Kapitolyois a neighborhood or barangay located in Pasig City, sitting between Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and Ortigas, two major business districts in Metro Manila connected by the Santa Monica-Lawton Bridge (sometimes called the Kalayaan Bridge.)
Compared to the surrounding areas, Kapitolyo has a more laid-back vibe, perfect for those who want to take a breather from the city without straying too far.
One of the things Kapitolyo is known for is their food. With modest price points and good value for money, here are 5 restaurants you shouldn’t miss while you’re in the area.
STKLab Grill Kapitolyo
Left: Jalapeño sticks, ₱230 | Right: Ribeye steak, ₱490 | Instagram, Facebook
STKLabfocuses on steaks, sizzlers, and Filipino food at affordable price points. They have different kinds of cuts for steaks like porterhouse and T-bone, but what I was after was the ribeye steak, costing ₱490 with rice, a side of corn and carrots, and gravy.
If you live around the area, you might see STKLab on your food delivery app. Each time I checked, they did not have the ribeye steak available for delivery. I assume this is for quality control reasons. So, if you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend trying this one out.
I was delighted because they followed my instructions to cook it medium rare. The quality and care put into steaks at this price point was insane; I couldn’t believe such a thing existed in the Metro!
I also had Jalapeño sticks as an appetizer, and wow, were they addictive. It comes with a marinara dip and each crunchy bite was filled with cheesy Jalapeño goodness.
Fair warning: they do not have air conditioning, but it is well-ventilated so it wasn’t an issue even if we were there for lunch. They are also open until 10 PM—perfect for those who want to get drinks as this place serves alcohol. Parking spaces are also available for those bringing their vehicle.
Operating hours: 11 AM–3 PM, 5–10 PM, every day except Mondays
Habagat Coffee
Left: Store interior | Right: Viet-style iced coffee, ₱160 | Instagram, Facebook
After we had lunch at STKLab, we headed over to Habagat Coffee next door to unwind and let the food inside us digest. The cafe does not have air conditioning either, but we sat at the front so there wasn’t much of an issue with airflow.
Habagat Coffee sources their beans locally and they advocate for being a third place, which is a place that is different from your home (first place) or your workplace (second place). It celebrates lifestyle choices, creativity, and everything else that makes us human. Now that’sa vision I can get behind!
I tried the Viet-style iced coffee which is espresso + condensed coffee. It’s a bit pricier than what I would have paid for a cup of coffee of this size, but the taste and ambiance were great and I would love to go back here again.
They have expanded their culinary offerings since I last visited, so I’m also looking forward to trying their food on a future visit. I will update this post once I’ve done that. I love coffee places that also serve food as I think it makes the experience more complete.
Parking is available for a few cars and some bicycles, but they’re more than happy to help in case there’s no more space. They’re also pet-friendly, so feel free to bring your furry companions along for a relaxing day in Kapitolyo.
Operating hours: Wed-Sat: 9 AM-9 PM; Sun: 9 AM-6 PM; Mon & Tue: Closed
Lauan
Top: Sizzling oyster sisig, ₱398 | Bottom: Sausage and wedges, ₱328 | Right: Butter parsley rice, ₱58 | Instagram, Facebook
Just a stone’s throw away from the first two restaurants on the same street (San Rafael Street), Lauanserves comfort food with a fun twist, focusing mainly on sizzling plates, Filipino food, and pulutan (food or snacks that accompany alcoholic drinks.) I went alone and the serving sizes were generous for the price, so I had to take my leftovers home. Kudos to the staff for being so accommodating!
I’m starting to think this is a norm in Kapitolyo because just like its neighboring restaurants, Lauan also does not have air conditioning. I survived though, since I dined during off-peak hours and they let me monopolize a fan. I went alone and the serving sizes were generous for the price, so I had to take my leftovers home. Kudos to the staff for being so accommodating! Based on their menu, I believe it’s more popular as a drinking spot for a chill night out.
The oystersisigwas fresh, and though I’m not a fan of sauces on sisig, the sauce they used paired well with the dish. The sausage and wedges were said to be served with barbeque sauce, but I found that it tasted closer to chili (as in chili con carne), so I actually ended up liking it more than I expected! I found the butter parsley rice a bit too oily for my liking, especially after I paired it with the oyster sisig, but that combination was my mistake.
They also offer a special kind of hot sauce in-store made with yellow habanero and pineapple. I tried a few drops on some oyster sisig; it has that spicy kick but is not too hot, as you also get some sweet tartness from the pineapple. You can buy this from the comfort of your home through Ibaan Chilies on Lazada or Shopee.
I’m not part of Lazada’s or Shopee’s affiliate program yet, so these links are purely for reference purposes only.
Parking can be difficult during peak hours, but reviews have mentioned that the staff were also helpful in directing them to other parking spaces.
