Nonie’s Boracay is Now in Manila
Ask any Boracay digital nomad or frequent flyer for their favorite restos in the island and Nonie’s is sure to be on that list. Tucked in Station X (where you’ll find Hue Hotel and Resort), Nonie’s is a modern Filipino fusion restaurant that’s been around since 2017.
It’s refreshing to find bits of Philippine island favorites—whether it’s a known Siargao pizza place or in this case, a beloved Boracay restaurant—expanding in Metro Manila. Nonie’s finally opened their first Manila branch this April, and it’s in Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
I was invited to the recent soft opening of Nonie’s Alabang with food bloggers and fellow lifestyle writers. We sampled a mix of Boracay menu favorites and Alabang-only fare. And in true Nonie’s fashion, the ingredients are locally sourced and sustainably produced, while their “Filipino-inspired, thoughtfully crafted” branding caters to vegans, pescetarians, and carnivores. They also have gluten-free options.
Must-tries are these Alabang-only offerings:
Nonie’s Halo-Halo, ₱250. A take on the classic shaved ice Filipino dessert, Nonie’s version features honey-infused shaved ice, homemade fermented ube halaya, creamy leche flan, buko pandan and ube ice cream, fresh pandan, rice crips, and a few other mixes. The huge glass is good for two, but I devoured the entire thing all by myself.
Sticky Pork Ribs, ₱580. Slow-cooked sticky baby back pork ribs are marinated in pineapple juice and local spices, and served with sweet potato mash. Also try the Beef short rib kare-kare (not pictured).
Cocktails. For the Alabang nightcap crowd, Nonie’s has a drink list that includes classics and specialty mixes, such as the Southside Fizz, ₱400 (gin, fresh lime juice, cilantro cordial, blue pea soda), which is pictured here.
And course, if you’ve been to Nonie’s Boracay, some of the island favorites are part of the Alabang menu:
Vegan Sisig, ₱380, a healthier twist to the Filipino classic. This one is made of a variety of mushrooms, and served with onion rings and a side of lavosh crackers.
Ceviche, ₱400, features their fresh catch of the day marinated in spicy coconut vinaigrette and served with freshly baked lavosh.
Tuna rolls, ₱380, is Nonie’s take on the fresh lumpia, this time filled with tuna sashimi, seasonal greens, their spicy yogurt dip.
The Malaya, ₱400, is Nonie’s award-winning ube liquor cocktail. It’s made with ube cream liquor, pandan infused vodka, homemade almond milk, mango syrup, and kamote.
Chicken Pork Adobo, ₱450. Grilled chicken adobo, 72-hour crispy pork belly, and one soft-boiled egg are served with Cavite-style adobo (which means the sauce is infused with turmeric) topped with candied garlic and a helping of organic black rice. It’s gluten-free!
Bistek Tagalog, ₱580, was a crowd favorite. The thick, savory bistek sauce with a slab of beef brisket will make you rethink the Filipino classic. It’s topped with fried onion rings, seasonal greens, and for a unique twist, local buffalo cheese and sweet potato mash.
Fish and Prawn Curry, ₱580, was my main order. Fresh salmon and prawns are served in homemade curry sauce and organic black rice. I had it with Liquid Sunshine, ₱230, a mix of pineapple, mandarin, orange, and apple from their Cold Press menu.
Tempeh Kare-Kare ₱520, is one of the dishes that made Nonie’s famous in Boracay. A vegan twist on the classic Pinoy dish, this one’s made with homemade tempeh (traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans) and seasonal greens served with cashew sauce, Nonie’s bagoong, and organic black rice.
Nonie’s BBQ Pork Bowl, ₱450. You get two sticks of pork skewers marinated in bbq sauce, a soft boiled egg, sautéed greens in coconut milk, and cooked barley grain in lieu of rice.
Strawberry Cashew Cake, ₱320
Flourless Chocolate Cake, ₱280. This guilt-free chocolate cake uses Philippine-made chocolate topped with cashew nuts and raw cacao nib pralines with calamansi curd.
Strawberry Cashew Cake, ₱320, uses cashew flour cake with strawberry two ways, topped with raw cacao nibs, and drizzled with lemongrass sauce.
Owners Shria and Pat Florencio used to joke that they would never bring Nonie’s out of Boracay. I’m glad they changed their minds. They collaborated with branding expert Amanda Harbrow of Harbrow Creations in Australia to rebrand Nonie’s logo and visual identity in Boracay and expand their market to Metro Manila, starting with Alabang. Head chef Derrick Perez leads the Alabang kitchen.
The pet-friendly, two-floor, 35-seater location has a modern minimalist design by Geo Ward of local architectural firm, IDC Design & Build. The space’s laid-back island vibes feels like an extension of the OG Boracay location. With the scorching summer weather, you almost want to arrive in a bikini and a matching rattan sling bag.
Nonie’s second branch is located at Molito Lifestyle Center (across Alabang Town Center), Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Philippines.
Discover more from Kate Was Here
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
