Poco Deli, the little neighborhood deli in Brgy. Kapitolyo, originally started as a distributor of fine Philippine-made deli products, which included Mickey’s Sausages and Dave’s Natural Frozen Yogurt. It also served pizza, pasta and wine, catering to its immediate neighbors as customers.
The concept didn’t really appeal to us at the start, and early blog posts about it were not encouraging enough (Jane’s Take a Poke at Poco Deli, Franny’s Deli Discovery : Poco Deli).
So when Sonny de Leon, a P&G friend who is now one of the Marketing bosses in P&G Philippines, wanted to meet up, we agreed to meet in his wife’s Poco Deli store. Last time we met, I surprised him with a Kubli Springs dinner by Jay of Kinabuhayan Cafe.
This time, I was the one who was pleasantly surprised. Poco Deli is now an artisan shop where they make their own sausages, smoke their own bacon, create fresh pizza dough, and serve well-selected wines and their signature BlackOut Chocolate Cake.
Kapitolyo Food Street Series:
- CAFE JUANITA – Eclectically Romantic
- The New Look of CAFE JUANITA in Pasig
- CHARLIE’s by Rob Goco, Hidden behind a Car Wash Station
- Insanely MAD MARK’s!
- NAV Modern Thai Cuisine Reunion
- POCO DELI: the Little Neighborhood Deli of Kapitolyo
- ELEVEN TABLES and Ace Water Spa
- HARU Sushi Bar & Restaurant: Japanese Restaurant Cafe Juanita Style!
Poco Deli, which means ‘Little Store’, is a deli and wine hangout along Kapitolyo’s Food Street. It’s a cross between Galileo Enoteca and Cav, found in an authentic neighborhood setting.
Poco Deli’s mission is to craft the finest premium quality specialty meats, condiments, and comfort foods. They are committed to serve only the premium, fresh and all-natural prime meats.
It is a popular hangout for people in the neighborhood but it is still relatively a secret from most outsiders. Although, recently, Chef Gene Gonzalez featured Poco Deli in his Manila Bulletin column: Pleasures of the Table: Poco Deli.
Poco Deli Menu:
- German Sausages, Cold Cuts, Cheese, Comfort Food, Pizzas
- Pasta, Gourmet Sandwiches, Heavenly Desserts, Hot Drinks
Mickey’s Sausages was the benchmark for authentic and really good German sausages in Manila. I was just talking to fellow foodies about how we missed Mickey’s Sausages ever since it closed down. (See: OAP | Hey Mickey’s, Octoberfest Na!)
Joy de Leon was working in Mickey’s for a few months when Mickey passed away. She learned the artisan techniques and skills on how to make sausages from Mickey — using only the premium lean meat and premium spices from Germany.
She now creates Mickey’s signature sausages like the Nuernberger Pork Sausages and innovated her own premium sausages like the Wagyu and Lamb Sausages. She serves the sausages with freshly made sauerkraut.
We ordered one of each of the German Sausages, the Wagyu Sausage (big dark sausage), and the Lamb Sausage (big lighter-colored sausage). I personally liked the Mickey’s Nuernberger and the really soft Wagyu sausage, while Rache liked the taste of the Lamb Sausage.
Here are the prices of the sausages when ordered as a sampler or ala carte:
★ German Sausage Sampler (Single – P300, Double – P480). Choice of 3 sausages: Kielbasa, Nuernberger, Bratwurst, Cheese Krainer, Chicken Sausage, Bockwurst, Frankfurter, with homemade sauerkraut and New York Bagel Chips.
★ Wagyu Sausage with homemade sauerkraut, New York Bagel Chips (P450).
2 pcs. Wagyu sausages, made with Wagyu Beef — best steak in the world!
★ Lamb Sausage with homemade sauerkraut, New York Bagel Chips (P450).
2 pcs. Lamb sausages, made with New Zealand/Australian Lamb.
★ Wines. The Brgy. Kapitolyo neighborhood loves Poco Deli for its wine selection.
Poco Deli has good Spanish wine, based on the recommendation of another P&G colleague, Mon Gloria, who originally started the popular Spanish wine bar Barcino.
They are also planning to serve the Filipino-made wines famous in Napa Valley.
European Beers (P180): Stella Artois (Belgium), Erdinger (Germany), Hoegaarden (Belgium), Heineken (Denmark), Estrella Galicia (Spain), 1905 Reserva Especial (Spain).
