You don’t have to go up north to Vigan to eat Bagnet. There’s a quaint restaurant located in a residential area in San Antonio Village in Makati that will surely make you forget the scale and the calorie counting.
Mismatched tables and chairs, children’s toys and adult books on vintage wood shelves, dissimilar yellow ceiling lamps and a graffiti wall make 8065 Bagnet a charming place. The restaurant can sit around 40 persons (including the tables and chairs outside) and it gets literally full during lunch and dinner time.
When my J and I first visited the place, we ordered the Original Bagnet (house specialty) and pork barbecue. I am not a fan of pork skin and fat but this one got me munching like crazy! The Bagnet skin was crunchy and the meat was flavorful. We requested for Mang Tomas sauce (since I am allergic to bagoong) and our fat feast was even more pleasureable.
On our next visit we were surprised to see that the menu included Spicy Ginataang Bagnet, Bagnet Curry, Bagnet Sisig, Kare-Kareng Bagnet and Binagoongang Bagnet. Now that got me thinking- what else can you cook using Bagnet?
My J ordered Ginataang Bagnet and I ordered Bagnet Sisig. Even if the Bagnet skin was dipped in sauce, it was still crunchy. The sauce was spicy but not to the extent of fiery hot. We would even ask for extra sauce to pour on our rice.
Aside from Bagnet, Steamed Fish (good for two at P170) and Crispy Chicken (good for two at P170), Tortang Talong (P45), Ensaladang Talong (P35) and Okra with Bagoong (P35) are other worthy picks. If you are dining as a group, it’s a wise idea to order the main Bagnet dishes which are good for sharing at P170 to P190 each and then just split the bill. There are also budget meals (with rice and soup) which are reasonably priced at P100 to P110. For an after-meal treat, it’s a choice between Frozen Buko Pandan (P45) and Pastillas (P5).
During evening the place is packed with customers who stay to have a nice cold bottle of beer (P180 per bucket of six) to cap off the night and those who simply want to bond and chill out over beer and pulutan. Attracting a crowd on Fridays, the owners hold Quiz Nights (starts at 10 p.m.) and on Saturdays, cozy acoustic performances.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) I live near 8065 Bagnet so my J and I can quickly satisfy our Bagnet cravings. It may be hard to resist this mouth-watering dish but we say that it should only be a once-in-a-while indulgence.
*** 8065 Bagnet
8065 Estrella Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City
(02) 508.18.07
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