Reviews The Minokaua

Another hidden gem in the malate area. Their food is very good. Speicially the eclipse, I was hesistant at first but since I read a lot of good reviews so I have to try it for myself. So as soon as I had my first bite, all I can say is "woow!" Its really good. Im not into squid ink but this is an exception. Good job

I particularly loved the Kimchi Mussel Pot. It had the just the right amount of spice. Not the burning kind, so yoi can enjoy the imported mussels and sauce with the accompanying bread. 😍

The Eclipse though is a different story. It's super hot hot HOT! Paella made of Chili! 😛

Lunar Eclipse on the other hand is their take on Paella Negra. Perfectly executed. 👌

For Dessert they have a unique one. Grilled Ensaymada Ice Cream Melt. We all loved this one! Whoever thought that smoky charred ensaymada is a thing. 😁

No trip to old Manila would be complete without a visit to at least a couple of bars in Malate. Spending time in Malate is an unmatched experience due to the breadth of the district’s drinking establishments. The Minokaua, one of the newest bars in Malate has set up shop on the famous Adriatico Street.

The Minokaua is a huge dragon-like bird born from the imaginative minds of whoever made up our Philippine folk lore. It was believed that this creature is so big that it can swallow up the sun to explain why eclipses occur.

Much like the legend, this joint swallowed up the light from my eyes as I lay like a bloated corpse, killed by the combination of cool underground jazz vibes, cheap bottled cocktails, and a smorgasbord of grub that made both my eyes and mouth water.

Much like a child furiously sculpting their first Play-Doh masterpiece, it's pretty clear that The Minokaua tries to flex their creativity by mashing together what the Malate scene looks for in a not-so-typical bistro: brews, eats, music, art and design.

I totally dig how they're trying to be a "flexible and dynamic destination space", I just hope that they don't bite off more than they can chew just as I did when they served the spread:

The unconventional use of lamb serves as a fresh take to what you might be used to when biting down into these Lamb Chicharrones (PHP 300). At first bite, it's crisp outer layer coated with garlic vinegar prepares you for its chewy lamb texture and leaves you with a tangy sensation wanting for more. It's safe to say that I may have found my new favorite pulutan.

I'm a big fan of Buffalo wings and one could say that I'm faithful to it's original recipe if not form, but The Minokaua's 6-pc Buffalo Chicken Pops (PHP 350) take on this bar food favorite is nothing short of scrumptious. Holding it by the bone, I stared intently as if I'm examining my prey and shoved the entire pop in my mouth. The chorizo garlic aioli complements its Buffalo style flavor as it easily slid off the bone. Savoring the entire pop, each time I bit down made me wish that it could have been crispier and less soft and chewy.

Believe it or not, The Minokaua serves all of the three iconic Philippine sausages in one platter: Hamonado, Vigan and Lucban Longganisa (PHP 450). Each with its unique and familiar taste, this particular item is faithful to its original recipes. Albeit, I found myself puzzled that it was served with potato wedges and sauerkraut as if the dish was trying to emulate a Czech sausage platter. Maybe it's just me but my instinct was looking for rice to pair up with these sausages.

At first glance, I was stunned by delight at the sight of this unique dish. Unlike most common cold salads, the Wilted Taiwan Pechay is served in such a way that it would leave you thinking "what delicious concoction did I just carelessly shove into my mouth?". It's hard not to fall in love with this dish as it's playful elements take you to an exotic jungle of flavor.

The Salted Egg Fried Chicken (PHP 550) has been around for a while now, but for some reason the trend seems to be back and in full swing as everyone attempts their own take at the timeless recipe. Before you know it, the masses will continually beat this to the ground until it's not cool anymore. Nevertheless, I still gave this dish a try and was awe-inspired by its rich flavor only to be somewhat disappointed with it's lack of crunch as I would have expected from fried chicken. To justify, the thick layer of salted egg may have dampened its spirits instead of complimenting it's expected texture leading it to a detour of what could have been an iconic dish.

According to legend, the Minokaua swallowed up the sun and caused a solar eclipse. This dish in particular attempts to recreate the image by throwing rice, squid and fish into the pitch black squid ink. When I first laid my hungry eyes on this massive platter, two things came to mind: 1) "how on God's green earth am I going to finish this all by myself', and 2) "this looks like something that'll leave me with kidney stones by the end of tonight". Regardless of any precautions, I found myself tenacious and stuffed my face uncontrollably. As to my surprise, the amount of sodium was well balanced and worked well with it's distinctive elements. The Eclipse (PHP 880) plunged my taste buds into an umami abyss.

Had a hard day at work? Want to get drunk fast? Well, look no further! These traidors will get you punch-drunk in a jiffy (if you attempt to finish these all by yourself). These ready-made rock-n-roll inspired original bottled cocktails helped me wash down all the savory comfort munchies Chef Mike Tayag had generously offered, of whom I am eternally grateful for. Quench your thirst to:

Yellow and Trouble (Tequila), Agent Orange (Vodka), Deep Blue (Rum), Pink Floyd (Gin), and Burnt Umber (Brandy)

When in Malate, make sure you stumble upon this joint. Just listen for the chilling siren call of jazz vibes and look for a wooden door that encloses a treat for the senses.

Yours Truly,

Myke Easy

I didnt know there's a new hive in Malate! It's like 10mins away from my place. 😍 It opened last May and sure it's gonna be a hot trend because of its interesting concept. Their aim is really to promote local craft mixed with different genre, arts and variety of cuisine and drinks!