Poco Deli also serves European and Jim Araneta’s Beers. 🙂
★ Citrus Delight (P120).
But we prefer their refreshing signature drink made from four kinds of citrus.
Quattro Formaggi Pizza (P330). Freshly made dough, topped with four cheeses — Mozzarella, Pecorino, Gorgonzola, Grana Padano.
The only thing that was a bit of a letdown was the pizza. Although the dough was made fresh, there’s no character in the flavor of the pizza. Maybe adding blue cheese to the pizza would enhance the flavor experience.
They originally served brick-oven pizza in Poco Deli, but because of the expansion of the store, they had to remove the brick oven and put it in their commissary. I do hope they put it back because the best pizzas we’ve tasted are made from fresh dough, with fresh ingredients and cooked in a brick oven with the right kind of wood.
★ US Sliced Steak on New York Bagel Sandwich (P200). Pan-grilled, sliced US steak on New York Bagel topped with melted Mozzarella Cheese.
A lot of foodies raved about this Bagel Steak Sandwich with its really soft bagels from the Salcedo Market. I loved the combination (although I would prefer less ligaments in the meat).
★ Bacon Slabs with Eggs & Bacon Rice (P280). This is a taste of heaven for all bacon lovers!
They are proud to serve their own bacon slabs, which they smoke for six hours or so. Ang sarap nga ng bacon! The fat in the bacon was also a joy to eat–perfect for breakfast! 🙂
Truffle Oil Pasta with Mushroom or Seafood (P280). Rich flavors of Truffles with White Sauce with Mushrooms or Seafood.
How can you go wrong with truffle oil pasta? The best part of it is it only costs P280 (a similar pasta in Aria would cost P460).
Maybe since they have an artisan-angle for their deli, why not serve homemade pasta?
★ The BlackOut Chocolate Cake (P140). Must try! Super rich, super moist, not sweet the way The BlackOut Chocolate Cake should be. Made with the finest Valrhona chocolates from France, delicious caramel in the middle and topped with Belgian Chocolate.
We loved their signature dessert! The recipe comes from Joy’s family, which has been passed down for generations already. The chocolate was very moist and had the right sweetness (na hindi nakakasuya). Its bits and pieces of Belgian chocolate were quite fun to eat.
Cappuccino Cake (P130). Coffee-flavoured.
The other cakes failed in comparison to the BlackOut Chocolate Cake. 🙁
New York Baked Cheesecake (P165). New York-style baked Cheesecake topped with Blueberries.
Maybe they can develop more signature cakes that you can’t find anywhere else.
Thanks to Sonny and his pretty wife Joy de Leon for the awesome Poco Deli dinner!
I really enjoyed the business conversations over really good food and wine. 🙂
Overall, Poco Deli is highly recommended for its artisanal sausages, bacon, and meat products, a well-curated wine list, and European-inspired neighborhood deli ambiance despite its unassuming facade.
I do hope they consider bringing back their brick oven pizza, creating their own homemade pasta, and adding a killer artisan yogurt or ice cream dessert.
What’s your favorite in Poco Deli?
Poco Deli, The Little Deli-Cafe
21 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, 1603 Pasig, Philippines
Telephone: +632 477-4332
Mobile number: +63 922 892-9211, +63 922 892-9211
Email Address: poco.deli@gmail.com / joydeleon@gmail.com
Facebook: Poco Deli
Website: www.PocoDeli.com
Operating Hours:
Mon – Thu: 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Fri: 7:00 am – 12:00 am
Sat: 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sun: 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
★ – Recommended Dishes
Parking is along the streets and a big problem during peak hours.
Kapitolyo Food Street Series:
- CAFE JUANITA – Eclectically Romantic
- The New Look of CAFE JUANITA in Pasig
- CHARLIE’s by Rob Goco, Hidden behind a Car Wash Station
- Insanely MAD MARK’s!
- NAV Modern Thai Cuisine Reunion
- POCO DELI: the Little Neighborhood Deli of Kapitolyo
- ELEVEN TABLES and Ace Water Spa
- HARU Sushi Bar & Restaurant: Japanese Restaurant Cafe Juanita Style!
