SPEAK EASY is a bar and bistro at the ground floor of Alphaland’s City Club building in Makati. Its name is inspired by the term for an illicit liquor store during the Prohibition Era in the US. Technically it’s not hidden, but only a few have ventured into this part of Makati near the Zuellig loop.
I like bars that really serve good comfort food. When I heard Chef Mike Santos (who trained under Chef Cyrille Soenen in Brasserie Cicou) was the Head Chef/Part-owner at Speak Easy Makati, we decided to check it out…
Speak Easy is located at the ground floor of Alphaland’s City Club building, beside CBTL Coffee Bar and facing The Columns.
It’s a nice after-office hangout frequented by professionals, and foodies.
Speak Easy Menu: Soups & Salad | Tapas | Sandwiches | Pastas | Mains | Desserts | Signature Cocktails | Speakeasy Drinks | All Classic Cocktails |
Speakeasy Standard (Cocktail – P300 +10% service charge). A mix of lychee, fresh mint leaves, and gin.
We started with their standard cocktail, which resembles a Mojito but has a strong lychee taste.
✮ Smoked Salmon Salad (P250 +10% service charge). Smoked salmon a top arugula and mesclun greens, shaved onions and topped with pine nuts, then tossed with homemade honey mustard dressing.
I like their salads, which look alive, fresh, and colorful. 🙂 It’s a plus for bars to have good salads.
✮ Speakeasy Gnocchi (P260 +10% service charge). Fluffy pillows of potato pasta in a creamy truffle sauce.
Order this if you are craving for good, creamy pasta with truffle. I like the unusually shaped, pillowy pasta because its size gets as much creamy sauce as possible and is big enough for pica-pica.
Truffle Mac & Cheese (P375 +10% service charge). Macaroni in a cheese cream sauce with bacon and truffle oil.
This is another version of the favorite Mac & Cheese. I prefer the gnocchi though.
✮ Speakeasy Burger (P520 +10% service charge). All beef patty, arugula, lettuce, onion, tomato and Gruyere cheese, then topped with a sunny side egg.
The burger is good — tasty, juicy, and with egg. I like the colorful salad that comes with it but the sweet strawberry dressing was a bit distracting. Make sure to order the dressing on the side or order a different dressing for the salad.
We met for a potential new business. Here’s hoping our Speak Easy meeting was the start of a great partnership. 🙂
✮ Ribeye (200g – P1,190 +10% service charge). Angus Ribeye Steak, garlic butter. Cooked to your liking.
The Ribeye was well prepared, cooked medium, and had a good size to share with friends over drinks.
They have a limited selection of wines, so make sure to ask for a good red wine to pair with the steak.
✮ Fresh Ginger Ale (P80 +10% service charge).
After dinner, order their fresh ginger ale, which they brew in-house. This is a good aid for digestion.
Pan Seared Salmon (P580 +10% service charge). Pan seared salmon on sauteed creamed spinach, and topped with lemon tarragon sauce.
The salmon was OK with good, creamy vegetables.
Congratulations to Chef Mike and wife Vanessa for the good comfort food selections at Speak Easy!
✮ Spiced Banana and Nutella Crepe (P180 +10% service charge). Banana and Nutella crepe with a kick.
Chef Mike recommended this banana nutella crepe with an interesting spicy chili kick. The basil helps balance out the flavors.
✮ Speakeasy Napoleon (P180 +10% service charge). Puff pastry with pastry cream and strawberry cream sauce.
The bestseller of the house is this big napolones, which resembles a croughnut.
Dondi Chiongbian, one of the owners, usually goes around to give shots and offer a thanksgiving toast for coming to Speak Easy. 🙂
Congrats to Gwen Zamora, Raymund Romualdez, Chef Mike Santos, and Dondi Chiongbian for opening Speak Easy Makati. 🙂
Overall, I like the comfort food at SPEAK EASY…nothing fancy but still good. It’s essential for a bar to have good food to be successful in the Metro, but having good desserts is also a plus. I’m happy to know that Speak Easy has both.
Order the Speak Easy Gnocchi, the Smoked Salmon Salad, Speak Easy Burger, and the Rib-Eye if you are going for dinner. The Spiced Banana and Nutella Crepe and Speakeasy Napoleon are very good, too. 🙂
Budget is P500/head for the food + P500 for the drinks.
Check out Speak Easy for your next hangout with friends in the Makati area.
SPEAK EASY MAKATI
Alphaland Makati Place, Ground Floor 1200 Makati
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday 11am – 2am Saturday 5pm to 2am
Mobile: +63 917 499-EASY (3279)
Email: speakeasymakati@gmail.com
Facebook: Speak Easy Makati
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
P.S. Any other good bars that serve good food that you would recommend?
good luck guys. its a little bit out of my price range but looks delicious!