Ambience – the sum total of the soft cushioned seats, the vintage-1930’s memorabilia, the coziness of the moment, the choice classy playlist (soft jazz to easy 70s to near a capella acoustic) – is half the experience at Bugsy’s Bar and Bistro, Makati.
Now on to the food.
We love what we ordered, how it looked, how just-right soft the well-done well steak was (we knifed off the fatty part and had it fried), and how we turned into teenagers using our hands to devour the nachos, and how deceptively sweet the iced tea was (a softer version of Dayrit’s that’s always on the verge of being over sweet but never succumbs to that).
The mashed potatoes is closer to a salad than a side dish, and we like it that way – that it doesn’t take away from the star of the show – the well-done steak. On its own the steak delivers. Dipped into gravy it’s better. Laced with a mix of the A1 and tabasco sauces and it shines. We hit the full wall early and had to have everything wrapped up to go, so I was happy walking home knowing more of the same was waiting for me.
While the nachos were superb, the steak had a subtle close-to-conservative character, which gives you some freedom to spice it up or eat it as is. We like freedom. It’s good as it is but it makes you wonder what else you can do, what else you haven’t tried out with it. When we come back, I will soak it in sauce but order only the medium rare, and see how things hang from there.
The nachos as an appetizer you won’t finish all by your lonesome. Even with two of us – I and my wife – we couldn’t wolf down all of it. Just a complaint – there might not be enough of the ground beef, but maybe because we love it so much.
You could stay at Bugsy’s for hours, and not regret a thing. They also accept event reservations, such a nice place.
Bugsy’s Bar and Bistro Makati is Recommended. Loved it. Will come back. Believe you me.
Me: taking a pic of the Bugsy’s signage while lovingly holding my take home paper bag of wonders.
Just one thing though: the Makati branch is practically hidden. If you’re driving or riding a taxi, you might miss it.
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