First Bite: Hey Handsome

Hey Handsome has been receiving praises from notable influencers from the foodie community for a month now. Actually, just knowing that the minds behind this concept are the ones who brought Your Local already convinced me that I have to visit this place ASAP. I really respect these young talents as they are not afraid of the insanely crazy restaurant industry we have now. And to use unconventional raw ingredients such as keluak,a big poisonous fruit found in Indonesia, among others, proves how passionate they are in their craft and in bringing new flavors to Manila. The restaurant was scheduled to open last Friday but since the owners want to make sure that everything is perfect, they had to delay the opening and moved it to August 17 instead. (Thank you, Charlie Paw for the heads up!) And finally, Hey Handsome is open!!!

Hello, Hey Handsome!

I was greeted by lovely interiors that reminded me of Your Local, only brighter and more Instagram friendly (given the abundance of light). The modern mixed with industrial feel, high stools and white and green tiles turn every corner of this restaurant perfect for shoots. 

I guess Nicco Santos, one of the owners, head chef and a photographer himself, considered how foodies love to take snapshots of food and restaurant interiors. 

The restaurant aims to infuse more “real” Asian flavors such as Peranakan, Thai and Malaysian. Though some of the ingredients are sourced in other Asian countries for more authentic flavors, some are sourced locally. I honestly could not really tell which ones are authentic tasting or not. As long as the dish tastes good, I’m a-okay with it! 

I have read several positive reviews about the Beetroot Paneer (PHP480), Nam Tok (PHP580), Bebek Penyet (PHP680) and Nasi Lemak (PHP645). I decided to go with last one knowing that is considered as a complete meal in Malaysia and Singapore.

Quite unfamiliar with the dishes, I did a quick research and found out that Nasi Lemak is usually composed of meat, salted peanuts, coconut rice, hardboiled egg and dilis. But it is wrong to expect “usual” when dining at Chef Nicco’s restaurant. Instead of serving nasi lemak (coconut rice) with meat, Hey Handsome paired it with sea bass otah infused with spices that is wrapped and grilled in banana leaves served with sambal, pickled soft boiled egg and peanut brittle with dilis.

Coffee Shop Love: Yardstick

My good friends know that one of the things that make me happy is coffee. I get so giddy whenever I'm in a coffee shop. 

My favorite Dragon Lady, T, and I went to Yardstick after having a filling dinner at Your Local. 

I have been here already when I tried the Mayura burger. But since I was in a hurry and was awkwardly alone (I was the only person without a companion for over 30 minutes when I visited) I wasn't able to try their coffee except for the Yard Shake which made my throat itch. 

This time, I tried the White Coffee (PHP140) and a slice of Revel Bar (PHP80).

They served the coffee without any sweetener and T encouraged me to taste it sugar-free and it was... eeek! Okay, I like my coffee sweetened. 

Restaurant Discovery: Your Local

Legaspi has transformed into another foodie destination. With quaint coffee shops and charming restaurants, this is one area I just have to visit. A few weeks back was my first trip in this area and I visited Yardstick and Local Edition. My favorite Dragon lady and I also planned visiting Your Local as it has been getting great reviews. It took longer than we planned but we finally got to pay the place a visit last week.

Hello, Your Local!

Since the place is usually packed, reservation is important. I made a reservation for two at 6 p.m. on (an apparently rainy) Saturday. Placing a reservation was smooth as after 3 minutes or so, I’m done. However, I got a call two days later telling me that my reservation is good until 7:30 p.m. only if I wanted a table (as they accidentally gave me bar seats). WHAT THE HECK? That made me upset as I don’t want to be constantly checking my watch while enjoying my dinner. But the woman assisting me was able to arrange things for me after I expressed my annoyance with the situation. [Case closed.]

The place was quite dark. I guess it sets that chill ambiance the young crowd wants.

We immediately ordered our food as we were both hungry. We settled for the Carrot Cake (PHP280) as appetizer, Torched Salmon Donburi (PHP390) and Chorizo Sandwich (PHP490) for main course. We also got Strawberry Lemonade (PHP190) and Sea Salt Lemonade (PHP160) for drinks.