Agimat Foraging Bar and Kitchen (A Review)

Update 12/21/2018: As featured in 10 Best New Restaurants in Manila (2019 Homegrown Edition)!

Agimat is the flagship foraging bar concept of Liquido Maestro by Kalel Demetrio x Modern Filipino Tapas by Chef Niño Laus in the heart of Brgy Poblacion.

The name and concept are inspired by Filipino folklore: the mysterious amulet known for warding off evil or the mythical charm noted for developing instant attraction to the bearer.

Agimat promises a magical experience for those looking for mystical ambiance, otherworldly cocktails and spellbinding food that celebrate everything indigenously Filipino.

Here’s what we think of Agimat Foraging Bar & Kitchen…

Agimat Foraging Bar and Kitchen
2/F 5972 Alfonso cor. Fermina Street, Poblacion, Makati
Telephone: +63 917 530-2580
Facebook: @agimatbar
Instagram: @agimatbar
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM (Monday – closed)

First Things First

Agimat Menu: Filipino Tapas, Dessert

They serve Filipino tapas that showcase our unique local ingredients, fresh seafood and fear-factor street food.

These are intended to be playful and designed for pairing with the cocktails.

Drink Menu: Filipino Cocktails | Filipino Craft Beer, Filipino Spirits, Non-alcoholic Drinks

The cocktail drinks are inspired by foraging trips to local destinations, initially featuring famous fresh produce from the province of Batangas.

All these are aged, fermented and distilled in-house.

Agimat is located on the second floor of a rustic Filipino home in the corner of Alfonso and Fermina Streets.

Filipino Cocktails

It was a treat to watch the Liquido Maestro in his element and creating your signature cocktail himself.

Anting Anting ni Malvar (₱310). Gin, Dalandan liquor, Jigsaw Batangas honey, Rosemary, Sampinit berries, Turmeric, Ginger, Herbed saline, Citrus bitters

The cocktails looked sophisticated, captivating the drinker with different textures, flavors and aroma.

Each is a conversation piece in itself so make sure to enjoy every sip in between talk.

Gayuma ng Paraiso (₱310). Dalandan liquor, White rum, Guyabano ginger shrub, Lime, Mint

If you want to seduce your special someone, this is the drink for her.

I love that they use Bamboo straws, but make sure to inspect it if it’s clean inside.

Ritual ng Agimat (₱330). Calamansi Liquor, Lambanog Gin, Tomato puree, Melon tomato mint shrub, Tamarind, Lime, Rose citrus aromatics

This was the best cocktail because of the fascinating ritual and chants that came with the preparation.

It was worth the price given that it was very satisfactory especially if you came looking for a gin-based cocktail, not to mention the ritual performance.

Agimat ng Sawi (₱330). Sampinit Lambanog liquor, Earl grey liquor, bourbon, 7-year rum, Guava mint shrub, Angostura bitters, Local lemon, Egg White

For broken hearts and broken dreams, this rum-based drink, accentuated with sour notes and smoothness, is the one.

Salted Muscovado Caramel Latte (₱180). Agimat blend espresso, Salted latik caramel, Panutcha, Muscovado, Milk

For those times you just want to hang out without the headiness of alcohol but still savor the playfulness of flavors, this coffee drink is the right choice.

Filipino Tapas

We loved the Modern Filipino tapas concept by Chef Niño Laus.

Pares (₱595). Beef bone marrow and short ribs. Braised in Kalumata, Indigenous potato chips, Abuos (ant eggs)

Have you eaten Ant Eggs from giant black ants from Ilocos? This is the perfect place to do so and enjoy the delicacy with bone marrow umami.

And don’t let the ant distract you, this dish is all about the short rib beef underneath.

Manok (₱450). Day old Chicken. Roasted dalandan, Micro vegetables, Vigan longanisa, Ilocos black garlic.

I remember eating this Day Old Chicken street food in Quiapo with Mark Weins.

Agimat’s was a more palatable version but still it was not easy taking the image of a fried and devoured day old chick off my mind.

Lumot at Malasugi (₱350). Squid and Blue marlin ceviche. Pomelo, Calamansi nyebe, Espada, Katuray flowers.

I enjoyed this one nibbling through the different ingredients, mixing and matching the flavors and eating the fried espada fish like fries in between.

More espada, please?

Alimasag (₱350). Blue swimmer crab. Alavar sauce, Aligue, Cilantro and dalandan foam, Patani hummus.

I loved the meat of the blue swimmer crab because the smaller crab’s meat was tastier.

They removed the meat from the shell already and added umami from the Aligue and the Alavar sauce. Yum!

Final Thoughts

At Agimat, the authentic love and pride for everything Filipino, from the craft cocktails, albularyo ambience, to the Modern Filipino tapas was quite contagious. One couldn’t help but crave to know more about amulets and charms.

That’s why I think it would be better if they designed the cocktail and food presentations not just to look impressive but to impart some folkloric knowledge as well. It would be a lot more interesting to learn something new about Filipino culture rather than just come out of it with just a memory of the presentation.

All in all, you don’t feel that the people behind Agimat are only doing this just to be “instagrammable”, but primarily to deliver on the flavor of the food and the creativeness of the drinks.

Congratulations to Chef Niño Laus and Kalel Demetrio for an awesome original Filipino concept restaurant that we can all be proud of!

It’s a great enchanting place to start your Brgy. Poblacion food trip with a balikbayan, tourist, or a group of friends on a get-together.

Budget about ₱800/head for a tapas and a cocktail.

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com

Disclosure: We paid for our meal but our drinks were courtesy of Kalel. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.

P.S. They are the mastermind behind Repoblacion ng Pilipinas concept which is the Biggest Street Food Party in Manila celebrating our Philippine Independence!