The concept of the dining table in the Philippines has always been more than a place to eat. It is where family and friends gather, colleagues become companions, and food creates opportunities for connection. At Purple Rice, this Filipino tradition meets the bold flavors and culinary heritage of Thailand. The restaurant now brings this philosophy to a new setting with the opening of Purple Rice Royal at Glorietta 2 in Makati.
Founded in 2023, Purple Rice brings the flavors and culinary heritage of Thailand to the Philippines through traditional Thai recipes with innovative twists. The brand combines the character of Bangkok street food with Filipino warmth and hospitality, creating a dining experience shaped by Thai flavors and a Filipino soul. Beyond its signature purple rice, Purple Rice also offers handcrafted cocktails, mocktails, and a selection of dishes inspired by Thai culinary traditions.
Marking the brand’s sixth branch, Purple Rice Royal introduces a more elevated expression of its signature dining experience. Its interiors combine warm lighting, woven rattan, and light wood with dark green tiles and foliage, complemented by touches of Thai royal purple. The result is a contemporary dining space designed to feel polished yet welcoming, with the Filipino hapag at the heart of its concept.
At the center of the new concept are two dishes created exclusively for Purple Rice Royal. The Curry Crab & Roe Claypot combines generous chunks of sweet crab meat and rich crab roe over fragrant egg-fried rice, finished with the restaurant’s signature aromatic curry sauce. Served sizzling in a traditional claypot, the dish brings together the flavors of crab and curry in a rice-based option designed for sharing.
The Crying Tiger Angus Steak offers another expression of Thai cuisine. Smoky grilled rib-eye is served with Nam Jim Jaew, a traditional Thai dipping sauce known for its bright, herbaceous character. Made for sharing, both signature dishes reflect Purple Rice’s approach to Thai cooking while giving guests new reasons to visit its Glorietta 2 branch.
A Taste of Purple Rice Royal: Dishes Tried During the Event
During the event, the food tasting offered an introduction to several dishes from Purple Rice Royal’s menu. Among the dishes served, the Crab Curry and Crying Tiger Rib Eye stood out as personal favorites, with the latter emerging as the clear highlight of the meal. The following dishes represent only a selection of what was tried during the event and not the restaurant’s complete menu.
The Crab Curry features tender crab meat enveloped in a rich, aromatic curry sauce prepared with fresh herbs and eggs. Its combination of gentle spice and natural sweetness makes it a standout choice for diners who enjoy seafood and Thai curry flavors. The dish was one of the favorites from the tasting, offering a satisfying way to enjoy the restaurant’s crab and curry combination.
The Crying Tiger Rib Eye was the standout dish of the event. The grilled rib-eye is basted with a savory blend of lime, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and pepper. It comes with authentic Thai Nam Jim dipping sauce and a refreshing green papaya salad, bringing together smoky, savory, tangy, and spicy flavors. Among all the dishes served, this was the personal favorite and the one worth returning for.
The Curry Crab and Roe Claypot Rice offers a similar crab and curry flavor profile to the Crab Curry, but with fragrant egg-fried rice included. It is a convenient option for diners who prefer their crab curry served with rice. It can also work well as a sharing dish, particularly when ordered alongside plain rice. For those who enjoyed the Crab Curry, the claypot provides another way to experience similar flavors in a different presentation.
Other dishes tried during the event included the Crispy Spring Roll, Gai Tod Jaew, and Pad Thai Gai. The Crispy Spring Roll features a golden-fried exterior filled with minced pork, shrimp, vermicelli, and fresh vegetables. Cilantro and kaffir lime leaves add fragrance to the filling, while Thai sweet chili sauce provides a combination of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors.
The Gai Tod Jaew presents Thai-style fried chicken served with Nam Jim Jaew, a traditional northeastern Thai dipping sauce known for its spicy, tangy, and savory character. Meanwhile, the Pad Thai Gai combines stir-fried rice noodles with a rich tamarind sauce, tender chicken, scrambled eggs, crunchy peanuts, and fresh bean sprouts. A wedge of lime adds a refreshing citrus note to the dish’s sweet, savory, and tangy flavors.
