TRY EVERY RESTAURANT IN NEW WORLD, PAN PACIFIC, DIAMOND HOTELS

(TERNWPPD)

While working at WHO and based in the Philippines, initially by myself for 2.5 years from 2014 to 2016, I embarked on a project to eat my way through the restaurants in the 5-star hotels within walking distance of my apartment in Manila: New World (3), Pan-Pacific (5), Diamond (2).  Just one meal per restaurant.  After 11 months of complaining about the food in the neighborhood, usually relating to quality, the thought suddenly occurred to me that the major hotels ought to do better, at least in terms of quality.  Though expensive, the cost and time and trouble of going to Makati or Bonifacio, where high-end eats abound, would more-or-less even out.

The following tiers ("Would I go back for more?") were based on the overall dining experience, including all the dishes sampled, cost, ambiance, cleanliness, and any other factors that may apply, cumulative through multiple visits (if any).

Tier 1 (looking forward to it):

Tier 2 (sure, but not enthusiastically):

Tier 3 (only under dire circumstances):

Tier 4 (to be avoided at all costs):

Overall, I was quite satisfied with the outcome of TERNWPPD.   The exploration led me to discover the area's best Cantonese restaurant in Li Li; the area's best Japanese restaurant in Asunaro,  and the area's best source of lobster and prime rib in Market Café.  In terms of baseball, batting .300 ain't bad.