Panda Plates: Savoring the World
Panda Plates took us on a global food crawl through Poblacion, Makati featuring varied tastes from around the world.
Words and Photos Gerie Marie Consolacion
August 14, 2025
Filipinos have always shared a deep love for food; it’s what brings families together. In most restaurants across the country, “group meals” or “family meals” are a staple on the menu. Every bite becomes an expression of love—and it has become our sixth love language.
With foodpanda’s arrival, cravings are now easier to satisfy, with dishes delivered right to your doorstep. Beyond big-name restaurants, foodpanda also provides MSMEs with a platform to reach more customers.
With Foodpanda’s arrival, cravings are now easier to satisfy, with dishes delivered right to your doorstep. Beyond big-name restaurants, Foodpanda also provides Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with a platform to reach more customers.
foodpanda and MSMEs
The road to success for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially local entrepreneurs, is often lined with tough challenges, including stiff competition from larger businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, accelerated digitalization, creating new opportunities for MSMEs to reach wider audiences. For many food businesses, online delivery became a key to survival and growth.
Lhecks de Castro, finance director of foodpanda Philippines, noted that the surge in food delivery and e-commerce apps during the pandemic wasn’t accidental. These platforms became a “lifeline” for consumers and restaurants amid lockdowns. Years later, online delivery remains essential for both customers and businesses.
With thousands of MSMEs on foodpanda, these vendors continue to grow digitally, gain new customers, and adapt to changing consumer habits. For many independents, joining foodpanda was their first step into e-commerce, helping them build a digital presence and compete with larger chains.
The recent Panda Plates food crawl in Makati spotlighted four MSMEs in Poblacion, where we shared great conversations over delicious food
First Stop: Hummus Elijah
If you're vegan and craving a flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth dish, Hummus Elijah is your go-to spot. Every recipe is crafted by owner Elijah Lapid, who has lived in the Philippines for two decades and saw his business thrive during the pandemic with help from foodpanda.
From shawarma to kebabs, and its famous hummus served with soft pita, Hummus Elijah brings an authentic taste of Mediterranean cuisine to the heart of Makati.
“I only sold vegan food at first, exactly how my recipe goes. But I noticed Filipinos love meat, so I decided to add more meat dishes to the menu—and luckily, they loved it,” Lapid shares on adapting his business to suit the Filipino palate.
Second Stop: Spotted Pig
The name ‘Spotted Pig’ might suggest a pork-centric restaurant, but it’s actually a charming café. Founded by the Alvarez family in Siargao, it opened its first branch outside the island in 2023.
Their specialties go beyond ordinary pastries, offering creations inspired by the rich culinary heritage of the Visayas, particularly Cebu. The menu ranges from espresso and coffee blends to matcha drinks, teas, cakes, brownies, cookies, croissants, crepes, and other sweet treats. Upon opening in Makati, they expanded to include rice meals—highlighted by their best-selling beef tapa.
“We couldn’t decide on a name at first,” shares Isabella Alvarez, the Managing Director of Spotted Pig Makati. “Then we saw the native spotted pig in Siargao and thought it was the perfect fit.”
Third Stop: Songkran
Using foodpanda’s pick-up feature, we satisfied our Thai cravings at Songkran in Makati City.
From the famous mango sticky rice to the flavorful, spice-packed Pad Thai, every bite brought the vibrant taste of Bangkok. The restaurant is small and intimate, currently offering only pick-up orders, but they’re working toward expanding to serve more Filipinos eager for authentic Thai cuisine.
Despite its size, Songkran radiates Thai warmth, with friendly staff and lively energy. Thanks to foodpanda, customers can enjoy these flavors anytime—whether by pick-up or right at their doorstep.
Final Stop: Nolita Joe’s
If you’ve ever watched an American movie, TV series, or even a Taylor Swift music video and pictured that classic pub scene—beer in hand, giant pizzas on the table, football on TV—Nolita Joe’s brings that vibe to life.
Serving 21-inch pizzas in various flavors paired with generous mugs of beer, it offers a slice of New York right in the heart of Makati. The space is cozy and dimly lit, with neon lights glowing and the sound of the latest football match filling the air.
This pizza house is for any crowd—office workers unwinding after a long day, couples on casual dates, friends kicking off a night out in Poblacion, solo diners catching the latest football match, or partygoers grabbing a post-bar nightcap—Nolita Joe’s serves the kind of pizza-and-beer comfort that never misses.
As the event wrapped up, our food crawl through the heart of Makati felt like a journey around the world—one flavorful stop at a time in the city that never sleeps. From Mediterranean spreads and Visayan pastries to Thai street eats and New York-style pizza, every bite told a story, every stop offered a new experience.
More than just satisfying cravings, Panda Plates brought cultures together on a single map, proving that in Makati, the world is always just around the corner.
