Makati Gem Po & Pilar Shows Us Fresh Ways to Dig Into Old Comforts

Po & Pilar
227 Salcedo Street, Legazpi Village, Makati
Contact: 0954-261-0989
Instagram: www.instagram.com/poandpilar 
On soft opening; open from 5:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.

(SPOT.ph) Some places have a way of evoking nostalgia the moment you step in, even if it is your first time in their premises. At least that's the sort of warmth and sentimentality I felt visiting the recently opened Po & Pilar in Makati late last year. The new dining spot from the folks behind The Curator is semi-hidden, housed in the low-key lot of Valuepoint Executive Apartments—walk a bit toward the back of the lot and you’ll see a sign leading to a large wooden door bordered by potted greenery. I’m reminded of a Filipino family home, one where at least two generations live, whose imaginary pre-Christmas get-together I was about to crash.

Fittingly so, the restaurant’s very identity revolves around nostalgia, and celebrating the flavors near and dear to the team—among them, co-owner Bernice Tiu who was behind the bar that night. This used to house Italian restaurant Amoroma, Tiu tells SPOT.ph, and they’ve made it a point to keep its predecessor’s Machuca-esque tiles. “It's quite nice. Why change the floors? In my head the tiles dictated the nostalgia,” she explains.  Indeed, the image of a family-owned abode comes to mind with its warm tones, heavy use of wood, and balanced lighting that’s amply lit without coming across as overstimulating. The place is spacious, too, almost as if it used to play host to reunions and celebrations with the whole clan.

You’ll have arrived at the primary area when you get to the open space with a bar at the back. Being brought our way by the Curator team, Po and Pilar has a solid lineup of libations that’s simpler than Curator’s but still has excellent options for every mood and occasion. There are the regular cocktails, like the Lure of the List (P550) with Monkey Shoulder blended whisky, Cocchi Americano, lemon, and lavender honey, which made for a bright, sunny companion on our visit. Melding together chrysanthenum Buffalo Trace bourbon, Rittenhouse Rye, Cointreau, honey, and orange bitters is the ravishing Blooming Elsewhere (P550), designed to honor the chrysanthemum teas served at Chinese restaurants that Tiu grew up visiting with her family. There, too, is a section for cocktail specifically designed to be had at dinner—among them the sangria-esque Red Wine Swizzle (P280) of grenache wine lent pizzazz by Mancino Rosso vermouth and elderflower.

Look to the left for Po & Pilar’s dining area, which largely takes on the same motif as the bar area but with tables for groups. Sustenance can be had by choosing your dishes from their menu—an eclectic lineup of small and big plates inspired by the owners’ grandmothers, given contemporary spins. “We're going for really nostalgic flavors. Like things you might have had in your childhood… somebody took care of you, you know, somebody fed you. The kind of flavors [that evoke that],” says Tiu. “But we're updating it to kind of like a 2024 situation. So there's like some interesting twists here and there. It's like homey flavors, but you're still slightly surprised.”

Surprised we are, in a most positive way. Make no mistake: modern-leaning as their dishes are in their use of novel flavor combos and updated presentations, they deliver the comfort of a meal prepared in a home kitchen with love—and come in filling, shareable portions.

Also read: The SPOT.ph 50 Great Restaurants of 2024: Best of Manila and Beyond

What to try at Po & Pilar in Makati

There’s the Vegetable Grazing Plate (P650), for starters—a plate of crisp, colorful veg and bagna cauda for a deeply savory hit, plus sous-vide chicken with a drizzle of peanutty, chili-imbued “strange flavor sauce” for a bit of a crudités-meets-Hainanese chicken situation. The Garbanzo Chawanmushi (P380) is a hug in a small bowl that layers together custardy tofu chawanmushi, black lentil makhani, and a topping of fried dilis for crisp-salty contrast; be sure to reach your spoon until the bottom of the bowl and get all components in each spoonful. There’s also the Galunggong "Escabeche" White Bean Sinigang (P420)—somewhat of a paksiw-monggo hybrid that marries the crispness of Ilocos vinegar-cooked GG fillets and the heartiness of its base, a stew of white beans in sinigang broth. 

In the Charred Broccoli (P410), Po & Pilar gives the vegetable the steak treatment by searing thick slabs over a pan until charred, then sprinkling over umami-rich parm and lemon zest. And as unconventional as its parts sound together, do give the Lamb Green Curry BananaQ (P1,350) a try. Here, smoky skewers of lamb are paired with a Thai green curry-style sauce for welcome zing, before chunks of banana cue (!) are added for sweet-tangy contrast. There are others on the menu I’ll be back for: Steamed Fish (P980) given a sidekick of mushroom adobo “gumbo,” inspired by a similar dish at a restaurant in Binondo co-owner Jericson Co's grandmother wanted to try and recreate; Monggo “Tadka” (P380), or monggo cooked in the style of Indian dal tadka (“[it’s] something homey, familiar, but different at the same time,” says Bernice); and the Duck Inasal and Adobo (P3,800), a dish of inasal-spiced smoked and duck leg confit cooked adobo sa puti-style, just to name a few.

Po & Pilar has a special way of taking formative experiences, and morphing them from memories to memorable plates that juggle comfort and creativity. In doing so, the team is also immortalizing these moments, and passing on that love to fellows who appreciate good food.

Note: photos were shot in November 2024.