DC Super Heroes Cafe has finally landed in Manila at SM Mega Fashion Hall.
It’s a merchandising store and restaurant in one, with a DC-inspired menu created by Chef Kel Zaguirre of Locavore fame and drinks by Liquido Maestro Kalel Demetrio.
We celebrated Yugi’s 4th birthday with his cousins here and this is what we love about DC Super Heroes Cafe…
DC Super Heroes Cafe Philippines
4L Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall
Telephone: +632 477-5673
Instagram: @DCCafePH
Facebook: DC Super Heroes Cafe Philippines
First Things First
There’s a 30-minute waiting time so make sure to make a reservation if you are going with a group.
The life-size Batman and Wonder Woman statues are displayed at the entrance as if to welcome you.
Gotham Gazette: Tidbits and Finger Foods, Starters, Salads, Soups, Pizza, Pasta, and Noodles | Burgers, Specials, Sides | Desserts, Whole Cakes, Drinks | Hot Drinks and Cocktails
The food is American with ingredients sourced locally and made in-house, like the pasta.
Everything on display is for sale so you can simply ask your birthday boy to choose his gift.
Loved the original DC merchandise from the shirts, caps and bags to the latest toys.
You can reserve this semi-private room, which can fit 20 guests, for an intimate birthday celebration.
Tidbits and Finger Foods
Duck Fat Fries (₱260). Thick cut potato fries deep fried in duck fat. Served with rosemary, garlic, catsup, tartar and parmesan.
You can start with big cuts of fries with umami from duck fat.
Crab Rangoos (₱380). Lump crab meat and cream cheese stuffed wanton wrappers. Served with tomato salsa and aioli.
It’s like a fried empanada with crab meat inside.
Chicken Fingers a la Negra (₱350). Chicken tenders coated in squid ink then deep fried. Served with honey mustard and a side of slaw.
Slices of chicken white meat coated in squid ink and served in a charcoal-inspired presentation.
Chipirones (₱380). Lightly breaded baby squid, marinated in Amazonian herbs and spice, served with aioli and grilled lemon wedges.
A nice crunchy pica pica but the breaded coating is a bit thicker than usual.
Soups & Salads
?Seared Tuna Salad (₱360) . A salad of seared tuna, greens, feta cheese, hummus and egg. Inspired by the quick fiery words of the Amazons.
Good to share but we had to fight over the seared tuna pieces and had to scrape the last bits of hummus.
?French Onion Soup (₱280). Caramelized red onion and beef broth soup topped with gratinated gruyere and Emmenthal cheese.
It’s a bit sweet, with lots of bread pieces and topped with a generous amount of cheese.
Spinach Egg Vat Soup (₱280). Chinese-style spinach egg drop soup with silken tofu and pickled red cabbage.
Our parents enjoyed this kind of soup—light and comforting specially on a rainy day.
Pasta & Pizza
?Shrimp Bisques & Noodles (₱390). Spaghetti in squid ink sauce and sauteed garlic baby squid topped with aioli and shrimp bisque.
Our favorite! The sauce is flavorful in itself even if you don’t mix the aioli. Loved the baby squid pieces with the thin spaghettini and lots of black ink. It’s so good that you forget your teeth are already black.
?Three-Cheese Tortellini (₱390). Ring-shaped & cheese-stuffed pasta simmered in alfredo sauce. Inspired by the Lantern Corps’ power rings. The various Lantern Corps possess power rings, each one has its own abilities and emotional affinity.
There were only a few ring-shaped pasta but the white sauce is the star and it’s quite addictive.
Mac and Cheesemeister (₱370). An homage to an American classic, ours is richly made with a marriage of four cheeses and served on a hot skillet.
Always a crowd pleaser, all the more so with the kids. Easy to share with the group too.
Squid Ink Focaccia Pizza (₱550). House-made squid ink pizza topped with prosciutto, tomato, goat’s cheese and sour cream.
The pizza, with a thick soft focaccia bread, looks more like an open-faced sandwich with toppings.
Burgers
The Belly Bloater (₱480). Two 1/3 lb angus patty served inside a brioche bun with cheddar cheese, lettuce and our own awesome sauce.
Inspired by Big Belly Burgers. Our own take on the multiversely popular burger from the Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow TV series.
This is for those looking for more meat from a burger because one patty is not enough.
Cheesemeister Deluxe (₱420). Mozzarella and cheddar-stuffed angus patty served inside a brioche bun, lettuce and our own awesome sauce.
Inspired by Batman. Our own take on the multiversely popular burger from the Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow TV series.
If you prefer more cheese flavors in your burger, make sure to order this instead.
The Belly Buster (₱380). 1/3 lb angus patty served inside a brioche bun with cheddar cheese, lettuce and our own awesome sauce.
A bit small, good for one person.
All burgers are served with thick cut fries on the side.
Specials
?12-Hour Glazed Pork Belly (₱480). 12-hour smoked, spiced pork belly served with pineapple glaze and smashed potatoes. Inspired by Bane, who needs Venom every 12 hours.
Hands down the best item on the menu, the smoked and super tender pork belly comes in a dome presentation.
It’s served on a bed of mashed potatoes that are quite chunky and it goes with a sweet pineapple glaze that complements the meat.
