Milky Way Cafe in Makati: An Ice Cream Shop Turned into a Classic Filipino Restaurant
With its 40-year history, Milky Way Cafe surely deserves to be one of the restaurants that will let you see and taste how authentic Filipino dishes are like.
Tokwa’t Baboy / IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
Today’s Milky Way Cafe, however, came about after one of the tenant restaurants in the A&G Building said they could no longer continue operating. Over the weekend, they took over the restaurant, changed the name, and made it into a small café.
A year after, they were able to properly renovate the restaurant, serving classic Filipino food from Pampanga while retaining 1962 MilkyWay recipes for made-to-order.
IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
Intending to give his customers a blast to the past, Owner-Restaurateur Chef J. Gamboa designed the restaurant by adding in touches from the original Milky Way in the ’60s when he opened it in 2002.
Also Read: Business Talk with Chef J Gamboa
IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
The dishes served here are addictingly delicious, just like how they were prepared by the original chefs back in the day. At present, it offers a variety of Filipino dishes like Baby Crispy Pata, Tokwa’t Baboy, and their specialty Milky Way Kare-kare.
Kare-kare / IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
Another signature dish from that you should try is the Lechong Kawali, made from crispy lechon de leche and is served with their in-house liver sauce and atchara (pickled papaya) for an extra dose of depth and deliciousness.
Lechong Kawali / IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
Their BBQ Pork Spareribs, on the other hand, is a best selling dish that one should not miss. A plate of this serves you with a rack of tender ribs, Java rice, and atchara.
BBQ Pork Spareribs / IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
And since it started out as an ice cream shop, you should not leave without ordering its Milky Way Halo-Halo, which they are most famous for. This timeless Filipino dessert is definitely a must-try as its best-selling 1962 recipe will make you realize why it has always been an old-time dessert favorite.
MilkyWay Halo-Halo / IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
If Halo-Halo is not enough for you, do not forget to sample the creamy Milky Way Ice Cream. We guarantee you that the ice cream (available in cheese, ube, and avocado flavors) is one-of-a-kind, full-flavored creamy concoction that will surprise and win over your heart and tastebuds.
Milky Way Ube Ice Cream / IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
At Milkyway, you can also host everything from intimate dinners to grand celebrations in their stylish private rooms and banquet spaces! For a cozy gathering, the Aguado Room or San Rafael Room each hold 10-12 guests with a Php 6,000 consumable (plus 10% service charge) for the first two hours, and just Php 1,000 for every extra hour.
If you need a bit more space, combine both rooms to accommodate up to 30 people with a Php 12,000 minimum consumable for the first two hours.
Combined Aguado and San Rafael Rooms / IMAGE from Milky Way Cafe
For mid-sized events, the Mabini Room seats up to 40 guests with a Php 30,000 consumable for the first two hours and Php 2,500 per additional hour.
If you’re planning a bigger event, the Banquet Hall is ideal, accommodating 50-80 people with a Php 55,000 consumable and Php 5,000 for each additional hour.
For truly grand gatherings, you can combine the Banquet Hall and Mabini Room to host up to 150 guests with an Php 85,000 consumable for the first two hours.
This restaurant makes its customers feel relaxed and nostalgic through its long presence in the Filipino restaurant scene. Although a lot of Filipino restaurants have been established time and again, Milky Way still stands out to become one of the best when it comes to authentic Filipino flavors.
Aside from its main branch in Makati, Milky Way Café also has a branch in Rockwell, Makati.
Also read: MilkyWay Cafe in Rockwell: Bringing Nostalgic Filipino Favorites to Your Table
Want to relive the classic Filipino cuisine? Head on now to MilkyWay Café!
