Three reasons why Tiyo Craft Kitchen & Bar, Tomas Morato is your next favorite hangout spot

So you’ve just clocked out but are not yet in the mood to face the long commute home. What can you do and where can you hang out to while away the rush hour?

If you’re near the foodie-friendly Tomas Morato area, you’re in luck. Tiyo Craft Kitchen & Bar located along Scout Rallos Street, as my fellow foodies from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH and I have recently discovered, may just be your next favorite hangout spot.

Here are the reasons why:

1) Luxurious ambiance with a vintage charm.

Stepping into Tiyo’s interiors is akin to entering a time portal to the era of Old Manila where elegance and comfort take center stage from the Escolta-themed mural, muted lighting to the white marble tabletops.

2) Pinoy artistry in food and drink preparation.

Tiyo serves a thoughtfully curated menu of local fare which takes the best representations of Philippine regional cuisine and painstakingly uses traditional ingredients and cooking methods, and yet has reinvented and served these dishes with a modern flair.

During our fun-filled foodie meetup, we were presented with viands that are familiar yet decidedly different from our usual fare, and definitely a lot more exciting to dig in to.

Manila Ensalada (Php180). Crispy and golden-brown okoy (deep-fried shrimp fritters popular in the Ilocos region) served with green mango, unripe papaya and assorted greens.

Lengua Kaldereta Nachos (Php380). The ubiquitous Mexican bar chow has been upgraded with the addition of tenderized and finely chopped ox tongue and generous dollops of kaldereta sauce and kesong puti sauce, flavored by salsa and malunggay chimichurri.

Inihaw na Liempo Sinigang (Php420). Take your inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly) and sinigang na baboy (pork in sour tamarind broth), put them together and you have this delightfully deconstructed dish. Take the pork belly and tamarind gravy together with the sour broth or separately, it doesn’t matter. Both iterations are equally good.

Corned Beef Caldereta (Php460). Here’s a new and leveled-up spin to the breakfast classic, corned beef! Combine fork-tender house-made corned beef with tomato puree, liver and grilled veggies and you’ve got yourself a filling and flavorful dish!

Dagupan Bangus Bistek (Php290). Deboned milkfish in soy calamansi sauce and garnished with red onion, suitable for those who want to eat light.

Maranao Piyanggang Manok (Php390). Chicken pieces served with sakurab – a vegetable mainstay in Maranao cuisine – along with coconut cream, lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, onion and ginger. Each bite is an explosion of flavor.

Palitaw Mochi (Php185). Instead of the usual flat kakanin (glutinous rice delicacy), these are cute dessert balls served with latik and bits of cashew crumble and coconut. Each bite is a surprise as your palitaw could be filled with either Malagos chocolate, Dulce de Leche or Ube (purple yam).

Turron ala Mode (Php195). My dad’s home province of Bataan produces one of the most iconic sweets of the region: gabi (taro) ice cream. That regional delicacy tops the turron (banana fritters) and caramel drizzle of this dream dessert.

And the craftsmanship does not stop with the food. Tiyo’s bartenders also whip up exciting craft cocktails for the thirsty but exacting diner. These concoctions are designed around local spirits, highlighting their unique flavors while demonstrating their versatility.

Pedro’s Uprising (basi, lemongrass, brandy and mint). It is named after the leader of the 1807 Basi Revolt which came about when the Spanish colonial government banned the private manufacture of this fermented sugar cane beverage. This just goes to show that you can’t keep the Pinoy spirit down!

Jai Alai (basil, white rum, brandy-infused cinnamon, tea, calamansi and honey). Named after the pastime of my own tiyo when I was growing up, this drink is sweet and heady, just like nostalgia.

Blame It on the Barako (coffee liquer, cream, coconut rum, syrup and orange wedge). If you find yourself lying awake at night, dreaming of the next time you’ll get a sip of this cocktail, you can always #BlameItOnTheBarako.

With its nine-tap craft beer system and the biggest collection of craft beer in the city, there is something from the seasoned brew connoisseur to a newbie. Opt for a Sampler Flight (Php150) of three sample glasses of different craft beers and discover your new favorite brew.

Not into alcohol? Don’t sweat it because Tiyo’s Houce Iced Tea (Php85) is drink that quenches your thirst and soothes your soul. And that straw is actually edible! It’s made of rice and tapioca so after finishing your drink, take a bite out of the straw.

3) It’s exciting promos and events.

Knowing the Pinoy penchant for spotting and pursuing a good deal, Tiyo has promos that lets its guests enjoy more for less.

Until the end of July, enjoy Buy 1 Take 1 deals on all craft cocktails.

Get 3 Gin & Tonic drinks for only Php280.

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, get all the wine you can drink for only Php799.

During Ladies Night Wednesdays, all ladies get a free craft cocktail drink of their choice.

Every Tuesday and Saturday night, groove along with live musical entertainment.

With all these elements coming together, it’s easy to see how Tiyo Craft Kitchen and Bar is #TailoredToGoodTaste. So make a stopover at Tiyo tonight. You’ll be glad you did.

Many thanks to Michelle and Mik de Guzman and Ed Salvador of Tiyo Craft Kitchen and Bar for hosting this foodie meetup.

Tiyo Craft Kitchen & Bar is located at Second Floor, CKB Centre, Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Rallos Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City, open Sundays to Mondays from 4pm to 1am, Tuesdays to Thursdays from 4pm to 2am and Fridays to Saturdays from 4pm to 3 am. For inquiries or reservations, call +63 932 8642593.

Did you know you can buy two drinks and get the same two drinks for free at Tiyo Craft Kitchen & Bar through Zomato Gold? Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 deals on food or 2+2 deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use my code JELLYB to get 20% off the membership fee.

Disclosure: Together with my fellow foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other bars and watering holes in the Metro: