Cocina Centrale

Manila Lifestyle and food Bloggers and Pampanga foodies unite last 'rainy' night for the formal opening of  CocinaCentrale at the Marquee Park of Ayala's Marquee Mall in Angeles City, Pampanga. The Mercato Centrale Group, organizer of the popular night food markets in Metro Manila, is also behind CocinaCentrale, which opens every Friday and Saturday starting July 5 from 4pm to 3am.

"This is our first food market outside of Metro Manila, and we felt the most ideal place where we could share the Mercato Centrale experience was with the foodies of Pampanga. The great tradition of cooking in this part of the country means that we have to 'level up' when it comes to the quality of our gourmet and artisinal vendors, so that the food satisfies the discerning taste buds of Kapampangans," said RJLedesma, co-founder of the Mercato Centrale Group.

 

Cocina Centrale will be a culinary showdown where an eclectic mix of food entrepreneurs from both Manila and Pampanga offer great-tasting home-cooked food and delicacies.

"For Pampaguenos, they will get to sample the popular and best-selling food vendors from the Mercato Centrale markets in Manila. Meanwhile, Manilenos will get to try out the best dishes that Pampanga and the other Northern provinces have to offer. And the winner will be our waistlines!, added Ledesma.

The success of Mercato-managed markets in Manila have proudly come from Kapampangan chefs whose dishes have been huge crowd drawers, like Chef Sau del Rosario's Paella from Villa Cafe and Chef Claude Tayag's Pan deBagnet from Bale Dutung.

"We look forward to surfacing a lot of unique, innovative and great-tasting dishes from Pampagueno food entrepreneurs whom we would like to invite to eventually join our Manila-based markets. The Mercato Centrale experience here will be both uniquely Mercato and uniquely Pampanga at the same time, " said Ledesma.

Mercato Centrale has a relaxed and jovial atmosphere for families, friends, classmates, officemates, balikbayans and tourists to hang out, bond, listen to live music and create a new experiences while enjoying great food choices in unique salo-salo style. On top of that, Mercato Centrale has become the go-to place for food enthusiasts looking for the 'next big thing' in food.

The founders were inspired by the vibrant night food markets of Asian neighbors Singapore, Thailand, Hongkong and Taiwan. They are not only destination markets but tourists attractions as well. They wanted to bring that exciting 'street food' vibe and culture to the Philippines, and give it a uniquely Pinoy spin.

All food vendors undergo a taste test by the Mercato Centrale Group. Vendors are chosen based on flavour, innovation and uniqueness.

"We're proud to have helped a number of our food vendors create their own niche in the local food industry. Among those who have emerged are Manang's Chicken, Mochiko, Chuck's Grubberie, MioGelati, Spring by Ha Yuan, Merry Moo, Inutak. Zen Taclings, Eat My Garlic Fries and a lot more," added Ledesma. 

Special mention to the following favorite food vendors:

GIGA BITES' barbeque, kebab and isaw

CRUNCHY BELLY's crunchy belly, and Carlo's special steaks

SUGAR and Spice Bread and Pastries

CHEAT DAY for burgers and cheesesteaks burgers

EAGLE'S NEST for Thai green curry and stir fry ground pork

FRENCH CREPES

-choco dips, oatmeal chocolate chips, double chocolate chips and muffins

DAD'S MOM'S 8 differents types of sisig.

My favorite is their vegetarian sisig, it's filling.

KOKO BURI for fried chicken in soy garlic and primavera

MIGHTY BUN for different kinds of sandwiches

COCINA CENTRAL'S OTHER FOOD VENDORS

MAILA's SHAWARMA
-shawarma wrap and shawarma rice

LARIZA'S GRILLE
-grilled seafood and street food like bbq, isaw, etc.

KEBAB SANTOS
-koffa kebab weal and shawarma koffa kebab

WINGS / RHUM
-buffalo wings, (garlic, mango, honey and Asian zing) original buffalo flavor

PABALAN DELICACIES
-pastillas, peanuts, caramel, macaroons, garlic chips and tarts

CARREON'S SWEETS AND PASTRIES
-pastillas, caramel, pili nuts, cashew nuts, ensaymada, sansrival, etc.

NUTRIAFOODS
-veggie shawarma, veggie siomai, veggie sisig and veggie bbq

MINERVA VARIETY
-chewy sansrival, araro cookies and nancy balls

NUTS N LESS
-different variety of peanuts

AIZA's SWEETS
-pastries and pastillas

MR. PARKS'S BREAD
-baby Shu, choco sku, cupcakes and sora

HEAVENLY SWEETS
-cake pops, (chocolate, vanilla, cookies, red velvet, triple dark chocolate, rocky road)

JIIN BAKERY
-mamoose tofu chips, pizza bread, harry bread, donuts, walnuts, Korean cakes, cookies and hotdogs and sandwiches

LURING'S
-chicken Pampanga inasal, pork inasal, beef caldereta and bbq products

PABURRITO
-beef burritos, longganisa burrito, chicken burrito, spinach and meat quesadilla, etc.

RAMBURITO
-chicken burrito, beef burrito and ramen

WICHES
-american sandwiches and fries

MOMS 101
-paco salad, kare kare, stuffed palitaw, sinantan (ginatang halo halo)

ORGANIC
-organic plants and organic processed foods

For those interested to become food vendors of any Mercato Centrale Group's food markets, please email, admin@mercatocentrale.ph or text (+63)9178401152.