Plus their five must-try dishes that will surely give you the TLC that you need.
We believe that food is not only meant to nourish our bodies, but also our souls. Some dishes do just that— they pamper us when we are feeling rundown and comfort us when nothing’s going right. A creamy bowl of pasta, for instance, can take the place of a warm hug and the pleasantly greasy aroma of longganisa and garlic rice is the energizing jolt we need after a rough night.
Comfort food has the power to instantly turn a frown upside down, and these restaurants know just how to do it with their rich and hearty dishes that take us straight to our happy place.
Azadore
The unstoppable chef Myke Tatung is known to jump from one genre to the next with ease, but nothing embodies his easygoing and cheeky personality more than his recently opened Scout Area restaurant. He describes the Azadore menu as country club fare that is both eclectic and nostalgic, and it seems that its exactly what QC folks have been waiting for as this 200-seater is packed from morning until night.
Fave Five: Baked Oysters, Azadore Salad, Beef Lengua with Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Fried Chicken, Paella Negra.
Jones All Day
It’s still comfort food, but it’s slightly more grownup and cosmopolitan at Jones All Day. This casual Serendra eatery is the perfect place for a boozy brunch without having to bring out “the good jewelry” or a hearty dinner that has something for everybody. If you have been a longtime fan of executive chef Kalel Chan and his exploits with The Raintree Group, you will be excited to see some of your nostalgic favorites here.
Fave Five: Seafood Tower, Mr. Jones Tapa, Full English Breakfast, French Toast, Szechuan Lamb Ribs.
Tipple Cafe
This Katipunan Avenue party outpost is more popular as a watering hole for the university crowd, but come early in the day and it provides families and fans of chef Francis Lim’s comfort food a delicious respite for lunch or small get-togethers. Tipple Café’s first floor is reserved for diners and is cool and well-ventilated, allowing guests to peacefully enjoy chef Lim’s irreverent twists on both Asian and western comfort food classics.
Fave Five: Salmon Poke, Tipple Shawarma Rice, Steak Rice, Angus Beef Spaghetti and Katipunan Fried Chicken Combo, Peri Chicken Sisig.
Refinery
At the beginning, people came for the coffee, but the third-wave cafe and bar’s ever evolving food menu is what made it one of the most enduring and all-time favorite haunts of Rockwell residents. Post-pandemic, Refinery has since renovated the kitchen to accommodate their expanded selection of all-day breakfasts, brunch items, and bar chow.
Fave Five: Crispy Chicken Skin, Hangover Pasta, Bacon Tocino Rice Bowl, Nacho Overload,The Morning After.
Mary Grace Cafe
This proudly Filipino success story began as a home-based business of a mother of five which has now grown into a chain of bakeshops and cafes. Mary Grace coffee shops are designed to each have their own distinct style, but the menu is always a mix of filipino comfort food and cafe staples such as pasta, sandwiches, roasts, and of course, their wide selection of cakes and pastries that made the Mary Grace brand a household name.
Fave Five: Hot chocolate, Filipino pastries (like the ensaymada and cheese roll), Mushroom Cream Pasta, Vigan Longganisa and Kesong Puti Sandwich, Pork Tocilog.
