Bonifacio Global City (BGC) is known for many restaurants that are considered mahal (expensive) and will find you blowing over PHP1,000 on a single meal; but find time to explore unsuspecting streets, corners, and office buildings and you’ll find culinary gems that you should try before flying out of Metro Manila.
We’ve been getting several requests for a “BGC on a budget” dining story, so we listed restaurants, kiosks, and cafes that serve meals and drinks that will fill your tummy for approximately less than PHP500. Whether you have a hankering for Filipino comfort (read: hangover) food or if you simply want a good banh mi to go, you’ll want to check this list out.
1. Recovery Food
BGC Locations: Crossroads Bldg., 32nd St. cor. 8th Ave.; and Bonifacio Stopover Pavilion, 31st St. corner Rizal Drive
Price per head: Approximately PHP250 (Menu)
As their website explains, “It all started with a few bottles of alcohol. It was an ungodly hour, and we were hungry.”
Recover Food, similar to the quintessential gotohan, is the place you crash at to sober up. As it’s “recovery food,” it’s all about comfort and having a warm belly, so their menu consists of soups, rice toppings, and sandwiches. They even have Oriental Salad, should you feel guilty about eating nothing but bar chow the whole night. Their sandwiches have a homemade feel to them—nothing fancy, just straight-up filling. The Tunamelt, which is the most expensive of the lot, will only set you back PHP155. All sandwiches come with a serving of fries.
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If you want a really filling meal, get one of their rice bowls. “Regular” is their small serving, and “full recovery” is their large bowl offering. Go for their Happy Beef Rice that’s topped with a sunny-side-up egg, or their Hey Jude’s Paksig, which is rice topped with milkfish belly cooked in vinegar and a sunny-side-up egg.
If you still feel like taking one for the road or you just want a good drink after a tiring day, Recovery Food also serves beer and wine (which is, of course, a bit more expensive). Recovery Food is open 24/7.
2. Hawker Chan
Location: Lower Ground Floor, One Bonifacio High Street, PSE Tower, BGC
Contact details: +63995-9660239, +632-82933932
Price per head: Approximately PHP350 (Menu)
Hawker Chan is a Michelin-starred street food stall that has its roots in Singapore. Known for delicious and practical meals, this award-winning chow spot grew from hawker and chef Chan Hon Meng’s goal of serving the best reasonably-priced dishes.
Of course, you will need to try what is touted as the “World’s Cheapest Michelin-Starred Meal,” which is their Soya Sauce Chicken that only costs PHP198. Craving for something saucy? We recommend their Beef Brisket Noodle for that soft meat + rich sauce + perfect noodle combination. A plate will only set you back PHP288 for regular noodles and PHP308 for vegetable noodles.
If you want to try everything, go for their Roast Meat or Roast Duck Combination, which will offer you different kinds of meat, or duck meat plus other meats, so you can sample everything.
3. Khao Kai Thai Chicken House
Location: 2nd Floor, Crossroads Bldg., 32nd St. cor. 8th Ave., BGC
Price per head: Approximately PHP400 (Menu)
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This well-loved Poblacion resto has a branch in BGC Crossroads. TikTok-famous Khao Khai is that place you go to when you want comforting Thai street cuisine. It goes beyond what you know about Thai food, serving dishes such as Gai Tod, Phat Mama, and different versions of Krapao.
We recommend trying their street cart-style chicken, which starts at PHP139 for one piece with rice. The Khao Kluk Kapi will answer your hunger for bagoong rice and mango.
If you want a filling dessert, their Sticky Mango Rice is a must-try. Don’t forget to order Thai Milk Tea, which also comes in bottles.
4. Banh Mi Kitchen
BGC Locations: BGC Stopover, 31st St. cor. Rizal Drive; and Uptown Mall, 9th Ave.
banhmikitchen.ph
Price per head: Approximately PHP350 (Menu)
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Banh Mi Kitchen has been around for almost a decade and has a lot of branches, one of which is at Bonifacio Stopover. There’s a reason why they’ve stood the test of time: They’ve continuously served delicious, filling banh mi and great coffee.
Go for the Classic Banh Mi if this is your first time trying them out. A Jr. is at PHP139, while a Full will set you back PHP199. Enjoy a good serving of Vietnamese ham, roast pork, pate, and a mix of pickled radish and carrots, cucumber and cilantro, all slathered with mayo and hoisin sauce, then folded in fresh bread. It’s a great meal, no matter what time of day.
If you want hot soup, they also offer pho that goes well with their banh mi. Make sure to order a cold brew, or you’ll be missing out!
Pro-tip: Head to their website and check out their “secret menu.” They also have lechon baka (beef) for pre-order and pickup!
5. Señor Pollo
Location: 2nd Floor, Crossroads, 32nd St. cor. 8th Avenue, BGC
Contact details: +63951-9023182, [email protected]
Price per head: Approximately PHP500 with liquor (Menu)
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Señor Pollo is the Tex-Mex place you go to if you want to go straight from an affordable dinner to evening drinks. As the name suggests, this restaurant serves chicken, both fried and roast. One piece of chicken with two sides is at PHP189.
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After the main course, jump straight into bar chow and drinks. Their Fiesta Platter consists of quesadillas, French fries, hot wings, chicken tenders, and patacones. Up for cocktails? We’re here for their Spicy Margarita. (And maybe when you’re a touch tipsy, you can head to Recovery Food—see #1.)
