When I was in college, I used to frequent a cozy little restaurant called Gayuma along Esteban Abada street. “Gayuma” is the Tagalog word for “love potion” and as the name implies, the restaurant provides its patron with a sensual experience through mood lighting and aphrodisiac food. The restaurant closed a couple of years ago but I heard that a new incarnation of Gayuma called Gayuma ni Maria just opened along Maginhawa street. My friends and I just had to check it out one lazy Sunday!
Like the Gayuma of old, Gayuma ni Maria is located in an old house and quirkily decorated.
The second floor of the house has a Japanese-style seating area that will also serve as a shop that sells vintage items and Filipino-made goods.
Since Gayuma ni Maria is still in its soft launch phase, about half of the items on the menu are currently unavailable. Still, my friends and I had fun munching on two plates of Lumpiang Barako (P115) – melt-in-your mouth cheese logs stuffed with a whole green pepper. I was a little hesitant to try this at first; a friend of mine makes a batch of really explosive spicy cheese logs and I wasn’t in the mood to get my mouth burned. Surprisingly, this one is only mildly spicy and oh-so-gooey.
Beats Sex Anyday (P75) is the updated version of the Gayuma cult favorite Better than Sex chocolate cake. I’m not sure if this does beat sex any day but the marshmallow icing and chocolate syrup is to die for. The cake itself is on the dry side, though; I’d have wanted this a little more moist.
Smiling gingerbread phalluses are also being sold – a perfect naughty pasalubong to your girlfriends or significant other.
Perhaps the best part about Gayuma ni Maria is the board games, which you can borrow for free with a minimum order of P350. My friends and I ended up hanging out at the place for three hours, trying to beat each other at 3D Scrabble.
Despite the limited selections on the menu, Gayuma ni Maria is an awesome place to hang out with friends and maybe go on a romantic date with someone, especially if you despise crowded restaurants like I do. I’ll probably drop by again in a month’s time, when the restaurant is really open and everything on their menu is finally available.
123 V. Luna Extension (Maginhawa Street), Quezon City
Tel. No. (0921) 681-8989
Open from 10 am – 11 pm on Monday – Saturday and 10:00 am – 10:00 pm on Sundays————————————
You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Gayuma is Back at Maginhawa Street is a post from: Pinoy Cuisine
Share