In search of a new hangout for 2017? Try Buku Buku Kafe

Buku Buku Cafe's main lighting fixture, made up of incandescent lights and actual books, is as functional as it is interesting. Photos: Stanley Baldwin O. See

As the new kid along SM Southmall's Food Street, Buku Buku Kafe easily attracts the attention of mall goers for either its name, which in Bahasa means "many, many books," or the colorful, artistic haven that they see through the concrete-looking frame in front of the establishment. The entrance serves as a wormhole through which diners are transported from crowded mall confines to somewhere where art and creativity take center stage.

There are various reprinted black and white photographs on one wall, a glimpse of how Manila and other parts of the country looked like decades ago. On the opposite is a mural by artist Jeffrey Ramir Mateo that shows what this bistro is all about: combining the love of food with books, board games, art, and everything else in between.

The biggest talking point, however, is the meters-long lighting fixture mounted on the ceiling: a combination of incandescent lights and actual books from the owners’ collection. The mezzanine upstairs doubles as a section for more intimate dining and a staging area for music, arts, and other performances and events.

The brother-sister tandem behind Buku Buku Kafe: Nico (left) and Jess Santiago, with a pair of books from their personal collection.

The food, a fusion of mostly Malaysian and other Southeast Asian dishes with Filipino classics, ingredients, and cooking techniques, stems from travels and dining experiences of siblings and owners Jess and Nico Santiago. From the dishes to the decorations, the place screams millennial, but the young-once searching for a quiet place to spend an entire afternoon or looking for something to pump up their creative juices have come to the right place.

Starters, pasta, and rice dishes

A dish that Buku Buku got perfectly right is the Sisig Nachos (P199 for Singles, P379 for Barkada), nachos and cheese paired with spicy pork sisig, chili egg salsa, and garlic cream aioli. The nachos and cheese, and sisig, on their own, are nothing new to us Filipinos, but the merging of the two appetizers/drinking snacks made me wonder why anyone hadn’t thought of doing it before.

The sisig bits, toasted with a smokey, slightly salty flavor is the perfect topping for the crunchy corn tortillas; slices of calamansi, served on the side, allows you to cut the richness of the sisig and dressing as well as add some zing to each bite.

Diners can borrow a book or board games while munching on a bowl of Sisig Nachos.

Shiitake-Chorizo Truffle pasta (P265) is a solid choice, although other diners might opt to try the bolder and more interesting combinations of Pesto Bicolano (P235) and Romi Lamen (P295), a play on both the words and ingredients of Pinoy lomi and Japanese ramen.

For the main rice dish, the Bagnet and Chicharron Bulaklak (P355) caught my eye but after feeling a literal tingling at the back of my head, I went ahead and ordered the healthier chicken and Malaysian fried rice-based dish of General Goreng (P335).

The crunchy chicken skin was the perfect vessel for the moist and juicy meat. However, the yellow-colored rice and other toppings were a slight disappointment; lacking proper seasoning and texture, especially without the promised peanuts as indicated on the menu.

Interesting pasta combinations include Shiitake-Chorizo Truffle (pictured), Pesto Bicolano, and the Romi Lamen.

Brownies galore paired with signature drinks

Being a cafe, Buku Buku not only offers coffee and cacao-based drinks like Barako Mocha (P125) and Tsokolate-Eh! (P99), but also South/Southeast Asian staples like Milo Dinosaur (P95), Teh Tarik or “pulled tea” (P79), and spice-infused Indian Chai tea (P89).

The drinks pair well with Buku Buku’s signature desserts, the Flat Tops Smores brownies (P90), the Caramel Popcorn brownie (P95), the macaron cake, and the calamansi leche flan (P75). I got the Flat Top Smores to go and was instructed by Jess to pop the dessert in the microwave for five seconds first before eating—and it was not too sweet, with just the right amount of toast on the marshmallows.

Buku Buku Kafe offers all-day breakfast, pasta and rice dishes, as well as coffee and cacao drinks. Warning: portions are big.

There's also an area where you can buy artisanal stationery and accessories, and a book shelf containing independently published books and comics unavailable in mainstream bookstores.

With a promise to not only update their menu every three months, but also open their third branch in northern Metro Manila (their first one is located at The District in Imus, Cavite) soon, Buku Buku Kafe is spreading not only its vision of serving great food but also supporting local artists and fostering creativity everywhere. — BM, GMA News

Buku Buku Kafe is located at the Upper G/F, SM Southmall, Alabang-Zapote Street, Las Piñas City.