Related Articles: Shen’s Addiction | YumYum: Poco Deli, The Quaint Deli Cafe
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Contact me: anton@diaz.ph 
Full Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of Sonny de Leon, who is a colleague in P&G Philippines and the husband of Joy who runs the restaurant. 🙂 We are not connected with the restaurant and any organization promoting it.
P.S. It was one of the first establishments in the area to invest on a security guard to protect its customers and to assist in parking. Thank you for being considerate of our safety!
other good places in kapitolyo:
food barn
rub
cab
🙂
I love their Irish stew with bacon rice!
Oh yeah we so love this place 😀 ! They make their own sausages, and the desserts are awesome! Check their velvet cake too 🙂
And yes. That truffle oil pasta was a crowd pleaser, as well as that banana-like scented easy to drink Hoegaarden 😀
Really sad for Mickey’s. They did have great German goodies there (although quite expensive) But it’s a good thing there are places that still have some German sausages, like Treffpunkt. Check it out when you have the time. No one even knows that it is a restaurant, but it has been there since 1986 🙂 Maybe they can just add the word “Restaurant” or “Deli” to their signboards and the new generation will rediscover it 😉
http://www.lynne-enroute.com/2011/10/18/en-route-treffpunkt-edsa-cor-liberty-avenue-santolan-quezon-city-philippines/
Just don’t expect 5 star dining. The place is pretty much run down all the way into the bathroom, so people picky with places will frown upon it. But the sausages are great and pairing them with the German beers or wine is awesome
I totally love their Nuernberger, Wagyu, and Lamb Sausages! Their Blackout Chocolate Cake is addictive, yummy! What impressed me the most though was that the owners don’t use preservatives. Isn’t that amazing?
ohhhh wow 🙂
Heineken is Dutch, not Danish 🙂
Happy to know there is growing appreciation for traditional, slow-cooked, artisan food. This is Poco Deli’ s vision . Back to the fundamentals of cooking with the best ingredients, prime meats, no MSG, no preservatives, traditional long simmering and natural smoking in a brick oven. No shortcuts, no bad stuff added. 🙂
Poco Deli is a pleasant surprise with quality service and comfort foods. I always go back to eat the bacon steak or that beef tapa. Their sausage/meat plate w/ cheese is perfect with your choice of red wine. They’ve managed to create the right flavors per dish and have a similar, welcoming ambiance of some of my favorite spots in San Francisco. It’s a delight to have such an environment in simple neighborhood setting. They used to have some great frozen yoghurt, but with the updated menu, I don’t miss the fro-yo so much. Their desserts are PERFECT. I usually struggle between getting the black out cake or red velvet slice. Soooo, I end up getting both. The prices are just right and the portions are generous for Asian standard portions. The service is very friendly and the owners, who are now my good friends, are great, humble and caring people. You actually FEEL their care in that little deli. Plus, I love having bible study groups here.
Oh, and their Irish Stew is the BOMB! I’m all about flavor and texture, and these guys get it right every single time. Hard to be consistent, and they’ve managed to pull it off. Keep it up guys!
Hi guys! Jim Araneta sells American Craft beers not European. Ballast point is an American Craft beer. Aside from that great blog 🙂
I love Poco Deli’s Truffle Pasta! It’s simply the best! 🙂
To one commenter, yes Heineken is Dutch and not Danish (that’s Carlsberg) but its not Heineken in the picture but Grolsch (the green bottle) which is also a Dutch beer.
Poco Deli! I agree, with the other folks who posted here: Callos and Irish Stew is good. Also, their Tapa (which tastes more like the beef in the US steak burger) is good!
I agree with Ray that it’s not 5-star fine dining but it’s not entirely bad—even the bathroom wasn’t that bad. Perhaps when Ray went, it was crowded? 🙂
It’s better to go during daytime, or a Sunday/Saturday Night. Friday Night would be a bad idea—the place is packed.
Aside from the Blackout, the red velvet is pretty good–but they rarely make it anymore. They also used to make this lemon cupcake but I don’t think they make it anymore too.
Thanks for the tip! need to go back and try the Callos and Irish Stew 🙂
Anton
Wanted to bring a friend and her aunt there. Di ako mapapahiya sa food, but it’s not sosi enough for my friend’s aunt, because the only table with backrest is near the door and the table’s too small. They’ll want to order more dishes than people! So I suggested we go to Ayala Triangle branch. Love the rum raisin ice cream.