EMPINGAO!

Fusta

4.0

Say Empingao! If you've watched the movie, "Chef," many times like I had, you'd remember a scene where the protagonist, Chef Carl Casper, played by Jon Favreau, is with his sous chef, Martin (John Leguizamo), and they shout happily in unison, while eating their creation, Empingao! In the urban dictionary, its meaning is " awesome!"And so aptly named is this fairly new restaurant, about six months old, in Poblacion, Makati City, by Chef Kel Zaguirre of Locavore fame (one of my favorite restos). Empingao highlights Latin American food, blending popular street food elements with a comfort food appeal. I'd heard about this from website friends plus saw it on Deal Grocer so we got a few deals so we can try it, and that was September, so I had to wait another two months to try this bad boy. The wait was certainly worth my time. After watching a musical in nearby RCBC's Carlos P. Romulo auditorium, we headed over to Empingao. I'm familiar with P. Burgos area, but not beyond its red light reputation from decades back. But with the likes of El Chupacabra, Bean and Yolk, and now Empingao in the Poblacion hood, it's getting a deserved website reputation. Good thing it's on Waze. While on P. Burgos heading back towards Makati Ave/JP Rizal, it's a few blocks after crossing Kalayaan Avenue, on the right. Blink and you might miss it. They have parking on that narrow street (San Lucas St.), and the staff will gladly assist you to park, but even my sure fire parking skills were tested when we were leaving because the street is narrow and there are actually vehicles parked 😠 on the street, so be sure to tip the staff coz they will help you park and depart. Entering the premises, it's shaped like a long rectangle, on the P. Burgos side is their open air, smokers friendly bar section, while on the other end is an air-conditioned part that fits maybe about 20 people at most, and next to that is their kitchen. Like Cocina Peruvia, Naxional, and Brasas, it's got nicely designed elements of Latin American countries painted on its walls and even ceiling. Festive colors, cultural symbols, architecture and other slices of the Latin American life is apparent. Empingao's dishes are sourced from the likes of Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Peru, to name a few. We were the only customers there and we were gamely attended to by the wait staff. They were friendly, though in one or two instances, perhaps a little too comfy with us, that they were already joking around or even singing to the 90's RNB songs playing. No worries, though... It was a chill evening and the resto had such a nice vibe to it. Off to the food we've heard so much about (We were really hungry so I couldn't take much pics without violent reactions so bear with me here. 😁)... 1. Salsa and Chips (P180) - various colored tortilla chips, with 3 sauces-- pico de Gallo (salsa), cheese sauce and sour cream. Solid choice, appetizer type dish. We had to ask for more sauces because the 3 given weren't enough to share among 6 people. Rating 4/52. Salmon Tacos (P260) - 3 delectable small tacos with grilled salmon, romaine lettuce, chimichurri, mandarin orange and mango mayo. OMG, it tasted soooooo Empingao! While it may be tiny relative to the price, I think since it was salmon, I find it a well priced dish. The salmon was cooked perfectly, a bit smokey and seasoned well, plus the mixture of flavors was amazing. Enjoyed every tiny bite of it. Had to take tiny bite sizes and chew slowly to enjoy it even more. Rating: 5/53. Camarones Al Ajillo (P530) - 5 pieces of black tiger prawns with garlic, butter, parsley, garlic confit and caper and olive ciabatta bread slices. Wonderfully garlicky for me, maybe a bit oily for others. Now, if the shrimp were bigger, like, say the Gambas of Barcino, maybe this would be more worth the heftiest price tag on the menu. But sadly, the value for money of this dish is on the mid to lower mid side. Flavor wise, it's a 4 out of 5 for me, but factoring value for money, it goes down to a Rating: 3/5.4. Lomo Saltado (P485) - stir fried beef tenderloin cooked with spices and served on a skillet, with fried potatoes (served in this Indiana Jones-esque skull), 3 pieces of flour tortilla and 5 ingredients (chimichurri, sour cream, mojo, chili oil and peppers), sort of a make your own burrito. This is a winning dish! We had to add an extra order of flour tortilla since there were 6 of us. Rating: 4.5/55. Churrasco platter (P600) - about 12 sticks of barbecued pork, chicken, cuttlefish and sausage. For sharing. Served with the same mojo sauce as the lomo saltado. I liked the pork and sausage ones. This was probably the filler order among the ones we picked. And I regret not ordering the Elena Ruz or Mofongo instead, but cest la vie. Certainly a reason to come back here then. Rating: 3/5Ambience couldnt have been better. It's a hole in the wall, so it does fit Poblacion to a tee, perhaps except for some of the pricey dishes. While I loved the food, a few dishes were just fine for my taste. Value for money isn't high for all, either. Plus I found the thin width of the tables a bit awkward at times. Should you try Empingao? Definitely. Drinking people or websites will find something to enjoy here. It's only open late afternoon until 2am I think, so no lunches here. At least for now.

