For anyone who loves to cook and eat, there is nothing like stepping into a deli that welcomes you with a wide selection of cold cuts and sausages, an extensive wine list, bottled gourmet items and even local and regional specialties. A well-stocked deli with hard-to-find ingredients warrants itself indispensable to chefs, restaurateurs and foodies.
For Nescafe Gold Spot Judge Chef Him Uy de Baron, the best deli is about selection and variety. He adds, "There should be no compromise in standards. A deli should be a place you can trust because this where you build your meals on. They have to have a reputable, consistent reputation. And since this is the place you go to buy most specialty ingredients, it's a huge plus to have new items."
For fellow judge JJ Yulo, "A deli is, of course, all about what it has in stock. Variety is always good, as is good quality for basic things like olive oil, charcuterie, and cheeses."
This year, five places made it the list for Best Delicatessen:
Everything on Blue Kitchen's shelves are lovingly home-made from family recipes. Regional specialties sit beside international food items such as bottled tuyo and their take on the fish roe with their bottled Fish Roe in olive oil available in two variants: Fish Roe in Olive Oil and Caviar Pinoy in Olive Oil.
Also on the shelves are bread, salad dressing, Benguet coffee and sugar-free desserts. Says Michelline Suarez, owner of Blue Kitchen, "At the Blue Kitchen, we believe that small is beautiful. Everything you see in our shop are home-made, artisan foods prepared from old family recipes, rather than commercial products."
Little Store on the Hill, also known as Xiao Tian, in the New Manila neighborhood, offers Oriental seasonings and food items from China and Thailand. Operating since 2000, the Little Store has loyal patrons who keep coming back for their fresh-food items like Maki Soup, Crab Rice, taho in take-out containers and their popular fresh lumpia.
Mickey's Delicatessen brings a taste of Germany to Manila with their selection of sausages, cold cuts, and cheeses. Opened by Michael Beck and his wife, Nadja, in the 1990s, their home-made sausages and hams as well as cheeses and beers including those from France, Italy and Switzerland has made Mickey's one of the most popular delis in Manila.
Their sandwiches such as Mickey's Super Sandwich, which is stuffed with German cold cuts, hams and different cheeses, is the longest sandwich in town. Also open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Mickey's Deli serves soups, salads, pizzas and paninis aside from their famous sandwiches.
Santi's Delicatessen
Santi's Delicatessen started out as a sausage-manufacturing plant in Yakal Street in Makati and has now evolved into one of the best sources for wine, cheeses, imported vegetables, herbs, fruits, Wagyu beef and other gourmet products in Manila.
Santi's Deli, owned by the Werdenberg group of companies, also supplies most of the ingredients of restaurants Carpaccio, I'm Angus Steak House and Chesa Bianca.
Terry's Selection
Located at the basement of The Podium, Terry's Selection is a treasure trove of gourmet goods. Opened in 2005, Juan Carlos de Terry's variety of canned goods, gourmet products, lamb and steak, sausages, wine and cheeses are worth every trip.
Terry's Selection also houses a restaurant where they serve Spanish food favorites such as chorizo, croquettes, Spanish omelettes, lengua as well as pasta dishes and sandwiches. An extensive Spanish wine list complements the dishes, and most ingredients are sourced from the deli.
Which spot gets your vote for Best Deli? Vote now.
Photographs from Benjor Catindig (Blue Kitchen), Em Dy (Little Store on the Hill), mickeysdeli.net, Terry's Selection facebook page, Santi's Deli facebook page.
