Donald & Lily - Makansutra

Oğuz

3.0

For those whose not brave enough to deal with the heat and crowd during the World Street Food Congress,  don't wallow in regret.   The website gods heard your prayers,  they've brought a revamped WSFC via Makasuntra.I was one of the few who skipped WSFC,  i tried but the heat and the long lines were a lil discouraging.  I wasn't too keen on visiting Makasuntra but i when i found out that there's an Indian Stall and one that sells Laksa,  my mood changed from indifferent to giddy.It is not advisable to visit Makasuntra during lunch.  I was suddenly reminded of the crowd during WSFC.  I waved the white flag and decided to have lunch somewhere else.   Went back three hours after.  There were more vacant seats and less people.  Yes,  you got it right,  Makasuntra is a food hall with different stalls that offers a specific cuisine.  Think of it as a hip,  modern foodcourt.  Wood is predominant and they are not afraid to use bold colors.  I liked the wall art,  there are a couple illustrations on the wall - graffiti style. I didn't explore all of the stalls as i only wanted Laksa and Roti.  Albeit the minimal crowd,  it gets really hot inside and the smoke from all the cooking is a lil bothersome. | Laksa from Donald and Lily (php 250).  I wasn't too crazy about this.  It's a lil steep for a half filled bowl of laksa.  The broth is seasoned well with minimal heat.  Sadly,  the broth is not enough to justify the price tag,  the contents of the bowl is miniscule.  I count two shrimps,  two squid balls and two slices of kiquiam.  I miss Eat Fresh all of a sudden. The Indian Stall ran out of Roti.  That's my cue to leave the premises.  Part of me wanted to tough it up and try some of the sweets but i was  sweating bullets. My Makasuntra experience is not as memorable as i wanted it to be.  But I still believe in second chances,  i might pay them a visit again soon.  I hope the ventilation is fixed by then.Peace Out!~Reich

Colonel Jude Mayne

4.0

I totally agree with hands up that Donald and Lily's Laksa is "the" best authentic Malaccan Laksa in Manila.Together with some bloggers, I was one of them who was able to take delight in a Singaporean culinary  experience without having to go to Singapore.  Donald and Lily's Laksa is an explosion of flavors in one sipping of the broth.  A balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy elements  over a rich orange sauce makes you sip and gulp and drink even more.  It has rice glass noodles and big prawns that makes this even more above the rest.  I wouldn't deny I would have rice to eat this with to mellow the spiciness.  But I wouldn't mind finishing the bowl with my website partner.  A serving is enough for two people.Fast service,  cheerful staff and lean surrounding and the vibe pulsating and truly appetizing!

Hermawan

3.0

Makansutra made waves when it first opened. We let two weekends pass after its opening before going there ourselves. It is pretty overwhelming at first-- well that's my initial reaction upon entering any new food court. This one had a lot of stalls with different specialty items and with one theme in common. What is food you encounter in Singapore, Alex? So we are talking of our Singaporean favorites and there are so many! Choosing a handful is the problem and that's how I felt while walking around Makansutra. My fiance settled on laksa from this stall. Admittedly I had a difficult time remembering the names of the stalls (save for one) and initially lumped the pictures into the Makansutra entry (this place is now closed in the website database and now replaced by the stalls themselves. Better I think). I'm not a fan of laksa to be honest. This one is no different for me. It had a strong broth for me, but he wanted it to be spicier. There were lots of ingredients in the laksa, but I still thought it was just okay. To be fair, he also thought it was just okay. I prefer chili crabs, cereal prawns, satay and roti...