Cristie DM

3.0

So I got to visit EMPINGAO! in Poblacion, Makati one time. According to one of its owners, Gino, the unique name of the restaurant actually means "effin good!" I'd have to say that some of the food I had from EMPINGAO! rightfully fits that description. All in all, they will provide you a different kind of experience once you get to try out their dishes.The prices of the items on their menu are actually favorable to dining customers. The downside though is that their location is somewhat unfamiliar and parking would also be a hassle. The ambience gives off a Latin American vibe. They have small tables given that the place is somewhat cramped. As for the portions of their food, they are just of the right serving, and you would appreciate the complexity and the creativity behind each food offering.For complimentaries for the bloggers, they gave us two orders of their salmon tacos. This one is a really good pick for starters. I love the crunchiness that you get from biting off of it, and its soft texture from the inside. The citrusy flavor in it also stands out. They suggested for us to try out their Mofongo, a Puerto Rican dish which isn't exactly listed on their menu. It was nicely served in a skull container. The roasted pork belly fat was apparently cooked for a grueling eight hours, and it comes with this garlicky mashed plantains and bacon in it. I'm not a fan of it as much as my chef friend is.My favorite thing from EMPINGAO! is their Lomo Saltado, which was divided into three parts: there goes the tender beef with bell pepper and onions swimming on thick sauce; then there's the tortilla wrap with well-cooked potato strips, and a variety of sauces including chimichurri and sour cream. You can actually have the dish customized according to your liking. It definitely introduces you to a lot of flavors. The thing here is that, it is a bit pricey for Php520.We also had their Cubano sandwich which uses two different kinds of meat, namely ham and mojo pork. I enjoyed the contradicting salty and sour flavors of the dill pickles and the mustard in it. It was definitely filling, but could have been better if it wasn't too oily. Before bidding goodbye, we had two different types of dessert. One was too light for me, while the other was terribly sweetened. The contrast of sweetness in the two actually made the experience a good one. I love the purple yam pastel more just for the ube alone. Their tres leches, apparently EMPINGAO!'s best selling dessert, could have been much better if they have put in more sweetened milk to it.

Cayem Morales

3.0

1) There's no parking. At all. 2) The food is expensive.3) the empingao salad has no chicken and no quinoa. Contrary to the menu. Instead it has Chicharon. What? I'm confused. 4) The empingao elote is just corn. It doesn't taste as good as the description.5) The ham and cheese empanaditas is the best thing we had! Order this!!!!! 5/5!6) The mofongo is decent. The pork is porkfectly cooked (hehe). Pun intended.7) the churrasco we ordered - cuttlefish and pork belly are alright. I hear the wagyu is the best but we didn't order that as it was expensive at P175 per stick.Would I come back? Maybe. They're on soft opening so I think they have a lot to work on.

