8065 Bagnet: Innovating the Famous Ilocano Chicharon

It's been exactly one week since I ate in this hole in the wall (I love hole in the wall places!) restaurant that I instantly fell in love with. 


Last Saturday, I went to Makati to visit my friend Ton for our weekly HTML & CSS lessons. Yes, I study HTML & CSS for fun. I'm a self confessed nerd. Haha. 


Anyway, he was asking me where I wanted to eat for lunch, "Gusto mo itry yung Bagnet? Kapatid ni Kitchie Nadal may ari nun." (Translation: "Do you want to try Bagnet? The sibling of Kitchie Nadal owns the place.") (Note: Kitchie Nadal is a Filipina rocker singer/songwriter) I had no clue what Bagnet (sorry Ilocanos, haven't been there!) was at that time but hey, if it's related to Kitchie Nadal, why not? Fan girl Smarla!

Random fact: I can play this song on guitar! Yaaay! HEY It's Onemig Bondoc! Hihihi.

After a jeepney ride and a walk through an innocent-looking residential alley (Estrella St.), we arrived in 8065 Bagnet. Good thing my friends know this place because I'd never suspect that there was a great restaurant in the area. It's quite easy to miss so make sure to bring a map of Makati before heading out. 

Hey Kermit's at the Entrance

After researching, I learned that Bagnet is a famous Ilocano deep fried pork dish. Pork chunks are boiled, then drained and air-dried. It is then deep fried until the skin has reached the state of having bubble-like blisters. Some just simply say it's Ilocano Chicharon or Ilocano Litson Kawali. 

Ilocano Bagnet (image courtesy of pinoyexchange.com)

8065 Bagnet takes this dish to the next level by innovating Ilocano Bagnet and infusing it into other well-loved Filipino dishes such as Kare-Kare, Dinuguan and Sisig! It's such an ingenious way to cook Bagnet. They serve 7 main Bagnet dishes (Dinuguan Bagnet is their new dish!), 1 pork ribs dish, 1 chicken dish and side dishes such as Ensaladang Talong and Okra with Bagoong (perfect to balance off the cholesterol!). Click here for their menu & price list c/o myfoodtrip.com.


We ordered two Bagnet dishes for sharing. The first up is Kare-Kareng Bagnet. 

Kare-Kareng Bagnet (Php180, good for two; Php105, budget meal with rice and soup)

I love Kare-Kare and this Kare-Kareng Bagnet was really scrumptious. It's a little creamier than most Kare-Kare dishes that I've tried but I really enjoyed it. I loved how crispy the bagnet was and it was really able to absorb the sweet nutty taste of Kare-Kare. The bagoong gives it an additional salty taste to complement the sweet sauce. I wish there were more vegetables though. Despite that, some say that this is the best dish in the house; however, I beg to differ. 


For me, Bagnet Sisig trumps Kare-Kareng Bagnet. 

Bagnet Sisig (Php190, good for two, Php110 budget meal w/ rice and soup)

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this dish. If I just didn't know that Bagnet is deep fried pork, I would have devoured this good-for-two Bagnet Sisig by myself! 


The texture is simply wonderful since all of its ingredients provided that fun crunchy experience. The bagnet was once again fried to perfection - sinfully crispy! Moist and just partying with flavors by itself. The green peppers, onions and slightly spicy sauce (hmm don't take my word on slightly spicy since I love spicy to the point of not being able to taste it in dishes with little heat) just make the dish an explosion of flavors. Absolutely fantastic innovation of Bagnet. We drank this with Coca-Cola but I think it would go better with some beer. 

Bagoong Rice (Php30)

We ate our meals with Bagoong Rice. By itself, it's just okay. I've tasted better Bagoong Rice but I think it was intentionally less salty and less strong than other Bagoong Rice so that it would not overpower the Bagnet dishes. Of course I'm not sure if that's really the intent but it's still a great complement to both the Kare-Kareng Bagnet and Bagnet Sisig. 

Ilocos Norte (photo courtesy of globosapiens.net)

Guess what, they source their Bagnet all the way from Ilocos! Expect quality Bagnet from this place. If you love Ilocos' Bagnet, they say that this is as delicious if not better than the ones you find in the north. Great! A taste of Ilocos in Makati - that's a pretty good reason to visit it!

Another great reason to visit 8065 Bagnet is its artsy, laid back atmosphere. If you just want a hideout from all that Makati stress, rush over to this quaint, eclectic restaurant with mismatched chairs and tables and dim lights. It has an old music bar feel to it. 


There are a lot of interesting things on each corner of the restaurant. There's the crazy graffiti wall. You can write on this wall. :)

There's the 3-D painting of a water jar with a waterfalls backdrop. 

There's the bookshelf section, where you can find medical & random books, Kitchie Nadal's awards and CDs, little artworks and toys. 

A closer look at the bookshelf: Kitchie Nadal's awards. Congrats!

A closer look at the bookshelf: Music album covers and CDs

I really like this painting on a coaster a lot. It's obviously made with so much passion. Notice the brush strokes and the color palate. 


My favorite part of the restaurant has to be our corner. Haha, self proclaimed area! Kidding! 

I liked our little nook since it provided us the our own "privacy" and it energized us with a breathtaking backdrop. The paintings are amazing - most of them at least. Hehe. Peace pink cat painter. 

My favorite painting is the one behind Jan - the painting of a flying rooster. 

The colors and the texture of the painting are skillfully and artistically crafted. It's a masterpiece. Kudos to the painter, whoever you are. Please invite us to your exhibits. :) It's highly possible that those are artworks of Kitchie Nadal's brother. I'll ask the waiter next time to be sure. :) I wouldn't be surprised though if they were a family of artists. 


*The picture of the rooster here does not do the actual painting justice. It's much better when you see it for yourself. Sorry, it's hard to take photos with dim lights.

After sharing a lot of laughs and tossing jokes around, we left the place with dancing taste buds. Those were truly innovative Bagnet dishes. Thank you Ilocos Norte for introducing Bagnet to us. Thank you 8065 Bagnet for bringing a piece of Ilocos Norte closer to Manila. Thank you Ton for bringing me to this hole in the wall :)


I'll definitely come back to this place again with some friends. I heard that their Dinuguan is one of their special dishes. I'll definitely try that with a bottle of ice cold beer. I'll also have a 2nd round of that memorable Bagnet Sisig. 

Pigging out (photo courtesy of salon.com)

Just a tip when you eat here: Before starting a meal here, my friends taught me to pray first and pray extra hard that the cholesterol won't cause a stroke. Hahaha :)) Make sure people can still walk straight and talk properly after pigging (get it, pork? corny!) out here. Just watch your cholesterol level. 

La Salle Branch (photo courtesy of crazygirlallovertown.blogspot.com)

There's also another branch in La Salle but I think Makati is the better branch in terms of ambiance. Click here to read Catz' blog on their other branch: click me!



PS. They have Quiz Night on weekends. They post the schedule on the blackboard near the door. During Quiz Nights, customers are tested with trivia questions about anything under the sun. The one who can answer the most number of questions correctly gets buckets of beer and free bagnet! Wohoo!
PS.2. If you're still looking for more write ups on 8065 Bagnet, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Whew, that was a lot! :) Kudos food bloggers! 

Correct Map! (so sorry for the incorrect map last time)

More Info on 8065 Bagnet:
Address: 8065 Estrella St., San Antonio Village, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: 508-1807
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday 11:00am to 12:00am 
                            Sunday 5:00pm to 12:00am

Other Branch: Leon Guinto St. (Near La Salle)




~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter. :)~