Liberty Asian Refuge + Bar addresses the clamor for more drinking options in the Eastwood Citywalk vicinity teeming with many thirsty clientele, and offers many creative options for the hungry other than your typical bar chow and late night grub. This new restaurant has opened in Eastwood, serving as a new refuge for customers seeking for something a little different with their Asian fare — the food selection is a good mix of appetizers, snacks and hearty mains, that dining here rather than just a nightcap will make for a delicious stay.
Spearheading the culinary team of Liberty is Chef Jonvic Mangibin, known for his creative takes on Filipino food at Lola Cafe + Bar. This time around, at the new Eastwood establishment, he showcases his fondness for Southeast Asian flavors and takes it for a spin with his dishes.
From baos to rice bowls, noodle soups to yakitori — here are some of their must-try dishes:
Small Plates to Pair with Cocktails
Whether you're craving a nibble in between sips of your nightcap or want to start dinner with bites of appetizers, their selection of small plates is plenty, listing over a dozen items, and varies from seafood to vegetarian friendly to starchy. The plate of French Beans (P99) is a favorite, taking homey string beans and turning them to addicting battered, deep-fried, and lime-sprinkled bar chow dipped on salted egg mayo. The Curry Rice Balls (P105) is another tasty pick — it reminded me of the flavors of Indian samosa, only it's stuffed with rice and cheese melt, with pickle remoulade. You can also think of it as an Asian arancini. Pair these small plates with their assortment of signature cocktails or local craft beer. They also have mocktails, fruit shakes, and juices if you prefer non-alcoholic sips.
Delicious Served On a Stick
A highlight at Liberty is their assortment of skewers, which are 2 sticks per order. They've got your yakitori cravings covered, encompassing different kinds of protein (chicken, beef, pork, seafood) and even vegetable options on the menu. To have a little bit of everything, get the Chef’s Platter (P430) which has their kitchen choose for you 2 kinds of Chicken, 2 kinds of Meat, 2 kinds of Seafood, and 2 kinds of Vegetable skewers to share. Top picks for their sticks include the lipsmacking Ox Tongue (P140), Black Cod (P195) with a light and sweet glaze, and Bacon (P110), the meatlover's reliable choice. If you're fond of 'nose to tail' chicken, then you'll enjoy their chicken sticks of Gizzard (P77), Liver (P77), and Corazon (P60/chicken heart). Meatless skewer options include Eggplant (P70), Tofu (P70), Corn (P85), and Mushrooms (P100).
Bao Down and Eat Some Buns
Snack on some small sandwiches big on flavor at Liberty — there are three baos, steamed homemade cuapao with assorted fillings, and a slider using fried bao as burger buns. My top pick is their Fried Chicken (P99) bao, the sandwich as colorful as it is flavorful, stuffed with marinated thigh meat, then topped with cabbage slaw and sriracha mayo. It's familiar and comforting like a fried chicken sandwich, and presents to the palate something a little different with the soft and sweet bao and other ingredients coming into play for its overall flavor. The Crispy Crablets (P99) is also something quite unique, served with chili-aligue sauce, cucumber pickles, and salted egg crumbs for a sweet, spicy, and zesty finish. Other baos include the angus beef Liberty Burger (P110) with kesong puti, and the Miso Pork Belly (P99) with apple and pear kimchi, honey-miso, and toasted nuts.
Modern Asian Noodles and Rice Bowls
From all-day breakfast, comfort food cravings, to late night hangover cures, Asians turn to a bowl of noodles or a pile of rice with their meaty component of choice. Liberty takes our well-loved noodle dishes and rice meals and reinvigorates old favorites with new flavors — the Smoked Beef Brisket (P245) is a noodle soup that will remind one of pares, albeit elevated to resemble a hearty ramen bowl, with mustard greens, 63-degree egg, meat jus, and egg noodles. The Spicy and Sour Soup (P233) on the other hand is a play on the Thai tom yum dish; this time around, the soup features salmon belly, baby squid, miso, kaffir, and glass noodles. For rice bowls, there are six to choose from, each featuring a different protein such as chicken, pork, beef, and fish, to name a few. There's Deep Fried Thick Bacon (P190) with red bean sauce and coleslaw served on a bowl of curry rice that's sure to please the bacon addicts, and my favorite, a bowl of Baby Squid & Crab Fat (P190) which takes aligue rice and marries it with crispy battered squid topped with crumbled salted egg, cucumbers, and smoked roe. That its crab fat was not overly rich but rather well-balanced is appreciated by the palate, and the salted egg and smoked roe gave each spoonful varying degrees of salty and umami.
A Couple of Sweet Endings
For devotees of dessert, seeing only two options for sweets on Liberty's menu may disappoint , but worry not — these couple of sweet endings do not disappoint and each have their own appeal. The Cheesecake (P130) takes the classic tangy American cheesecake and gives it a little Asian spin. The interplay of the sweet and tart cake with the tangy and creamy yogurt topping is finished with crumbs of black sesame–altogether nutty, a little savory, and a little sweet. My green tea loving heart, though, was won over by the Matchamacallit (P120) — a name-play on that famous crispy and chewy candy bar. At Liberty, they've created a wonderful matcha candy bar which takes peanut butter crisps reminiscent of childhood rice krispies squares, and coats it with a matcha chocolate sauce. Two pieces of torched meringue top the matcha candy bar, giving even more texture with every bite of the chewy and crisp matcha-loaded treat.
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Visit Liberty Asian Refuge + Bar at Eastwood Citywalk 1, Quezon City. They are open Sunday to Thursday from 3pm to 2am, and Friday and Saturday from 3pm to 4am. Like Liberty on Facebook ('Liberty Eastwood') and follow on Instagram (@liberty.ph).
