What warrants the expression “tara na!”? Is it about hype, excitement, or simply the halikana to a spontaneous get-together?
Naming a restaurant after such sets the expectations that good times are about to begin and won’t be ending up until you walk out of their door.
The concept of TARA! carved out a unique niche: a warm, welcoming Filipino diner that brings “playful twists on the classics” to the table. With the opening of their brand new location in Bonifacio Global City, the brand is ready to show food lovers what it looks like in full color.
According to Aluyan Food Group’s Chief Culinary Officer and TARA!’s culinary direction lead Datu Shariff Pendatun, this new branch serves as the “fuller expression” of the brand, introducing an exciting expansion of their original menu of classic Filipino food and pop culture references infused into their single-origin coffee lattes, playful cocktails, and unique pika-pika and ulam.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Diner
At its core, TARA! is consistent at introducing itself as your go-to neighborhood diner. “In terms of cuisine, it’s a Filipino diner,” Pendatun shares. “We serve diner classics such as pancakes, waffles, and fried chicken, but at the same time, we also serve Pinoy favorites.”
TARA! BGC opened its doors earlier this month on the tenth of October. To anyone who lives or frequents BGC, this new branch isn’t meant to be a carbon copy of their White Plains predecessor.
To hungry diners and coincidental passersby, they want to present themselves as “a place where every visit should feel a little like coming home and every meal is an excuse to gather.”
The ambiance inside the restaurant itself was lively, yet not unpleasantly chaotic. Everything from the diner decor, the brightly colored walls and flourishes, and the big mirror for guests to take selfies kept things cozy, affable, and fun. I was happy to see the menu reflect that same vivacious energy.
Signature Dishes and BGC Exclusives
The beauty of the food at TARA! is that each and every one is infused with either a classic Filipino food or pop culture reference, of which can be eaten and enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, dinner, meriendaMeriendaMerienda is the Filipino tradition of an afternoon snack, bridging the stretch between lunch and dinner. Rooted in Spanish colonial custom, it can be as simple as pandesal and coffeeGo to Merienda Glossary, and even late after work.
The TARA! brand wouldn’t be what it is today without the longstanding star power of some of their signature dishes. The Belgian Champorado was one of the first things I read from the menu that left an impression of me just thinking about it. It was served with a full cream milk powder and a unique tuyo dust you could sprinkle and mix with the belgian chocolate sticky rice porridge to your liking. The Big Brekky brought together several Filipino breakfast staples to grace one big plate: tapaTapaThinly sliced cured beef, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and vinegar, then pan-fried until tender and browned at the edges. Served with garlic rice, fried egg, and spiced vinegarGo to Tapa Glossary, longganisa, and a tocino bacon accompanied by garlic rice, sunny side up eggs, their house vinegar, pickled onion, and piñachara. Thinking back to that lunch, I really wish I ate more of it, just to enjoy more how it balances between nostalgic savory flavors. The Party Purple Pancake looked as grandly sweet as it tasted, but honestly it wasn’t overpoweringly so. I actually brought home the leftover pancakes and was able to share it with my family and they really liked it. We also got to try their Ube Milkshake, SPAM Chips n’ Dips, one of my favorite appetizers from that lunch.
With the kitchen and bar now completely unrestricted, Tara! BGC introduces a lineup of playful, indulgent creations you won’t find at the original location. The Longga Nachos were essentially chips topped with garlic longganisaLongganisaA Filipino sausage with a wide range of regional styles, from the sweet, garlicky hamonado of Pampanga to the tangy, garlicky longganisa of Vigan and Lucban. Usually pan-fried until caramelized,Go to Longganisa Glossary, cheese sauce, garlic aioli, and salsa served in the bright orange Jack ‘n Jill Tostillas bag. I love spicy sisig, and so their Firecrackers fit that bill so well. Sisig and green chili wrapped in a lumpia wrapper and fried was the perfect spicy and tangy bite.
What I was personally most excited about trying were their signature coffee drinks. The banana compote and crispy lumpia wrapper topping was what made their TuronTuronA popular Filipino snack of sliced saba bananas, often with jackfruit, wrapped in thin lumpia wrappers, then fried until crisp and coated in caramelized brown sugar. Sold on street cornersGo to Turon Glossary Latte have a non-surface level essence of turon. The Flat White Rabbit was imbued with the nostalgic candy by mixing the coffee with condensed milk and a White Rabbit syrup. And lastly, there was the Spanish Bread Latte, which is what I drank the most of as a spanish bread lover. Mixing the brown butter syrup and toasted milk with the Spanish bread paste at the bottom of the cup with my straw was mandatory to get the perfect sip.
The Staying Power of Good Food
Community has always been the central pillar of TARA!’s expansion strategy. Just as the White Plains location tailored itself to its residential surroundings, the BGC branch caters directly to the vibrant lifestyle of its neighborhood. Looking ahead, the team plans to roll out promotions specifically tailored for the local running community, offering a hearty morning refueling spot for those logging early miles around the Fort Bonifacio area.
Gaining traction doesn’t look to be much of a problem for TARA! BGC. It speaks volumes, it goes far beyond an admittedly prime spot in the BGC circuit. Plenty of restaurants in populated areas survive on first-time curiosity alone, only for it to eventually fade away. The different with a neighborhood diner like TARA! is that they strive to leave a lasting impression not driven by gimmickry, but by just serving fun vibes. and really, really good food.
TARA! Filipino Diner is located on the Ground Floor, Tower 1, Avida Towers Turf 9th Avenue corner Lane S, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Frequently Asked Questions
TARA! BGC opened on October 10 at the Ground Floor, Tower 1, Avida Towers Turf, 9th Avenue corner Lane S, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The branch follows the brand’s original location in White Plains and is not meant to be a carbon copy of it.
TARA! serves Filipino diner food that pairs classics such as pancakes, waffles, and fried chicken with Pinoy favorites. Each dish carries a Filipino food or pop culture reference, and the menu works for breakfast, lunch, dinner, merienda, and late-night meals after work.
TARA! BGC offers dishes not found at the original location, including Longga Nachos, made with garlic longganisa, cheese sauce, garlic aioli, and salsa, and Firecrackers, sisig and green chili wrapped in lumpia wrapper and fried. The unrestricted kitchen and bar make these BGC-only additions possible.
TARA! BGC serves single-origin coffee lattes infused with Filipino food references, including the Turon Latte, topped with banana compote and crispy lumpia wrapper, the Flat White Rabbit, made with condensed milk and White Rabbit syrup, and the Spanish Bread Latte, made with brown butter syrup and toasted milk.
TARA!’s signature dishes include the Big Brekky, a plate of tapa, longganisa, and tocino bacon with garlic rice, sunny side up eggs, house vinegar, and pickled onion, and the Belgian Champorado, a Belgian chocolate sticky rice porridge served with full cream milk powder and tuyo dust.
