Locavore Kitchen & Drinks: Filipino Food with a Twist at Kapitolyo

Apart from the heavy traffic, another thing I don't like about the holiday season is the inevitable weight gain. Just for December alone, I think my waistline have already gained an additional inch or two. Or maybe three. But, I can't deny that at the end of the day, it was worth it. I got to meet up, eat out and catch up with friends I don't often see. And one of which was my recent dinner date at Locavore with two of my college girl friends.

Kapitolyo in Pasig City has been home to a number of hole-in-the-wall and mom-and-pop restaurants for the past few years. And every year, it just grows. It's been over a year since the last time I went to the area, and I can't believe that there are now more restaurants worth checking out. So just imagine my joy when my friends and I agreed on having dinner at Kapitolyo. And take note, they let me choose the restaurant! Lakas maka-pressure!

Make sure to reserve for dinner as Locavore can get packed!

Locavore, pronounced as /ˈlōkəˌvôr/, is a two-month old restaurant and bar by Chef Mikel Zaguirre, located along Brixton Street. It takes root from local + vore which basically means "one who eats food grown locally whenever possible." So as expected, the restaurant uses locally-grown, organic ingredients to make exciting, modern Filipino fare.

Al fresco dining area at Locavore

Locavore may not look that big on the outside. But after getting in, surprise, surprise! The restaurant has two separate dining areas -- the trendy, industrial-inspired dining room, and the spacious al fresco area which can seat more diners (The table setup is quite crowded though.) especially during dinner service. And since I failed to make a reservation (It was already fully-booked when I called up.), we had to make do with al fresco dining.

The Food

Since Locavore is both a restaurant and a bar, the menu carries a good mix of Filipino fare that's not only filling, but also perfect to be paired with booze.

Street Food Platter (P200)

And to start our dinner, we had this skillet of nostalgia -- fish ball, squid ball, kikiam and kwek-kwek, that comes with the restaurant's version of Manong's sauce, a sweet chili sauce, and a honey vinegar dip. I can't say this is impressive or even extraordinary because it really isn't. But if you want clean, safe-to-eat street food, this is something to indulge in.

✓ Ginataang Kaldereta (P570)

First among our viands was this platter of tender and succulent beef short ribs, sautéed French beans, marble potatoes, and garlic and shallot confit in a flavorful coconut milk and cheese-infused stewed tomato sauce. I'm generally not a big fan of kaldereta unless it has lamb and lots of liver spread in it. However, this version really impressed me. It's actually the best I've ever had so far! I just love how creamy and savory the sauce is. It's super addicting and truly simot sarap that we made sure not to leave even a single drop!

Lechon and Oyster Sisig (P400)

We also had a Filipino restobar favorite, sisig, but with oysters and bits of lechon. Locavore's version served with chilli and kalamansi on the side is a little too saucy for my liking. I think I would've enjoyed it more if the dish weren't drowning too much in chicken liver mayonnaise. However, every mouthful had soft, crunchy, chewy, savory and sinful -- the perfect viand for steamed white rice, or pulutan for a bucket of ice cold beer.

✓ Sizzling Sinigang (P530)

Another bestseller at Locavore is this unique and creative rendition of sinigang -- beef short ribs, French beans and garlic confit in a sizzling sampaloc gravy. This may not be the hearty Filipino soul food everyone knows and loves, but this deconstructed version is definitely something sinigang lovers will be impressed with. Served with kalamansi and chilli on the side, every bite off this dish will surely leave you with a sarap-asim face.

Roasted Garlic Brown Rice (P80 per cup)
The one on the photo is two orders combined.

Of course, with flavorful and saucy Filipino dishes, we wouldn't be caught without rice on the table, even if we wish we could've had our way without carbs. But it was nice that Locavore offers organic rice -- white and brown, although they're generally pretty expensive (P60 for steamed white, and P70 for brown).

My friend Joan, experienced hiccups with her rice order (steamed brown) though. The first time, it was forgotten, we believe. The second time, she was given steamed white rice. After telling the server to have it replaced with steamed brown rice, she was then given garlic brown rice instead, which she just kept because it might just go nowhere. *sigh*

Our happy faces before we gained 5 pounds.

Although we had to wait for about 40 minutes before getting seated in the al fresco area, we still enjoyed our dinner at Locavore. The creative and flavorful food was a really good backdrop to our juicy and long-needed chikahan. Till our next date, girls!

THE VERDICT

Although the name of the place doesn't exactly sound like that of a Filipino restaurant, Locavore proves to be a great place for modern Filipino fare. Everything we had, sans the street food, was impressive and something I'd be very happy to order again. But as Locavore is still in soft opening, I think I'll still have to give it a few more months before going back again. Hopefully by then, service will be smoother. Nevertheless, this restaurant is a great addition to the exciting lineup of good eats at Kapitolyo.

Taste 4.5/5
Ambiance - 3.5/5
Service - 3/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5

Locavore Kitchen & Drinks, Kapitolyo
10 Brixton Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City,
Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 632-9600; (0923) 588-9419
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