your local

ordered the lamb rendang and torched salmon donburi. both dishes tasted too sweet and lacked a savory quality that i expected. aside from this, we ordered a sad little side salad that was nothing more than about 5-7 wet wilted pieces of lettuce. ended up getting food poisoning after this meal...

service was good, but can't say i'll be back here again.

josh and i can't even remember the last time we went on an actual date -- there were too many things that happened in the last two months, and we never actually got to hang out as much as we wanted to. 😢 but last saturday, we're finally able to meet, and we felt the urge to splurge a bit. 🙊 i decided to visit him in makati, since he had to work. it's also my excuse so we could go eat at a fancy restaurant in makati. 😆

since i-don't-know-when, i have already been eyeing your local as our next date place, but we always didn't have the perfect timing to visit. so i thought, maybe now's the time! 😍 we booked our table via booky, since i've read that the placed gets packed quickly. we got there at around 5pm -- a bit early for our 6pm reservation, and watched some episodes of steven universe at yardstick, which is conveniently located just beside your local. (more about that on the next review). when the clock struck 6pm, we proceeded to the restaurant, and were promptly seated. i have read in many reviews that the restaurant has dim lights, but i didn't know it would be that dark. 🙈 we then proceeded to order the following:

✅ parmesan fries with truffled ketchup (php 145) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
i used to hate truffle flavored anything, because i always remember how truffle oil tasted in itself, so strong it leaves a mark on your life. hahaha. but now, i have learned to eat truffle flavored food, and enjoy it, too! simple as this may seem, we loved how the fruity and nutty taste of the parmesan blended well with the fries, plus the flavorful and slightly sour tomato truffle ketchup. we're off to a good start with this! 😉

✅ lamb rendang (php 595) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
i was telling josh that this was one of their bestsellers, but he was initially a bit reluctant to get this. but, the sous vide organic egg won him over (i know his weaknesses!) 😁 and i'm glad we got this, because it was really good! rendang can be considered a variation of the asian curry -- and your local's version is definitely well-thought of. the shredded lamb rendang is quite spicy and flavorful. i appreciated how it didn't have that gamey taste / smell of usual lamb dishes! truth be told, this is the first time i appreciated a lamb dish. 😅 make sure to spread some mint jelly on your lamb, if you still find it to be a bit gamey. 😉 the sous vide organic egg is carefully placed atop the red raisin black rice. when you eat all the components in one bite, you'll be amazed at how a spoonful of food can be that flavorful -- the flavors dancing on your tongue. it does get a bit cloying if you eat this on your own though. but people who love the spicy asian flavors will have no problem in devouring this. 💁

✅ torched salmon donburi (php 695) - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
to say this torched salmon donburi is delicious would be an understatement. (look how i subtly added an additional star right there! you didn't notice it, did you?) it's sooo good: aside from the various flavors playing in your mouth, the varying textures of each component plays a huge role too -- and you'll surely be torn about wanting to finish the whole thing and saving the portions to savor slowly. 😍 i'll never look at salmon the same way again. 💜 to be honest, i never really liked cooked salmon, as i prefer salmon sashimi. but this totally changed my mind! salmon cooked medium is superb. 😍 the shiitake black rice also gave the dish its depth, veering away from the typical japanese donburi.

the two dishes we got were so different, i was suprised i actually got it from the same restaurant. 😁 service was really good, too! from the time we arrived up until we left, we were promptly assisted with everything we needed. since we booked our table through booky, we also got php 100 off our meal plus a free dessert:

✅ chocolate earl grey pudding and lime mousse - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
i never had a dessert this intricately made. 😮 you'll be surprised that the earthy taste of earl grey actually perfectly complements the sweetness of the chocolate. the lime mousse added a welcome tartness, while ths milk crumbs (these are actually polvoron-like hehe) provided a very much welcome grainy texture to an otherwise smooth textured dessert. it can be a bit sweet, but share this with others and you're good! 😉

foodies will probably have a hard time especially when dining here during the dinner time, as the poor lighting makes it extremely challenging to take good photos. 😣 at some point, you'll probably be like me: giving up on the chance to take instagrammable photos, and just settling on savoring every bite of the sumptuous food. 😍🤤

if you haven't visited your local yet, please do. you won't regret it. no wonder it's been acclaimed to be one of the best restaurants in the world, based on conde nast travellers' list. 😲

