It’s the weekend, and when in Manila, a night-out with friends for food and drinks is almost a sure-bet for anyone. While these kinds of establishments are a dime a dozen in places such as Makati CBD or The Fort, they’re all the same at the end of the day. New player in town Frank and Dean (or Frank x Dean, if you prefer) wants to change that, by introducing a completely different concept for all of us foodies. 

Frank and Dean Burgos Circle

As the title says, Frank and Dean is introducing us to what seems at first is an alien concept: a place where chicken, pizza, and coffee (and damn good coffee too) are available, all under one roof. It’s a concept that’s strange, even for long-time foodies, but it works.

 

Burgos Circle, this little bubble of residences-offices-restaurants in the middle of Manila, isn’t short of places with great pizza. It’s certainly not lacking in terms of places that have great chicken. What it’s in short supply of are respectable third-wave coffee houses. Frank and Dean hits three birds with one establishment stone: a restaurant that specialises in comfort food (pizza and chicken), and (finally) addressing the problem that great restaurants in the area do not necessarily have equally great coffee.

Frank and Dean is also a contender for “most Instagram-friendly restaurant” in Manila, from the quirky photo wall, the coffee corner, and chalk-art menu. In fact, it’s highly encouraged to post your food on Instagram first before eating; don’t forget to use the hashtag #frankxdean!

The menu is simple; a one-pager that’s easy to skim and thus leads to quick orders. As a personal principle, I’ve always believed that a restaurant with a simple list of dishes (as opposed to 5-10 page we-have-everything-but-haggis) tend to be better, because they specialize on dishes they’re actually good at.