Vietnamese cuisine is trending, and if you are craving for a taste of Vietnam, this is the place to go for a satisfying fix in Poblacion, Makati. VBQ is Chef Mikel Zaguirre’s streetside Vietnamese barbecue and hot pot place with a Vietcong-themed Bang! Bang! Bar.
This is a great spot to have dinner to kick-off your Poblacion crawl or eat in between drinking sessions.
First Things First
VBQ is located on a block bordered by Guerrero and P. Guanzon Sts., and you can pass through either streets.
VBQ Vietnamese BBQ & Hot Pot
4970 Guerrero St. / P. Guanzon St., Brgy. Poblacion, Makati
Telephone: +63 917 624-1282 (for reservation)
Operating Hours:
VBQ BBQ & Hotpot: 11.00am to 3.00am
Bang! Bang! Bar: 6.00pm to 3.00am
Facebook: VBQ Restaurant
Instagram: @vbq.ph
It’s a barbecue place with accents of Vietnamese communist red color without air conditioning for authentic street-side feel.
VBQ Menu: Appetizers, Spring Rolls | Salads, Specialties, Dessert | Vietnamese BBQ | Beverages
Chef Mikel Zaguirre aims to wow you with not your usual Vietnamese food, handcrafted sauces and authentic ingredients.
I loved their sauces. Mix the chili oil, pickled garlic confit and chili paste with aromatics.
Also, ask for Muoi It Xanh sauce made with cilantro, green chili, aromatic with condensed milk—good to go with the meats.
Appetizers
This was the signature dish and our favorite at VBQ. Mix the BBQ meat with the cold rice noodles, pork sausage, veggies and the sweet fish sauce from Vietnam.
We liked the oysters as is, freshly shucked, or maybe you can ask for toppings on the side and just add based on preference.
This was a good dish to refresh the palate and stimulate the appetite with papaya-green mango salad.
Order this Mushroom cracker to munch on while you wait.
This gets mixed reviews, but it was a good healthy option and good to share, too.
Specialties
We loved the sweet and spicy glazed tender pork ribs topped with bell peppers, shallots and cilantro to balance the flavors.
Vietnamese BBQ
The highlight of the meal was freshly cooked BBQ with Vietnamese spices and sauces.
Each order was good for 1-2 persons. Best to order a few, and the service team can bbq on charcoal for you.
Our favorite was the scallops. Best eaten off the grill.
You can order chicken thigh or breast portions, which were sliced already, ready for sharing.
There were a few seafood BBQ options—salmon fin & belly, smoked milkfish belly and our favorite gindara.
A different take on grilled pork belly with Vietnamese flavors, still juicy off the grill.
When Chef Kel is in the restaurant, he’ll cook the main meat for you.
There were different beef options: Angus Belly, Oyster Blade or the best cut, Angus Ribeye
Beef Pho Pot
The Pho at VBQ was not your usual one because this one was charcoal cooked on the spot—hotpot style.
It had a darker broth perfect for a late-night hangout after the drinking.
Dessert
This was the only dessert option which was like banana with yema.
Vietnamese Coffee
I liked ending with the strong Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk in ice just like how you’d have it in Saigon.
You can check out their Vietnamese coffee beans butter roasted with a nice aroma.
Check out their teas and signature guyabano lychee for dessert. They were too sweet for our taste though.
Bang Bang Bar
After dinner, best to go to Bang! Bang! Bar upstairs for a round of cocktails to complete the VBQ experience.
Bang! Bang! Cocktails | Food List | Beer & Liquor
The bar glowed in Animo green with plastic gun highlights and comfortable lounge chairs.
This was the best in the bar menu, thinly sliced pork pizza which was more like a quesadilla but using lumpia wrapper.
I love gin-forward drinks because they are not too sweet and set you in a good mood for conversation.
This was a bit cheesy but everyone loved this drink, which was a mix of everything tropical—coconut, cucumber, citrusy flavors.
The signature drink named after the love letter to the mixologist’s wife, made from tequila topped with haw flakes foam and clipped with a letter for the winning message.
For the winning cocktail, alcohol-infused milk tea to make sure you get lucky with your partner at the end of the night.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we love VBQ and will go back for the Bun Thit Nuong (Obama Noodles), Suon Khia (Pork Ribs) and Vietnamese BBQ (Scallops, Pork Belly, Gindara). Most of the dishes are ₱300/plate. Best to go with friends and order different dishes to share. End the night with Dear Cheenie or MILF Tea at Bang! Bang! Bar. Budget about ₱500/head + drinks.
One thing to note though is that VBQ is not air-conditioned, and you can smell like BBQ after the meal. Also, the beef pho is not your usual clear broth with deep flavors but more of a dark hot pot broth style.
Congrats to Chef Kel Zaguirre and VBQ team for transforming the Poblacion landscape with unique dining destinations!
VBQ Vietnamese BBQ & Hot Pot
4970 Guerrero St. / P. Guanzon St., Brgy. Poblacion, Makati
Telephone: +63 917 624-1282 (for reservation)
Operating Hours:
VBQ BBQ & Hotpot: 11.00am to 3.00am
Bang! Bang! Bar: 6.00pm to 3.00am
Facebook: VBQ Restaurant
Instagram: @vbq.ph
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of our friend Reymont Choachuy. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions and insights.
P.S. For late-night goers, check out one of the best lugaws in Poblacion located beside VBQ.
