The Secrets of Brgy. POBLACION Food Street! (Food Crawl with Don Bautista of Lokal Hostel)

In this 2-part video feature, we had an awesome conversation with Don Bautista of Lokal Hostel on the secrets of the booming lifestyle landscape of the Brgy. Poblacion Food Street.

In this video, you will learn:

• The newly opened places in Brgy. Poblacion, like Tambai, The Red Light, and Taco Chingones;
• The secrets to what it takes to succeed in Brgy. Poblacion Food Street;
• Why people are excited to open new establishments in the so-called “Williams-Burgos” of Makati;
• Insider stories from Don Bautista of Lokal Hostel, one of the pioneering businesses in the area; and
• What places to go to when organizing your own Food Crawl.

GUIDE TO THE BEST OF BRGY. POBLACION FOOD STREET:

EL CHUPACABRA

EL CHUPACABRA is the hottest street tacos hangout place in Makati conceptualized by Dixie Mabanta of Mexicali, Cafe Mediterranean, and Fishbar Boracay fame. It’s located in the current commisary of Mexicali, which turned into a street tacos resto with a Mission St. SanFo vibe.

It’s named after the legendary cryptid El Chupacabra, which literally means Sucker (Chupa) + Goat (cabra) and supposedly sucks blood out of livestock, especially goats.

We love the tacos and the whole street-food-with-an-expat-hangout vibe. 

Read More: EL CHUPACABRA: Yummy Street Tacos and the “Goat Sucker” Reinvention of @Mexicali!

EL CHUPACABRA
5782 Felipe St. cor. Polaris St., Makati City
Telephone Number: +632 895-1919
Operating Hours:
Sunday to Wednesdays – 11.00am to 12mn,
Thursdays to Saturday – 11.00am to 3am

 

SENOR POLLO

Señor Pollo is a Latin American Chicken street joint by the owners of El Chupacabra, who perfected the formula of unique Latin American food + street artsy ambiance + good value for money.

Read More: SENOR POLLO: Famous Latin Chicken Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati @SenorPolloPH

SENOR POLLO PHILIPPINES
5767 Ebro Street (near Kalayaan Avenue), Makati City
Mobile Number: +63 977 142-9273
Operating Hours: 11:30am – 12:00pm
Instagram: @senorpolloph
Facebook: Señor Pollo Philippines

 

A’ TODA MADRE TEQUILA BAR

A’TODA MADRE Tequila Bar is the most extensive Tequila Bar in the Philippines, with now over 105+ tequila varieties. It’s the 2nd Tequila Bar to open in the country, next to Maya in Cebu (which we’re still waiting to expand in Manila).

Most of us have bad memories of tequila from our college days. We were drinking the Jose Cuervo Mixto kind–a blend of 51% blue agave tequila and 49% sugars, which is notorious for causing bad hangovers. I’m also willing to bet that the only way you know how to drink tequila is to put some salt on your hand, down the tequila in one shot, lick the salt, and suck some lemon. 

A’Toda Madre offers the authentic tequila experience. Using only 100% blue agave, you smell the aroma of the tequila, then sip and enjoy like wine–just like how they do it in Mexico. 

Read More: A’TODA MADRE: Tequila 101 in the Most Extensive Tequila Bar in Manila!

A’ TODA MADRE Tequila Bar
GF Sunette Tower, Durban St. corner Makati Ave. Makati City
Website: atodamadre.com.ph
Facebook: A’Toda Madre
Contact: Aljor Perreras 
Mobile: +63 998 999-1521, 
Email: aljor@atodamadre.com.ph
Operating Hours: 
Monday – Saturday: 5:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sunday: 6:00 pm – 2:00 am

  

TACOS CHINGONES

TACOS CHINGONES is a street taco food cart by Aljor Perreras of A’ Toda Madre fame, who is passionate about bringing authentic Mexican food experiences to the country. 

