“Tody, you have to try Backyard Kitchen!” An office friend said this to me while we were having lunch. “Ang sarap ng food and they have the best butter beer!” Now we’re talking. The mere mention of the word made me look at her and ask for more details. Plus, this friend of mine is not a beer drinker, so I really got curious.
Backyard Kitchen and Brew just opened last December 2014 with ‘star-studded’ resto co-owners: actor Paolo Paraiso, DJs Sam YG and Aaron Atayde, sports anchor Boom Gonzales, Itchyworms members Kelvin Yu and Jugs Jugueta, and Chef Eds Bugia (of BRGR: The Burger Project, the Pino Group and Breakfast & Pies), to name a few. I even jokingly mentioned that they can already do a teleserye with all of their well-known owners.
Chef Eds shared that the start-up of the resto began while they were playing the NBA Fantasy game. He added that all of the ‘conceptualization’ and food-tasting meetings were also done during their chill moni sessions.
So what makes Backyard Kitchen and Brew stand out from most of the dining places I have been to? Well, let me count the ways.
5 Reasons Why You Need to Try Backyard Kitchen and Brew
5. It is hip.
Upon stepping inside the resto, I instantly sensed the rustic ambiance of the place. Paolo even asked if I thought the interiors were more on the masculine side. No, I said. It has a very inviting atmosphere that will make you feel relaxed. No wonder dinudumog sila. Plus, they have free wifi, making it very estudyante-friendly.
4. It adopts the farm-to-table food concept.
As Chef Eds explained, they have the farm ingredients cooked and then served to their customers…literally. They are currently 90% locavore which means that they use locally grown produce, hence guaranteeing the freshness of the food that comes out of their kitchen. Backyard Kitchen and Brew aims to be at 100% in the near future.
Thrice Cooked Crispy Pork Cheek with black rice Php 295
3. It has good food and great beer.
Butter beer is one of their flavored beer bestsellers and I must say: this is a must-order when you visit. So, how good is it? Let’s just say, I didn’t mind having a gulp at 11 am with 2 children on opposite sides of our table. So…yeah.
Backyard Kitchen also offers an array of other flavored, brewed and draft beers. I am actually curious about their watermelon beer. Well, I guess that’s something to look forward to on my next visit.
2. It offers price-worthy dishes.
I am a self-confessed foodie and have tried several hip restos before. However, Backyard Kitchen’s dishes were some of the best! The food wasn’t even good. It was beyond great and there’s no exaggeration here. Every meal was well-balanced and gracefully executed. I have actually never used those last two adjectives before, so I can definitely say that their dishes make me say good things! Lol.
Warning: Backyard Kitchen’s dishes will surely make you forget about your diet. Prepare to loosen/unfasten your belts after dining.
From top to bottom left: Backyard Burger Php 285, Nose to Tail Fettucini Php 275, Waffle Breaded Fried Chicken Php 295 and a perfect for ‘pulutan’ Salted Egg Chicken Skin Php 205.
1. It isn’t just about the entrees.
We were actually full by the time dessert came, but we managed to finish all of it anyways! Meet the Pizzookie, the dessert pride of Backyard Kitchen. It is a homemade choco chip cookie with mantecado ice cream on top. Now, this one’s a sinfully good dish you need to try!
Pizzookie: A to-die-for Dessert (Php 385)
What we ate was the classic Pizzookie, but there are other variants to choose from, as well, such as: Banana Nutella and Bacon Pecan Butter. For other desserts, they also have Kitkat Brownies and Homemade Ricotta ice cream.
Paolo mentioned that they don’t want Backyard Kitchen and Brew to be known as a celebrity restaurant. With the food that we tasted, oh, you aren’t going to be known as one! You have great stuff coming out of your kitchen and that is something to commend you for! Definitely one tough act to follow.
Wait, there’s more!
Backyard Kitchen and Brew has a different theme everyday, but what really caught my eye was their Wing-it Tuesdays where they Flaming Tequila Chicken Lollipops at Php20 a piece. Nice deal, eh?!
When in Manila Exclusive: Paolo and Chef Eds mentioned that they will soon be having Backyard Kitchen branches in Makati. You read that right: 2 Makati branches (Rockwell and in Circuit) by September to last quarter of this year. Really good news for all Makati foodies out there!
Backyard Kitchen and Brew
2nd Level UP Town Center Phase 2, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
FB: Backyard Manila
Instagram: @Backyard_MNL
