Kathi Raneses, 28, is the upbeat person behind the equally upbeat blog MuckingaroundManila. This resident of Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is an online entrepreneur by trade, and something of an urban adventurer by interest. Having grown up in the Middle East, Kathi’s perspective on the city is quite refreshing, especially to those born and bred here. She shares some of her Bonifacio Global City faves below.
BEST THING ABOUT MY LOCALE: I love how you can just walk everywhere! I feel like I’m in NYC where everything’s just a power walk away. The only time I’d waste gas is when it’s pouring out and I need to hail a cab back home. Other than that, I can walk from Market! Market! all the way up to Malcolm’s near McKinley Road. I also love how this is such a foodie haven; all the best restaurants are here!
BRUNCH: Wildflour Cafe + Bakery (4th Ave corner 26th St, BGC, Taguig; +63 2 8567600) seems to be the cafe of choice as far as brunch is concerned. Swig back a mimosa (PHP270), dig into their Croque Madame (PHP420) and watch the runny egg yolk seep into the homemade brioche. When in a celebratory mood, order their steak and fries (PHP795 for the 200g Flat Iron). If you’re looking for something sweet and savory at the same time, try and catch their mean Maple Cured Bacon Croissant-Doughnut!
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LUNCH: I am loving Chef Cecille Chang’s Silk Road Thai Bistro (4th Ave corner 31st St, BGC, Taguig; +63 2 8241678)! She makes Thai food look easy with her delightful Son-In-Law Eggs (P195), a traditional Thai appetizer; Thai Ravioli (PHP330), freshly made lumpia-looking things wrapped in steamed rice paper and filled with sesame beef, shiitake mushrooms, and glass noodles; Crispy Tilapia with Tamarind Purée (PHP75/100g); and her cinnamon-caramel Siamese Pork Ribs (PHP310). She also has quite the wine collection, so there’s always a reason to enjoy a taste of the good life with vino curated by her sommelier.
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COFFEE: Kuppa Roastery & Café (CommerCEnter building, 4th Avenue corner 31st St, BGC, Taguig; +63 2 6235120) makes the best — and most affordable — coffee in BGC, hands down! Karen Lo-Tsai, one of the owners, is the only certified Q-grader (think: a coffee sommelier) in the Philippines, and she works hand-in-hand with her brother, Kerwin, who roasts all the coffee beans at the store in small batches. The best time to go is when he’s roasting — the smell of coffee fills up the whole cafe. Their Ben’s Cappuccino (PHP80) is an invention of the owners’ father, who enjoys his cappuccino Italian-style in a 3oz espresso cup. It may be small, but it’s just as potent, and has garnered many a fan! When I want to indulge the chocoholic in me, there’s the Mokato (PHP90), and there’s Kuppa’s Nutcracker Latte (PHP95) for when I want my coffee to taste a bit nutty.
DINNER: Back for 2nd’s (2/F Bldg 1, B3, 9th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig; +63 2 8465293). Away from the hustle and bustle of Bonifacio High Street and Serendra, this place is tucked away and can be a bit of a challenge to find if you don’t know where to look. Start with their bacon chicharon (PHP315) and spinach & black truffle dip (PHP395) and work your way up to their lamb shepherd’s pie (PHP495) or 2nd’s bistek Tagalog (PHP795). They used to have an amazing trifle for dessert, but that has since been replaced with their Tsokolate Eh Profiteroles (PHP245).
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DRINKS: This is hard — there are so many great watering holes around BGC! I’d recommend URBN Bar + Kitchen (3/F Fort Pointe II Bldg, 28th St, BGC, Taguig; +63 917 5649333) since they make some pretty slammin’ drinks and I can appreciate that they make some really good bar chow to go with it as well! I can never get enough of their Strawberry Mojito (PHP258), and I can get a nice buzz going with a few of those and maybe a Manhattan (P258). I had tried the URBN Pimms (PHP258) once — I was surprised they had Pimms here — but didn’t take to it as much as I did their mojitos, and I ordered the Honey Boo Boo (P258) once, out of curiosity, and then realized why it was named what it was — this tasted like moonshine! If you want to sound like a redneck in 20 seconds flat, take a big gulp of that stuff an ‘yer gon’ start soundin’ just like theym. URBN’s cocktails go down easier with their bar chow. I like their Lamb Hash (PHP320), Mini Curried Shrimp Burgers (PHP260 for 3 pieces), and for my sweet-meets-savory, their Maple Bacon Cheesecake (PHP250)!
SEE MORE ‘MY CITY ON A PLATE’:
– Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig, by Angelo Comsti
– San Antonio Village, Makati, by Melissa Mayangitan
– Salcedo Village, Makati, by Sanjeeb Gopaldas
– Ortigas Center, Pasig, by Richard Co
– Katipunan, Quezon City, by Monica Savellano
