The list of major food hubs in the Metro goes on; but today, I choose Banawe. Plenty of great restaurants have come from this winding Quezon City thoroughfare. The latest one? Wild Indigo.
Neon signs, so fetch.
I love the name Wild Indigo. Itโs young, fun, resilient and strangely rebellious. Walking into the restaurant for the first time: three out of four. Wild Indigo is not rebellious. As a matter of fact, itโs the complete opposite. It is bright and friendly, an instant people pleaser. There is a neon sign in childlike cursive and stalks of lavender atop marble tables. A ball pit sits by the entrance of the eatery filled with green, blue, and purple balls. The light shines through glass windows and soft music floats through the room. Itโs going to be a pleasant brunch today.
A ball pit for the kids and the kids at heart!ย
Wild Indigo is the brainchild of sisters Kayley, who creates some of the restaurantโs signature drinks; and Kristin, who bakes delicious cakes for the dessert section. Inspired by recent trips, they opened Wild Indigo as a tribute to the multi-cultural.
Just open their menu and choose from their wild (heh, heh) selection of fusion cuisine that ranges from Charcoal Sesame frappes toย Jjangmyeon noodles to Panda Cheese Katsu Curry to and tropical smoothie bowls. Itโs all a wonderful mix of flavours inspired by different memories in the same family.
And while I hesitate to call this a โmom and pop dinerโ, I will say that it is a family business at heart made in collaboration with various aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. Watch out for their upcoming collaboration with author, artist, and calligrapher Abbey Sy (their cousin!) who will start selling exclusive artworks and stationery in the restaurant.
Todayโs first order of business: choose a drink from Wild Indigoโs extensive menu of frappes, milk teas, and coffees.
Look at that beautiful blue! No artificial colors added. (Butterfly Pea Milk Tea – Php180)
The restaurantโs suki customers swear by their Black Sugar (Okinawa) milk tea, but I decided to be a bit more adventurous and try the Butterfly Pea Milk Tea. No regrets. The milk tea, which has a base of milk and malt to add to its distinct flavour, is also topped with a beautiful blue colour. This has to do with the process of boiling actual butterfly pea flowers and comes without any artificial colours. Itโs the perfect Instagram-worthy drink!
Charcoal Sesame Frappe (Php120)
In honour of being adventurous, we also tried the Charcoal Sesame Frappe. It has a heady black sesame flavor; and is topped with whipped cream (for that perfect balance), caramel syrup, and black sesame seeds. Perfect for butchi lovers or those looking for something a little more exciting than the usual coffee shop frappe.
Creamy Beef Stroganoff (Php280)
Our first course of the day was the Beef Stroganoff. I love Beef Stroganoff both on pasta and on rice. Wild Indigoโs is served with a cup of deliciously sticky rice with mushroom and cream sauce and slices of tender beef cutlets. Itโs a quick meal that you will probably come back for time and time again!
Packed with parmesan goodness! My favorite course, the Shrimp Scampi (Php260)
Make sure to try Wild Indigoโs Shrimp Scampi Pasta. Itโs by far my favourite dish at the restaurant. Served with shrimp, bread, and a wedge of lemon; the shrimp scampi is also cooked with white wine, plenty of butter, and topped with lots and lots of delicious parmesan. A sinful delight, but a crowd favourite nonetheless.
Can you say sulit? Babyback Ribs for only Php325
We were also served the Babyback Ribs. Super sulit! A huge slab of meat is served with corn and coleslaw on the side. Itโs perfect for sharing (the restaurant encourages you to!).
The cutest meal ever! A panda bear holding a piece of broccoli (Php220)
Before dessert, we were also able to try the Panda Cheese Katsu Curry. Intrigued? So was I! If youโve ever seen (and have wanted to try) one of those cute bento boxes with adorably shaped food, then this is your chance. Although served with a deliciously crunchy and cheesy portion of (what can be considered) cordon bleu, the true star of the show remains to be the serving of rice thatโs been fashioned into the likeness of an adorable panda bear hugging a piece of broccoli. Thereโs a sentence I never thought Iโd write, but here it is. Both are laid on atop a splash of curry sauce for that extra kick of flavor.
Homemade Brazo de Mercedes (Php100/slice). If you can’t get enough, you can also buy a whole Brazo cake!
Dessert is undoubtedly my favourite part of any meal. Blame it on my massive sweet tooth, but whatโs better than things like cake and ice cream? This is why I was more than excited to try Wild Indigoโs homemade Brazo de Mercedes. It has four layers: meringue, ice cream, custard, and crust. A wonderful medley of sugar served on a plate that spells out โHello, Sweetโ. How apt.
Healthy living made affordable! Smoothie bowls for only Php180
Finally, to wash everything down, we had the Sunshine Smoothie Bowl. Itโs a tropical blend of mangoes, bananas, and sweet potatoes topped with strawberries, dried coconut shavings, chia seeds, and almonds (just to name a few). I was a little hesitant because of the sweet potatoes, but donโt worry; you wonโt be fishing around for kamote in your smoothie bowl. Itโs only used to add more creaminess to make the consistency richer.
Wild Indigo serves cocktails, too! Of course, it was too early in the morning for us to have one, but I highly recommend the Seoul Fizz. Itโs an interesting mix of a Melona bar in soju and lime soda. All their cocktails are sold at an affordable price of Php180!
I ended brunch on a high note. Good food, good company, what more could I ask for?
Wild Indigo Kitchen & Cafe
116 Banawe St, Quezon City
0945 154 7956
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildindigokitchencafe
Instagram: @wildindigokitchencafe