HALIYA: Goddess of Modern Filipino Cuisine

Haliya is City of Dreams Manila’s ode to Modern Filipino Cuisine with Chef de Cuisine Edmundo San Jose at the helm. It is named after the most beautiful goddess of the moonlight in Bicolano Mythology.

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It’s a Filipino restaurant that we can all be proud of—reimagining our cuisine with subtle innovations, using the freshest mix of local and imported ingredients without losing the original home-made Filipino flavors.

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ABOUT HALIYA

At the center of the restaurant is a colorful masterpiece by Filipino muralist and painter Yana Ofrasio, standing tall amidst the high-ceiling ambiance.

It incorporates patterns of the colorful Vinta boats of Mindanao and other elements depicting the celebratory spirit of Filipino fiestas and the artist’s passion for colors.

Chef Ed, 40, honed his 24-year culinary experience in banqueting and all-day dining restaurant operations in the Philippines and the Middle East.

In his first year as City of Dreams Manila’s Chef de Cuisine of banquets in 2016, the accomplished chef led a dream team to win the gold medal in the Philippine Culinary Cup that same year.  

The restaurant is designed with pandemic realities in mind—high ceiling ambiance, social distancing between diners and tables, and colorful happy designs to make your dining in experience with family and friends memorable.

HALIYA Modern Filipino Cuisine
Ground floor, Nüwa Manila, City of Dreams Manila
Operating hours: Open daily for dinner from 5 pm to 11 pm
Telephone: +632 8800-8080
FB: https://www.facebook.com/cityofdreamsmanila
Email: guestservices@cod-manila.com
Website: ww.cityofdreamsmanila.com

Check out Haliya Modern Filipino Menu

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PAMPAGANA

Start your evening with one of the best smoked whisky sours we ever tried.

Slices of lechon made healthy on a bed of lettuce and atsara, with crunchy texture from the adobo flakes and a bit of spice from the jalapeño. You can add the salsa with pork liver to complete the experience.

Sauteed seafood meat of lobster and crab on a crispy cup topped with a translucent chip of malungay finished kalamansi aioli, and shreds of chili floss. Add some aligue dip to complete the seafood umami.

We still like our oysters fresh with lemon or vinegar. We felt that the avocado cream was out of place and lost in translation.

One of the best green soup combinations—green peas and malunggay with a bit of lechon skin. Yum!

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PANGUNAHING ULAM

This pandemic taught us to appreciate the service provided by our restaurant frontliners who make our dining experience safe and memorable while being pleasantly helpful.

The most luxurious adobo you’ll ever eat, with big chunks of foie gras with the sweetness of pineapple to cut through the richness. I liked eating it with a bit of shallots, with crispy texture from garlic bits, and with a piece of pok choy.

Best to pair the adobo with crispy garlic rice. 🙂

All the goodness of Crispy Pata deboned and cut into pica pica bites with its crispy skin! I liked it on its own; malinamnam kahit walang sauce.

Pakbet with crunchy big pieces of vegetables mixed with bagoong served with shrimps and generous chunks of bagnet.

You’ll love the rich sauce of the caldereta covering the beef short ribs. Ang sarap!

Inspired by Beef Pares flavors deconstructed with beef brisket, egg noodles and topped with roasted bone marrow. They can mix the noodles and beef for you and serve the marrow the way you like it.

Although I still like my pares with the sinangag garlic rice!

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PANGHIMAGAS

Cheesecake Bibingka served on a burner pot made with salted egg and mascarpone cheese with coconut and a drop of vanilla oil for added smoke effect and fragrance.

Worth every calorie. You’ll enjoy every bite of this cheesy Filipino cake.

Suman Mango in sushi form. You can add sweetness from the fresh mango and the coconut creme.

Finally, the chocolate muron in the spotlight with cashew and dulce de leche sauce.

End with coffee, ube, and pastillas.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, this is one of the best modern Filipino restaurants in Manila! It is amazing that this was conceptualized, created and launched during this pandemic.

Start with the Binalot Na Cochi and Lumpia Dinagat. We recommend the Haliya Adobo and the Pares de Haliya with the Sinangag Garlic Rice. End with Chichingka and the Muron. The serving sizes are big and meant to be enjoyed with the family. Budget about ₱1,500/head.

What I like about Haliya is that the food stays true to its Filipino flavors and it is presented like a masterpiece with premium ingredients at good value.

The ambiance is beautiful with the colorful mural dictating the happy mood to pair with the good Filipino food. It’s a great place to celebrate balikbayan reunions or if you want to showcase Filipino food to your non-Filipino friends.

Congratulations to Chef Ed and team for the awesome Haliya concept!

HALIYA Modern Filipino Cuisine
Ground floor, Nüwa Manila, City of Dreams Manila
Operating hours: Open daily for dinner from 5 pm to 11 pm
Telephone: +632 8800-8080
FB: https://www.facebook.com/cityofdreamsmanila
Email: guestservices@cod-manila.com
Website: ww.cityofdreamsmanila.com

Check out Haliya Modern Filipino Menu

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Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: Thanks to Nikkei Team for the experience. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.

Disclosure: Thank you to our friends from City of Dreams Manila for the Haliya experience.  I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.

P.S. It’s convenient to go because it is near the lobby of Nuwa Manila. But if you need to park, you have to go around the City of Dreams maze to reach the free parking place.