Young STAR rounds up five round-the-clock eateries in the metro. It ain’t always about that big yellow ‘M’ beaming against your crimson desires.
Mickey D’s is obviously the perennial favorite, especially when hankering for anything edible after a long night out. But there are only so many Chicken McNuggets and paper plates of processed food a person can take. Here are alternatives to those late night/early morning fast food runs. Open all day, every day.
Recovery Food
Made for all those on the road to recovery — from heartbreak, trouble sleeping, bad day at work, you name it. Recently though, I’ve noticed that it’s become the trendiest place to nurse a night of partying, and host the anticipation of next morning’s hangover. Their pressed sandwiches are reminiscent of childhood afternoons, each bread pocket popping with adobo — Ah! Dobo! (P125) on the menu — chicken-asparagus (P135), tuna melt (P155), or cheese pimiento (P155). While the rice meals have yet to impress, their noodles are built for cool, breezy nights like those we’ve been having a lot of lately. The Rau Men (P240) is fairly mild to the bite for a supposedly spicy bowl of soup, but bless them for providing a bottle of sriracha sauce per table, which you can use to douse the soup with generously. If you come bearing that stereotypically Pinoy palate, in favor of that sweet-yet-savory combo, My Mami (P175) is at your beck and call.
Recovery Food is located at G/F Crossroads, 32nd St. corner 8th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City; Call 511-7312.
Shawarma Snack Center
Past the slew of Manila’s many motels and girly bars, there is this. On one side of the street is a shack of a restaurant with an old coal griller outside, and towering over it right across is its more vibrant building of a younger brother. While the bigger Shawarma Snack Center hosts a few sheesha dens, appears much cleaner and brighter, and has extremely fast WiFi, SSC’s original spot across it maintains the Malate charm. Order the shawarma (P65); it is, after all, a center for it. But don’t miss the Beef Tenderloin with Biryani rice (P300), skewered with pearly onion halves. Live up to the authenticity of the place by getting a plate of creamy, tender Ox Brains (P180) sautéed in garlic and onions. White and gray matter on the brains, apparently still visible (only proving how fresh their stock is). Just don’t think of it as the stuff of science fiction movies and you’re good.
Shawarma Snack Center’s main branch is located on Salas St., off Mabini St., Malate, Manila; Call 523-0695 for delivery.
Encompassing all living generations, Aristocrat stands as the classic Old Manila diner — pre-food courts, pre-fast food joints, and pre-fancy dinners out at The Fort. When craving a hot, home-cooked meal anywhere from 9 p.m. to 3 in the morning, it is the place that never fails me. As though a family heirloom, Aristocrat’s Adobo Flying Saucer (P95) was passed down as a favorite meal from my grandparents down to me. With friends, the meal that always wins a crowd over is one whole fried Chicken Honey (P430), a lump of java rice (P45) each, and an indulgent amount of their homemade java sauce. Don’t be stingy, do with it what you usually would with KFC gravy. While several branches have opened, its original home on Roxas Boulevard still stands thriving.
The flagship Aristocrat restaurant is located at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and San Andres St., Manila; Call 524-7671 to 80.
Borough
New York City, divided into five boroughs, is what Borough was made to pay homage to. Warmly lit and inviting for its hole-in-the-mall location, it is reminiscent of a Manhattan pub, complete with wood-top bar, and cozy couches to one side. Food on the list is a variety of NYC staples, from the Gray’s Papaya-inspired New York Dog (P180), to the Falafel (P140) drizzled with tahini sauce and served with tzatziki. The winner dinner combination however, is the grilled cheese made using flaky homemade brioche, and clapped on to a skillet — as opposed to the cons made using a toaster — served with tomato soup (P280), followed by a Cheese-Injected Portobello Pita Pocket (P340) that packs a river of Monterey jack inside. And, as if that wasn’t enough, cap it off with a pitcher of ice-cold milk, which slushes out like melted ice cream, and a plate of assorted warm cookies (P220).
Borough is located at the G/F, Podium Mall, ADB Ave. corner J. Vargas St., Ortigas Center, Pasig City; Call 570-8906.
I went to the original Whistlestop in Libis as a kid, and now frequent their Makati branch when I’m feeling nostalgic. Instead of picking just one cuisine, the folks behind the place got the best of various ones, and threw them all on the menu, in a restaurant dressed like a 1950s-style train stop. I have yet to make sense of it but I guess they were excited. The menu spans meals like Buffalo Chicken Wings with Bleu Cheese (P225), Monggo Soup with Chicharon (P195), Hainanese Chicken Rice (P220), and Nasi Goreng (P165). Whoever you are, and whatever you are, there will most definitely be something for you in there. One thing that I swear by though, is the Whistlestop Beef Salpicao (P250), which comes seeped in a small puddle of oil with fried whole garlic cloves, and is topped by a handful of shoestring potatoes. In each cube of beef, it is pink and perfect.
Whistlestop is located at Jupiter Building, Jupiter St. corner Astra St. (after Fiamma), Bel-Air, Makati City; Call 896-1989 for delivery.