$4 to S$9. Given that it’s a gastronomic paradise filled with specialties from various regions constituting to a proper foodie destination, the rate is affordable and reasonable. π
Note: You don’t need to pay for any entrance fees to the Manila Ocean Park shows and theaters to dine inside.
Opening Hours: 11am β 9pm daily
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
i wanna try their laksa! look good! π haven’t been to Manila Ocean Park yet but I guess we could drop by the place just to try Makan makan haha! π
What? You haven’t been to Manila Ocean Park yet? Haha. You should visit the place really soon and discover how our local sites look promising as well. Awesome creatures to look forward to and of course, great food is waiting in Makan Makan, after the tour. π
I’ve seen Makan Makan quite a few times already when we’d drink and chill at White Moon. Haven’t given it a try though, but it’s long been on my bucket list! π Love that they exude the hawker-style feel like that of Food Republic’s. Will definitely schedule a visit to Makan Makan and try their laksa and char kway teow before I get distracted by newly-opened restaurants >.<
We saw White Moon but it was closed. Probably its operating hours start at night. Oh next time we’ll also try to chill out there.
I love their food there! So many choices… Here is my blog post when we ate there too. http://littlemisshoney.com/2011/11/ocean-park/
Ohh your page shows error. I better check it out next time. Anyway, thanks for sharing!
Interesting name for a restaurant. Delicious-looking food. I would love to try their hainanese chicken rice. Favorite namin ni hubby yon! π
I’d like to go back to this place as we’ve seen online vouchers offered right now! π Maybe we’ll see each other there next time!
It does look like the Singapore food court which is a really nice concept for a food village.
Yeah I hope to have more hawker places here in the Philippines with affordable dining showcasing the best cuisine from trucks, vans and hawker stalls around the globe.
Yeah, I hope there’ll be more hawker type stalls that provide several alternatives to customers.
What a name! Is it a Singaporean name for this resto? Singaporean foodstyle is so unfamiliar to me, of course for there’s no Filipino cuisine prepared similar to that. How does it taste, anyway?
The name means “to eat.” The tastes of the food there are varied, depending on the specialty of the country originating. There are MY, IN, TH, SG and other mixed cuisines.
That Cha Kway Teow looks so mouthwatering that I wanna visit Makan Makan right now! Next year, I will eat that dish! π
Next year ka pa punta Manila? Hehe okay. π
Never knew na may ganito sa Ocean Park maybe during the time na pumunta ka sa Manila and visited that place wala pa yan. Sayang looks great pa naman!
When I last visited there in 2010, wala pa nga. I’m not sure when it was built and first opened to the public because I was out of the country in a while. It’s a must visit especially when you’re living in Manila. π Appreciate the things that are near to you as people who are far away will have to strive harder only to get here.
It is nice to know that this kind of food set-up is growing but I think it will take ages before I can even set foot in here. lol
Because you’re in the dessert? Not to worry. π You have things to appreciate there and it will also take ages for us here to get to experience them.
I like that soupy dish with shrimp. It looks delicious. It got me starving actually.
Have laksa with rice or without rice. In either case, you’ll find yourself craving for another bowl next time. It’s that delicious. Super tasty and memorable. π
Hi Roch, do you have any idea what’s the meaning of Makan Makan and where is the origin of word? The Laksa is so mouthwatering. I think Laksa is a must-try dish that can be bought at a reasonable price.
It means to eat. Origin is Malay, I think. Singaporeans and Malays use it all the time to invite others to eat meals. π Yeah, the laksa might be one of their specialties and signature dishes here.
The laksa soup seems delicious. And the way you describe it, I think I will really like it. π
Hehe yeah! Note that my mom and sister who didn’t like laksa from Singapore before liked this version. So that’s already a strong hint that this restaurant’s laksa is sumptuous indeed. π
My family ate there and they said that the food was great daw. I wasn’t able to go with them kasi I had classes. I really wanna try their food! I’ve never even been to Ocean Park.
xoxo
Pauchee C.
You can schedule one weekend to visit Manila Ocean Park and see the different sea animals in a show or in the tour. Then finish off your adventure with Makan makan Asian Food Village’s food. It would be a pleasant experience for sure. π
This is a very good venue if you are looking for some gastronomic experience seeing that it is an asian food village. Oh my God, I would trade one day of my life just to visit this place, haha. And the foods are not really that expensive huh. What is “kampong” by the way?
Kampong is a small village or community of houses in Malay-speaking lands. π
Need to try their LAKSA recipe. I love soup so much.
I have not tried making laksa from scratch. I just know that the instant laksa ones sold in supermarkets are not at par as the authentic soups like this.
i lovechar kway teow! or other noodle food here in malaysia! i though i would miss most of singapore foods but then I can ifnd it here in MY too! Makan Makan means eat here or eat haha something like that I guess need to learn some more malay words hehe
Yup you’re fortunate to have the best of both SG and MY there! I really miss hawker-hopping and trying food even when they are all the same. (Just knowing which stall serves the best) π
The food looks amazing and the ambiance looks perfect. As always you give a very detailed review that is very helpful.
Thanks. I take that as a compliment! π
Love the interior. Surprised to see the prices, affordable for this kind of place. Akala ko mahal yung mga food nila. Hoping to visit ocean park someday. Super di ko pa navivisit till now -__-
The food photos are great! Effective, nakakagutom π
Actually most of the seafood entrees on the menu are not as affordable (priced per kilogram). I just chose the items that are “wallet-friendly.” π
I am also an addict to char kway teow and laksa so I have to try their version plus the Hainanese chicken.
Well, I’m not surprised. These stir-fried ricecake strips are arguably one of the best and most popular dishes among Malaysians of all races. Asians’ taste buds would not vary as much, and we welcome the dish with a nice hello. π
Makan Makan , what’s in the name? Na-inosente ako rito, kai its not the typical food courts that I know, curious tuloy ako na to visit the place.
It’s a great and elegant food court that’s different from the malls. π
The foods look yummy! Now I know where to eat the next time we visit Manila Ocean Park. The prices are reasonable naman. π
Yup! π Try to catch an online deal here to get discounts. My mom bought one for us.
Wow, around P150-250 cash to be spent on food is really good na. Talagang sulit! When I was in Singapore, medyo may kamahalan ang food nila dun kaya nagtaka ako bakit nasabi mo na they are basically the same with Makan Makan’s rates.
Oh baka sa mga mas sosyalin ka na places napadpad hehe but if you go to like Bukit Batok, Bukit Gombak, Holland Village, you will really find cheaper hawker food! Scrap Newton Circus and those food courts in the mall lah. π
It seems that restaurant is new because the last time we visited Manila Ocean Park was two years ago. I’ll consider to dine there when we go back to Manila Ocean Park.
Maybe it was opened two years ago. We’ll also eat here for the second time soon! π
Honestly lalo akong nagutom (lunch time already). Gusto ko tuloy itry yung soup perfect sa panahon ngayon.
Ako rin nagugutom every time I read through my own food reviews. Haha. π
This is such an amazing restaurant, but what really caught my attention is your printed top, it looks so fashionable! Hihi =)
Haha thanks, Kim! π
We had our lunch in Makan-Makan when we visited Manila Ocean Park earlier this year. I also had Cha Kway Teow too and we ordered prawns. And i swear it was delisssh! π
I’m sure they were. π
[…] expecting to find authentic tastes then resorting to other restaurants like Wee Nam Kee, Makan Makan and Old Penang for chicken rice may most probably be a better […]