Pookaberry Cafe: A Photo-Worthy Cafe in Kamuning

Cafes are aplenty in Quezon City but my recent discovery, Pookaberry Cafe, is truly one of a kind! This cafe will catch your attention immediately even when you just happen to pass by, because it has a super instagrammable and colorful design from the inside and outside.

Once you enter, you’ll be transported into a whimsical cafe where you can order awesome comfort food while enjoying the company of people close to you. We later found out from owner and chef Ms. Jeanette Marco, that the painting is actually a storybook on its own (plus some encouraging phrases snuck in between the doodles), it was created by her husband and famous pop artist from New York, Mr. Peter Marco, the creator of the Pookaberry the Alien Baby character from the 1998 Swatch watch design. However, it is not their first time to venture into the food scene, as this is actually the couple’s second cafe, having already opened their first branch in New York City, USA, prior to their stint here in the Philippines.

While having Instagrammable interiors now play an important part in dining out, the food still plays a key role in determining whether or not a restaurant is in it for the long haul. And with what I’ve tasted, I believe that while Pookaberry Cafe is just a bit over half a year old, they have proven that they can definitely keep up with the other cafes in the metro. Here are the food we got to sample during our visit last week, with my personal favorites marked with a purple heart 💜:

APPETIZERS

✅ DISCO FRIES (Php 89)
This fully loaded fries is so affordable yet filling! For only Php 89, you get a tray full of crisp fried fries, topped with loads of ground meat, cheese sauce, plus addirional grated cheese to make it even cheesier! Therefore, you’d surely want to lick your fingers with every bite. Yum!

✅ EMPIRE STATE TOWER NACHOS (Php 200)
Try out their colorful and delicious nacho appetizer: crispy and colorful nachos topped with flavorful ground meat, served with tangy salsa and savory cheese sauce on the side. You’d definitely be munching away happily as you wait for your meal. Also, it is great for sharing!

UGLY RICE BOWLS

✅ADOBO RICE BOWL (Php 149)
This rice bowl consists of flavorful pork adobo cubes and sunny side up egg served over rice. They also drizzle some thick adobo sauce onto the meat, keeping them moist. The meat is really tender, too!

✅ UNCLE SAM BREAKFAST BOWL (Php 149)
If you want a fully loaded breakfast meal, you may opt for this one, which consists of a huge and juicy sausage, crunchy bacon strips, and a sunny side up egg. Everything is served over steaming hot rice, and these will surely wake you up and keep you energized until your next meal.

💜 BREAKFAST NI JUAN (Php 149)
Oh, I love beef tapa forever! Which is why I was super excited that they also served us this breakfast classic. Their beef tapa is cured homestyle, and is super juicy, soft, and flavorful. Pair it with their runny egg and mix it in with your rice and you’d get a perfect breakfast rice bowl. This one’s my fave!

✅ KABUTE RICE BOWL (Php 149)
If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, this one’s for you! This turmeric rice topped with sweet and salty mushroom tocino will definitely make you guiltlessly full. Make sure to eat it while it’s warm to get its full flavor.

Moreover, if you come in as a group, you may avail of their Family Pack for Ugly Rice Bowls and get four bowls of your choice for only Php 550.

PANINI

✅ AVOCADO (Php 230)
The creamiest among the bunch! Also, the fresh avocado ingredient gave this panini a distinct flavor and texture, making it everyone’s favorite.

✅PORKLOIN (Php 240)
Meaty and filling! Since the pork loin is sliced to the right thickness, you can feel the pork with every bite. Definitely something every meat lover would enjoy!

✅ ADOBO (Php 220)
On the other hand, if you prefer something more savory with a slightly smokey flavor, you’d love this. The cheese cuts through the flavorfulness of the meat, making it a delicious snack or meal on its own.

OTHER POOKABERRY CAFE BESTSELLERS

✅ WAGYU PLATTER (Php 299)
Though a bit pricey at almost Php 300 pesos, it’s super worth it as it is not your usual wagyu cubes on stick. The juicy cubes are served with Pookaberry Cafe’s very own applesauce, and the combination of its sweetness paired with the savory wagyu cubes is out of this world! It’s served with rice, too, so you don’t have to worry about not having enough to fill you up.

💜 SPECIAL CHILI MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI (Php 249)
Everyone enjoyed this! The heat was just enough to make the dish enjoyable, and the mushroom toppings added a unique flavor and texture to it. Warning: A single serving of pasta might not be enough — it’s that good!

