Sunday, 29 July---Okay. I have to be honest here. I was a bit reluctant to enter Balestier as they had no other customers on a weekend night. The restaurant looks exquisite, with their hanging lamps and wooden tables and chairs, with their kitchen behind a bar where you can have a look-see on how your food gets prepared. But an empty restaurant? On a Sunday? A place may have great ambience, but if there are no customers, food musnt be any good, dont you think?Recently I had a slew of bad experiences in Marikinas new restaurants, and I had developed this sense of cynicism that everyone is out there putting up restaurants/food stalls/only-good-when-youre-drunk food parks and mercatos, just for the sake of making money. I remembered two kinds of burgers that cost thrice the usual amount I pay for a work lunch/dinner, that put me in such a dire state that it felt like I was in a deep well of food experiment after-thoughts by kids who want to learn how to cook but dont know what a potato is. One of those burgers had a pattie that tasted like under-cooked longganisa, flooded with a scoop of cheap vomit-cheese. The other was a Mr. Kurosawa ramen burger, served to me with more indifference than an average Filipino with his politics. Both of these burgers tasted like break-ups, like oiled-up gutter-sludge in Ermita with too much salt added, like Jaspers Chicken, like Strawberry Fries.We sat down, looked at the menu. I asked for the Sesame Caesar salad, the Bak Kut Teh risotto, and...that was it. My younger brother Vincent, always having thrice the appetite that my mom and I have, ordered almost EVERYTHING ELSE on the menu. He added: the Laksa Tsukemen, an order of Hakaw, a plate of Salted Egg Chicken Wings, and a large bowl of Char Siu noodle soup. Midway I wanted to stop him from ordering. I wasnt confident. I was pessimistic. No customers around on a Sunday night? Come on. Food. Must. Not. Be. Good.Nope.I was more wrong than an intellectuals Duterte vote.Everything was exceptional.I remembered the days when I enjoyed food this much. Once when I first sat down and had a taste of Vietnamese cuisine in Bawais, another when I came to Rustic Mornings, and yet another, in Silantro, which still serves as my favorite go-to restaurant up to this day. Balestiers is a haven for food-lovers; it makes you forget past mistakes, embrace YOLO regrets and look forward to a new day. Gone are the Jaspers chicken of the world, the burgers of Mr. Kurosawa, and the Strawberry Fries and well now forgive Jollibee with smiles on our faces. Balestier is the new girlfriend youll wholeheartedly introduce to your mom. Its the hopeful 2022. I hold it now with such high esteem, that after only one visit Id dare call it, the Singaporean Ooma of Marikina.Yep. Balestier is undoubtedly one of Marikinas best.Tl;dr: Balestier. Highly recommended.P.S. My phone camera sucks. And I dont know food photography so Im not doing any of these dishes any justice. Visit their page instead

We will definitely recommend this Restaurant in Marikina. The place is cozy, service is perfect, and the food is so delicious. Try it! We guarantee it.

Hidden gem of Marikina.

My best friend and I went there for the first time a couple of nights ago. We loved the place, we loved the food! We will definite come back!

Why run out of Coke Zero or Light and not allow a diabetic diner to bring in his own? They are instead plying us iced tea and Sprite or Royal, as if they didnt just hear the word diabetic. Downright ridiculous and simply bad service. Is the food worth dying diabetes for? Not at all. A slim menu of small plates so common in other cheaper joints, like salted egg wings and some sandwiches we have eaten elsewhere woth better prices. Avoid this place for its horrible lack of consideration.

Consistently good!!! Highly recommended.

Quality food at reasonable price. Will go back for other menu items

One of the best places to get asian comfort food east of Metro Manila. Chicken rice, 5-Spice Squid, the Laksa Tsukemen are must-try!

Youll get your moneys worth for the great food - Asian/Singaporean/Malaysian, nice interiors, ample parking space

Lovely atmosohere. The Hagaw was delicious. Also ordered the Wonton Mee and Potstickers... Will be back to try other dishes :)

After having lived in Singapore for 10 years I was really looking forward to get some Singaporean food here at this restaurant but for me it was rather disappointing as I wasn’t like what I expected and knew from Singapore

This restaurant is closed from 3pm - 5pm to break for lunch.

Probably can be considered as a Singapore style fusion restuarant in Manila .....A little challenging to go to but I will suggest fellow Singaporean there to give it a try .

The resto has not much choices in food and some of the food are not available! I only see 4 personnel, one of which is the waiter .

Best chicken rice so far in Metro Manila