#eatdrinksplurge

i've actually gone to your local twice now so i'll just combine both experiences into one review:

located in legazpi village in makati, your local is actually pretty easy to get to barring traffic and one way streets. on weekends, there's ample street parking but just be careful because the one way streets become two way streets on the weekend and on holidays. go figure. your local is not that difficult to find since esteban st is like one block and it's right smack close to the middle. just past murphy's, yardstick (which is connected to your local!), and across the street from an elorde boxing gym. hard to miss, really.

the decor in the restaurant was pretty hip and it's got that industrial type feel you'd probably find in soho hong kong or the the mission in san francisco. there's an open kitchen which is pretty impressive cause they'd need a really strong exhaust system to keep the smell of cooking at bay, which they do. i found the table spacing a little too close to each other and it's almost like i can hear the next table's conversation. no, i actually heard their conversation about quinoa and it's health benefits. i guess it's one way to maximize the space of the restaurant. the servers are attentive and try to help you out even if the place gets really busy.

the dishes we ordered included the fried chicken wings appetizer (i think there's a name for it?), tofu steak and eggs, lamb rendang, and salmon donburi. drinks were strawberry lemonade, arnold palmer, and yardstick coffee.

the chicken wings were so bomb. well, i think the sauce they smeared on the side made it as well. some kind of mayo mixed with ground pepper. quite addicting. the tofu steak and eggs looked like a veggie version of spamsilog. there was flavor to it (especially the tofu) but it was quite oily. i personally thought the lamb rendang was perfect. not as spicy as traditional rendang but it's got enough to give it a slight kick. i also liked the addition of mint leaves in the rice for a refreshing after taste. i have heard mixed reviews about the salmon donburi which i think is their best seller. i did see almost every table order it but my mom and one of the girls oat the next table thought the salmon needed to be cooked a little bit more. i was okay with the medium cooked salmon although i thought the one we got was a little bit slimy.the three entree's came with heaps of black rice with the lamb rendang's rice topped with a perfectly poached runny egg. 

the lemonade and the arnold palmer were a little too sweet for our taste so we had to water them down but i've learned that extra sweet is a normal thing here. the yardstick coffee was on point as usual. you could either order it at your local or go through the inconspicuous swivel door right into the cafe. a+ for convenience. although the bathroom is on the g/f of the universal lms building, outside both the restaurant and cafe which isn't too big of a hassle. just bring your own toilet paper cause sometimes they run out!

personally, i would go back to your local again and again and i think it's somewhere i feel comfortable enough to take a break from traditional asian food. i would also go back on a day that isn't a sunday because no chicken wings on sunday! 

pro tip: sunday brunch has a smaller selection menu than the other days aka no chicken wings!

your local's industrial feel is something worth taking not of, but the real star of the show is their delectable selection!

the much acclaimed salmon donburi tastes as if johnny depp became a dish. every mouthful brings a different experience with the every characteristic of the ingredients. the burst of aromatic flavor. the depth...johnny depth.

the sea salt lemonade, though. oh, the sea salt lemonade. soooo good! too good. obviously, i have no words to describe the greatness of that sweet, sweet ambrosia.

needless to say, it's a must try!

i was finally able to go into this well-hidden spot in makati. my friend and i were fortunate enough to be accommodated immediately during the busy dinner service your local had on a saturday.

i have ordered their braise beef pasta and torched salmon donburi for my friend. it was said to be the restaurant's musts and i can definitely attest to that! the fresh, mid rare cooked salmon with crispy salmon skin served under a bed of shiitake and corn forbidden rice. it is tucked over by mentaiko and tobiko and a sous vide egg. it's a mix of different textures and flavors, giving you salty, sweet, crunchy and soft all in one bite. very subtle at first, but packs in a fresh, flavorful umami punch.

the braised beef pasta was served al dente and the sauce was indeed very rich, meaty and soft. you can see the strands of beef, broken down enough to envelope the pasta with that meaty and savory taste, perfectly mixed in tomato sauce, cheese and basil.

try their sea salt lemonade and strawberry lemonade too! very refreshing and it helps cleanses the palate. :)

i'll definitely go back here and bring my friends or a significant other over. ❤️

i love how salmon donburi is so creamy with the black rice together with the lemonade sea salt drink! i just somehow dislike that the place is loud due to music and other people's voices that we need to stay close to each other so we can hear each others voice clearly. overall, still a good experience and i want to be back to try other dishes.

your local is almost a hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant, being that it's not easily noticeable from the outside. when i entered, i was surprised to see those instagram-esque wooden tables and plush seats.

when i asked the waiter what he recommends among the appetizers, he enumerated everything (haha).

