GotSoul MNL Serves a Killer Inasal Paella With Killer Beats on Vinyl to Match
Pop by for good music, cocktails, and plates by Chele Gonzalez and Carlos Villaflor.
Published on Feb 9, 2026
(SPOT.ph) Food and music have a way of bringing out the best of one another other, and we see this at play at GotSoul MNL. The recently opened spot in Forbestown brings together the dimensions of taste and sound as it is in equal parts a restaurant, bar, and Hi Fi listening space. Under the glittering disco ball hanging from the ceiling, you'll see diners bobbing their heads or swaying their hips to live DJ sets and nostalgic tunes playing through vinyl, in between bites of tapas and sips of cocktails.
The GotSoul brand itself began as a record label founded in the year 2000 by Filipino-Canadian DJ Jojo Flores. Inspired by the listening bars he had encountered in places like Tokyo, London, and New York, he and his brother Toddy opened Café GotSoul in Montreal in 2021. Jojo then brought the brand to the Philippines with an outpost of the café in Boracay in 2025. In opening Got Soul MNL later that year, Jojo partnered up with Jason Soong, owner of Gugu Room in New York; Chele Gonzalez, who you likely know as the chef behind Gallery by Chele but also has roots as a DJ; Benjo Marquez, managing partner of Kibu Design Concepts; acclaimed DJs Manolet and DJ Dario; and restaurateur JP Enriquez.
Chele, aside from showing off his DJ chops, helped come up with GotSoul MNL's menu along with Chef Carlos Villaflor. On the eclectic lineup are light nibbles and bigger plates with a Spanish backbone and global touches (Filipino, in particular). They go as playful on the drinks front with a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic sips care of beverage consultant Marina Wilkis. From sommeliers Cyril and Pierre Addison come a selection of wines, including European and New World bottles. Got Soul is set to introduce dedicated programs for coffee, whisky, and tequila very soon.
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What to try at GotSoul MNL, Taguig
Shrimp Bikini
Though there’s certainly a dominant Spanish theme throughout the menu, Got Soul isn’t afraid to experiment with bringing in influences from other parts of the globe. Take the Shrimp Bikini (P380), for example. This riff off a classic Catalan bikini sandwich ventures into Cantonese shrimp toast territory with its juicy filling of shrimp, sandwiched between fluffy slices of bread before being fried to a crisp. Dots of cilantro mayo seal the deal on each bite-sized bikini. (Photo by Patricia Baes)
Pulpo a la Plancha
We’ve seen Chele and Carlos pull off octopus dishes beautifully at their other ventures, and we see it again in Got Soul’s Pulpo a la Plancha (P990). Octopus is first boiled, then cooked over the plancha until it develops a charred exterior and tender interior with just enough meaty resistance. They go simple on the accompaniments front—a pool of potato espuma, a swipe of citrusy aioli, a sprinkle of togarashi—thus allowing the seafood to shine. (Photo by Patricia Baes)
Chicken Inasal Paella
Chele and Carlos surprise us with an unexpected union of well-loved favorites in the Chicken Inasal Paella (P390/solo, P990/sharing). Over a base of local rice tinged with aromatics— lemongrass, garlic, ginger, atsuete, and calamansi—Got Soul layers over pieces of chicken inasal flaunting a thin, crackly layer of skin with charred areas. Squiggles of garlicky aioli work to tie the other parts together, its velvety consistency evening out the bright raspiness of the aromatics. (Photo by Patricia Baes)
Cocktails and More
There's the Funky Highball (P400)—a union of Japanese whisky and Filipino ginger ale that amounts to more than the sum of its parts—is as fun a sipper by itself as it is with their other dishes. More festive is the Sangria Manila Sound (P400), which leans floral with the addition of botanical vodka to the classic red wine and fruit. Got Soul slays the non-alcoholic game as well, with options like the Pineapple Tepache (P140) and Pandan Kombucha (P180). (Photo of Sangria Manila Sound by Patricia Baes)
For Trish, food is as much a source of pleasure and fuel as it is an outlet for creativity; a medium by which stories can be passed on; and a way to connect with others.