Bueno Tapas & Wine in BGC takes you on a muy delicioso journey across Spain with its irresistible tapas, paellas and decadent desserts.
What a time it is to be a Metro Manila resident! Sure, there’s so much to lament about the current state of the metropolis. There are still, however, a few great reasons why it’s not such a terrible city after all.
One of which is Metro Manila’s thriving food scene. Over the past years, more and more dining and drinking establishments have been sprouting here and there, much to the delight of foodies like yours truly. Aside from popular cuisines such as Japanese, Italian, Korean, Chinese, and Filipino, we now have more choices from other well loved culinary traditions like Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, and Spanish.
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Speaking of Spanish cuisine, since its first branch at The Grove in Pasig opened its doors in 2017, Bueno Tapas & Wine has been one of the go-to places for those craving traditional food and good wine from Spain.
Bueno Tapas & Wine is the brainchild of chef Kennedy Alfonso and Melvin Uy, co-managing partner of Garlic & Peppermill Food Company of Tartufo fame. It goes without saying that both hombres are passionate about good Spanish food. “We didn’t plan to open a restaurant at first,” says Melvin in a statement released by Bueno. “But our love for food and wine drove us to create a place that honors Spanish culinary traditions.”
In 2023, chef Kennedy and Melvin finally opened its second branch at One Maridien Tower in BGC, Taguig.
The POST was invited to a special lunch at their chic and elegant BGC branch last Nov. 7, where I also had the chance to meet chef Kennedy. Asked why he decided on opening a Spanish restaurant, his face immediately lit up and broke into a wide smile. His love for the cuisine inevitably led him to Spain, where he trained and worked in the country’s gastronomic capital San Sebastián.
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His time at the city where the mountains meet the sea influenced the menu of Bueno Tapas & Wine, which highlights authentic Spanish flavors. “Ninety percent of our ingredients come directly from Spain,” Chef Kennedy shares. “This ensures our dishes stay true to their origins while incorporating fresh local produce.”
However, chef Kennedy also stresses the importance of adapting to Filipino tastes while maintaining Spanish authenticity. “We enhance the flavors slightly to suit the local palate while preserving the heart of each dish,” he explains.
A Spanish feast to remember
We started the 13-course feast with tapas, por supuesto! Leading the way is Gambas al Ajillo, spicy shrimp and garlic cooked in olive oil. Bueno’s take on this beloved dish among Filipinos is all kinds of umami and garlicky—I love it! La segunda tapa is the Vieiras Chamuscadas, pan-seared scallops with corn purée, light and fresh, it’s the perfect follow up to the flavor-packed gambas.
Anything deep-fried is indulgent, add cheese to it and it becomes even more decadent; put them together and you get Bueno’s Croquetas de Manchego, my favorite among the four tapas that were served. Perfectly crispy on the outside yet delightfully gooey on the inside, this one’s a crowd pleaser and a unanimous favorite at our table.
Capping off the tapas medley is Tuetano Asado, roasted bone marrow served with a sprinkle of sea salt and an herb dip on the side. Bone marrow can be hit or miss, this one’s the former, I’m happy to report. It doesn’t have the gaminess of similar dishes and the chimichurri-like dip balances the rich flavor of the marrow.
But just when we thought the tapa party is over, out comes the off-the-menu Pulpo Gallego a la Brasa, served with a flourish under a smoky glass dome and on a toasted bread. The octopus had a pleasant smoky taste and tender to the bite—though I would’ve preferred a bit more crunch.
The main event saw us alternating between a plato principal or a main course and a paella or rice dish. The first pair was the Chicharrón, a two-way finished crispy pork belly in demi-glace, and Paella Alchacofas, a vegetarian artichoke paella. The Chicharron was delicious but it was the artichoke paella that caught me by surprise—and as a meat-lover, that says a lot. It has a smoky, layered flavor that’s punctuated with an unforgettable soccarat—the yummy burnt part of a paella. This was so good I think I ate a plateful!
Up next was Estofado de Res, an eight-hour braised beef that is so divine, I swear I could hear angels sing with every bite. The meat is melt-in-your mouth tender and the 15-herb broth tantalizingly rich without being cloying. Bueno’s paellas are top-notch, but this one’s best eaten with steaming white rice.
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Not to be outdone is our second paella dish, the Paella Iberico, which is made with prized black-hoofed Iberico pig. We were advised to eat the paella with a slice of the jamón, and a slice of green chili, which I’m glad I did because woah! That was a satisfying explosion of flavors! It was like the coming together of the best earthy flavors: the sweet nuttiness of the Iberico ham, the hot kick from the chili, and the smokiness of the arborio rice. Simply glorious.
Our last main courses were the Arroz Meloso de Rabo de Toro, an interesting dish which was more a risotto than a paella (at least for me) made with oxtail, and the Salmon al Horno, which is baked salmon in Bueno’s signature sauce. I’m not big on fish, but this salmon is the real deal. The meat was cooked just right—flaky with the layer of fat giving it a slightly buttery taste.
No Spanish feast is complete without some crispy, deep-fried Churros con Chocolate, which I happily devoured. But it was Bueno’s Biscoff Tarta de Queso, which proved to be the perfect ending to a memorable lunch. Smooth, velvety, and unapologetically decadent, this is a must order (or should I say must experience?) at Bueno. I can say it’s worth traveling from Quezon City to BGC just for a slice of this gift from the gods.
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Bueno’s signature cheesecake was so good it was all I could think of after lunch and I forgot to ask chef Kennedy one important question: When is he opening a branch in Quezon City, por favor?
I can email him the question, but I’d much rather go back to Bueno Tapas & Wine in BGC (or Pasig, maybe?), order the croquetas, artichoke and Iberico paellas, braised beef, and that beautiful cheesecake, relive that lovely Spanish feast—and ask him in person.
Bueno Tapas & Wine is located at G/F, 27th St, 9th Ave, One Maridien Tower, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. from Sundays to Wednesdays, and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. from Thursdays to Saturdays.
