Panco Cafe (Legazpi Village, Makati City): Serving Melbourne-Roasted Coffee and Modern Filipino Food
My wife once hung out with her friends at Legazpi Village’s (Makati City) Ginza Gyu, the modern Japanese restaurant popular for their steak rice bowls (I hope to eat there soon!). Since I had to wait for her, I took the opportunity to hang out with teammates I formerly worked with. One of them suggested that we go to the cafe across Ginza Gyu, and try its Cheesy Kaldereta. The food spot is Panco Cafe.
Opened in 2022, Panco is a cafe that serves modern Filipino food and Melbourne-roasted coffee. They source their beans from Market Lane Coffee, a Melbourne-based roaster. They first opened in Legazpi Village and now have a second branch at The Podium in Ortigas Center.
Inside Panco Cafe
They have a modern, minimalist space, which is perfect for your remote work, hangout with friends, and alone time.
They also have a few merch:
The Merch at Panco Cafe
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try their coffee because we visited at night. So let me just share the food we tried, starting with the Sisig Palabok (a noodle dish with Sisig, the iconic Filipino dish made of sizzling chopped pig parts). The dish is creamy, and the sisig is crispy and bursts with juices.
Sisig Palabok (PHP330)
Panco’s mains can be Manila Style (comes with rice, house side, and pickled salad) or Melbourne Style (served in pandesal [Filipino breakfast bread] sandwich and with root crop chips and atsara or pickled papaya). We chose the former because rice is life! LOL.
We tried the Lechon Kawali (crispy pork belly), which is tender and has a crisp skin, and the Tuna Salpicao (cooked in garlic), which is savory and spicy.
Lechon Kawali (PHP430)
Tuna Salpicao (PHP430)
But the star of the show is the Cheesy Kaldereta (tomato stew). The beef is tender, its sauce is tangy and tomatoey, and the cheese is rightly cheesy.
Cheesy Kaldereta (PHP460)
To wash down our food, I tried their Kalma, which a concoction of calamansi and matcha. It’s citrusy with a hint of matcha. (I initially thought that the Kalma drink is derived from the same Tagalog word that means “to calm down.” But I later realized that it’s a combination of kalamansi, which is another spelling for calamansi, and matcha. With this revelation, I can now calm down. LOL.)
Left to Right: Kalma (PHP140) and Strawberry Lychee (PHP160)
My two friends got Strawberry Lychee and Tiramisu Latte.
For dessert, we tried the Panco’s Kakanin, which has crunchy brûlée top, creamy flan and ube, and sticky rice. It’s good!
Panco’s Kakanin (PHP180)
Panco Cafe has a nice ambiance and good food. I’ll definitely be back to try their coffee, which I believe, is also good. I recommend it to you!
What items above have you tried or would like to try? Comment below!
Address: 110 C. Palanca St., Legazpi Village, San Lorenzo, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines | Operating Hours: Sunday-Tuesday, 7AM-9PM; Wednesday-Saturday, 7AM-10PM | Contact No.: 0943-2569033 | Facebook | Instagram | Website