The highlight at this restaurant is the namesake Brazilian steak grilled on skewers, ranging from picanha (rump cap) to fillet wrapped in bacon. Here, it works on a buffet basis where meats are gradually brought from the grill straight to the table, cut and served right in front of you. A meal starts at B899 (exclusive of drinks), while classic Brazilian cocktails like the caipirinha (B290) are available.

 

This recently opened Cuban restaurant offers favorites such as masas de puerco fritas (fried pork, B160), camarones enchilados (shrimps with Cuban sauce, B195), potaje de frijoles (bean stew, B100), tostones (fried banana, B40) and dulce de fruta bomba (B50 papaya with cheese and cinnamon). Drinks include daiquiri (classic, strawberry, banana or peach, B180), the namesake Cuba Libre (highball of cola, lime and rum, B120) and Cuban-style coffee (B45), though the beans come from Vietnam.

 

With some of its ingredients imported from the tropical Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, this restaurant’s menu comprises dishes both familiar (takowasabi, gyoza) and unfamiliar. The place bursts with character, and so does the food, such as the specialty jimaamitofu (B65), a generous 200g serving of creamy homemade tofu that has an almost chewy texture. Be sure to try the succulent rafuty (B140): fatty pork leg slow-cooked in sweet and thick soy sauce. Instead of sake, follow bites with sips of the fiery Okinawan spirit, awamori , either straight (B160 for a glass) or in a cocktail (B110-B190).

 

With its name translating to “special flavors,” Rasa Khas claims to prepare the city’s most authentic Indonesian cuisine, without adapting its recipes to suit foreign palates. Recommended dishes include the classics: nasi ayam padang (chicken padang curry served with rice, B180), and nasi ayam goreng kremes (chicken marinated and simmered in spices and herbs, served with rice, fried tofu and tempe, B180).

In a city where Japanese, Chinese and even Vietnamese food are ubiquitous, it’s refreshing to bump into an Asian cuisine that seems exotic, even to the Thai palate. While sinigang na hipon (shrimp soup B190/B240) may remind you of tom yam, most dishes are a surprise. Adobong manok (more commonly known as chicken adobo, B150), for example, has a potent tart and peppery flavor, as the chicken is cooked in vinegar. Kare kare (B180) is even more intense, with oxtail and tripe cooked in a thick peanut sauce and served alongside a pungent fermented shrimp paste. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but we think you just might warm to it.

 

Only four months old, this restaurant presents a menu comprised of both Singaporean and Malaysian dishes. Popular picks include My Mother’s Nasi Lemak Set (coconut rice with fried chicken, spicy sampal belacan, fried anchovies, peanuts, eggs and cucumber, B150) and Singaporean laksa (imported laksa noodles, chicken, prawns, fish balls, fried bean curds in a rich coconut-based soup, B180).