Murray's New Orleans Bourbon Street Ribs Steak & Oysters

Whenever I decide which restaurant to dine into, I do not just look into the food to help me decide. Dining is more than just the food, I'll tell you that. It is an experience in and of its own. Hence, I really appreciate restaurateurs who spend time to come up with a unique concept that is reflected in their dishes and ambiance. This is exactly the reason why I was drawn to Murray's New Orleans.

A few weeks ago, I stumbled onto a blog featuring this restaurant and I was so interested about the ambiance and the food that it piqued my interest enough to head to SM Lanang Premier one day to give them a try. Upon walking in, I readily feel the jolly vibe of this restaurant. Good thing, we came in early to have our dinner so we get to pick the best seat in the house. While I am in awe with the vibrantly colored bar area and the jazz allusions in many of the emblems plastered all over the restaurant, I kept my reservations because I knew the food was going to make or break it.

While waiting for our orders to be served, we were given this huge slice of bread with a dip as complimentary treat. I'm not sure if I'm the only who does this but I enthusiastically dove into the slice of bread. It has a subtle flavor and very, very soft. Before I could even finish the bread, though, our orders had arrived - indeed faster than I had anticipated!

This first dish is called Kansas City Ribs. This is the smaller version of their famous Baby Back Ribs and priced at approximately P395. The waitress told us this serving is good for one person only, but it's HUGE! We ended up sharing it because E was raving about how tender and delicious the meat was. This dish is a half slab of pork baby back ribs barbecued with their house BBQ sauce until tender and served with dirty rice (their own version of Java Rice, which I thought was superbly delicious!) and coleslaw. I loved the coleslaw with this dish. The flavor of the barbecued meat can be overwhelming to your palate after some point, and it helped to cut into that and neutralize the flavor in your mouth.

Another dish that I had the opportunity to sample is their Shrimp Ettouffe. I originally picked Baked Salmon but sadly it wasn't available on our visit (don't you just hate when that happens?). Anyhow, I ended up liking this dish. This is a pasta dish served with sauteed shrimps, ettouffe cream sauce, spinach, and parmesan cheese. This dish is highly aromatic that I could not help but spend a few seconds just savoring its aroma before finally digging in. This photo couldn't do this dish justice. By the way, you can order this for P385.

They do have a wide range of drinks to choose from ranging from alcoholic beverages, to mojitos, to fresh fruit shakes. I, of course, went for the fresh mango fruit juice. A glass will set you back at P105 but totally worth every penny.

Murray's New Orleans is a fantastic addition into the local culinary scene. Davao will be treated to quality Southwestern, Cajun, and international cuisines, among a slew of other restaurants already serving up delicious treats for the local palate. But it's always better when you have more options!

Murray's New Orleans Bourbon Street Ribs, Steaks & Oysters is located at G/F of SM Lanang Premier fronting the Fountain Court.

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