Just a brief overview about the resto:
"According to Bagobo lore, MINOKAUA is a giant bird that lives beyond the skies. It devours the moon with its strong beak and claws of steel--explaining the lunar eclipse. To frighten the bird away, the Bagobos make a lot of noise." Interesting right?

Beforehand, i checked their site and saw the photos but believe me, it's even better in person! 😍 I super love the interior, the cozy vibe, the spiral stairs, the couches, the loft, can I just say everything? 😂 I really love cozy vibe, makes me feel at home. ❤️

So we stayed downstairs, it took maybe few minutes and they already served the fooood!

•From their "Not really salads" menu - Wilted taiwan pechay, garlic, grilled tomato, fried egg (P240) - I like the combination of all these, it's not the usual boring salad. You'll love it!

•Minokaua rice - serves 3-4 pax (880+)
✔️The Minokaua Eclipse- comes with squid, fish and squid ink! This is really good! They were able to give balance to squid ink as tasty as it is!
✔️The Minokaua sisig rice - I died!! Since i am a fan of spicy food, when I say spicy, I can eat 🌶 literally! i super enjoyed this one! I ate a loooot 😂 to think that I dont eat rice that much! If you have a low spicy tolerance, you wont enjoy it because the kick is quite strong! 😂🔥

•Kimchi style mussels (P850+) - this is also one of my faves! These are imported mussels, you can see how big the mussels are! It comes with a toasted bread. It's perfect again because I love kimchi! I didnt know kimchi will match the mussels 😍🤤 I think this was my special day to eat everything I want. Lol 🤣

•"Under our skin" menu - we had Pork chicharrones + onion vinegar (P250) this is just ok for me since I cannot bite that much due to braces adjustment, didnt really enjoy munching it. I think this can be improved if they'll add more spices.

•Chicken lollipops - very tasty and spicy again!! 🤤 I'm a happy kid! Again, if you're not a fan of spicy food, you can just remove the sauce 😄

•Grilled ensaymada ice cream melt (P320) for dessert!! OMG!! This isssss sooo sinful! You have a choice of cheese, vanilla and ube ice cream. The ice cream was made by the chef himself 😍

They also serve bottled cocktail drinks! They have their own concoctions chilled and served in a stylish bottle. (Instagrammable) 😂

The owner even mentioned that their planning to recreate a "co-working space" downstairs and paint the walls with different arts. I cannot wait to see that!

They have live bands from 9:00pm onwards.
The last time we went there, it was The Legendary Noli Aurillo. He's just so damn good! Ang lakas makagwapo when he plays even when he's aged already!
This was my reaction --> 😧😮😲😱😍😍

The owner was so accommodating and really took time to introduce the resto to us. This is the first resto-bar I really enjoyed in Manila! It's like a one-stop chill place and everything you want is there! Good thing it's just near my place, I can always hangout whenever I want to ❤️❤️

I was invited to the new band place in Malate, Minokaua. It’s not just a place to listen to live bands, they also serve a wide selection of food. We went there on a Saturday night and Sinosikat is playing at 9:30 PM. They have a cover charge for events like these. The band set-up is on the their second floor. While for acoustic nights their set-up is in the first floor.

A newly opened Bar at Malate that provides a nostalgic feel for the old Malate through great food and equally great music. The Minokaua has recently opened and it is a welcome experience from current atmosphere at Malate. With the influx of different Asian cuisines; the landscape at Malate has changed over the years and it’s now very different that it was in its glory days in the 90s. The owners of Minokaua saw this as a gap and an opportunity to plug in that gap through their restobar.

The Minokaua is a newly opened bar and restaurant (2017) in Malate Manila. Every night, people come to grab a drink and listen to live music that is mostly blues, acoustic and jazz and this has made them one of the most popular watering hole in this part of Manila. Another factor that has made them such an instant hit is their food selection – the menu is just “bursting” with mouthwatering dishes! We were invited to check them out so we paid them a visit one Saturday night to experience Minokaua “up-close and personal”. Let me share with you our story…

In this post: Chicken Chicharrones + Garlic Vinegar, Beer Mussels, The Minokaua Sisig Rice, Grilled Ensaymada Ice Cream Melt, Iced Tea, Cranberry Juice, Original Bottled Cocktails

I recently went to a newly-opened place in Malate called The Minokaua. The name is catchy, sounds "indie", though I don't know what it means. Heard there's great live music here, but I came for food. The Minokaua is owned by 3 Mike's (Cortez, Kaluag, Tayag), a Billy (Villareal), and a John (Co). It is evidently a restobar with its dim lighting, bar counter, and band/music setup. The ground floor is relatively smaller yet perfect for intimate acoustic nights. There's a comfy couch at the back to make the experience more "chillax-ing". The second floor has bigger capacity and meant for full band set up. The bar counter can also be found here where their bartender concocts the drinks. There's a loft at the second floor which is the VIP area. It can be availed for a minimum consumable amount Php8,000 and can seat up to 20 guests. You get a nice clear view of the live band and enjoy a private space with your buddies.


From my experience, The Minokaua offers a variety of delicious food meant for groups. They mentioned that they'll come up with bar chows to cater solo-goers or couples (that might already be in place as of writing). Food prices may look expensive, but again, that is because they are meant for groups or for sharing. Plus, you get the value for your money not only with the food taste and serving size, but also the experience of watching live music by proven great performers. I know I came here for food, but I stayed for the music, and I'll be coming back for both.