SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – 2017 was an interesting year in food. Ube became a thing when it was already a thing here. People started asking for “unicorn”-flavored things, as if dyeing things pastel pink would make them taste any better. The salted egg boom continued to happen. And so on.
Amidst all the noise, however, good food did actually get made and more than a handful of spots were able to make their mark, unicorn poop milkshakes be damned.
To celebrate the year in food that was 2017, we’re launching a series of lists dedicated to some of the hottest eateries to hit the metro this year. Here’s a look at some of the late night hotspots that whet our appetites and got us talking all year round.
(In alphabetical order.)
Bao Bar
The whole deal with Bao Bar has always been a little bit DIY-or-die, but that’s simply an essential part of its charm. The space, which first started as a booth slinging food at tipsy artist-types in The Hub Make Lab along a revitalized Escolta, serves up puffy steamed baos, fiery dumplings and slick drunken noodles packed with flavors that are a bit rock ’em sock ’em and a bit old-school Asian. If you’re going to line your stomach before a night on the town, you can’t go wrong with a really, very good fried chicken bao.
Bao Bar is at The Social on Ebro, 5770 Ebro, Poblacion, Makati and at First United Building, Escolta, Manila. Contact them at 0926-6583918
Crosta Pizzeria
Reading the menu at Crosta is a bit of a doozy. They call what is fundamentally a classic Margherita pizza “The Basic Bitch” and it gets even more pun-tastic from there with names like “Pork You” and “Cheesy AF”, the menu pretty much leaning into some preternatural need to give things funny names. The pizzas themselves, though, aren’t anything to laugh at. The pies are almost works of art, their flavors simple in conception (an array of squash blossoms adorns one pie, an assortment of just mushrooms and cheese tops another), all of it framed by a thoroughly blistered crust, puffed and singed into oblivion at the edges. As for The Basic Bitch? It is a thing of beauty.
Crosta Pizzeria is at The Social on Ebro, 5770 Ebro, Poblacion, Makati
Oto
As far as neighborhood bars go, Oto is pretty cool. The walls are decked with slick wood paneling; the cushy seating is just on the right side of chic, and their collection of vinyl records strikes the right balance between kitschy and cool. Their cocktail program is just as stylish, with a selection of signature tipples that highlight unusual Asian flavors (the full-bodied Enriquez features tablea-infused spiced rum, the more savory #ReligionBlack boasts black sesame syrup) as well as a handful of more straightforward but no less well-crafted staples (go for the Bramble).
Oto is at 5880 Enriquez Street, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City. Contact them at 728-2433
Yes, Please
Is Yes, Please tacky? Maybe. You could spend the entire evening here arguing the merits of kitsch, or trying to find common ground as you fight over whether or not you think every bathroom in Manila should have custom hand-painted murals in every bathroom stall. You’ll probably order the Devon Sawa (refreshing with a whiff of anise seed) or the Legends of The Hidden Temple (dry and robust, a bit acerbic), wondering aloud if a place could be too self-aware. You will sit and watch as people have a good laugh before taking pictures of their over-the-top cocktails, bathed in purple neon light. A few surprisingly good drinks later, you’ll probably end up doing the same.
Yes, Please is at 11th Avenue corner 38th Street, Uptown Bonifacio, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Contact them at 0917-1407777
– Rappler.com
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