When in Kapitolyo: Epic Cafè

Kapitolyo used to be my neighborhood back when it was the hottest foodie spot in Manila. I'd go around the area on weekends and check out the newest shops. And more often than not, I'd be heading back home with a happy tummy and several new favorites. And one of which was Epic Cafè.

Hello, Epic Cafè. 

Epic Cafè has been around for years now and continue to serve good tasting beverages and comfort dishes. Its warm and inviting space also makes this coffee shop an ideal spot for catching up with friends or work. 

Foodie Guide to Kapitolyo Food Trip (or Restaurant Hopping)

Living near Kapitolyo has its perks. It turned from residential to a must visit foodie destination. Since I have blogged about so many Kapitolyo restaurants, let me do a rundown of the different establishments and my personal favorites.

HARU

I absolutely love Japanese cuisine. If I could only choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose salmon sashimi. And Haru’s salmon sashimi is fresh and milky! Another must order is the beef teppanyaki.

Total damage: PHP500-1000 per head

Haru Sushi Bar and Restaurant is located at 9 West Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

CAFÉ JUANITA

The eclectic and popular Filipino restaurant first started in Kapitolyo before it branched out to the busy Bonifacio Global City area. Do try their kare-kare and halo-halo.

Total damage: PHP700-1,500

Café Juanita is located at 19 West Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

RAMEN COOL

Ramen Cool is your simple no-frills Japanese restaurant. I was pretty disappointed with their ramen noodles but the other dishes like tempura and teriyaki are pretty okay. The one I love most though is their iced coffee.

Total damage: PHP500 per head

Ramen Cool is located at 25 East Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

ВÀ NÔI’S

This place has been my favorite Vietnamese restaurant since I visited its Makati branch. The Bo Lu Lac is to die for. Tender and flavorful, every bite is such a delight!

Total damage: PHP500 per head

Вà Nôi’s is located at East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. It is on the same side as Three Sisters and across Milky and Sunny. 

NAV

One of the early players when Kapitolyo started to become a foodie hotspot, Nav serves modern Thai cuisines that are drool-worthy. I love the Son-in-Law Eggs as I looove century eggs. The Catfish salad is of course another staple order.

Total damage: PHP500-700 per head

Nav is located at United St. Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City (Across Pioneer Center and Ace Water Spa).

LONGGANISA SORPRESA

Been craving for Vigan, Lucban or what-have-you longganisa? You don’t have to drive all the way to those provinces just to taste those delectable longganisa. All you have to do is pay Longganisa Sorpresa a visit.

Total damage: PHP500

Longganisa Sorpresa is located at United St. Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City (Across Pioneer Center and Ace Water Spa).

RED PANDA

This restaurant is fairly new in the area. If I got it correctly, Chef Boy Logro is part owner of this restaurant. I only got to try a few dishes but the Chinese Style Ossobucco left a good impression.

Total damage: PHP500-700 per head

Red Panda Bistro is located at 48 East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City. For reservations, please call 475-0877.

CALDERON

The well-loved Spanish restaurant in San Juan is now in Kapitolyo as well. I wasn’t able to try the churros but everyone was raving about it. And the mere fact that it was sold out at 3 p.m. proves that it really is something worth trying. (Oh, and the paellas are amazing!)

Total damage: PHP500-1000 (depending on how many will be sharing the bill)

Calderon is located at 12-C East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City. You may reach them at 0905 266 6982 or 0999 703 3299 for reservation or advance order.

OPEN KITCHEN

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Kapitolyo. The anise pork belly and the vanilla pumpkin soup are just so delicious. Plus, those not so hidden stick figures on the brick walls are adorable! Do try the beef shanks!

Total damage: PHP800-1,200

Open Kitchen is located at 71-B East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City

SILANTRO

The always jam-packed restaurant is not just some one-night hype. It actually serves really good Mexican food. You won’t go wrong with the stuffing as every single one is delicious! I’ll try oxtail next time. (They were out of that one as early as 11:30 am!!!) The mojito’s pretty refreshing too!

Total damage: PHP250-500

Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina is located at 75 E. Capitol Drive, Pasig City, Metro Manila.

POCO DELI

I witness this small restaurant start from being a quiet player in the market to a very popular and successful one. Who wouldn’t when its bacon slabs are to die for? The refreshing iced tea is such a delight as well. The sausage platters are really good too and a nice meal to share with friends. Plus, the cakes! Oh the cakes… <3 You might want to visit Epic Coffee for Poco Deli’s cakes too and pair it with coffee.

Total damage: PHP500-1000

Poco Deli is located at 21 East Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City. 

CAB CAFÉ

A café that serves la paz bachoy? Yes, there’s one! Enjoy side by side some cakes and a warm bowl of la paz bachoy (though not recommended) in Cab Café! They also have burgers which are loved by my sister. [Sister Approved!]

