Empacho Restaurant & Bar just opened this year, (April to be exact), but I can already say that this is one of my favorite restaurants in Metro Manila. The food, the staff and the ambiance are so great that you will definitely feel at ease with your friends and family here.
The ultimate Filipino comfort food is what you will get here in Empacho Restaurant and Bar. Mind you, their dishes offer a unique twist to what we consider Filipino cuisine and it is beyond delicious! If I just wasn’t so concerned about gaining extra pounds, I will be coming here every day haha.
Located in Tomas Morato, this restaurant is named after the feeling of indigestion and/or feeling full after eating too much (Empacho is a Filipino/Spanish/Latin American term). True to its name, I did get that feeling after I tasted their yummy dishes – but its the kind of empacho that you don’t mind having again and again and again.
Super love the ambiance here!
If you feel that you need a bit of privacy, you can grab a table upstairs.
If I have a friend visiting the Philippines for the first time or a balikbayan relative coming to town, Empacho Restaurant is one of the places I definitely think they will enjoy and like.
Empacho Restaurant & Bar: Food
Triple Bypass (PHP380) aka my favorite appetizer ever!
One order and you will be served with crispy chicken skin, salt and pepper chicharon bulaklak and isol inasal with 3 special dips for each of those bar chow. I don’t think I will get enough of these because these are all my favorite. I love how this dish is crunchy and isn’t too salty for my taste.
Warning: A lot of food and drinks photos coming your way haha
Tinapa Rice
Forget about the regular plain rice and have some rice with Tinapa flakes (dried smoked fish) topped with salted egg and tomato. This is so delicious, you can even have it on its own.
Ginamos Kalkag Rice
Seafood lovers, rejoice! Here’s a unique twist on rice because this order has dried alamang and shrimp paste with Sampaloc. Its a little bit salty but the flavors are blended so well!
The Ultimate Empacho Salad (PHP390)
If you want to avoid ordering rice, you should try Empacho’s Salad topped with roasted pork belly. The right amount of texture from the veggies and from the crunchy pork belly just makes my mouth so happy! The dressing is no ordinary as they used spiced calamansi to add extra flavors on this dish.
Crispy Tokwa’t Baboy (PHP350)
Super cute presentation, right? This all time favorite dish is a combination of spicy chicharon bagnet and fried tofu. Who knew you can combine those? Only the team of Empacho! I like to soak mine in the sauce as it gets more flavorful (my mouth is so watery now and I’m craving for these, badly haha).
Sinigang na Lechon with Strawberries
Oh hello there, good looking bowl of goodness! My favorite comfort food is Sinigang and Empacho’s Lechon Belly in Tamarind and Taro Broth with Strawberries just gave this version a whole new level! Those strawberries made it deliciously sour that I am sure kids wouldn’t mind having some veggies from this dish.
Empacho’s Lechon Belly (PHP790)
One of Empacho’s signature dishes, this Lechon Belly is marinated then stuffed with herbs and spices then roasted to perfection. Served with hassinamak on the side, you will surely drool over this big boy. Love how every bite I can get the right amount of juiciness and crispiness.
Crispy Pork Kare-Kare (PHP395)
The presentation is so pretty you kinda don’t want to mess it up. But this spicy deep fried salted pork belly with Empacho’s special annatto peanut sauce and bagoong deserves to be in everyone’s plates!
Empacho’s Smoked Blood Sausage (PHP350) with puto
A unique and interesting twist on dinuguan. There’s a specific way for you to eat it as I was advised by one of the owners. You should get a piece of puto (the white stuff in the middle), get a spoonful serving of the sausage and top it with the sauce on the middle. That way, you enjoy all the flavors at the same time.
Spicy Tamarind Wings (PHP370)
I LOVE CHICKEN WINGS! I also request for the boyfriend to make me some almost every week because I just cannot get enough of it. Empacho’s crispy wings in spicy tamarind sauce with fried chili is super new to me yet I enjoyed it. It wasn’t too spicy nor sour for me, just the right combination of the flavors. Love how the wings are still crispy!
For dessert, I cannot believe I didn’t manage to take a photo of the Salted Egg Lava Cake (PHP150). It was another favorite because it tastes like yema with salted egg custard and those things are my faves in the world of food. Guys, I urge you, try it! You will not regret it! (To be honest, I think I wasn’t able to take a photo of it because I ate it too quickly haha)
Empacho Restaurant & Bar: Drinks
Empacho wouldn’t have the word “bar” on its business name if it didn’t serve drinks, right? With an amazing array of drinks, your options are endless here.
How cute is this? Perfect for sharing!
Refreshing Green Mango Shakes (PHP160)
Delicious Ube Sago Shake (PHP180)
Paraiso and Bayani shakes both at PHP150 each
All their drinks and food are super well presentable (aka Instagrammable) haha! This one is called Lunas (PHP180). Whoever came out with the name is super witty. Lunas is a Filipino word for cure.
Empacho’s liquid chef sure was busy curating their special cocktails!I love them all, which one is your favorite?Sour tapes on cocktails, why not? Anything is possible here in Empacho!
They also have beer and other liquors that you may fancy. Check their Facebook page for ongoing promos and happy hour schedules.
All in all, I really enjoyed my dining experience here. The food is just beyond delicious, the staff and owners are friendly and accommodating and the prices are reasonable. Perfect setting for family and friends, you won’t feel bad feeling empacho after eating here.
Empacho Restaurant and Bar
2/F Unit 201 #170 Tomas Morato Avenue
cor. Don Roces Barangay Sacred Heart
Quezon City, Philippines
Contact No: 022469069 ext:514 / 0917-4671816
Email: ralubrico@gmail.com
Website: www.empacho.ph
Facebook: facebook.com/empacho.ph
Instagram: instagram.com/empacho.ph
I hope I can bring my family and friends to this place