Pingpong Diplomacy: An Unconventional Take on Chinese Cuisine

Pingpong Diplomacy's paddle-covered blue wall
becomes a focal point for customers at
 the quirky American-Chinese restaurant

Pingpong Diplomacy, a new American-Chinese restaurant that opened recently at SM Aura mall in BGC, is from the same group that owns Digital Walker.

The restaurant's name was inspired by the 1970s exchange of table tennis players between the U.S. and China. The interiors of modern restaurant is quite quirky and unique. One will surely notice the paddle covered blue wall in the restaurant. It kind of brings back memories of Forrest Gump and his love for playing table tennis.

The photo wall at Pingpong Diplomacy

 The bar near the entrance for customers who prefer
to casually dine and drink with friends

The dining area at Pingpong Diplomacy

The restaurant's menu is quite interesting as most dishes are unique or fusion type dishes. The waiter brought me a menu and a separate reference that contains the photos of the dishes. Honestly, I prefer menus with visual pegs especially for menus that are quite unfamiliar.

My American friend and I wanted to try different dishes and a dessert. We also wanted to pair our food with some hot tea but  we found it a bit strange that they did not have some hot tea available that time. 

Below are some of the dishes that we tried.

Truffled Mushroom Edamame Shumai

Crispy eggplant

Noodles with chicken

Fortune balls which includes taro, ginger and black
sesame mochi with a sesame crumble and pistachio cream

From the four dishes we ordered, we liked the Truffled Mushroom Edamame Shumai and the Crispy Eggpant. We both found the noodles to be a healthier version of the traditional Chinese style noodles since it was not as oily as the usual noodle dishes that other restaurants offer. The Fortune Balls dessert, which was created by Chef Miko Aspiras, was quite light and had just the right sweetness since we both preferred desserts that are not too sweet. 

Pingpong Diplomacy is a nice place to visit with a group of friends or with family since the interiors are quite interesting and Instagrammable. Plus, they offer a fusion of flavours and unique dishes that are worth trying. Cheers!

Nono's: A Lovely Place for Delicious Comfort Food

I was able to dine at Nono's restaurant, Chef Baba Ibazeta-Benedicto's new full-service restaurant at UP Town Center mall in Quezon City.  Chef Baba, who was trained at the California Culinary Academy, is known for her cakes and desserts at Classic Confections, her cafe at Greenbelt 5 mall. The best-selling and most popular cake from her cafe is called Nono's Chocolate Oblivion,  touted to be one of Manila's best chocolate cake and was named after Chef Baba's dad.

We liked the cozy atmosphere and the lovely and well-designed mid-century modern styled interiors with a mix of pastel colours that certainly adds a vibrant and happy vibe  in the restaurant and enhances the overall dining experience of customers. 

Nono's is a place that is truly photogenic and post-worthy for those who like taking food photos, selfies or group photos to post on their Instagram or Facebook accounts. Since I was curious on who did the interiors I simply had to ask Chef Baba about the team who designed it and she informed me that it was designed by a company called Space Encounters.

Lovely and fresh interiors at Nono's restaurant

A portion of the main dining area that features
luxe round marble tables and stylish chairs

The lounge area of Nono's features
a nice set-up that is perfect for a
relaxing brunch or afternoon snack
 for two people

My brother and our friend wanted to try several dishes so we opted to order different dishes for sharing during our visit. Below are the delicious dishes that we ordered.

Fried Truffle Cheese Wontons

A mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheese stuffed wontons
drizzled with honey and truffle oil

Spinach dip with crostini

Oriental Shrimp Salad

A crunchy salad that features crispy noodles, green cabbage,'
romaine lettuce, and crispy shrimps tossed in
honey lemon dressing.

Nono's Homestyle Fried Chicken

Crispy boneless chicken fillet served with a nice
dinner roll, gravy, honey and corn on the cob

Pork Belly Balsamic Adobo

Tender slices of pork belly marinated in balsamic vinegar
and served with adobo rice.

Parmesan crusted Sole fish with Tomato &
Basil Spaghettini

Sylvia's Strawberry Shortcake, a dessert named
after Chef Baba's mom

Honestly, we liked all the food that we ordered. For us, Nono's simply offers the the type of food that everyone enjoys as they catch up and share stories during a weekend brunch or lunch. 

The food they serve is simple, delicious and hits the right spot for different individuals who want to have high quality and satisfying comfort food. For me, the must-order items are the Fried Truffle Cheese Wontons, Oriental Shimp Salad and the Pork Belly Balsamic Adobo. I do hope they open a branch of Nono's in Makati soon. Cheers!