When we first toured the stretch of Maginhawa Street back in 2012, we were able to come up with a listing of about 20 restaurants. We recommended Van Gogh is Bipolar’s endorphin-inducing dishes, The BRGR Project’s DIY-burgers, and the Central American flavors of Cocina Juan. In our more recent guide, we highlighted the country charm of The Breakfast Table, the coziness of Cool Beans Cafe, A Taste of Heaven Milkshake Hub’s spunky flavors, and the authenticity of Meshwe’s Lebanese Food.
Just last week, we revisited Maginhawa to update our directory. Again, we were surprised by the number of new restaurants that have sprouted in the past quarter. We saw new concepts like Indonyaki, Jeepney, Bagneto, and Antiteasis Books and Brews. There’s also Rby’s, Marciana’s, Tornado Peri-Peri Chicken, Little India, and Me Love You Long Time.
Click to enlarge
According to Margie Santos-Roa, Chief of Staff of House Speaker Sonny Belmonte and organizer of the upcoming Maginhawa Food Festival (October 11), there are now over 80 restaurants on Maginhawa and its side streets. A QC resident herself, Margie recalls the now-closed Nanette’s Snack Haus as the very first iconic restaurant on Maginhawa. As for the longest-running restaurant, she is quite sure that it is Ulo-ulo sa Vet.
With over 80 restaurants lined up along a 2.165 km winding road, how do you decide where to eat? To help out first-time visitors of Maginhawa, we've curated a sample itinerary for an all-day food trip in this street.
Breakfast at Sweet Spot Café
189 Maginhawa St. cor. Makadios St.
(+63 2) 435-3045
Monday to Sunday 8:00am – 10:00pm
Husband and wife tandem Eric and Ching Calderon consolidated their favorite savory and sweet dishes in Sweet Spot Cafe. Eric conceptualized the industrial-chic style of the well-lit loft. Ching, on the other hand, is in charge of the food.
Sweet Spot Cafe specializes in desserts but with an extensive coffee menu we think it's a good breakfast place as well. Try their latte (P95) or espresso made with 100% Arabica beans and pair it with their Pulled Pork Adobo Sandwich (P160). After eating, spend some an hour or two reading in their book nook.
Ice Cafe Latte
Pulled Pork Adobo Sandwich
Lunch at Jek’s Ku-Bo Bulalo at Ulo-Ulo
77 Maginhawa St.
(+63 2) 434-7362
Monday to Saturday 11:00am – 10:00pm
Jek's Ku-bo is an al fresco, turo-turo style restaurant popular for its affordable Bulalo (P150) and Sinigang na Ulo ng Salmon (P130). Apart from these two best-sellers, the rest of the menu changes daily. Beef-based viands are priced at P95 per order; pork is at P75, and vegetables are at P50. A buko stall, Jek's Bu-ko, sells P30-buko shake in front of the restaurant.
And oh, in case you're wondering, Jek's Ku-bo is named after its founders: Jessica and her Kuya Boy.
Jek's Bulalo
Dinuguan
Sisig
Gatang Kalabasa at Sitaw
Beef Caldereta
Ulo-Ulo (Pink Salmon)
Jek's Kubo Menu
Dessert at Wicked Kitchen
189 Maginhawa cor. Makadios St
(63 2) 433-0196
Monday to Sunday 11:00am – 11:00pm
You know how foodies like describing their desserts as sinful? Well, that adjective couldn't be truer if one is to describe Wicked Kitchen's desserts. Named after the seven deadly sins, Wicked Kitchen's dessert line is not for the faint of heart.
What to order? Well, they are most famous for Gluttony (P155 single; P295 to share), a plate-sized chewy chocolate chip cookie ala mode. Greed (P178) is a skillet of smores– baked mallows and chocolate, served with graham crackers. Wrath (P148), another bestseller, is a mango crepe, drizzled with spicy Nutella and flamed Cointreau, and then topped with vanilla ice cream.
Greed- Skillet Smores
Gluttony
Merienda at Marciana’s
106-A Maginhawa St.
435-4912
Marciana's, a newcomer in the street, specializes in Pancit Palabok (P230 to P100) and Puto Pandan (P11/each). Its proprietor, Anne, runs a Palabok Delight stall in SM Fairview and SM Sta. Mesa. The 3 month-old Filipino restaurant, named after Anne's mother, also serves Pinoy rice meals like Dinuguan and Sisig.
Anne and her mom, Marciana
Puto Pandan
Dinner at Rby’s Steak and Shake
152 A Maginhawa St.
(+63 2) 966-2798, (+63 917) 315-9481
Monday 11:00am – 9:00pm
Tuesday to Sunday 11:00am – 10:00pm
Sisters Rowena and Bernadette recognized the dearth of good and affordable cheesesteak places in Metro Manila. In January 2014, they opened Rby's to sell filling 6" cheesesteaks made with local, but quality ingredients for less than P200. Currently, they have four variants: Classic, Hoagie, American, Provolone. Aside from these, they also have burgers, with patties made from ground steak.
What to try: Classic Cheesesteak (6" – P160), Knockout Steak Burger (P195), 76ers (P170), Cheese Fries (P135) and Pink Lemonade (P35).
Classic Cheesesteak
76ers and Cheese Fries
Knock-Out Burger
Pink Lemonade
Dessert at Snow Crème
189 Maginhawa St. cor. Makadios St.
Monday to Sunday 12:00pm – 12:00am
If you can still manage to eat after going through all of the dishes mentioned above, cap off your night with a light shaved ice cream or a milk tea at Snow Creme. What to try: Taiwan Shaved Ice (P130), Golden Mango (P120), and Peanut Banana Foster (P120).
Golden Mango
Taiwan Shaved Ice
Maginhawa Street has indeed come a long way from being a sleepy alternative route (from Cubao to UP and Commonwealth) to Quezon City’s hottest food destination. “The Quezon City government has seen how the area flourished into a food district in just a couple of years so we’re also really doing our best in marketing these businesses,” Margie remarked.
As part of the kick-off celebration of the city's foundation day, the first Quezon City Food Festival will be held on Saturday, 11 October 2014, beginning at 9:00 AM. It intends to showcase Maginhawa Street as a tourist spot in Quezon City. No entrance fee will be charged for the Quezon City Food Festival and 5,000 lucky visitors will be given special gift certificates which they can use to claim one (1) free meal worth P150.00 from any of the participating Maginhawa establishments.
