This Deli By the Bay Serves Up Oysters, Lobster, and Steak Cooked Your Way

One World Deli MOA Square
G/F MOA Square, Marina Way, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Instagram: www.instagram.com/oneworlddeli
Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday

(SPOT.ph) Cheese, cold cuts, and wine are the first things one thinks of when asked to describe a deli. By definition a food store, delis tend to be smallish, enclosed spaces hiding gourmet groceries for those in the know. But when you step into the enormous space of One World Deli’s newest Mall of Asia outpost—conveniently located right beneath IKEA, by the way—you’ll find that “food store” doesn’t even begin to describe the gourmand's paradise you’re in.

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Take a look at the new Pasay branch of One World Deli:

Helmed by the passionate F&B group PYC, One World Deli has made a name for itself as a haven for culinary enthusiasts by bringing together a diverse selection of food and food-adjacent buys from around the world—think everything from fresh meat, seafood, and produce to wine and sake to pastries, dessert, and way, way beyond.

One World Deli’s Makati and San Juan branches also let you purchase your ingredients (whether it’s Wagyu beef, oysters, or just a jar of Spanish sardines) and have the team cook them exactly how you want it for a cooking charge—but in its third and newest space in MOA Square, this function is now front and center.

Taking inspiration in the naval history of the nearby Manila Bay, the wide-open space resembles the hull of a ship with its arched ceiling and sandy wood paneling, and it is dominated by a simple dining space framed by a busy open kitchen. There’s even a private room for up to 10 people you can reserve! While you’ll still be able to shop your usual charcuterie, cheese, wine, and pastries, being able to choose and cook your food is the main attraction here.

Even if you may be exhausted from shopping, resist the temptation to just sit down and pick up the ala carte menu. One thing completely unique to this branch is its Daily Deli meals on display, featuring eats from around the world—and it changes regularly, meaning that you may see something different each time! Count yourself lucky if you catch gems like the addictingly sweet and salty Mongolian Pork (P375) or the rich, buttery-crusted Salmon Wellington (P600).

But if the carnivore in you can’t be tamed, you can easily walk over to the Meat Anton counter and take your pick from its diverse (and ethically-sourced, you’ll be happy to know) selection: from Satsuma Fukunaga Wagyu and John Stone Irish dry-aged beef to Red Duroc pork by UK purveyor Dingley Dell and grass-fed New Zealand lamb from Ovation.

This is one lineup where any and every cut of meat has its own edge, and in this case, you could totally skip your usual ribeye for something a little more offbeat—and decide exactly how much of it you want (see: how much it costs) and how well you want it done.

For something different, asking the kitchen to give the Jack’s Creek Boneless Short Rib Wagyu X a good sear brings out its devastating butteriness with a satisfying bite; and as if it isn’t already a party on its own, they’ll serve it up with some homemade chimichurri, roasted garlic, and artisan salt.

But the real showstopper at One World Deli is its Seafood Bar: it has a wall completely lined with temperature-controlled tanks filled with live seafood, from lapu-lapu to rock lobster to even king crab. If nothing there strikes your fancy, the chiller also features ultra-fresh shrimp, fish, and even specialties like caviar and boquerones.

A cult favorite you’ll be hard-pressed to see anywhere else is the Trout Sashimi, which has a hefty bite like salmon, but with a lighter and creamier taste. As with the rest of the selectiton, though, you don’t have to stop at having it in sashimi form: you could also get it fried, baked, pan-seared, grilled, as nigiri, or in a poke bowl.

Eagle-eyed seafood aficionados, however, may just make a beeline for the oyster shower instead, where you can take your pick of fresh oysters from Ireland, Canada and the USA. You could have them baked, but with them coming out this fresh, you won’t find a better time or place to try them raw.

For oysters on the creamier side with only just a hint of brine, don’t miss the velvety Pink Moon oysters (P170/piece) from Canada. But if you like your oysters screaming that they came from the ocean, try the Irish Gallagher oysters (P140/medium piece, P245/extra-large piece) for a plumper bite. If you drop by at Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, you can get raw Gallagher oysters for just P99 a piece, as well as baked Rockefeller or Cajun Style Kumamoto oysters for P199 a piece.

Pro tip: If you’re thirsty for a drop of wine while you’re out, One World Deli is one of the few spots that takes mercy on your wallet by letting you just buy your bottle of choice—and whether it’s beer, wine, or even sake, there won’t be any corkage.

If you’ve still got room to spare (or just need more time to rest your feet), you need only hit the shelves—this branch of One World Deli has pastries by the Tattooed Baker, a chiller of beautiful cold cuts and cheeses for a charcuterie board, as well as a freezer full of desserts by Fog City Creamery and Gelato Manila. Don’t miss Gelato Manila’s Frozen Chocolate Strawberry Bombe (P520), a gorgeous sphere of creamy strawberry gelato with an addicting chocolate center and coating!

While choice paralysis is a real possibility in a place where everything on the shelves, counters, and chillers is figuratively on the table, you’ll be glad to know that there’s always friendly staff game to sift through the possibilities. And while you could in theory go absolutely bananas with how you want your meal done, with ingredients like these, it’s best to go simple and let them shine. Besides, if you’ve come from navigating the maze that is the Mall of Asia complex, going straightforward isn’t a bad thing.

At One World Deli’s new MOA Square outpost, the possibilities are endless—what you want, how much of it you’d like, how you’d like it cooked. Right now, though, what you need to decide is simple: when to visit.

One World Deli is at G/F MOA Square, Marina Way, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. For more information, check out One World Deli’s Instagram.