Finding comfort in Kapitolyo
At the end of the obscure alley, wandering diners take their fill of modern Asian comfort food
There’s always a bit of curiosity that comes with hidden places. You either feel like you’re safely sheltered from the city’s daily riot or you’ve just stumbled upon the secret hub of a wilder party. No Reservations falls somewhere in the middle. You walk through a narrow alley, ascend a rusty, steel staircase, and come across an industrial-themed resto—with its red door declaring that happy hour has come early.
“We have unlimited wine from Tuesdays to Thursdays,” says Anthea Go, one of the five partners behind this half-a-yearold comfort food hideaway. Their range of beers, rums, whiskeys, and wines invites every diner to unwind after work. Co-partner John Carl Ang says that couples also come here to break the ice. The menu, cleverly created by chef Jay Angeles upon his return from Finland, boasts modern Asian grub. Thai-style Baby Pork Ribs, Salmon and Apple, Lechon Macau Buns, Tempura of Oysters, and Beijing Duck are all there, waiting to acquaint you with some nuance of the Orient hidden inside this unpretentious hole-in-the-wall.
The Grilled Corn turns the common side dish into the star of the show. Decidedly complex in its presentation, it’s as ambitious as it is unapologetic in its show of flavor. You sample the tickling texture of the bonito flakes, nori, and kewpie and taste the liberally slathered mayo that tenders a wild jolt of the sprinkled togarashi as you continue to spear the sweet bits of corn on the cob. Never mind the inelegance with which you eat the corn; the greater merit of being here is, simply, no one’s watching.
A crowd favorite—and a welcome accompaniment to any choice of liquor—is the Seoul Style Wings and Waffles. Small portions of mildly spicy wings sit atop the chewy cuts of waffles laden with spring onions. You keep munching mindlessly on the comfort food until you down the last bottle of beer, slightly inebriated, but never more satisfied.
“When you’re here, we just want you to let loose. Don’t think of anything, just enjoy your food,” says Go, adding that the name means there are no inhibitions in this place. “We want people to come visit us, have a new experience, just relax, and dine with friends,” adds Ang. Rightly so, at 10 p.m., the lights are dimmed, some of the guests stand leaning on the railings with bottles in hand, and the casual conversation flows just as smoothly as the liquor.