Concepto: A New Place to Hangout and Dine in Poblacion

I frequent Poblacion when I was still in law school. I find it a nice place to take a breather in. When I visit from time to time, I get surprised at how this neighborhood has become home to new yet booming restaurants and bars. One place I got to visit recently was Concepto along Manalac St. As its name suggest, it houses three different concepts - dining, retail, and party. We focused mainly on what we do best and, that is, eating.

Concepto Poblacion

Bar area

Concepto opened its doors to the public only on September 2018. I love how the entire restaurant used to be a house. I find it relatively small but I think it's a nice and intimate hangout place for friends and family. They usually have themes (for songs to play or what to serve) every day, but they maintain Sunday as a day for families to indulge in their hearty menu. 

They have bands and acts perform every night

Concepto is primarily known for its steaks and sauces. Their 'From the Chiller' menu is something to look forward to. They have prime beef cuts such as US Rib Eye Prime and US T-Bone Choice, among others, that would make your mouth water. You can personally shop your preferred cut from their ref and have it cooked the way you want it. Of course, these are best paired with their selection of sides and sauces. 

Prime cuts and meat choices

We got lucky though because we were able to try out dishes from Concepto's new menu. They now have bar chows to pair your drinks with and rice meals (Concepto Pares, anyone?) that would surely get you loaded.

Garden Green Salad - P250

I'm not particularly into salads but I love how Concepto's Garden Green Salad has a light dressing. This simple dish of fresh vegetables and muscovado vinaigrette has that sweet and tangy flavor that would keep you interested. 

Steamed Fish - P300

The Steamed Fish dish was comprised of steamed lapu-lapu, mashed potatoes, a serving of garden vegetables, and calamansi caramel. Personally, I loved the vegetables the most in this dish. It was crunchy and fresh. I wasn't too crazy about the mashed potatoes. But the fish, vegetables, and the calamansi caramel together tasted great. It has various textures and flavor that went well together.  

Lechon Belly Pritchon - P550

This Lechon Belly Pritchon dish was to die for! The lechon belly was crispy, especially the skin, and the serving was definitely generous. I wish we were served with more tortilla so we could make more wraps. I like an all meat wrap but I think the vegetables would give the dish more crunch and a little bit of sweetness. There were three sauces available, but I loved the hoisin sauce the best.

Concepto Liempo

I love how flavorful Concepto's liempo is. I was quite intimidated though by how huge the cuts were. The fries were yummy too. They remained crispy even if we took a while to take photos before eating the dishes. By the way, prices of pork and beef cuts, just like this serving of liempo, varies depending on the weight. 

Steak Caldereta - P400

If there is any dish that surprised me that night, it was definitely the Steak Caldereta. I am not really a fan of caldereta but this one really had me going for a second (or third) serving. Sukiyaki cut US sirloin is served with homemade caldereta sauce, and topped with melted cheddar cheese. I love how it is deconstructed because the vegetables remained crunchy. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth soft and the sauce was creamy. Extra rice, please?

Balbacua - P450

Nothing reminds me of home better than this generous serving of Balbacua. Not that we cook this at home, but dish is so hearty and homey that it gives you that feels. Actually, this is the first dish that we cleared and I wasn't surprised. This dish comprised of beef cheeks, feet, ox tail, and brisket which were slow cooked for six hours making the meat extremely tender. I find it kind of spicy but definitely tolerable. It's best eaten upon serving.

Bone Marrow

One choice from their selection of cuts is the Bone Marrow. Honestly, I got quite intimidated by it. The one we were served had creamy white sauce on top of it with pita bread on the sides. I love the marrow with the sauce because it made it even creamier. I stopped eating after two servings though because it was so good, you feel like it's gonna give you a lifestyle disease immediately. 

Dark Upside-down Chocolate Cake - P200

For dessert, we had Concepto's Dark Upside-down Chocolate Cake. It definitely did not disappoint. It was so, so good! The homemade chocolate cake wasn't too sweet so it went well with the vanilla ice cream. I guess this dish is a new one because I didn't find it in the menu. Definitely a must try at Concepto!

It's nice to discover Poblacion not just as a place where you could hangout and have a drink, but also as a place that offers diverse and surprising dishes. If you are looking for a place to hangout and dine in Poblacion, you may visit Concepto at 6234 Mañalac Street, Poblacion, Makati. 

To know more about Concepto, please visit their social media accounts:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/conceptoph/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/conceptoph/

XO, Mish

Follow me on FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Tweet