Friends and Neighbors Restaurant (Poblacion, Makati City): Serving Tasty Home-Cooked Filipino Food at Reasonable Prices

On June 12, we will be celebrating the Independence Day of the Philippines. So I thought of dedicating the whole month to Filipino food. Here are the food spots featured in this series so far: Judy Ann’s Crispy Pata (formerly Jamicos Restaurant) | Pochok Bangusan | Rose & Grace Restaurant

When I was working in Poblacion (Makati City), one of my go-to lunch (and sometimes dinner) spots is Friends and Neighbors Restaurant. It’s a Filipino restaurant (more of an airconditioned eatery than a fancy resto) that’s just a 5-minute walk from my office.

My friends who studied in a nearby Catholic school told me that Friends and Neighbors was an institution in the area, established long ago. Wanting to confirm this, I tried researching for articles on the restaurant. While there was a lack of references in the Internet, I managed to find an article that says it began in the 70s.

Virginia and Simeon Casingal, an entrepreneurial couple, started Friends and Neighbors as a small carinderia (eatery). Since it began, it has always maintained a reputation for serving home-cooked food at reasonable prices. Even as of this time of writing and considering inflation, their prices are still affordable and reasonable.

The Food Selection at Friends and Neighbors Restaurant

Since we live nearby, my wife and I would eat there or do takeaways from there from time to time. Here’s are some dishes that we’ve tried:

Batchoy: This is not the Ilonggo noodle soup. Rather, it’s a tasty soup dish with tender pork (I believe it’s lomo or tenderloin).

Ginisang Ampalaya (sautéed bittergourd): It has crisp ampalaya and is creamy because of the eggs.

Lechon Kawali (deep-fried pork belly): It’s rightly seasoned and not salty like other versions. Though I find it on the dry side.

Lumpiang Shanghai (deep-fried, meat-filled spring rolls): It’s meaty and plump, wrapped in crisp wrapper. It’s one of the plump Lumpiang Shanghais I’ve ever had!

Sinigang na Baka (beef soup dish with tamarind-based broth): While the veggies are crisp, the beef isn’t the most tender and broth isn’t as sour as I want it to be. Nevertheless, it’s a comforting dish and easily my favorite.

Tortang Talong (eggplant omelette): Their version has meat and has lots of it. It also have potatoes in it. However, there’s a mushy texture in it. Probably it’s an extender (like flour) that was not cooked.

Aling (a term of endearment for an older lady) Virginia and the cooks of Friends and Neighbors are from Bicol, the southernmost region of Luzon island. So they serve Bicolano dishes such a Bicol Express (pork stew with coconut milk) and Laing (taro leaves cooked in coconut milk). However, these dishes (at least their versions) has bagoong alamang (shrimp paste), if I remember correctly. My wife and I are allergic to shrimp so we couldn’t try the dishes. But please do us a favor and try it for us! I’m sure it’s good!

Anyway, Friends and Neighbors Restaurant is still serving delicious home-cooked Filipino food at reasonable prices. They are a classic example of a food spot that makes simple food done really well. I recommend it to you!

Which of the dishes above have you tried or would like to try? What else should I try at Friends and Neighbors Restaurant? Comment below!

Address: 5070 P. Burgos St. cor. Valdez St., Poblacion, Makati City, Philippines | Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 7AM-7PM | Contact No.: 0966-8014531 | Facebook | Instagram