Mama always said not to play with your food, but we're going to break the rules juuust this once. Like, six times over. Below, we make mealtime real fun—here are a half dozen of the tastiest spots to eat with your hands in the Metro (and a half dozen equally adorable nail art looks to match).
LAGRIMA
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This little taquería tucked in a nondescript building along Benavidez Street in Legaspi Village is gaining traction as one of Manila’s favorite evening haunts for fuss-free Mexican. On your first visit, be sure to order a tray filled with every taco on the menu in the small size (P110/each) so you can sample the house’s Carnitas, Carne Asada, Pollo Asado, Chili Verde, Al Pastor, Lengua, Buche and Chorizo meats wrapped in soft housemade tortillas. Out front, Lágrima doesn’t have a neon sign to signify its presence, but the spare industrial interiors are sure to catch your eye.
G/F BSA Mansion, 108 Benavidez St., Legaspi Village, Makati
PINK'S HOT DOGS
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Pink’s Hot Dogs, established 1939, may just be the best thing to ever come out of Hollywood. Their signature chili cheese dog, The Hollywood Legend (P280), is the real celebrity, but if, like us, you choose to pare things down, their custom-recipe beef franks make any combination of toppings a mouthwatering treat. Paired with nothing but mustard, ketchup and a drizzle of sour cream, here’s proof that it’s really what’s on the inside that counts. It’s a given: Pink’s deserves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
G/F Shangri-La at the Fort, 30th St. cor. 5th Ave., Bonifacio Global City
THE BARK
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The Bark is known mainly for their cinnamoninfused Churro Bros (P70) and colorful Snicker Dudes ice cream sandwiches (P60), but what really got us is their unique array of flavors. Jasmine Tea ice cream (P50), anyone? Or perhaps you’d care for a scoop of Lavender (P50) sweetness? In case you were wondering, the blue scoop, aptly called the Cookie Monster (P50), happens to be our favorite—almond ice cream deliciously dotted with crushed Oreos and chocolate chip cookies. Tickle your sweet tooth!
West Narra Delicatessen, 136 West Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig
THE BURGERY
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Now this is some mean meat. The Burgery has been dubbed “the bad boy of burgers” for a reason: Just look at The Executioner (P375) in all its three-tiered, heavyweight glory. The great thing about this triple threat is that it tastes as good as it looks—each 1/3-pound pure beef patty comes oozing with cheese, shredded romaine, onions and tomatoes, topped with bacon, and their secret-formula Burgery sauce. Order the Basket of Bacon (P220)—just generous strips of lightly breaded, rapturously crispy deep-fried bacon, no big deal—to complete a meal that’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
Circuit Makati, A.P. Reyes Ave., Carmona, Makati
THE SMOKEYARD
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The very first thing we did after cutting into The Smokeyard’s Beef Brisket Sandwich (P300) was pick our (watering) jaws off the floor. Incredibly tender and tangy, the meat falls apart the moment your knife touches it, and we’re not surprised: The beef is smoked for 24 hours before arriving on your plate (and in between two slices of homemade bread). Take your pick from their smorgasbord of sides, too. We picked the Sweet Potato Crisps (P50/8oz) and a bowl of Dirty Rice (P70/8oz), but they also do Cornbread (P70) right.
5666 Don Pedro St., Poblacion, Makati
SALVATORE CUOMO
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Fun fact: Italian chef Salvatore Cuomo’s signature pizza is the World Champion Winner Pizza D.O.C (P820)— D.O.C. which stands for Domination of Checked Origin, which in turn means that every ingredient is authentically, 100-percent from Italy. Every glorious bite of one mozzarella-, cherry tomato- and basil-topped slice is a loving ode to the Italians’ love for excellent food made from scratch and by hand, and it’s a tribute you can taste down to the most meticulous detail. Everybody loves pizza, but nobody loves it like Salvatore Cuomo.
G/F Uptown Parade, 38th St. cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City
This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of Preview Magazine.
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