TAMBAI is a sari-sari store that has been converted into a Yakitori hangout by Melvin Viceral (brother of Maricel Laxa), Franco Ocampo, and Chef Jerome Valencia.
Its name is a Japanese-inspired take on the Filipino term “tambay“, which means to hang out–derived from the English words “stand by“.
It’s a cool place to stop by for pre-dinner tapas (they open at 5pm) before moving on to your dinner event.
TAMBAI Yakitori Snack House
5779 Felipe Street, Barangay Poblacion, Makati
Operating Hours: Open Mondays to Saturdays, 5pm to 12am.
Telephone: +63 917 842-3725
Facebook: Tambai
Instagram: @tambai_snackhouse
Tambai is located along the same street as El Chupacabra, beside Heckle & Jeckle. The dining area overflows onto the street, giving it that authentic street food vibe.
Watch this video of our food crawl with Don Bautista of Lokal where we talked with Chef Jerome to share with us the concept of Tambai.
Read More: The Secrets of Brgy. Poblacion Food Street! (Food Crawl with Don Bautista of Lokal Hostel)
Order the Quail Egg and Bacon (P50) and Tofuyaki (P70) to start, and Kimchi Fried Rice (P60) to pair with the skewers.
YAKI-TODO (P280). P40 US Pork + P40 US Chicken Leg + P35 Chicken Liver + P35 Chicken Gizzard + P40 U.S. Beef Isaw + P20 Roast Garlic Basil + P25 Cherry Tomato + P45 Zucchini
It’s easy to order a Yaki-todo with 8 yakitori skewers to share with a group. I like the US Pork, US Beef Isaw, and the US Chicken leg with vegetable skewers of garlic, tomato, and zucchini.
You can enjoy the meal with One Cup Oseki sake and Brew Kettle Beer to kick-off the happy vibes.
I brought my food blogger friend Chris Dwyer from Hong Kong to Tambai and he commented:
“It’s like an al-fresco version of Hong Kong’s Yardbird, serving Asian mash-ups with great beers and sake cups, a young and very cool crowd perched at the counter or on plastic stools around tables.”
Read More: Fine Food Dude | ARROZERIA, TAMBAI, MERCATO CENTRALE, MANILA: SARAP PARE!
Overall, I like the yakitori street ambiance, the U.S. meats like the Beef Rib, and vegetable skewers like the Zucchini. It’s a cool place to eat these days in Makati, especially for those who are tired of the mall restaurants.
The service is very slow, so make sure to order your food immediately when you arrive and have enough patience to wait for it to be cooked.
It’s just a bit high-priced for street food. Budget about P350/head for yakitori + drink.
I recommend going to Tambai to start your food crawl of the Brgy. Poblacion food street. 🙂
TAMBAI Yakitori Snack House
5779 Felipe Street, Barangay Poblacion, Makati
Operating Hours: Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 5pm to 12am.
Telephone: +63 917 842-3725
Facebook: TambaiPH
Instagram: @tambai_snackhouse
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: We paid for our meal. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.
P.S. There’s a rumor that Good Earth is opening soon in front of Tambai. 🙂
I love Tambai! I always order the zucchini and US Beef Rib there 😀