Operating hours: 11 AM–1 AM, every day except Mondays
Three Sisters
Front: Pork sinigang, ₱270 | Back: Liempo, ₱195, Pork BBQ, ₱65 | Instagram, Facebook
Located on East Capitol Drive, you’ll have to take a short tricycle ride from the entrance of Barangay Kapitolyo to get to Three Sisters, a more homey restaurant with classic Filipino faves. They have been around since 1941, a testament to their quality.
I’m pretty picky about my sinigang(sour soup, usually with pork and various vegetables), but this one had me coming back for more. If you like your sinigang real sour, this hits the spot. The soup was also sufficiently thick from the gabi (taro). Other choices include pork barbeque, liempo(grilled pork belly), lumpiang shanghai(fried spring rolls), and kare-kare (ox tripe with peanut sauce and vegetables.)
I don’t think my photo does it justice; this bowl of sinigangwas huge. It can feed 2-3 people, and the price point is not bad at all, in my opinion, especially with the rising costs of pork and veggies no thanks to inflation.
Again, no air conditioning here, but they have enough fans running. Payment is a bit of a hassle though since they hadn’t fully adopted cashless payments in the two times I went here (one visit had me paying cashless through a bank transfer…) Hopefully, that has changed, but either way, make sure to bring some cash along if you’re stopping by.
There’s no parking here; the entrance to this restaurant is quite narrow like it’s someone’s house, so if you park your car in front of the restaurant, you will be in the way. Best to find a parking spot nearby and walk to Three Sisters instead.
Operating hours: 10 AM–8 PM, open every day
Caution Hot! 警告辣 Spicy Noodle House
Left: Seafood noodles in spicy asam laksa broth, ₱305, kuchay-pork dumplings, 5 pcs. for ₱100
Right: Oolong milk tea, ₱110 | Instagram, Facebook
On the other side of the same street as Three Sisters above is Caution Hot!, a restaurant whose forte is spicy Chinese noodles. The setup is that you have to choose between beef, pork, seafood, or vegetable noodles. After that, you will also get to choose your type of broth; three of them are spicy, with hotness levels you can customize on a scale of 1 (1st degree burn) to 4 (ultimate burn).
Thankfully, this place does have air conditioning (!) which is great, because I don’t think a lot of people would want to burn their tongues off while also working up a sweat in this humid Manila weather.
I went with the seafood noodles with laksa asam broth. We also had the kuchay-pork dumplings (loved the texture of the wrapper and the dipping sauces!), and oolong milk tea. I think the oolong milk tea was a mistake because the broth was already heavy; introducing milk tea into my system of all things just made my digestive system protest.
Even level 1 was already spicy for me, but adventurous peeps out there should definitely try and go for the higher levels. Caution Hot! also has another branch in Teacher’s Village East, Quezon City. Parking spaces are limited.
Operating hours: 11 AM–11:15 PM, open every day
How to get to Kapitolyo
“Wait a minute,” you say. “How do I even get to Kapitolyo in the first place?” Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about that! Kapitolyo is accessible via the MRT-3 Shaw Boulevard Station, located smack-dab in the middle of EDSA.
Taking the train
If you’re coming from an LRT-1 station, you can transfer from LRT-1 EDSA station to MRT-3 Taft Station. Or, if you’re from further up north like Monumento, you may opt to go to Doroteo Jose Station and transfer to LRT-2 Recto Station.
On the LRT-2, the Araneta Center-Cubao Station connects to the MRT-3 station of the same name. Ride the MRT-3 going to Taft Avenue and get off the Shaw Boulevard Station.
Once you get off the MRT, ride a jeep along Shaw Boulevard to the entrance of Barangay Kapitolyo. The landmark is a Petron gas station to your right).
The first three restaurants above are already within walking distance from the entrance, but there are also tricycles lined up on San Rafael Street (turn right on the first block from the entrance) in case you want to go Three Sisters or Caution Hot!
Taking the bus
If you’re coming from somewhere that’s not yet serviced by the LRT or MRT, like the south, take a bus that passes through EDSA and get off at the same MRT station I mentioned above.
From BGC
There is currently no direct public transportation route from BGC. In this case, I recommend booking a ride through your ride-hailing app of choice.
If you’re okay with walking and find yourself around the Uptown Mall or Mitsukoshi Mall area, Kapitolyo is an approximately 16-minute walk from Mitsukoshi Mall, passing over the Santa Monica-Lawton Bridge.
I will be wrapping it up here, but that doesn’t mean this is all Kapitolyo has to offer as there are plenty of other restaurants in the area waiting to be explored. Most places featured this time specialize in Filipino cuisine, but I assure you there’s no shortage of fusion or foreign cuisine in the area.
If you end up trying any of the restaurants on this list, do let me know in the comments section below! I’d also like to hear about other food hubs I should go and explore next. Til next time!
Having a hard time deciding where else to go? My article on 3 Tips to Find Your Next Restaurant Experience might help you figure it out.
Leave a Reply