I’m not like other people who take pictures excessively before eating, so I don’t have many excellent food photos in this post. I’ll have to work on that. What you’ll see here though, is my opinion of the few Maginhawa places I’ve been to and the dishes I’ve tried. Sometimes my excitement just gets the best of me and I eat before I photograph!😝
This will be updated as I try more of the restaurants along Maginhawa street, Quezon City (and hopefully I won’t forget to take pictures!).
The Station
This is another one of the budding food parks along Maginhawa towards Makadios st. The layout feels a bit more spacious compared to other food parks and the selection of stalls varied. Got to try only the shawarma and a bottled iced tea from the Taiwanese street food stall the first time.
www.facebook.com/thestationmaginhawaPH
One Matcha (The Station)
Matcha or Japanese green tea is one of the flavors that’s becoming popular these days. I like it personally because matcha drinks and desserts usually aren’t too sweet when done right, but at the same time it’s easy to take the sugar to the opposite end of the spectrum if you’re not careful. The iced matcha latte we had was just right. The earthy flavor comes right through the milk.
Ilocos Empanada (The Station)
It was bland and the wrapper too thick. Nothing to write home about.
Top Dawgs (The Station)
Arnaud got a Shamrock-cheesedog, mozzarella, pizza sauce, tomato, and pesto in a black bun. It was good. I’d like to taste the other varieties based on that first try.
Sachi’s Fortune (The Station)
Got a refreshing lychee drink which wasn’t too sweet. The bonus was it was in a cute light bulb glass.
www.facebook.com/sachisfortune
Caution: Hot!
This tiny restaurant is always filled with eager customers waiting in line. Based on taste and value for money, I can understand why.
I’ve never actually tried the spicy variants as the couple times I’ve been there we opted to go for the classic broth. The bowls are big and can be shared by two people.
It’s your choice of broth, toppings, and noodles. They also have dumplings and unlimited soy milk.
www.facebook.com/cautionhotmnl/
Papa Diddi’s Handcrafted Ice Cream
They make their ice cream in small batches and the flavor selection isn’t too wide but they make up for this with their unique flavors. I always go for the chocolate though, may it be from Cagayan or Davao.
www.facebook.com/papadiddis.maginhawa/
Xurreria
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One Matcha
Matcha or Japanese green tea is one of the flavors that’s becoming popular these days. I like it personally because matcha drinks and dessert usually aren’t too sweet when done right, but at the same time it’s easy to take the sugar to the opposite end of the spectrum if you’re not careful. The iced matcha latte we had was just right. The earthy flavor comes right through the milk.
Ilocos Empanada
It was bland and the wrapper too thick. Nothing to write home about.
Top Dawgs
Arnaud got a Shamrock-cheesedog, mozzarella, pizza sauce, tomato, and pesto in a black bun. It was good. I’d like to taste the other varieties that are creatively named, like Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dog.
Sachi’s Fortune
Got a refreshing lychee drink which wasn’t too sweet. The bonus was it was in a cute light bulb glass.
Caution: Hot!
This tiny restaurant is always filled with eager customers waiting in line. Based on taste and value for money, I can understand why.
I’ve never actually tried the spicy variants as the couple times I’ve been there we opted to go for the classic broth. The bowls are big and can be shared by two people.
It’s your choice of broth, toppings, and noodles. They also have dumplings and unlimited soy milk.
www.facebook.com/cautionhotmnl/
Papa Diddi’s Handcrafted Ice Cream
They make their ice cream in small batches and the flavor selection isn’t too wide but they make up for this with their unique flavors. I always go for the chocolate though, may it be from Cagayan or Davao.
www.facebook.com/papadiddis.maginhawa/
Xurreria
Xurreria is one of many food stalls in 150 Maginhawa Food Park. The churros are always fresh and hot and you have several dips to choose from. It’s comparable to some of the popular churro places in the metro. When we went last time though, the quality had changed but the owner was quick to respond to my feedback. We’ll have to go back and try it again to see if it has gone back to the Xurreria we love.
https://m.facebook.com/xurreriaph/
Theo’s
Food and drinks are alright, but not something I would really crave for. Still, I’d say this place provides value for money.
Shou (at 150 Maginhawa Food Park)
Hand-pulled noodles for less than P200? This is the place for your quick noodle fix. They have both fried and soup varieties.
The flavorful beef broth has lovely traces of star anise. The noodles are fresh and have a good al dente bite to them.
Magpie Cafe (at StrEAT)
We tried their plain waffle with some maple syrup. It was delightfully crisp on the outside. They have other varieties like chocolate and green tea.
Bricks and Copper (at StrEAT)
Their Shawarma rice, which costs P130, is enough to satisfy your hunger…except if you are starving or have a huge appetite. The spiced flavor of the beef is mild and nice, but they could improve the serving size. And instead of a raw onion salad they could put a side of lettuce which would go well with the meat.
Streets of Saigon
If you want something fresh and light, try the Vietnamese spring rolls and pho. But I must say, I still prefer Pho Hoa’s noodle soups in terms of flavor and ingredients. I’m a fan of Vietnamese coffee, so I have to try theirs next time I go visit.
www.facebook.com/maginhawastreetsofsaigon
Happon
This place offers affordable yet delicious ramen; my favorite is the miso variant. The interiors are clean, simple, and new. When I need my quick noodle soup fix at Maginhawa this is where I go. Their gyudon is a bit too sweet for me but the katsudon is pretty good, considering the price. We got to taste their matcha ice cream when they gave some free dessert and it’s delicious too.
P.S. Their coffee table books are interesting. Pick up the one on Banksy.
www.facebook.com/happonramenhousemaginhawa
Negative Space Cafe
You can tell from the way the interiors are decorated that the owners are artists. One evidence of that is their shirt-printing service. Another is the presence of little individual work spaces for those moments when you want (or need) to get creative.
On to the food… The bak kut teh was pleasantly herbal, the way it should be. The pork was very tender. The croissant with beef pastrami and colby jack cheese was not bad. The serving could be bigger or maybe they can put a side salad just to add more value for money.
Travel with Tess and Liza 