Jasmine Purple Rice also accompanied the dishes served during the event. Made with fragrant Thai jasmine rice, it has a distinctive purple hue, delicate aroma, and fluffy texture. It provides a fitting complement to the richer flavors of Thai curries.
For dessert, the Mango Sticky Rice offers a sweet finish to the meal. The Thai-inspired dessert combines soft, chewy sticky rice infused with ube and coconut, sweet mangoes, and fresh coconut milk. Its tropical flavors bring together sweetness and creaminess. It was another enjoyable part of the tasting and a good way to finish the meal.
A New Coffee and Beverage Experience
Another highlight of Purple Rice Royal is its new coffee and beverage concept, which extends the experience beyond lunch and dinner. Familiar flavors such as coconut and pandan feature in the Coco Pandan Latte and Coco Pandan Black Tea Soda, while Thai basil adds a fragrant twist to the Passionfruit Basil Black Tea Soda.
The beverage menu also includes familiar classics and contemporary options such as the Sea Salt Latte, Espresso Coke Float, Matcha Strawberry, and Ube Latte, among other selections. Guests can enjoy these drinks alongside a meal or take one to go for an afternoon break.
Beyond its coffee and specialty beverages, Purple Rice also offers handcrafted cocktails and mocktails, adding to its selection of drinks. These options complement the restaurant’s dining concept and give guests more ways to enjoy its Thai-inspired offerings.
Staying True to Its Thai-Filipino Roots
Since opening in December 2023, Purple Rice has remained true to its Thai-Filipino roots. Its Filipino-Thai owner, Alex Cantor, brings together two cultures and two traditions through a shared love of food. His Thai and Filipino heritage inspires the restaurant’s bold flavors, fragrant spices, and appreciation for the warmth, hospitality, and joy of sharing a meal with family and friends.
Beyond being a restaurant, Purple Rice is a home. Every dish tells a story of heritage, while every table becomes a space for togetherness. The restaurant uses fresh herbs, spices, and local ingredients, reflecting its belief that every guest deserves food prepared with care and sincerity.
Alyanna Sia, Director of Purple Rice, shared the inspiration behind the new Glorietta branch:
“Purple Rice Royal at Glorietta takes our roots of Thai flavors and Filipino warmth, elevating it in a space we created for guests to enjoy dishes they know us for but discover something new on the menu, and make the restaurant part of their everyday occasions, from lunch and dinner to an afternoon coffee break.” – Alyanna Sia, Director of Purple Rice
Find Purple Rice Across Luzon
With the opening of its Glorietta branch, Purple Rice now has six locations across Luzon, making its Thai-inspired dining experience accessible in different parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Its branches include Purple Rice Forbes Town at the 2nd Floor, Forbes Town Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; Purple Rice Salcedo at the Ground Floor, Salcedo Village, Makati City; Purple Rice SM City North EDSA at the 2nd Floor, SM City North EDSA, Quezon City; Purple Rice SM City Bacoor at the 2nd Floor, SM City Bacoor, Cavite; Purple Rice SM City Pampanga at the 2nd Floor, SM City Pampanga; and the newest location, Purple Rice Glorietta at Level 2, Glorietta 2, Makati City.
Guests can also follow Purple Rice through its official social media pages for updates and more information. The restaurant is on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Purple Rice Royal brings another way to experience Thai cuisine in the heart of Makati. With its selection of Thai dishes, signature crab and steak offerings, coffee and specialty beverages, and Filipino-inspired hospitality, the restaurant creates more opportunities for guests to gather over food. Whether sharing a meal with family, catching up with friends, or taking a break between errands, guests are invited to discover Thai flavors through the familiar spirit of a Filipino home.
