First Bite: Naxional South American Diner

Uptown Parade is becoming a foodie destination for those who are up for something different. Though there are only a handful of restaurants in that block, all (except for Sweet Ecstasy) establishments are new. Salvatore Cuomo for one is in that area and it has been attracting serious foodies to have a bite of its mouthwatering pizzas. The Italian joint has created buzz in social media thanks to its showbiz and high society patrons. This is why it would be easy to miss this sweet South American restaurant which opened on the same day as a famous hot dog joint. 

Hello, Naxional South American Diner. 

I must admit, I wasn’t planning to dine here for lunch on a weekday. We were eying Moe’s Southwest Grill’s PHP10 burrito promo but the line was just too crazy. We had to wait for 3 hours if we want to take advantage of the said promo. Since we are mere salarymen and salarywomen, we opted to go elsewhere and that elsewhere turned out to be Naxional. 

Only a few tables were occupied when we got there at 12:30 p.m.. We were greeted by adorable bright coloured wall decals and diner chairs in red. 

We quickly ordered Pollo Peruano (PHP385), Rabo Encendido (PHP350), Carne Desmechada (PHP295) and Picante de Pollo (PHP330). We were told that our food will be served in 25 minutes so it was such a delight when it took them less than 20 minutes to serve our dishes, except for the Picante de Pollo which took a bit over half an hour. 

M’s Carne Desmechada was served first and it looked like a fancier version of corned beef. A dish from Venezuela, it is made of pulled beef short ribs in tomato stew served with white rice and caramelized plantains. I had a bit of the pulled beef short ribs and it did taste like corned beef, only it was more flavorful and not as salty. It was actually pretty good. 

D also liked his Rabo Encendido and said that the dish had a rich taste. He also said that it would have been nice if there was more rice served with it. 

The Picante de Pollo, a dish from Bolivia, was served late. No one complained though as the slow braised chicken with black beans, root vegetables, coconut crème and fried garbanzos was worth the wait. It did look like afritada though and M said that it did taste a bit like it. M’s husband G said that he wasn’t so fond of the coconut crème as its taste did not go so well with the rest of the ingredients. 

I loved my Pollo Peruano. I loved the tender and succulent Peruvian pit chicken. The chicken went so well with the corned rice creating a harmonious salty and sweet taste. 

I didn’t really dip the chicken in chimichurri anymore as the dip was bland. Do not order this if you are on a diet as one order of this is good for two light meals. 

I was eying the cheesecake and funnel cake but I was already too full and we had to head back to work. 

I’d definitely be back for more!

(Note: Sorry, I wasn’t able to take photos of Rabo Encendido and Picante de Pollo. We were all famished when our orders arrived.)

Naxional South American Diner is located at 2nd Floor, Uptown Parade,  9th Avenue corner 38th Street, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.