Total damage: PHP300-500

Cab Café is located at 18 East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

GOSTOSO

Gostoso’s dishes are awesome! Priced at friendly prices, ordering two dishes for yourself isn’t such a bad idea. Try the Piri Piri Chickena dn the Porco Gostoso. And get the creamy corn as side dish. <3

Total damage: PHP500-700

Gostoso is located at 51-B East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

CHARLIE’S

Yet another popular joint in Kapitolyo is the burger place called Charlie’s. The wagyu burgers are juicy, thick and flavorful. It’s hard to be girly while eating their burgers but who cares? It’s party in the mouth!

Total damage: PHP500

Charlie’s Grind and Grill is located at 16 East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

MAD MARK’S

This sandwich and ice cream place is also always packed with hungry diners. It is not a surprise at all as the place serves awesome sandwiches, steaks, fries and ice cream! I love the man sandwich and the Javan Hot Chocolate ice cream!

 

Total damage: PHP300-500

Mad Mark's is located at 23 East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

THAI DARA

Thai Dara is another Thai restaurant in the area and compared to Nav, it has a homier feel. Simple plating and well lit restaurant, this place screams comfy. Their iced teas are also very refreshing!

Total damage: PHP300-500

Thai Dara is located at 23 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

Loco Over Poco Deli All Over Again

I just love lunch outs. It gives me that needed short break from the corners of my messy cubicle. Plus it is also refreshing to eat something else.

Photo from Poco Deli's Facebook Page

Last Monday, J and I went to Poco Deli to catch up. But to our surprise, there were no available parking slots. We then decided to go to Rub Ribs as there are more parking spaces there but since it was lunch time, the place was packed with hungry diners. We then went back to Poco Deli to check if there were still tables available and there were! So while I man the table, J parked the car.

 

It was my third time to visit this place but just my second time actually dining here (the second visit was a short one when I bought some sausages for N’s family). Anyway, since I heard that their Gourmet Tapa with Eggs and Bacon Rice (PHP280) is one of their best sellers and that some of my officemates raved about it, I just have to try it. I also ordered a glass of Poco’s Special Freshly Brewed Iced Tea (PHP65). J decided to order the same thing.

Lunch Out Destination: Thai Dara

It has been a while since I last had a lunch out along Kapitolyo and it sure was refreshing to spend lunch outside the office. F asked me if I prefer to eat at Rub Ribs or Thai Dara and since I have not tried the latter, off we go to Thai Dara.

LUCKY! We managed to get a parking spot right in front of Thai Dara.

The little store sandwiched beside Mad Mark’s and Poco Deli sure has this homey feel to it. The small restaurant can accommodate perhaps a max of 20 people. It reminded me of this little dumpling place in Binondo. (Oh Chinatown, how I miss thee.)

Since F was not a newbie like me, I asked him which ones were his favorites and he mentioned several spicy dishes till he mentioned the Tamarind Fish (PHP239). It sounds promising so I gave it a shot. I also ordered a glass of Mint Lemonade (PHP55) simply because it sounds refreshing. F on the other hand was trying to avoid carbs thus ordered a Thai salad and some pork satay.  

 

It took them just a few minutes to prepare our meals (well, there was only one table occupied when we arrived) and it was a good thing since I was famished.

Loco over Poco Deli

Who would have thought that there’s a small quaint deli shop at East Capitol Drive. I’ve been living near the area for a loooooong time and the only food places I knew were SOHO, Café Juanita, and Three Sisters (well, let’s include those sprouting restaurants that pop and poof). Then came Poco Deli.

Our Group Publisher decided to hold our Publishers lunch in this quaint store.

      

 We had cassava chips as appetizer and to appease our grumbling tummies.

Next served were two of their sausage platters, New York and German.

I prefer the New York platter for it was a bit juicier compared to German which was meatier.

Poco Deli Iced Tea. Cute color. :)

Some of us ordered tapa, seafood pasta, stew, and callos. One of their newest items was SALMON PASTA. The server just said the magic word so I ordered it.

It took them a loooooong time to serve my dish. I guess as a deli shop, they were not used to serving cooked food (since they are more known for their cold cuts). When my dish arrived, I sniffed it and well, it smelled good.

*twirl twirl twirl… slurp!*

The flavor was very rich to the point that you’ll get tired of it easily. In short, there is the suya factor. Also, the dish was too fishy (malansa) for me. The serving though was pretty generous. It was good for 2 people. If I’m not mistaken, it was around PHP250.

I read several reviews that Poco Deli’s desserts are pretty good. I’ll try that next time after ordering another set of New York sausage platter. J