Beach gourmands have known for years that the place to go for some truly good times was this hole-in-the-wall at Boracay’s D’Mall that served soul-satisfying grilled chicken and pork with their indelibly memorable sauces. Spicebird’s reputation quickly outsized its tiny location, and so city foodies were ecstatic when the Boracay favorite announced that it was opening a Metro Manila outlet at The Power Plant Mall in Rockwell.
Spicebird’s signature dishes—the boldly spiced piri-piri chicken and fall-apart pork belly, for one thing, along with cult favorites like fried chicken skin and the severely underrated Double Happiness ice cream—have been available in Metro Manila for both dine-in at and delivery since September 2020.
But what’s that they say about all good things? Unfortunately, the ‘Bird is flying back, albeit to bigger and better things, to its Boracay roost. Spicebird will take its last orders in Manila on August 31, and will thereafter be available only in D’Mall.
“We’re sorry to say goodbye to Manila and we’re thankful to everyone who made our stay in the city better,” Nowie Potenciano (who, together with his wife, Odette, owns Spicebird) tells Coconuts. “But we have big plans back in our island home: We’re moving to a more spacious and better location in D’Mall by October. There’s really something about eating by the sea that makes the dining experience extra enjoyable, and that’s why we chose a new spot closer to the beach.”
Until the end of August, diners can enjoy Spicebird by ordering directly though The Grid Food Market or through GrabFood and Pic.a.roo. It’ll also be the last few days to enjoy Manila-exclusive menu items like piri-piri fried chicken, at least until it joins the expanded menu in Boracay someday.
Pro tip: To tide you over till your next Boracay trip, include a selection of Spicebird sauces in your takeaway order, and just slather it over everything. No judging eyes at home as you put on your finest beach attire and a summer playlist and dream of that next Boracay vacation.