?Beef Bourguignon (₱520). Clark Kent’s favorite beef stew with mushrooms; braised for four hours and served with homemade catsup on the side.
The beef is so tender, with a unique mushroom sauce and drops of catsup for added umami.
Salmon & Green Curry (₱540). House-made green curry with salmon fillet, mussels, ikura and baby carrots. Inspired by Aquaman’s real name: Arthur Curry.
It’s a bit of an odd combination but it works—you can enjoy the salmon separate from the curry or you can choose to mix it specially with the roe.
Lamb Skewers (₱580). Australian lamb skewers served with grilled watermelon and tzatziki. Inspired by Captain Boomerang. Don’t throw this one.
DC Cafe has something for every craving, like this one for those who prefer lamb for their main meal.
Roasted Rib Eye Steak (₱1,990). Served with truffle mashed potatoes, red wine demi-glace and our signature hollandaise sauce.
For steak lovers who prefer a big slice of meat cooked medium.
Southern-Style Meatloaf (₱390). Country-style meatloaf stuffed with andouille sausage served with catsup, BBQ sauce and country gravy. Inspired by Martha Kent’s cooking.
A good dish to share, three big squares of meatloaf that you can eat with rice.
Drinks
Double Nut White Choco Frappe (₱190). The power of the planet Krypton perfected in a smoothie. Concocted with blue and red velvet choco, toffee nut, hazelnut and DC Espresso, topped with our signature whipped cream.
Like Aidan, this is also how I like my frappe—nutty with white choco.
Pistachio Grassy Frappe (₱190). Harness the power of Green Lantern with a special frappe blend of pistachio nut sauce, pandan milk, DC Espresso with whip cream.
It’s like pandan coffee but with pistachio instead. It also has grass jelly bits at the bottom.
Berry Cheesecake Smoothie (₱190). Strawberries, guavas and hibiscus have been harvested from the noble land of Themyscira to make an Amazonian Smoothie blended with cream cheese, topped with mango jello and golden crystals.
A bit sweet with flavors of strawberry and cheesecake that you can drink.
Taro Purple Spiced Latte (₱160). Be careful what you wish for or the joke might be on you! Taro and purple yam with steamed milk, DC Espresso and a hint of something that will make you grin.
An interesting combination, this has the best latte art as well.
Blue Velvet Toffee Latte (₱160). Inspired by the Man of Steel, the Clark Kent Latte is concocted with blue velvet chocolate, steamed milk, English toffee nut and freshly extracted DC Espresso.
Loved the flavor of toffee nut in my latte.
Desserts
Deck of Cards (₱210). Vanilla cake filled with lime curd and vanilla cutter cream, topped with milk powder and dried strawberries.
This is the most striking in terms of presentation. It gets sold out quickly so make sure to reserve it.
Spiral Churros with Chocolate Sauce (₱180). Spiral churros brushed with rosewater syrup and served with hot chocolate sauce. Inspired by Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth.
Nice concept. Something you can share by getting bits and pieces of the lasso then dunking them into chocolate.
Strawberry Trifle (₱240). Layers of vanilla cake, strawberry jam and whipped cream, topped with chocolate soil, a macaron and sour vines. Inspired by Poison Ivy’s garden.
Served in a small poison ivy inspired pot, it’s a bit hard to eat though. Good for one.
Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake (₱2,700). White cake layered with salted caramel buttercream and pretzels, then frosted with white chocolate ganache and topped with white chocolate shards. Inspired by the Fortress of Solitude.
Best of all, they have DC-inspired cake for the birthday boy that comes with a birthday greeting from the service team!
Final Thoughts
This place is ideal for superhero lovers and birthday celebrations for the little ones. Make sure to go with a group, and reserve because you don’t want to wait in line and just get the next available seat.
Although the DC-inspired menu is a bit cheesy, some of the food is quite good. I would start with the Seared Tuna Salad and French Onion soup. We love the Shrimp Bisques & Noodles and Three-Cheese Tortellini for the pasta. Don’t forget to order the 12-Hour Glazed Pork Belly and the Beef Bourguignon.
I would skip the Tidbits and Starters. Most of the servings are only good for one. The drinks and desserts are all interesting and delicious but can be a bit filling and heavy on calories so make sure to order these last.
Budget about ₱500/head for the food + ₱300/head for drinks and desserts.
For birthday celebrations, reserve the semi-private corner and order your cake in advance. Ask your guests to come in their favorite DC costume or accessories. Maybe you can have a DC gift registry to go with the invitation.
It’s unfortunate that they decided to place the life-size batman and wonder woman behind glass. There’s no superman either. In other DC Cafes, this is actually one of the main draws—for the kids to have their pictures taken beside their favorite DC characters.
You can take your souvenir photo with the DC Justice League portrait on the outside wall near the elevators.
Congratulations to DC Cafe for a high-flying opening in Manila!
DC Super Heroes Cafe Philippines
4L Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall
Telephone: +632 477-5673
Instagram: @DCCafePH
Facebook: DC Super Heroes Cafe Philippines
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: We paid for our first visit. Our second visit was courtesy of our friends Jonas and Candice Ang. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. You can reserve this table with chairs named after DC characters.
Reserve the Bruce Wayne chair for the birthday celebrant.
