Lub d Makati: Re-defining the Hostel Concept in the Philippines with @EssentialGoodnessPh
When I first experienced Lub d Makati last year, my heart silently wept in joy that finally an international hostel brand at par with global standards has opened a branch in the Philippines. Having tried both Lub d branches in Bangkok, I could attest that all the goodness that comes with the brand -- top notch facilities, impeccable service and unbeatable vibe -- it has brought with it in the Philippines. I immediately declared it as the best hostel in the Philippines. At that time, the rooftop restaurant was still under construction but I was already overwhelmed at what it could offer.
One year later, we were back and I was overjoyed at what I saw -- a restaurant and bar that sets the bar high for what a hostel could offer in terms of food and beverage, not to mention, the unbeatable ambiance. With the addition of Essential Goodness For The Soul, Lub d Makati has redefined what a hostel could offer. It is still the unbeatable #1 hostel in the Philippines for me!
You can read my first feature blog post on Lub d Makati here: >>> http://www.pusangkalye.net/2018/03/lub-d-hostel-makati-lub-d-brand-known.html
This 2nd post is to highlight the restaurant as the latest addition to what the hostel.can offer but more on that later. I would like to make quick comments first on the few small changes they have specially at the lobby. I noticed that they added more chairs. At first, I preferred the old setup with lesser chairs as I find the space more overflowing so therefore not feeling cluttered. I don't like the fact that there so many furniture with many different shapes and colors. I find that really disturbing. As I observed though, the lobby is now more functional as it can accommodate more people who would like to just hang out here and enjoy the ambiance.
My partner and I stayed in a private room as before. Not the exact room but still facing Rockwell and BGC side so the room view is really nice. I like how well they have kept the rooms fresh and well maintained. We all know how quick accommodations can get degraded so good job Lub D Makati on this aspect. Everything feels fresh and new. Just a little observation though. The 1st time we were here we had a private room with two separate beds.
This time I made sure we had a single queen-size bed. And we had. The thing is, I think they are two separate bed put next to each other so staying in the middle is a bit uncomfortable. I hope they can offer queen-size bed that is not two separate beds to qualify for a queen-size bed. Still, with a summer rate of 2,100 ++ pesos for a spacious private room is good deal. They have barkada rooms too that I hope I can try in the future coz it looks really cool. And did I mention in my 1st post that they have the best dormitory beds ever in any hostel I have tried in an out of the country?
Essential Goodness for the Pilgrims
13/F Lub d Philippines Makati 7820 Makati Avenue Makati
Call (02) 541 6358
What We Had
Essential Breakfast ( Php 325.00 )
- choice of 2 eggs served with pesto, rye toast, English bangers, bacon, served with potato confit, mushrooms and local tomatoes.
Fresh Local Avocado Toast ( Php 295.00 )
- Local avocado mixed with onions and tomato topped with grilled cherry tomatoes and goats cheese served on rye toast.
Thai Fried Chicken ( Php 370.00 )
- spice cured chicken, pickled bell pepper, green chili sambal.
Nasi Lemak Tofu ( Php 260.00 )
- nasi goreng, tofu, pickled cucumbers, fried egg, mushrooms.
Roasted Chicken Salad ( Php 245.00 )
- roasted chicken with buttered corn, fresh tomato, spinach, bacon, croutons with a thousand island dressing.
Our favorite among our favorites was Thai Fried Chicken. The star of the night, the crowning glory. You should not miss it. And I have been to Thailand couple times but I have never tried Thai fried chicken before. What have I been eating? And it got me curious, is this how they do fried chicken in Thailand or this is an original recipe of Essential Goodness. If it is, boy! they did such a good job with it! This is the bomb! Try it an you will know what I mean.
Three heavy dishes for two pax, a hearty salad and a super toast yet we felt we wanted more. No feeling of "umay" that you normally experience when having a buffet of any heavy meal for that which is very surprising. That means our palate was taken into a wonderful roller coaster of flavors. It would have been perfect to top it off with a house-made pandan cheesecake or mango sticky rice for dessert but no deserts were available that day.
