First Bite: Lugaw Manila

A trip to Poblacion is not complete without dropping by a bar or two for drinks. And though this bustling night scene is packed with the trendiest restaurants and bars, it runs a bit short of spots where one can recover from all the cocktails and beer consumed. Thankfully, there's a new shop in town that offers the crowd favorite lugaw. 

Hello, Lugaw Manila. 

Lugaw Manila may be a new kid in the block but it has been around longer than most of Poblacion's frequent guests. 

Established in 1989, Lugaw Manila started out as a small family restaurant in one of the streets of Malolos, Bulacan. For decades, this nameless store attracts locals for its bang for the buck goto and other comfort dishes. It took a bit of courage and perfect timing for it to find the opportunity to finally bring its delectable dishes to Manila.

Being situated near bars made Lugaw Manila a great place for "pre-game" or to have one's self sober up before heading back home. Its al fresco dining also gives the place a bit of nostalgic vibes and flashbacks of those simple and no frills nights.

Lugaw Manila's menu is very straightforward. It offers goto, its classic side dishes, a handful of drinks and nothing else. This way, it gets to streamline its inventory, manage costs low and offer good value dishes. 

Its goto ranges from PHP65 to PHP245 depending on your toppings. With Goto Forever (PHP245), you already get a big bowl of goto with unlimited serving of bagnet, chicharon bulaklak, lumpia and tofu. You may also get these toppings a la carte for just PHP20 to PHP95.

If you're still full from your pub crawl, best to stick with Goto Fiesta (PHP145) which is topped with bagnet, chicharon bulaklak, egg and tofu. One serving can be very filling and can even be shared by two. Do drizzle it with calamansi for that lovely contrast of flavor! 

We also indulged in its lumpia which I found good too.  

If you love spicy dishes, Lugaw Manila also offers Goto Emergency (PHP80) which has four levels of heat. It'll definitely wake you up!

And before you grab a can of soda, do consider Lugaw Manila's brewed iced tea. You get a big bottle of its refreshing drink for just PHP80!

I may not frequent Poblacion for its drinks but I don't feel the need to be tipsy to pay this place another visit. 

Lugaw Manila is located at 5958 Guerrero Street, Poblacion, Makati City.