The taco cart is inspired by the street taco carts of Mexico and a spin-off of A’ Toda Madre’s yummy tacos. 

Read More: TACOS CHINGONES: Cool Mexican Street Taco Cart in Manila 🙂

Tacos Chingones Street Cart
5923 Algier, Makati, Metro Manila
(right next to Som’s Noodle House)
Mobile: +63 998 998-2267
Operating Hours: 12:00 pm – 2:00 am
Facebook: Tacos Chingones
Website: http://www.streettacos.com.ph/
Email: info@streettacos.com.ph

 

LOKAL HOSTEL

One of the pioneering backpacker/flashpacker hostels in the heart of Makati, it is the best place to stay for tourists and balikbayans looking for cheap and artsy accommodations in a cool hipster neighborhood the city. 

LOKAL HOSTEL
3/F, 5023 P Burgos, Makati, Metro Manila
Telephone: +632 897-1869
Facebook: Lokal Hostel
Twitter: @LokalHostel
Instagram: @LokalHostel

 

TAMBAI YAKITORI SNACK HOUSE

TAMBAI is a sari-sari store converted into a Yakitori hangout by Melvin Viceral (brother of Maricel Laxa), Franco Ocampo, and Chef Jerome Valencia. 

Its name is a Japanese-inspired take on the Filipino term “tambay“, which means to hang out–derived from the English words “stand by“.

It’s a cool place to stop by for pre-dinner tapas (they open at 5pm) before moving on to your dinner event.

Read More: TAMBAI Yakitori Snack House (A Review) #TambaiSessions

TAMBAI Yakitori Snack House
5779 Felipe Street, Barangay Poblacion, Makati 
Operating Hours: Open Mondays to Saturdays, 5pm to 12am. 
Telephone: +63 917 842-3725
Facebook: Tambai
Instagram: @tambai_snackhouse

 

THE RED LIGHT

The Red Light is the commisary kitchen of Sprout by day, and a kitchen pop-up place by night. It’s also a kitchen studio of Erwan Heussaff when he shoots for The Fat Kid Inside.

It’s envisioned to be a “creative food & beverage space that acts as a playground for chefs, restaurateurs, and bartenders who want to stage their original concepts”.

THE RED LIGHT
Ground Floor, W Young Building, Felipe St., Poblacion, Makati, 1209 Metro Manila
Mobile: +63 917 585-4043
Email: theredlight.ph@gmail.com 
Facebook: The Red Light
Instagram: @theredlightph

 

ESCAPE HUNT MANILA

The Escape Hunt Manila is a live escape room franchised by Mike Kerveillant and partners after trying and loving the original Escape Hunt Experience in Bangkok.

It’s relatively easier than the other mystery rooms, with a 60-minute time limit and a 1-minute penalty per clue. The rooms are more focused on mathematical, logical reasoning, and multi-sensory puzzles.

Jewel Heist at the Resort is the easiest, Trapped at the Spa has a medium difficulty, and Murder at Home is the most difficult.

The Escape Hunt Experience – Manila, Philippines
5773 Ebro St. Barangay Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila 1210
Mobile: +63 915 596 8363, +63 (2) 751 9124
Twitter: @EscapeHunt
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/escapehunt
Facebook: The Escape Hunt Experience Manila – MNL, Philippines
Website: http://manila.escapehunt.com/
Operating Hours: Every day 10am and the last game at 9pm

Escape Hunt Manila series:

• JEWEL HEIST AT THE RESORT: A Sherlock Holmes-inspired Mystery Room @EscapeHunt Manila
• MURDER AT HOME: The Most Difficult Room @EscapeHunt Manila!
• TRAPPED AT THE SPA: Escaped from the Massage-Room Inspired Mystery Room! @EscapeHunt Manila 

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. Watch out for Crying Tiger, Good Earth, and Codename: Singian to open soon in the Brgy. Poblacion food street! Let me know if you have tips on other cool places opening up in this area.