We consider BGC as our home and it’s also home to the best restaurant concepts in Manila. Here’s a wrap-up of our favorite new restaurants in BGC & Taguig in 2014:
Read Related Post: BEST OF MAKATI: 10 Most Awesome NEW Restaurants in Makati 2014!
1. MECHA UMA
MECHA UMA is a Chef-Driven Restaurant by Chef Bruce Ricketts of Sensei Sushi fame. The name is a Japanese expression for absurdly delicious food.
They serve predominantly Japanese food but are not limited to it. Foodies have raved about the Tasting Menu served Omakase-style (but is still dependent on the chef and what’s freshly available that day). They also serve an a la carte menu of the best dishes featured in the Tasting Menu.
Read More: MECHA UMA: “Absurdly Delicious” Food by Chef Bruce Ricketts!
MECHA UMA
G/F RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center,
25th Streets, cor. 6th and 7th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines
(beside Starbucks Coffee)
Telephone: +632 801-2770
Mobile: +63 917 544-3226
2. WHOLESOME TABLE
THE WHOLESOME TABLE is an Organic Comfort Food Restaurant by Bianca Araneta Elizalde of Aria Boracay Fame.
All the produce comes from organic sources; they use free-range chicken and eggs, grass-fed beef, wild-caught seafood, and local artisan products. All the sauces are natural and made from scratch, and they don’t use high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, or trans fats.
Their passionate commitment to all things wholesome and healthy is contagious.
Read More: THE WHOLESOME TABLE Organic Comfort Food Resto by Bianca Araneta Elizalde (A Review)
(Former Aria Cucina Italia Restaurant location beside Elias)
Telephone: +632 867-0000
Email: eatwell@thewholesometable.com
Website: http://www.thewholesometable.com
Note: Credit Card Accepted. No Reservations.
3. BLACK SHEEP
Update March 9, 2016: Black Sheep BGC is now closed and moved to Black Sheep Manila.
I was so impressed with the “Bahay Kubo” that Chef Jordy Navarra served during the Lifestyle Asia Gala Dinner, we had to go back to Black Sheep and try their most raved-about degustacion.
The first time we tried Black Sheep, the chef was still feeling his way into the Manila food scene. This time around, Chef Jordy was able to express his culinary brilliance, celebrating Filipino ingredients and our culture through food.
Read More: BLACK SHEEP Degustacion: The Culinary Brilliance of Chef Jordy Navarra! #BlackSheepBGC
BLACK SHEEP
The Penthouse at W Fifth Avenue, corner 32nd and 5th, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Telephone: +632 478-4498
Mobile: +63917 871 4388
Email: dine@blacksheepbgc.com
Website: http://www.blacksheepbgc.com
Facebook: Black Sheep Bar and Restaurant
Instagram: @BlackSheepBGC
4. TODD ENGLISH
TODD ENGLISH FOOD HALL is officially Manila’s first Celebrity Chef Restaurant opening at the SM Aura Premier! It is also the first restaurant that sets the trend for the Food Hall concept in Manila.
A Food Hall is a communal dining space with well-curated stalls or food stations. It is NOT a buffet, because you can order from one or any of the stations. It is NOT a food court, because the food is typically handmade, with a cohesive theme.
Todd English Food Hall is all about quality of food with provenance, and a mix of cuisine that is eclectic and inspired across 9 food stations.
TODD ENGLISH FOOD HALL
5/F SkyPark, SM Aura Premiere, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Operating hours: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday
Email: toddenglishfoodhallmnl@gmail.com
Twitter: @TEFoodHallMNL
Facebook: FoodHall ToddEnglish
Instagram: @toddenglishfoodhallmnl
Telephone: +632 621 4002
5. VA BENE
VA BENE is a yummy artisan Italian pasta deli by Chef Massimo and Carolyn Veronesi. Originally located at Petron Gas Station on the corner of Edsa and Pasay Road, it is best known for serving what many consider the Best Italian Pasta in the Metro.
After 3 years of operation, they finally opened their 2nd branch near the BGC Cinemas, with a bigger kitchen, a bigger dining area, and more offerings. We recently visited the new branch with our La Salle Engineering batchmates and we all loved it!
Read More: VA BENE Pasta Deli by Chef Massimo Veronesi @ BGC Cinemas
VA BENE PASTA DELI
Cinema Level, 3/F (same level of 4DX Cinemas)
Bonifacio High Street, 5th Ave. corner 30th Street, Bonifacio Global City Taguig
Contact Person: Carolyn Veronesi
Mobile: +63 917 722-5780
Telephone: +632 556-9442 | +632 216-9879
Operating Hours: Monday – Sunday 11.00am – 11.00pm
Email: vabenepastadeli@yahoo.com
Facebook: VA BENE PASTA DELI
Instagram: @VaBenePastaDeliPH
Website: http://www.vabenepastadeli.com/
6. PERFECT PINT
My Perfect Pint Combination: Lengua with Crispy Garlic x Craftpoint Liberation Pale Ale.