That said, there are still quite a handful of entries they have here that I wanna try next time. Green mango and prawn salad, sardine and clam pasta, and cinnamon spiced granola, I will get my hands on you next time! :p
ABOUT LUB D MAKATI
When I first experienced Lub d Makati last year, my heart silently wept in joy that finally an international hostel brand at par with global standards has opened a branch in the Philippines. Having tried both Lub d branches in Bangkok, I could attest that all the goodness that comes with the brand -- top notch facilities, impeccable service and unbeatable vibe -- it has brought with it in the Philippines. I immediately declared it as the best hostel in the Philippines. At that time, the rooftop restaurant was still under construction but I was already overwhelmed at what it could offer.
One year later, we were back and I was overjoyed at what I saw -- a restaurant and bar that sets the bar high for what a hostel could offer in terms of food and beverage, not to mention, the unbeatable ambiance. With the addition of Essential Goodness For The Soul, Lub d Makati has redefined what a hostel could offer. It is still the unbeatable #1 hostel in the Philippines for me!
You can read my first feature blog post on Lub d Makati here: >>> http://www.pusangkalye.net/2018/03/lub-d-hostel-makati-lub-d-brand-known.html
This 2nd post is to highlight the restaurant as the latest addition to what the hostel.can offer but more on that later. I would like to make quick comments first on the few small changes they have specially at the lobby. I noticed that they added more chairs. At first, I preferred the old setup with lesser chairs as I find the space more overflowing so therefore not feeling cluttered. I don't like the fact that there so many furniture with many different shapes and colors. I find that really disturbing. As I observed though, the lobby is now more functional as it can accommodate more people who would like to just hang out here and enjoy the ambiance.
My partner and I stayed in a private room as before. Not the exact room but still facing Rockwell and BGC side so the room view is really nice. I like how well they have kept the rooms fresh and well maintained. We all know how quick accommodations can get degraded so good job Lub D Makati on this aspect. Everything feels fresh and new. Just a little observation though. The 1st time we were here we had a private room with two separate beds.
This time I made sure we had a single queen-size bed. And we had. The thing is, I think they are two separate bed put next to each other so staying in the middle is a bit uncomfortable. I hope they can offer queen-size bed that is not two separate beds to qualify for a queen-size bed. Still, with a summer rate of 2,100 ++ pesos for a spacious private room is good deal. They have barkada rooms too that I hope I can try in the future coz it looks really cool. And did I mention in my 1st post that they have the best dormitory beds ever in any hostel I have tried in an out of the country?
Essential Goodness for the Pilgrims
13/F Lub d Philippines Makati 7820 Makati Avenue Makati
Call (02) 541 6358
@EssentialGoodnessPh
OPEN: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM Daily
Other than their popular all-day brunch menu, their offering of familiar Filipino favorites and International cuisine especially from Thailand, Malaysia and the region, this is the go to place to enjoy food as it should be enjoyed. Add the great views both at the indoor and al-fresco section of the rooftop bar, the Essential Goodness for the Pilgrims is a major draw for me and honestly, it is underappreciated. A place this good deserves more attention. It certainly earns my respect for the awesome selection of food. The ones we tried was parade of different flavors.
OPEN: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM Daily
Other than their popular all-day brunch menu, their offering of familiar Filipino favorites and International cuisine especially from Thailand, Malaysia and the region, this is the go to place to enjoy food as it should be enjoyed. Add the great views both at the indoor and al-fresco section of the rooftop bar, the Essential Goodness for the Pilgrims is a major draw for me and honestly, it is underappreciated. A place this good deserves more attention. It certainly earns my respect for the awesome selection of food. The ones we tried was parade of different flavors.
What We Had
Essential Breakfast ( Php 325.00 )
- choice of 2 eggs served with pesto, rye toast, English bangers, bacon, served with potato confit, mushrooms and local tomatoes.
Fresh Local Avocado Toast ( Php 295.00 )
- Local avocado mixed with onions and tomato topped with grilled cherry tomatoes and goats cheese served on rye toast.
Thai Fried Chicken ( Php 370.00 )
- spice cured chicken, pickled bell pepper, green chili sambal.
Nasi Lemak Tofu ( Php 260.00 )
- nasi goreng, tofu, pickled cucumbers, fried egg, mushrooms.
