Bagoong Club Resto

One time we were cruising along Katipunan Avenue in Whiteplains when we noticed the elegant star-shaped capiz shell lanterns hanging on big trees. There’s a new restaurant called Bagoong Club on the building behind the big lighted trees.
O——-“Mam that’s pretty”.
A——-“I like that, I will hang something like that on our trees”.

About 23 years ago, Edmund and I went to the Exporters Fair in Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall. I was the event organizer together with the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines. I saw lanterns made of capiz shells in two different sizes, round and star-shaped. They didn’t have light bulbs. Before deciding to buy, I asked Edmund how we would be able to string it and put light bulbs. He answered, “Madali ang yan, basta bilhin, ako ang bahala”.
A——“Sure ka?”
E——“Basta bilhin mo”.

I ordered two dozens of the big round ones. 23 years later, ewan kung nasan na yung mga capiz. Hindi naman nya ginawa, sya daw bahala. Hayun, durog na yata yung mga capiz.

Kaya everytime I see trees with capiz lanterns, it brings back those memories.

After several times of passing by the trees in Whiteplains, we remembered the place has a newly opened restaurant. “I-try natin dun”. Actually, I wanted to look at the lanterns up close. Very nice talaga yung capiz.

The Bagoong Club Resto

The foyer

A table with some photos and three bottles of bagoong greet customers.

We took a table near the wall with wooden benches.

Oh my gulay menu

Their pork dishes are called Puro Kababuyan. It’s obviously a play of words that they think would amuse customers. On the contrary, none of us found it funny nor amusing. For some reason, when I saw the words, I felt irritated. Nainis ako.

According to their restaurant general manager, Mike Perez, the owner’s vision is to promote the bagoong as pambansang condiments. He wants every town, every city to use bagoong with their food (Filipino).

(from left) grilled garlic chicken, binagoonang baboy, manggang hilaw, tortang talong with togue, tofu. I also ordered grilled tuna belly.

I wanted some vegetable that’s why I ordered this tortang talong or lumpiang ubod talong. If you want quantity, this is it. However, it’s like eating something that you couldn’t figure out what it is based on the taste alone. Scale of 1-10, this dish is a 10 on the size of the serving, and 6 on quality and taste.

This chicken garlic lived up to its name. It had lots and lots of garlic. I didn’t taste it because I was already happy with the manggang hilaw at bagoong (alamang). Edmund didn’t like it because he’s not really a fan of garlic.

I also didn’t get to taste the binagoongang baboy which was Edmund’s order.

Bagoong Club is owned by Amable Miguel Aguilus IX, same owner of Johnny Rockets and Quizonos. It first opened in Tomas Morato in 2008. The executive chef is Tristan Bayani, 34, a graduate of La Salle. He goes to Morato two times a week. The sous chef in their Katipunan branch is Jojie Moreno. They’re opening a branch in Twin Lakes Tagaytay. Actually, that’s already part of Batangas, after Splendido, past Royal Tagaytay, before reaching Evercrest and Chapel on the Hill in Batangas.

Bagoong Club Resto
82 Katipunan Avenue Extension
White Plains, Quezon City
0922-8023672

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