the salmon donburi is like eating a california maki roll and sashimi on black rice. i've never tried black rice before, and it is delicious. the chewy lamb rendang is very spicy if you eat a whole spoonful of it. another spicy dish is the chili crab buns. the buns are soft yet crispy, complemented by the gooey crab filling. for me, however, i found the vegetables distracting because it gets stuck on your tongue, and the dish itself is messy.

overall, all the dishes i tried were new to me, and i found them all delicious. next time i visit, i'll try the baby eggplant.

i was looking for a nearby restaurant my friends and i could try for my birthday dinner. my friend suggested your local, since it has great online reviews. she also mentioned that the place seemed to get fully booked, so she reserved a table for the 5 of us on april 23rd.

the signage was simple and easy to miss. good thing my friend got there first, so she just met us out on the street. they only have street parking. when we entered, we noticed the place did get packed, so the reservation was indeed necessary.

we ordered braised beef pasta, lamb rendang, truffle cream fettucini, torched salmon donburi, chorizo sandwich, and a bottle of red wine. we shared so we could all have a taste out of each plate.

both the truffle cream fettucini and braised beef pasta had unpleasant aftertastes. the lamb rendang was too spicy and had an undesirable aftertaste as well. the torched salmon donburi was a bit tolerable. tasty, even. but after eating the first three, i wasn't in the mood for half-raw fish anymore. out of the 5 dishes we ordered, the only thing i will recommend would be the chorizo sandwich. but at this point i'm not sure if this is because it was really tasty, or because it was the only thing which tasted like digestible food at that point.

the bottle of red wine was served at room temperature. we ordered it the same time we ordered the food. we asked them to serve it the same time they serve us the food, but then when the food came, they just took the bottle out of the shelf, and served it as it was. they didn't bother to chill it even for a little bit, considering they have enough time to do so.

i thought it was just me. but then i asked my companions and all 5 of us had the same thoughts about the food. i do not know what happened, because i read all of the reviews and almost all said the food was great. but the 5 of us certainly had a bad experience that night. we ended up finishing the chorizo sandwich but leaving the rest, even the wine.

it was all just too disappointing, i felt my birthday dinner was such a failure. add that to the fact that nothing in their menu comes cheap. not the least bit worth it.

giving it a 1.5 because of the nice ambiance and because the staff sang me a happy birthday.

one of my favorite spots in manila, the kind you would bring your out-of-country guests. awesome food and unique.

only had the salmon donburi and it was good. however, the rice was seasoned with too much soy sauce. it overpowered the taste of the salmon.

nice place. ok service. hard to find parking. i'd visit again if convenient.

torched salmon over black rice is a must! great ambience, nice and friendly crew. i love the open kitchen concept. price is reasonable, you really get your money’s worth!

date night? sosyal catch up with amigas? hiding from your boss drinking in the pub next door? yes, yes and yes!
perfect place to be!

if you plan to hide anything-- ugly pimple, true intentions, a ring?! this is perfect because it can be super dark if you sit in certain areas for dinner. hahaha!

but forreal, food is great. quality is consistent and the drinks are unique.

really don't know what the hype is about, i only enjoyed 1 out of the 4 things ordered--the salad. the ice cream gave the salad a delightful coolness. as of the others, the tofu steak was bland. the lamb was too spicy. the laksa, the ones at eat fresh and singapore bugis street food are miles better.

i love this place. the ambiance is 100%. the food is 101%. everything just fits perfectly. i tried the lamb rendang and it is soooo good! it has black rice which i'm not a fan of but i still like it.  i think serving size was a little bit too much but then that's good right? i also tried their chocolate earl grey for dessert and it was different but it was so good as well! i just hope they put more food choices in their menu. :)

food is so gooooood!!

food menu is unique and taste really good.
their might not be many selection as other resto with 5+ pages of menu, but they have the basics, a main dish for chicken, pork, beef, and fish. exciting dessert and bar drinks as well.

i really liked the torced salmon don buri. a must try. this dish includes norwegian salmon, mentaiko, ebiko, and crisp salmon skin on roast corn and shiitake black rice.
a dish gives you that hearty salmon and rice taste with a mix of crisp salson skin, which makes you enjoy the meal more. really yummy!!

their strawberry lemonade is a must try a very refershing drink and naturale. the strawberry is authentic they blended a bunch of stawberries, and mix it with their homemade lemonade.

best seat is at the bar and witness all the magic (of cooking those awesome dishes).
though would be great if the bar would have bag hooks.

resto normally gets a full-house even at lunch time so come in to be seated immediately.

you might get lost looking for this place it the building of the resto is beside yardstick cafe.