Roasted Chicken Salad ( Php 245.00 )
- roasted chicken with buttered corn, fresh tomato, spinach, bacon, croutons with a thousand island dressing.
Essential Breakfast ( Php 325.00 )
Fresh Local Avocado Toast ( Php 295.00 )
Thai Fried Chicken ( Php 370.00 )
Nasi Lemak Tofu ( Php 260.00 )
Roasted Chicken Salad ( Php 245.00 )
We started it off with roasted chicken salad as appetizer. We were actually craving "green mango and prawn salad" but it was not available that day so the roasted green salad was a 2nd choice but it was really good. The kind of food that you can go on eating and never get enough of.
The Fresh Local Avocado Toast was a delight both to the eyes and the palate. Not only that it is so yummy, with avocado in there and fresh tomatoes and goat's cheese on top of a rye bread, you know that this is a healthy food. Talk about a light super food for breakfast.
If you wan't something heavy to power through your day, the Essential Breakfast is perfect for you. A heavy breakfast fit for vikings. One of the food selections that make Essential Goodness for the Pilgrims popular for their all-day breakfast.
Another very healthy option for main is Nasi Lemak Tofu. I love nasi lemak and I always make sure I have tons of it when I visit Malaysia and Indonesia. There is the option to go for nasi lemak chicken but we opted for tofu so as to add another healthy dish in the lineup. And it was a pleasure to eat.
The Fresh Local Avocado Toast was a delight both to the eyes and the palate. Not only that it is so yummy, with avocado in there and fresh tomatoes and goat's cheese on top of a rye bread, you know that this is a healthy food. Talk about a light super food for breakfast.
If you wan't something heavy to power through your day, the Essential Breakfast is perfect for you. A heavy breakfast fit for vikings. One of the food selections that make Essential Goodness for the Pilgrims popular for their all-day breakfast.
Another very healthy option for main is Nasi Lemak Tofu. I love nasi lemak and I always make sure I have tons of it when I visit Malaysia and Indonesia. There is the option to go for nasi lemak chicken but we opted for tofu so as to add another healthy dish in the lineup. And it was a pleasure to eat.
Our favorite among our favorites was Thai Fried Chicken. The star of the night, the crowning glory. You should not miss it. And I have been to Thailand couple times but I have never tried Thai fried chicken before. What have I been eating? And it got me curious, is this how they do fried chicken in Thailand or this is an original recipe of Essential Goodness. If it is, boy! they did such a good job with it! This is the bomb! Try it an you will know what I mean.
Three heavy dishes for two pax, a hearty salad and a super toast yet we felt we wanted more. No feeling of "umay" that you normally experience when having a buffet of any heavy meal for that which is very surprising. That means our palate was taken into a wonderful roller coaster of flavors. It would have been perfect to top it off with a house-made pandan cheesecake or mango sticky rice for dessert but no deserts were available that day.
That said, there are still quite a handful of entries they have here that I wanna try next time. Green mango and prawn salad, sardine and clam pasta, and cinnamon spiced granola, I will get my hands on you next time! :p
PS: If you notice, the dishes on off at Essential Goodness for the Pilgrims fall on the 300-400 pesos price range. One might therefore think, as I initially did, that it doesn't add up that a hostel known for backpackers would go for a mid-range market. I came to realize later on that Essential Goodness is here for those who are willing to pay a little extra for a dish that goes beyond satisfying the palate. Also, the restaurant's name is in no way easy on the recall or catchy enough to remember. But based on our experience thus far, there is no better name but ESSENTIAL GOODNESS FOR THE PILGRIMS SOUL and yes, with the addition of @EssentialGoodnessPh on the offering, Lub d Makati has re-defining the Hostel Concept in the Philippines to another level yet again!
ABOUT LUB D MAKATI
https://www.lubd.com/makati
7833 Makati Avenue, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City 1210
Telephone: +63 2 541 6358'
Facebook: @LubdHostel
Instagram: @LubdHostel
Email: contact.makati@lubd.com
7833 Makati Avenue, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City 1210
Telephone: +63 2 541 6358'
Facebook: @LubdHostel
Instagram: @LubdHostel
Email: contact.makati@lubd.com
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