Flowers, Fruit Stalls & Al Fresco Dining in Romantic Salcedo Village, Makati

For the uninitiated Westerner, it can be hard to imagine that there are beautiful squares like the one around Jaime Velazquez Park in Salcedo Village. It is such a beautiful area that I have promised myself that one day I will live in One Salcedo Place. It really reminds me of a similar square -- called Berkeley Square -- which is in a very upscale neighbourhood of London.

So, in writing this week's piece, what else can one say about Salcedo Village? My journey started on the periphery of Salcedo Village, in Jazz Mall on Nicanor Garcia. I would often stay there on visits to Manila for work. When I came here I would not have much free time - we had projects spanning the globe and would be on calls from morning until night. I mostly saw the office, window views on long car trips to project sites, and Jazz Mall. - I've actually stayed in all 4 towers of Jazz Mall and on almost all of the floors!

Still, during that time, I discovered Salcedo Village and the Salcedo Saturday market in Jaime Velazquez Park. The first time I crossed the bridge from Gil Puyat over to Jaime Velazquez Park, it was like stepping into another world. I couldn't believe that something as beautiful as this could exist in Manila. For the first time, I thought: maybe I can stay here for a while. My Saturday morning routine became Eggs Ben at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Saturday market and a stop off at the guitar shop between Jupiter and Gil Puyat.

Coming to the Saturday market as a Westerner for the first time was quite an overwhelming experience - at least it was for my, shall we say, lesser-exposed palate. Seeing all the tropical fruits (some of which I had never seen or heard of before) was quite an experience. Seeing a citrus fruit with a green skin and an orange interior was mindblowing and the juice from it was amazing - I would later discover this to be the humble dalandan.

It was at the Saturday market that I would try takoyaki for the first time, freshly cooked up on its specialized grill. That in itself was a culinary adventure for me. I had only previously tried Japanese food once or twice before. I thought it was all just sushi, or chicken katsu curry. From that point onwards, my palate began to explore all the delights of Asian food, including balut!

It was in Salcedo, where I had my first Pan de Manila experience, on Valero Street: Pan de Coco to be precise - a joyous experience it was too! Nothing beats a sneaky trip to a Pan de Manila 24 hour hatch when you fancy a late night snack! Pan de Manila should be a global phenomenon with this offering. Salcedo is also where I experienced my first Korean ice cream, the delightful Melona. There used to be a Korean store over on Valero on the lower side of Rafino. It's gone now, unfortunately). Around this time I would quite frequently get lost in the streets around Salcedo and end up in Ayala Triangle amidst the sanctuary of the trees.

And, of course there is neighbourhood mainstay, Cartel and also it's big brother Pablo Bistro. Cartel is great for sitting outside and having a hot drink and a pain au chocolat. This is not to be underestimated as good pain au chocolats can be hard to come by in the Philippines. I frequented Pablo on Sundays as it was the closest thing I could get to a Sunday dinner from back home. They do a mean steak.

There are plenty of other places around the area, especially if you explore the back streets. There's a pretty random spot that sells milk out of the bottom of an apartment building on Valero. As fresh milk is something of a hot commodity in Manila, I was thankful to track this down. I come from a place where fresh milk is plentiful. UHT will not do for me.

Amongst the back streets, I must highlight DiCoFi, which is on San Augustin. It's a super little Vietnamese place that makes the most authentic Banh Mi that I have tasted in The Philippines. It is Vietnamese owned too. In fact, a lot of the little back streets around the area are worth exploring for other food places. - Another gem is Taqueria Franco by chef Miko Calo (another Filipino Michelin Guide addition) on the same street, which, as the name suggests, serves up tacos with a twist.

Finally, I have to mention Crosta - I genuinely think it's one of the best pizza places in Manila. The new arrival from Tokyo, PST Philippines located in Ayala Triangle, just falls short in comparison. My current favourite at Crosta is the Detroit Super Duper Supreme AND, AND, they also do awesome ice cream.

To go around the Saturday market now, after all these years, is still a joy. A frequent sight is that of blossoming romances around the market - it's always been a popular spot for a date. The recent addition of flower stalls has added an extra air of romance around the market too. I noticed groups of young ladies strolling around with big, bright, colorful bouquets. They told me it was a new Instagram trend. I asked them if they would still like to be bought flowers and they just laughed and said, of course. Consider this a gentle nudge to all the romantics of Manila, we know you're out there - the Saturday market is the place to go to buy your special someone flowers - and a pretty good place for a date!

The area got hit by the pandemic, with the Saturday Market having to close for quite some time. Maybe I'm imagining it, but the Saturday market seemed larger back then. More recently however, it does seem like it is coming back to pre-pandemic levels and it feels like the buzz is returning. It would be great to see more al fresco options around the area, like Cartel and Sampiro, especially around the square that surrounds Jaime Velazquez Park. It's such a great place to hang out. Romantic even.

I've created a Salcedo Village Spotify playlist below. To me, Salcedo Village screams jazz and classical music. However, as I know Jazz is not for everyone, I have also included a bunch of songs that I was listening to around the time that I discovered the neighborhood. I hope you enjoy it!

Date idea Salcedo Saturday Market: shop for food, grab some flowers and home with your fresh supplies to make a nice meal.

Coffee & Pastries Cartel

Dinner Pablo or Sampiro

Pizza Crosta