My favorite food discoveries

Lately, I’ve been finding that some of my favorite food discoveries are less and less in commercial spaces, but rather tucked clandestinely in between obscure side streets that previously would have had you explaining long and hard what exactly you were doing there at a certain time of the night. Makati’s Poblacion neighborhood, in particular, has given rise to simple, straightforward joints that stand out because they are the first of their kind in Manila — and most importantly because they are downright delicious. Here are a few of my favorites:

Beni’s Falafel

“When I was a student at Columbia in New York, even though my meals had been prepaid, I would still hang around 115th and Broadway during lunch hour and wait for the falafel cart. I loooooveeee falafel, and sadly, I never found anything close to the real thing in Manila until …  Beni’s Falafel! “Soooo yummm!!! Crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy inside and really generous, too! Top with their homemade chili sauce w/c is excellent but literally fire in your mouth!”  I had posted this on my Instagram account four weeks ago with a tight shot of an a la minute fried falafel sandwich smothered in tahini sauce, and drizzled with this fiery, fiery chili that was about to find a new home in my stomach, when I got 72 likes and 18 comments instantly. (“Where???” “That looks so good!” “Beni’s is the best!”!) Beni’s Falafel on Valdez Street is literally a hole-in-the-wall canteen-type place with Monobloc tables and chairs, but it serves the best falafel in town — and a steal at only P135. They also have a simple shakshuka (P260), eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, that I had first come to try as a brunch dish in Tel Aviv a few years ago. Another piece of good news: they are open until 2 a.m.

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4364 Valdez St., Makati (near A-Venue). Phone 0906- 349-1300.

A’Toda Madre

One weeknight, my friend Erika and I charged to the first tequila bar in Metro Manila to feed our Mexican cravings. She ordered the Margarita de Casa (P260) and told me it was good.

“Are you sure?” The only reason I was skeptical was because every margarita I’ve had in this country has been sweeter than a bowl of sugar and knocked me with a headache instantly. It turns out that even for their house margarita, A’Toda Madre uses only 100-percent agave tequila (1800 Tequila Blanco, to be specific) — no sugar — just agave nectar, fresh lime juice and a dash of Cointreau — exactly the way it should be — refreshing, easy to drink and zero headache afterwards.

The tequila bar currently has over 89 kinds of blue agave tequila, including the fifth most expensive tequila in the world, the Partida Elegante, which it sells for P2,800/shot and P25,000/ bottle.

The Cali-Mexican fare they serve up is fantastic as well. We love the Elotes Callejeros (P120), grilled and buttered Mexican street corn — the closest thing in Manila to New York City’s Café Habana and Red Hook food trucks; Cuertos Enfurtidos (P275), chicharones topped with homemade salsa rojo; Taco Sampler (P400-450/ three pieces) of slow-cooked chicken in chipotle sauce; pork stew in green tomatillo, onion and jalapeño sauce (my favorite); and seared Australian beef steak; and the Mexican flan (P165) — an incredibly moist dark chocolate cake topped with shaved white chocolate, chili and caramel sauce.

Owners Filipino-American brothers Aljor and Sante Perreras were wondering why most patrons would sit at the tables instead of just the bar for a drink.

“Because your food is so good!” I blurted out.

On Tuesdays, the 50-seater, which is bedecked in Dia de los Muertos graffiti murals, has Salsa Fresca Tuesdays starting from 10 p.m.

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A’Toda Madre is open Mondays to Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. It is located at GF Sunnette Tower (right in front of Durban Hotel) on Durban Street, Makati City. Phone 0998-999-1521.

Pink Panda

#WhereIsPinkPanda was the official hashtag of Erwan Heussaff’s Southeast Asian diner when it first opened.  It was an indication that it was not in your usual mall or city center. Turns out it is located at the Y2 Residences Hotel, just across A.Venue. My friend Jess and I went for Saturday brunch one day, and the daytime light allowed us an appreciation of the interiors, which, according to Erwan, aim to bring the Southeast Asian street charm indoors, with the ceiling being an upside down landscape with light strips, representing the ever-changing landscape of our cities, and sofa booths made from jeepney seating fabric. 

What we enjoyed most were the playful twists in terms of presentation and taste on the dishes, which range from Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian to Chinese and Filipino. For example, the popular Thai soup was turned into shooters and served with crispy toasts in the Prawn Toasties and Tom Yum Shots (P285), with a prawn half-dunked into the sour prawn and mushroom broth. We also enjoyed the Pork Pockets (P230), which had crunchy pork belly in a sweet sauce topped with cashew nuts on soft buns, and the Wild Vietnamese Rolls (P190), which had both fried (trio of mushrooms and spiced pork) and fresh (grilled shrimp and pickled jicama) varieties. And since they had a tempting cocktail list, Jess and I had the Man Pink (P270), which is rye whiskey, crème de cassis, bitters and Mure, and the Pumped Panda (P250), tequila blanco, cinnamon syrup, lime juice, Mure, and soda, which definitely set our weekend off to a happy start.

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Ground floor, Y2 Residence Hotel, 4687 Santiago St. corner B. Valdez & Singian Sts., Makati. Phone 224-3000 loc. 3057 or 0917-794-2005 or email pinkpandaph@gmail.com.

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You can reach me at inbetweendeadlines@gmail.com, www.cheryltiu.com, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cherytliu or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/chertiu.