Claudya Hacitra

4.0

In an attempt to start my review with something informative, i found myself dumbfounded. Empingao doesnt have any pop culture reference nor literary influence. All i know is that it translates to f$&#ing awesome. One of those colloquial terms frequently used in conversation.The visit was ages ago and this review has been stuck in my backlogs for x number of months. The visit was a combination of recon work and dinner. Interior. Empingao is the quintessential hole-in-the-wall joint. The place is small and it is not as eye-catching from afar. There is an air-conditioned area that can probably accommodate 10 people. Grub. Salmon Tacos. Three bite-sized tacos with grilled salmon, mango mayonnaise, chimichuri and lettuce. Another taco that i liked. The mayo x chimichuri combination works well with the salmon. Now here's the fun part, despite my love for dem tacos, i think this a lil pricey for the size (bite-sized in the purest sense of the word). We got three pieces with small portions of salmon and paid for Php 260.Lomo Saltado. This is a very popular dish in Peru. A stir fry dish comprised of beef, onions, tomatoes, fries and other ingredients. This is served with some rice on the side. Empingao's version is deconstructed as the beef and fries is served separately, they served tortilla instead of rice. The beef is the star of the show, fall-off-the-bone tender and extremely flavorful. Elena Ruz. This is their version of a grilled cheese sandwich. Brioche x cheese x jam x turkey. This toasted to perfection then served with some banana chips on the side. There are highs and lows about Elena. Let us start with the highs:The cheese x jam combination is divine as it created a wonderful flavor, sweet x salty. The bread is crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. Lows:OilyPricey. I dont see myself coughing Php 420 for a sandwich anytime soon. I did have an Empingao Moment after our meal. Not the same thing with my wallet though.Peace Out!Reich

Ralp Zuño

4.0

We went out of our way to find this restaurant. Everything we ordered was really good. The place was small though. I can imagine the tightness on rush hours. The empanada with spinach and cream cheese is a delight. The twist added on the French fries was heavenly. The nachos though had banana chips and I wasn't so gaga over that. Love the cubiertos and plates.

Nico Kartijaya

4.0

Empingao stayed true to its name. F*cking Awesome! Feeling the Latin American vibes there. Place was a bit small so i recommend you to go there during non-peak hours. Have tried Elena Ruz, Empingao Salad and an off the menu item called Lamb Tostada. All three were empingao indeed! Definitely would come back as we havent tried the churascos (grilled items) and desserts section. Be sure to go there during happy hours (4pm-9pm) as beers are slashed 50% off.

Japong Fortu

4.0

I'm a latin american food fanatic! I must say, they deserve a thumbs up. You might miss them, if you don't pay attention, but being in a corner, they are relatively easy to find... We ordered salmon taco, and it was full of flavors, a must try! Their cubano is also good, and best paired with their banana chips. My favorite is the tostada, i forgot the name, but it has beef in it, and i was so good! Over all food experience was great! Will definitely come back!

Gözde Yel

4.0

Empingao! It really feels *bleep* awesome to be back writing again. To those of you who follow us on our Instagram account, you already have an idea that we were formerly known as EATS Jakarta / eatsjakarta.com. As for those who are not familiar with us, we are indeed excited to share with you our EATSperiences here in our hometown, Manila. It took us awhile to write again because of work and personal things that we needed to take care of when we came back from Jakarta. Nonetheless, we are thrilled to share with you our first-ever post as EATSplorations! Why EATSplorations? Simply because we love to EAT and EXPLORE. And no matter where we go and what we do, we can always share it with you all. Our first-ever EATSplorations post is about Empingao, a small restaurant in one of Makati’s busy streets. It serves bold flavors from Latin America. The place may be hard to find because of its size but believe us, it’s worth all your while. Ready to find out more about our Empingao EATSperience? Here it goes, enjoy!

Juily

4.0

The food is absoluty superb but I wish the serving size was bigger. This restaurant stays true to Latin American taste. We'll be back for more!