THE PERFECT PINT is a gastropub by the Tempongko brothers. It showcases Filipino Food by Chef Gene Gonzalez, paired with the best of Craft Beers in the Philippines.
It’s inspired by research on the ideal environment to drink a pint of beer, which concluded that:
“The maximum satisfaction is found to occur at an ambient temperature of 17.6 degrees Celsius, with just over two days until you are due back in work, between three and four people with you, all in good spirits, with quiet music and widely available food and snacks.” (via Mindlab Intelligent Insights)
The Perfect Pint envisions setting the standard in providing that experience to every customer in the Philippines.
Read More: THE PERFECT PINT: Philippine Craft Beers x Filipino Food by Chef Gene Gonzalez @ThePerfectPint_PH
THE PERFECT PINT. Craft Beer. Fine Food.
2F Crossroads, 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Telephone: +632 823-1320
Mobile: +63 936 940-3406
Facebook: The Perfect Pint: Craft Beer + Fine Food
Instagram: @theperfectpint_ph
Operating Hours: 10.00am to 2.00am
7. MARMALADE KITCHEN
MARMALADE KITCHEN is a comfort food resto and kitchen studio by Chef Aileen Anastacio of Goodies & Sweets fame. I like the simple, home-cooked goodness of the food prepared by the chef.
The name of the resto is inspired by Chef Aileen’s love for breakfast, brunch food and marmalade. She loves the color orange so you can see different shades and forms of it throughout the store.
It’s a cafe with a kitchen studio — a place where people can cook, learn and eat, something the chef loves doing until this day. You can have a kids’ birthday party or a private cooking session with the chef in the studio.
Read More: MARMALADE KITCHEN: Comfort Food by Chef Aileen Anastacio of Goodies & Sweets 🙂
MARMALADE KITCHEN
Unit 2-5 Forum South Global corner 7th Avenue and Federacion Drive
Bonifacio South District, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Telephone: +632 622-9196
Mobile: +63 917 837-0959
Email: marmaladekitcheninc@gmail.com
Website: www.MarmaladeKitchenInc.com
Facebook: Marmalade Kitchen
8. BOWERY
THE BOWERY is Chef Cuit Kaufman’s American Bistro Pub concept, which serves fine New York Comfort Food inspired by the chic Bowery Street in New York. It’s a “Higher-end Borough” that aims to answer the need of foodies for better quality food in Manila. It’s also a great venue to hold meetings during the off-peak hours.
Read More: THE BOWERY: Fine New York Comfort Food by Borough’s Chef Cuit Kaufman @thebowery_ph
The Bowery NYC Comfort
F151 Forbeswood Heights, Rizal Drive cor. Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Mobile: +63 936 929-6073
Email: thebowery.ph@gmail.com
Instagram: @thebowery_ph
Facebook: The Bowery NYC Comfort
9. CRISP ON 28TH
CRISP ON 28th is a neighborhood BGC cafe by Erwan Heussaff. The sister restaurant of Hatch 22, it offers breakfast and healthy all-day dining food. It’s making a buzz for its healthy quinoa salads and beautiful plates.
Read More: CRISP on 28th BGC (A Review) @ErwanJHeussaff @Crisp28ph
CRISP ON 28th
G/F Alveo Corporate Center, 28th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenue), Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Telephone: +63 917 584-6883
Operating Hours: 8am to 11pm daily
Instagram: @Crisp28ph
Facebook: Crisp on 28th
Twitter: @Crisp28ph
10. NIU BY VIKINGS
NIU is a high-end buffet of the Vikings group, located on the topmost floor of SM Aura Premier in Taguig. The name literally means “nine” in the old Norse language and refers to the “Cloud 9” experience the buffet provides. Coincidentally, the buffet also has 9 stations with over 300+ dishes.
Read More: NIU Birthday Celebration by Vikings Buffet (First Look) @SMAuraPremier
NIU by Vikings
6F SM Aura Premier, 26th Street Corner McKinley Parkway, 1630 Taguig
Telephone: +632 478-3888, 847-3888
Mobile: +63 917 586-6888, +63 919 999-6888
Email: niubyvikings@gmail.com
Website: http://niu.ph
Facebook: NIU by Vikings: SM Aura
Twitter: @VikingsBuffet
Instagram: @NIUbyVikings
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.
P.S. Any recommendation on a restaurant in BGC and Taguig area that opened in 2014 that you think should be included in this list?
Wow, a new list of restaurants I need to try before 2015 is over! So far, I’m 0/10 but I’ll catch up. Thank you for compiling this list.
NIU by Vikings, congratulations on receiving another awesome recognition since your opening!