6. Pocofino
Location: BGC Corporate Center 2, 30th St. cor. Lane A, Bonifacio Global City
Contact details: +63919-0703000, pocofino.com
Price per head: Approximately PHP400 with regular coffee and snacks, PHP350 for cocktails (Menu)
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Coffee, panini, and dessert are Pocofino’s specialties. As with any regular coffee shop, they have your usual serving of lattes and cappuccinos, but what’s special about them is they also offer coffee-based alcoholic beverages. What would be better than an Espresso Martini (PHP340) on a tiring day?
If you simply want a light snack, try their Panini Pesto di Pollo (PHP240), which is a fan favorite. Pocofino also offers great desserts, such as their very rich cheesecakes (PHP240).
7. Goto Believe
Location: Avida Towers Verte, 34th Street corner 9th Avenue, BGC
Price per head: Approximately PHP300 (Menu)
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Much like the Japanese izakaya, the humble gotohan (small restos that serve warm rice porridge called goto, as well as silogs—viands served with fried rice, egg, and grilled meats) serves as late-night oases for cab drivers, hang-out hubs for employees after overtime work, and sobering-up sanctuaries for those who partied a bit too hard. The gotohan (which is often open for 24 hours) serves comfort Filipino food at very economical prices and enjoys regular patronage among locals.
A more modern take on the traditional gotohan is Goto Believe (a pun for “Gotta Believe”), which has long been popular in Kapitolyo and Maginhawa, but is only about to celebrate its first year in BGC.
They have an interesting menu, not just because of the food, but also because a lot of their names are pretty much puns, such as Go To Heaven (“Go to Heaven”), their goto bestseller that is topped with chicharong bulaklak (deep fried pork mesentery) and century eggs.
Pair it with their deconstructed Tokwa 2.0 (tofu with vinegar and soy sauce), and drizzle its dressing over the porridge to eat like a local. They also serve traditional Pinoy street food, such as pork barbecue (skewered grilled pork), isaw (grilled chicken intestines), tenga (grilled pig ears), and lumpia (veggies in rice wrappers), among others.
Of course, you’ll need to plan your meal well because you don’t want your cholesterol to shoot up all of a sudden while vacationing in the Philippines (maybe just get one of their plain goto), but trust us when we say that after partying in high-end bars in BGC, this is definitely a great place to wind down and sober up.
8. Goto Tendon
Location: Crossroads, 32nd St. cor. 8th Avenue, BGC
Contact details: +632-83613025, +63917-8635963, gototendon.com
Price per head: Approximately PHP300 (Menu)
Similar to Goto Believe, Goto Tendon features goto and silogs, but they also have interesting noodle soups like Beef Tendon Mami (wheat flour noodles in broth), Beef Tendon Pares Noodles (pares served with noodles instead of rice), and Corned Beef Bulalo (an interesting take on the traditional dish of beef shanks and bone marrow). While the latter will set you back PHP478, the other noodle soups are only PHP288.
If you’re looking for their most economical meal, try their small Goto Regular, which is goto with tripe and quail eggs. You can level up a bit with the small Goto Tendon at PHP198, which is goto made from the broth of beef bones cooked for a total of 20 hours.
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Don’t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth! Goto Tendon features con niyebe (directly translated as “with snow”) desserts, which range from the traditional Maiz Con Niyebe (sweet corn kernels served with milky shaved ice and topped with leche flan) to the experimental Salted Egg Ube Con Niyebe (ube shaved ice with salted egg ice cream, topped with bean paste and pinipig).
The BGC branch is open 24 hours a day, so if you have a midnight hankering for Filipino food, this is the place to go. Goto Tendon also has other branches in Metro Manila, namely along Araneta Avenue and Scout Borromeo in Quezon City, Promenade Greenhills in San Juan City, Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong City, and in Metrostar Mall in Parañaque City.
9. Go Bento
Location: The Spa Building, Bonifacio High Street East, 9th Ave., BGC
Contact details: +63998-5864229, gobento.com.ph
Price per head: Approximately PHP300 (Menu)
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Craving for reasonably priced Japanese food? Head to Go Bento. As the name suggests, this place serves bento, or Japanese boxed meals composed of rice, a viand, a side dish, and soup. For less than PHP350, you have more than 18 bento meals to choose from, whether you’re craving for chicken, beef, pork, or seafood.
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If 18 types of bento is not enough, Go Bento also serves donburi and ramen. You can’t go wrong with their Pork Tonkotsu Ramen. Go Bento also offers group meals and party platters, just in case you’re coming with family and friends. And yes, do stay to eat, as the restaurant has interesting interiors designed to look like a train station.
10. Medley Modern Mediterranean
Location: Ground Floor, Fully Booked Building, B6, Bonifacio High Street, BGC
Contact details: [email protected], medley.ph
Price per head: Approximately PHP400 (Menu)
Medley Modern Mediterranean serves healthy, Mediterranean food. This kiosk in Bonifacio High Street offers delectable bowls of everything good—from salads to rice bowls and power bowls. They also serve pita sandwiches, laffa wraps, and pizza.
If you want something to eat on the go, try their Levantine Chicken Pita, which is rotisserie chicken; finely diced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers; greens; humus; and eggplant folded in home-made pita bread.
For something more filling, try their rice bowls. Their Beef Kofte Rice Bowl includes beef kofte, Mediterranean rice, corn, sumac onion, tabbouleh, plus your choice of sauce. They also have pizza! Go for the popular The Big Cheese, which has basil pesto, mozzarella, and feta cheese.
The best thing about these healthy meals? They won’t cost you more than PHP450. Do remember that this is a kiosk in High Street: Everything is to-go, but you can eat on the available outdoor tables, or simply bring them back to your rental or hotel room.
