CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, PAMPANGA — Travelers passing through Clark International Airport have a new reason to arrive hungry. TGM & Root98, the JAKO-inspired dining outlet at the International Departures area, has launched three new Southeast Asian dishes—available in limited daily batches. The new offerings bring the flavors of the region to CRK, complementing the restaurant's existing Japanese-Korean menu. And if you're flying out soon, you might want to plan your meal around them.
The New Dishes
Chicken Rice features tender, juicy chicken served with fragrant rice and savoury dipping sauces—a comfort dish done right, simple, satisfying, and perfect for a pre-flight meal. Nasi Lemak pairs fragrant coconut rice with spicy sambal, crunchy peanuts, and crispy anchovies, a bold, flavorful plate that brings a taste of Malaysia to Pampanga. Laksa is a rich, creamy, and spicy noodle dish prepared using laksa paste sourced straight from Singapore, the kind of bowl that warms you from the inside out—ideal for a long flight ahead. These new offerings represent an expansion beyond the restaurant's core JAKO identity, a move that makes sense for an international gateway like CRK, where travelers come from all over the region, and the limited daily batches ensure that each dish is prepared with care and attention to quality.
The Location You Need to Know and Why This Matters
TGM & Root98 is located at Level 3, International Departures, after immigration—turn left, and you'll find it next to Gate 9 . The restaurant is open daily from 08:00 to 02:00, making it a convenient stop whether you're on an early morning flight or a late-night departure. TGM & Root98 is part of Plaza Premium Group's dining portfolio, offering a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisine under the "JAKO" concept, with its existing menu featuring dishes like Truffle Scrambled Egg Unagi Don, Baked Shio Salmon, Bibimbap, and Korean Beef Galbi . Airport food has come a long way, and at Clark International Airport, the options are getting more diverse, more flavorful, and more reflective of the region it serves. For travelers, it means a better meal before takeoff. For Pampanga, it means the airport is becoming a destination in its own right—not just a place you pass through. If you're flying out of CRK soon, keep an eye out for these limited-batch dishes, and if you're planning a trip, you can check flight schedules through the official Clark International Airport website.
