Manila Life Café Makes Those Delayed Flights More Bearable

Manila Life Café
Level 4, Terminal 3, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Pasay City
Contact: 988-9999
Open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

IMAGE Jericho San Miguel

(SPOT.ph) If you've started to associate dining at NAIA with choking down a basic grab-and-go sandwich or settling for a greasy meal from a fast-food joint, then make sure to drop by Manila Life Café by Marriott Manila before your next flight. 

IMAGE Jericho San Miguel

IMAGE Jericho San Miguel

IMAGE Jericho San Miguel

A quick walk through Runway Manila—a pedestrian link bridge connecting NAIA Terminal 3 to Newport City—will take you to this new café (or you can also access it by going to Level 4 of NAIA Terminal 3). You’ll be welcomed by sleek, contemporary interiors with an interesting mix of warm wood tones, steel, and copper accents. The walls also feature photos of mundane but memorable scenarios in the city, like jeepney rides and trips to the market.  

What globetrotters will love about this café, though, is that it’s great for a pre-flight meal or for killing time before your flight. It has a laid-back vibe that's a contrast to the frenzied atmosphere of the airport. There's also a private lounge designed for meals with friends and family.

Manila Street Food Platter

But the real highlight of Manila Life is their menu. If you want something light, go for their Manila Street Food Platter (P290) with homemade fish balls, chicken fritters, and fried quail eggs served with sweet soy dip, spiced vinegar, and sweet-and-sour sauce. This fancy take on tusok-tusok street food will bring back childhood memories.

Pork Sisig Tacos

Left: Pork Sisig Tacos, Right: Crisp Fish Tacos

The lip-smacking Pork Sisig Tacos (P330) flaunt chicharon, pickled onions and green chili, calamansi, and creamy onion sauce. But the Crisp Fish Tacos (P330) would be the perfect alternative if you don’t want to completely throw your diet out the window. It has mahi-mahi fillet, green mango slaw, and garlic sour cream. The taste is familiar with local flavors but refreshingly different.

Pork Adobo

Pancit Luglug

Manila Life Bacon & Mushroom Burger

If you’re craving Pork Adobo (P350), they also have it on the menu along with other culinary staples like the Pancit Luglug (P350). But for those days when you can’t help but want a nice juicy burger, you can’t go wrong with Manila Life Bacon & Mushroom Burger (P390) with a homemade beef patty, cheddar cheese, mushrooms, bacon crisp and criss-cut fries on the side.

Manila Sunrise Plate

Manila Life also tackles classic Pinoy breakfast fare with their Manila Sunrise Plate (P290), with pork longganisa, tocino, sunny-side up eggs, and garlic rice served alongside tomato and salted egg relish, pickled atchara, fried eggplants and a soy-vinegar dip. The subtle smoky-sweet flavor of the longganisa and tocino goes well with everything else on the plate.

Front to back: Purple Yam Roll, Mango Sago

The serving sizes are generous, but make sure to leave room for their desserts. Their version of Mango Sago (P180) with Guimaras mango cubes, milky mango purée, tapioca pearls, and pomelo bits is to die for but the Purple Yam Roll (P205) will be the one to steal your heart. It’s melt-in-your-mouth goodness with Baguio ube jam, purple yam joconde pastry, cream cheese filling, and macapuno strings.

The café also has homemade pastries, Filipino treats, and locally sourced coffee beans that you can take as pasalubong. If you want to grab some drinks, the bar area offers signature drinks and local craft beers by Crazy Carabao. After a trip to Manila Life, you won’t be able to settle for anything less when it comes to airport food.

Photos by Jericho San Miguel