COCONUTS HOT SPOT— At the far end of Z Compound in Malingap Street in Bgy Teachers Village East is Me Long You Long Time, a joint serving tasty Southeast Asian fare. It opened very late in May, with university students in mind. “The me in the name is actually supposed to be ‘mi’ as in Banh Mi,” shares Cons Reyes, one of the four partners, “because originally, we were just supposed to serve Banh Mi.” But the four partners felt those tasty Vietnamese sandwiches have yet to gain mainstream popularity in Manila, so they made it the starting point of their Southeast Asian concept instead.
THE LOOK:
A three-table affair, Me Love You Long Time is the smallest of the eateries in this enclave. It almost feels like hanging out at a hipster sari-sari store. The window where the food is dished out from the kitchen is camouflaged using a bamboo curtain, a miniature laundry line hangs across for placing orders to the chef.
The décor/signages are full of personality. Handwritten signs inform passersby of their operating hours (“5pm-ish to midnight-ish”), whether or not they are open (“Shet! We’re closed”), and a little heckling regarding tips (“Pa-tip naman jan!”) We can’t tell if we like the clock above the window—it tells the time counter clockwise. Yes, confusing, we know.
THE GRUB:
Kudos to Me Love You staff for not scrimping out on the ingredients, resulting in dishes that are tasty beyond expectations. The Pad Thai (PHP109) has a heaps of sahog atop those flat noodles that are surprisingly well-cooked; they don’t turn sticky or gross unlike those in pedestrian Thai cookeries in the metro.
We expected the spring rolls (PHP89) to be as unexceptional as the chicken satay (PHP129) but we’re wrong. The translucent rice wapper may seem delicate, but it held strong, displaying all the vegetables and tofu and shrimps it holds. The peanut sauce it comes with rightly complements the appetizer.
The banh mis (PHP90), Cons’ personal favorite, are a slow burn. It’s like a regular chicken sandwich made to taste Asian by way of—is that peanut sauce? All the vegetables, cut a wee bit too big for out taste, or bite, but that’s no biggie. In the beginning, and for awhile, the five-inch bread, which feels like it could use a little more toasting, couldn’t hold the flavors together. But as you try to figure out what it was you were tasting, you start liking it, as in really liking it.
NOTES:
Cost: PHP150 promises a full and very satisfying meal. If by yourself, the Banh mi alone (PHP99) is good. If with friends, go family style and share the PHP250 load.
Cleanliness: All the cool art—prints on the table, a mural on the wall, the wit on display—hides the fact that you’re in a garage, in QC.
Service: Really good—the crew makes you feel like you were hanging out at a friend’s place—but, as in most friends’ house, you can’t complain if your chow comes to you slow.
Sound level: Pretty low. With all the Radiohead playing in the background, we’d appreciate it if it was turned up a notch.
Lighting: They open around the golden hour with the 5pm sun streaming through the gaps between buildings and lighting the entire scene golden. Beautiful.
Me Love You Long Time, Z Compound, 33A Malingap St, Bgy Teachers Village East, Quezon City. Tue-Sun 5pm-12am.
Coconuts Manila dined anonymously and paid for this meal.
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