Coming Home to Naci

From starters to mains, all the way to desserts, Naci serves up familiar favorites with surprising new twists, taking comfort food to a whole new level and making each visit different and special. A quick glance at Naci's menu features a range of traditional, home-style fare that's simple, yet so comforting.


Entering Naci, one immediately feels at home, like dining in an aunt's place. The shelves feature little things from the homes of the young owners, adding to the cozy warmth and casual vibe of the place. Bright, colorful, yet there is a subtle coolness in the place that makes one want to linger. And you'll definitely want to stay awhile for some of Naci's signature desserts.


To help you decide what to order, Naci provides diners with a tablet featuring all of Naci's dishes, just scroll and...drool. A cool touch that adds to one's overall dining experience.


I start with one of Naci's signature fresh fruit shakes, the Black Grape Shake, just perfect to beat the afternoon heat. Tart, and not too sweet, this one's a winner. Naci also offers fresh brewed tea and fruit juices as well as a full line of smoothies like the Bailey's Cooies and Cream, Lemon Yakult Yogurt and Strawberry Kiss.


Then, the first of Naci's starters arrived. The Kani Mango Crunch (P 280), fresh greens topped with kani, sweet mangoes, and cucumber with crispy wonton and vermicelli with a refreshing Wasabi Mayo dressing. Not your usual salad, the crispness of the wontons and noodles add a layer of texture that blends so well with the salad greens, the sweetness of the mangoes and kani, and the subtle wasabi mayo, a cool blend of flavors and textures in one great dish. Light and refreshing, a definite must-try.


Next up, Nat's Appetizer Sampler (P 520), your choice of four signature appetizers in one plate. My sampler had the Beef Taco Spring Rolls (P 280), the Cajun Mozzarella Balls (P 280), the Classic Salpicao (P 380) and the Glazed Chicken Wings (P 350). The kitchen's playful, fun and inventive character is evident in this platter, with the Beef Taco Spring Rolls combining the familiar flavors of tacos in a handy and crisp spring roll, allowing you to enjoy tacos "without the mess."  The Cajun Mozzarella Balls with fresh tomato pimiento salsa is another cool medley of flavors and textures, with the crisp outer layer contrasting with the rich creamy mozzarella in every bite. The Glazed Chicken Wings features Naci's very own "secret" sauce, sweet and smoky, and double fried. Can't get any better than that. The Classic Salpicao was equally excellent, with tender premium beef tenderloin cooked in olive oil and garlic. Seriously good, I had to restrain myself from getting some garlic fried rice to go with it.


Something familiar with a cool new twist, another example of Naci's playful inventiveness, the Beef Caldereta Lasagna (P 450), homemade noodles with rich beef caldereta topped with mozzarella and served with focaccia bread. And the combo works. The richly flavored caldereta sauce pairs well with the pasta and cheese, and the tender shreds of beef round up the flavors. Naci also offers other unique and creative pasta dishes, like Nadine's Adobo Cannelloni, Longganisa and Green Grapes on Linguine, and Arugula and Shiitake Primavera. Very cool.


This. The Cuchifrito Rice Bowl (P 280), with crisp, double-fried broiled pork belly over Tinapa Rice with Red Egg Salsa. A personal favorite, and a classic take on real comfort food taken a notch higher. The crisp pork belly is complemented by the unique tinapa rice, almost like a salted fish fried rice but with more subtle flavors. The red egg salsa completes this dish. Comforting and filing, just the dish to make the day right.


Naci Comfort Food also serves some of the best desserts in the metro, and you'll definitely have to save room for dessert to complete your dining experience at Naci. The Chocolate Ganache Cake (P 165/slice, P 1,200/cake), premium dark Belgian chocolate ganache layered with rich and moist dark chocolate sponge is definitely the one for chocoholics. Rich dark chocolate that's not too sweet, and a perfect way to cap any meal at Naci.


The Red Velvet Cake (P 130/slice, P 850/cake), is another signature dessert from Naci, a classic red velvet covered  in vanilla cream cheese frosting. Other signature cakes include the Pistachio Sansrival and the Caramel Cream Cake (see one of my earliest posts featuring Naci's Caramel Cream Cake here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2011/12/getting-your-sugar-fix-at-naci.html), guaranteed to satisfy your sugar fix.


I go for the Chocolate Ganache Cake. Take a bite, then close your eyes...and you're in a happy place. Seriously.


Naci also offers a full line of cupcakes, including mini-versions of their signature cakes. And it's almost impossible to hold back, just go with the flow and give in. Have a cupcake...