Light and Darkness. Yin and Yang.
Walk through the bright and cheery interiors of Nomi, and hidden behind an unsuspecting door with a solitary fan towards the back of the restaurant is BGC’s newest speakeasy—Nomu.
Nomu is the second brainchild of Nomi’s owners Take Hosomi and Asuka Hosokawa who both wanted a second place that contrasted against the bight mood of their first concept, Nomi—basically, a yang against Nomi’s yin. Nomu is designed as a cozy haunt after work hours made especially if you’re already in BGC and don’t want to have to fight your way through traffic just for a drink over in Makati.
Walk right in and you’re greeted with a glowing yellow wall behind the bar, stocked full of Japanese whisky. Drinks at Nomu are all prepared by Cedric, the head bartender, who is a 2016 La Maison Cointreau champion. So expect the drinks here, especially the Signature Cocktails, to be quite unlike what you can find in other bars around Metro Manila.
Ducky Punch (Php980)
A conversation starter (yes, that rubber duck is placed in the punch bowl on purpose), and made with a combination of Vodka, Watermelon, Basil, Fresh Lemon, and Simple Syrup. Each glass is made to be sweet and refreshing, masking most of the Vodka, making this drink a good start to your evening (but if you want to go straight for something strong, go for the Takeroni)
Matcha Amaretto Sour (Php450)
This is the only place I know that serves Matcha-infused alcohol. Mixing together Concoction, matcha powder, amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice, syrup, choco bitters, and eggwhite, you’re treated to a surprisingly just right bitter-sweet boozy concoction.
Through Sweet and Sour (Php350)
But in case you’d like a bit more sweetness for your evening drink, Nomu’s Through Sweet and Sour combines Rum, lemon, simple syrup, cinnamon, egg, chocolate bitters
Sweet and coffee liquor. But best be careful, just because it’s sweet doesn’t mean that a couple glasses of this drink won’t make you tipsy.
A secret drink available off the menu is a mix of gin, lavender, mint, apple and lemon juice. Served in a dainty teapot and teacups, this drink is perfect for any self-professed Tita of Manila itching for spiked afternoon tea. But this drink still doesn’t have an official name, so you just have to tell Cedric that you’d like the drink served in a teapot.
Nomu is sure to be popular with the BGC crowd for their boozy alcoholic drinks prepared by award-winning bartender Cedric, but if you’re anything like me, an evening out drinking with friends is not complete if not accompanied with tasty bar chow. Staying true to its Japanese concept, Nomu also serves tasty Japanese and Japanese-inspired dishes that pair great with their drinks.
Yakitori Chicken Stix (Php260)
Yakitori
The classic Chicken Yakitori, cooked in sweet teriyaki sauce, skewered together with green peppers, and sprinkled with sesame seeds, makes for a great food pairing to your drink at Nomu.
Jumbo Chili Pepper Rolls (Php250)
Coated in breadcrumbs, each giant (easily two fingers big) green chili pepper is generously stuffed with pork and mozzarella cheese and served with tartar sauce. Each bite starts quite like any chili finger but watch out for the spicy kick towards the middle.
Nomu Club Sandwich (Php330)
Challenge: How do you make a club sandwich, something distinctly American, Japanese? Nomu’s answer, incorporate a layer of succulent chicken katsu in between layers of bread, egg, and salad. The end result gives a delightful crunch and bite to the familiar club sandwich.
Nomu
Address: Ground Floor, W City Center, 30th Street corner 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
Phone Number: (02) 821 8769
Average Cost: Php700 – 900 per person
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