✅ UNLI WINGS (Php 299)
Winner winner chicken dinner, indeed! Pookaberry Cafe has jumped in the wing craze too, and is now offering unlimited wings for all you wing lovers out there. The wings are crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, plus, they have 5 different flavors to choose from so there’s something for everyone. The non-spicy variants include: Long Island (Lemon Butter and Parmesan Cheese), and Soho (Soy and Garlic). For those who can take the heat, you may opt for the following flavors: Brooklyn (sweet and savory with a kick), Manhattan (fruity habanero with a twist), and Bronx (buffalo style wings, Pookaberry version!). Tip: If you don’t feel like splurging, you may want to order it a la carte instead, at Php 149 for 6 pcs of wings.

BEVERAGES

✅ INSPIRE – ICED THAI TEA (Php 130)
My drink of choice was their Iced Thai Tea. I loved how the taste of the tea was prominent, and the milk was just enough to make it creamy. It was the perfect drink to wash down all the delicious food I’ve had!

Trivia: The names of their drinks are all inspirational / motivating words, to uplift the spirits of those who purchase their beverages.

Other specialty drinks served during the event include their signature ube ice blended drink called Very Pookaberry (Php 160), their Oreo Matcha drink called Empathy (Php 170), as well as their Caramel Macchiato drink dubbed as Success (Php 160). All their drinks aren’t too sweet, so they’re all great to me.

THE PLANT-BASED PROJECT

During our visit last December 8, Pookaberry Cafe has also launched its partnership with The Plant-Based Project, headed by Ms. Camille San Diego. The Plant-Based Project serves various vegan dishes perfect for different meal times. As of this writing, they are also consistently coming up with more dishes, so do check them out soon! Here are the dishes we’ve tried during our visit:

💜 THE PBP SAMPLER (Php 349)
If you want to give vegan food a try, you may opt for this vegan pica-pica sampler which consists of the following: Spam Fries made from veggie meat that tastes like the real thing. There is also Smoky Broccoli Florets served with mayo dressing that’s super flavorful. On the other hand, spicy food lovers will enjoy the Buffalo Cauli Bites (MY FAVE!) that’s perfectly spicy and tangy, you’ll never want to eat Buffalo wings again. Finally, part of the platter is their Eggplant Mojos, their take on our pizza parlor favorite, minus the guilt. I loved everything!

✅ UBE CHAMP (Php 99)
Restaurants now serve different variations and flavors of champorado, and The Plant-Based Prject has their own, too. Presenting: ube champorado with nori flakes as toppings!!! I can’t believe it works, but, it worked splendidly. Delicious, filling, and unique. Also, it’s super affordable!

💜 CASHEW KARE-KARE WITH RICE (Php 175)
This is a vegan take on our favorite Filipino dish, Kare-Kare. Instead of peanut butter or peanuts, they used cashews instead. Cashew nuts have a milder taste than most nuts, so it’s definitely an excellent ingredient for this. Also, it’s way healthier since the fat in cashew nuts is heart-healthy! It’s also lighter on the tummy, so you can surely eat more with this. They serve the basic kare-kare dish with vegetables only, but you may also opt to add some toppings such as vegchon for only + Php 50! This will surely give more texture to the dish, without making you guilty.

✅ PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE (Php 299)
This filling fried rice is flavored with pineapples, and has cashews and chopped vegetables as toppings. You may opt to order this for sharing, plus other vegan favorites as viands! Moreover, this is best eaten with tofu cubes for only + Php 50!

Apart from serving really good food that won’t break the bank, Pookaberry Cafe is really worthy of praise as the Marco family shares their blessings by supporting two foundations: Project Pearls and Basilia Women’s Foundation. These two non-government organizations focus mainly on helping women and children, wherein the cafe helps them out by donating a portion of their proceeds to these organizations. Certainly, this is very remarkable and inspiring!

Finally, before you leave, you may also want to drop by their gift shop. Here, you can find unique toys and gifts for the kids and kids at heart. This seals the deal for a wonderful and holistic experience here at Pookaberry Cafe!

Pookaberry Cafe is located at 36 B Scout Ybardolaza, Diliman, Quezon City. The restaurant served these dishes during a bloggers’ event, and all reviews reflected are honest feedback from Eat Drink Splurge.

To know more about Pookaberry Cafe and their food offerings, click on the link below to read what other foodies have to say: