People are talking about Hole in the Wall, the 400-seater food hall at Century City Mall which is opening at a snail’s pace to ensure the smoothness of the operations as well as to tease guests of what’s to come: stalls that offer unique concepts that you would expect to find at weekend markets. Most of the buzz now is on the Miko Aspiras-Kristine Lotilla collab, Scout’s Honor, which opened in late October. But there are several others that are worth checking out — and that’s exactly what we did.
Scout’s Honor
Young pastry chefs Miko and Kristine tease you with their sinfully sweet snacks right from the get-go as it’s the very first shop that greets you upon entry. Aside from their own version of ready-to-eat Girl Scout cookies and a craft cookie bar, which allows you to build your own cookie, Scout’s Honor also carries a line of flavored milk, perfect to match your confection with.
Kwong’s Prohibition
Suzy Lee of Ha Yuan and Spring by Ha Yuan restaurants extends her progressive Chinese menu with Kwong’s Prohibition. She further elevates Filipino-Chinese cuisine with the likes of pork cheek asado mami, kung pao pastrami rice bowl, salted egg chicken wings, Hainanese chicken ma chang and softshell crab po’boy in steamed cua pao.
Phobobo
Another food joint cooking with Southeast Asian flavors is Phobobo, which presents familiar Vietnamese cuisine as seen through the lens of California. Instant standouts include a whole ox tail glazed in a spicy tamarind sauce, char-grilled sweet chili pork barbecue and the pho bo noodle soup. Expect lots of herbs in their dishes.
Posporo
Think carinderia with a touch of class. Straight-up Filipino comfort food is presented and housed in casseroles, ready for your picking. It promises to deliver exactly what people crave and none of the fusion fad. Of the eleven brands, Posporo has the most classic concept.
Mr. Delicious
Jeremy Slagle of former home-based food brand Mr. Delicious finds a home for his cured and smoked meats at Hole in the Wall. Here, he serves his beloved products in deli form, mixed in soups, salads and subs. Right beside his space is a stand-alone bar called Smoky Bastard, which will offer cocktails, wine and a range of Filipino craft beer.
Bad Bird
Our all-time favorite fried chicken gets dredged with umami in Bad Bird. Without conforming to the cuisine, Japanese and Korean flavors are relied on and amplified on every piece of crisp fried chicken. It is served with a bevy of side dishes including dirty rice that’s been studded with bacon and chicken liver, sweet potato waffles, and a bonito and togarashi-coated corn on a stick.
Spruce
Even the healthy get their corner in Hole in the Wall. Spruce has set up their very first retail store and they’ve got glass chillers to house and showcase their array of salads and cold pressed juices, with each variant promising to aid weight loss, digestion, health, and many more.
The Beef
Purists, rejoice! It’s your good ol’ basic burger, void of add-ons like foie gras or truffle oil. The patties are made in-house; they make their own fries; they even whisk their own mayo. They certainly make things a lot easy for you as they only offer two kinds of burgers — with cheese or without.
Liberation Shawarma
Chef JP Anglo of Sarsa glorifies the humble shawarma in his food truck-like space in the Hole. He stays true to the flavors of his meat but gives the dips, sauces and sides a unique twist.
Green Cheese
Dubbed as the “happiest cheesecake in the world,” the Japanese-style soufflé cake is light in body but heavy in cheesy goodness. You have the option of indulging on the regular or the matcha variant. Their space is definitely hard to miss as its façade is wrapped in grass.
Tiny Duchess
Tucked in a small corner of the food hall is Tiny Duchess, which offers an assortment of sweet and savory eclairs. The mini one-bite pastries give us reason to sample all her flavors, including the green apple, crème brulee, lmon meringue, four cheese, and smoked salmon with wasabi.
Hole-in-the-Wall, 4/F Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave corner Salamanca St, Bgy. Poblacion, Makati; +63 927 3872703.
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