Top 10 Most Loved Restaurants in Mandaluyong for February 2018

Lugang Café is a Shanghai-based café focused on providing quality and contemporary Taiwanese cuisine. It’s for singles, couples and groups looking for a place to have casual brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner. It’s not for intimate affairs. We recommend the Steamed Pork Xiao Long Bao, Honey Garlic Squid and Stewed Beef, Tendon and Turnip in Clay Pot for mains and the 12-inch Bellagio Breeze for dessert. Here’s a fun fact: Originally called Bellagio Café, the owners had to rebrand to Lugang (the literal translation of its Chinese name) because Bellagio has already been trademarked.

Sambo Kojin is a modern eat-all-you-can Japanese and Korean Yakiniku (meaning ‘grilled meat’) restaurant focused in providing not only fresh and premium meat, poultry, seafood and produce, but also relaxed dining experience. It’s for people who enjoy grilling your own meats on the table. It’s not for people who want their clothes to be smelling fresh when they leave the restaurant. Our insider tip is house tea is not on the house.

BLK 513 is Manila’s first ever premium and gluten-free activated charcoal-enhanced frozen yogurt. Choose between dark skim cup or cone and top it with a unique selection of crunches, fruits and sauces. It’s for health-conscious dessert lovers. It’s not for people who prefer traditional ice creams. We recommend the Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie, Peach Mango Float, or you can be adventurous and customize your own. Popular sauces include cereal milk and milk jam, a new holiday Red Velvet sauce is available! Bestselling crunches include the Valrhona Baby and White Chocolate Oldie.Our insider tip: Matcha lovers, you’re in for a treat! Try their Matcha Macadamia Granola in 250g t0-go packs.

llaollao (pronounced as ‘yao yao’) is a Spanish frozen yogurt brand, which started in 2009 and now has over a hundred branches in Spain alone. llaollao is best known for their Sanum cups topped with fresh seasonal fruits, sauces, and crunchy toppings. It’s for people looking for delicious desserts minus the guilt because it is healthy and even gluten-free. It’s not for people who prefer regular, sweet ice cream. We recommend the 3-layered Sanum yogurt cup that comes with 3 fresh fruits, 2 crunches and 1 sauce. Our insider tip: catch their new branch in Robinsons Galleria!

Ooma is a modern Japanese restaurant by the Moment Group and young acclaimed chef Bruce Ricketts, the same partnership that brought us Mecha Uma. Ooma, a wordplay on Uma meaning ‘good’, promises bold Japanese flavors at affordable prices. It’s for heavy rice eaters, rice is unlimited. It’s not for people looking for ramen. We recommend the Soft Shell Crab Taco-Maki, Hangar Steak and Uni Udon. Our insider tip is that at Ooma, you get to ‘brush’ (not dip) soy sauce on your sushi.

Tim Ho Wan is the most affordable Michelin star-rated restaurant from Hong Kong. It serves a number of dim sum items but is most popular for its baked pork buns. It’s for people on-the-go who are craving for an authentic Chinese meal at an affordable price. It’s not for people who are looking for pasta dishes. We recommend their Pork Buns, Pan Fried Radish Cakes, Pork Dumpling with Shrimp and Spare Ribs rice. Our insider tip: Get double the DEEP FRIED MILK CUSTARD and STEAMED EGG CAKES when you use Booky.

East meets West at Poke Poke. The Hawaiian concept lets you to customize your own poke bowl, giving you the freedom to choose from a wide array of ingredients and toppings like salmon, unagi, steak, rice, bacon, avocado and peanuts. It’s for people who love seafood and carbs. It’s not for people who are looking for a fine dining experience. We recommend their signature Samurai, For The Rich Only, and Gangnam Style poke bowls. Our insider tip: Enjoy the best of Hawaii, or better yet, share it with a friend! Get double the SPAM MUSUBI, SEAWEED SPAM, NUTTY TOFU, and KRAZY KANI when you use Booky.

Pound by Todd English is an old school counter-style burger joint with a 1920s speakeasy vibe. They pride themselves in using the freshest ingredients and making everything in-house, allowing us to experience a serious, fancy upgrade in the Philippines’ burger game. It’s for burger crawlers who are fans of Todd English Food Hall. It’s not for vegans. We recommend the T.E. Crispy Chicken Burger, Amsterdam Burger and Pound Burger. Our insider tip: when you use the Booky app, you can avail buy 1 get 1 meals! You may choose either the Pound Chicken Loco Moco or their Secret Slider.

Gringo is a homegrown restaurant serving Latin American and Tex-Mex specialties such as ribs, chicken, burritos and more. It’s a quick and casual concept brought to us by the same group behind the Tokyo Bubble Tea franchise. It’s for office goers’ lunch breaks, quick bites and afterwork drinks. It’s not for foodies looking for many rice meal options. We recommend the Southern Spice Chicken, Gringo Baby Back Ribs, Truffle Queso Quesadilla, Crispy Taco. Our insider tip is they also have kids menu for the little ones.

The Lost Bread is a container shop that specializes in over-the-top milkshakes, while The Lost Bread HQ offers a more well-rounded menu that includes all-day modern Pinoy brunch menu, specialty French toasts, unique desserts, blue soft serve ice cream and a new collection of overshakes. It’s for the locals and students living, studying or working in the UP Village area. It’s not for party groups as it may be difficult to look for seats. We recommend the Fried Mashed Potato Balls, Sinigang Beef Sukiyaki and Beef Tapa with Coffee Rice. For desserts, try their Blue Soft Serve, limited Matcha Flan and milkshakes. Here’s a fun fact: You can get 2 Sorbe-Toasts for the price of one with Booky!