Palay

About Palay

Chef Fhred Batalona’s permanent Filipino house in the heritage bluestone off Smith Street (former Hell of the North), backed by Lawrence Jasper Menor, Ralph Libo-on and Michael Mabuti. Palay — unhusked rice in Tagalog — runs weekend Filipino café service with Philippine coffee, silogs and twice-proved pandesal, then Filipino tapas to share at night: house-made banana ketchup, kinilaw sa gata, sisig, inasal and larger plates such as crispy pata. Bookable set menus include Feed Me Tito, Feed Me Tita, chef-led Palay+ and prepaid Sunday kamayan Boodle Nights; groups of seven or more dine on set menus only. The blue-door room is styled to feel like home while a liquor licence is still pending (beer flagged as coming soon on the official site).