Sobra Cafe

Molito is the go-to hangout spot for those living south of Manila (southies). Whether it’s brunch, dinner, to work at a cafe, or to get a sweet treat, Molito has an array of places to choose from. With the new expansion and additional establishments, the southies are spoilt for choice. However, there’s one cafe that I frequent with friends and family. It’s smaller than the others but has excellent food and a nice, simple, but calm atmosphere.

Sobra Cafe faces the courtyard and fountain area. They offer all-day breakfast favorites and crowd-pleasing dishes, but with a slightly elevated twist. Here are some of the dishes you can expect from this cafe.

Brunch is really the new thing among the younger crowd. It’s when food, fashion, and socializing come together. What’s nice about brunch is that there aren’t really any rules. You can order breakfast food or lunch food. It can be light or heavier meals, it just really depends on your mood. Sobra’s All Day Breakfast offers some great options for any time of the day. They have the Tapa Sobra made with U.S. beef, Chicken Tocino, Smoked Bacon with a pineapple glaze, Pancakes and Fried Chicken, French Toast, and more. 

If you’re not big on breakfast food, then you can dive straight into the lunch and dinner options. Appetizers include Gambas Thermidor, which comes with toasted sourdough bread, Croquetas and Bravas, Chicken Poppers, Baby Squid Fritti, and my personal favorite, Dirty Fries. I haven’t seen anyone do a similar take on the way Sobra does dirty fries. Theirs comes with, of course, fries, topped with chicken poopers, a cheese pimiento sauce, a garlic cilantro drizzle, and the out-of-the-box last ingredient, popcorn! The popcorn adds a little fun and texture to the plate and makes it an easy snack to pick at while talking with friends. 

  For some fresh and light options, they offer a Caesar Salad, generously dressed and featuring crispy chicken skin, a Prawn Thermidor Salad with spiced harissa sauce and pomelo, and a Green Salad accompanied by roasted carrots and almonds. Moving up from the salads, they also have sandwiches and burgers. Their Uncle Bert’s Fried Chicken Sandwich comes with brioche buns and a tangy coleslaw, while their Moli Cheesesteak is made with U.S. beef and drizzled with melted cheddar cheese. They also have Two Dogs, which is done with frankfurters in hot dog style buns, and lastly, an Avo Toast with hummus and breakfast potatoes. 

For the mains, they do have bowls and pasta. They have favorites like House Sisig, Shawarma, and Bulgogi. However, they also have some unique options, such as Loco-Moco, a smashed beef patty with mushrooms and peppercorn sauce, and their Poke-Poke, which comes with salmon cubes, fried dilis, and a mix of mango, pomelo, and pickled cabbage. All of these options are served with rice, making them a great choice if you're looking for something hearty. 

Their pasta options are also decent, with common choices like Mac n Cheese, Pesto and Vegetables, Sausage and Spaghetti, and some more unique ones like Paccheri Beef, Vongole and Feta, and another personal favorite, Truffle and Steak, which comes with a ribeye steak that is tender and pairs well with the truffle oil-infused pasta. 

They also have other main dishes to choose from, such as Ribeye Steak Rice, Fish and Chips, Pot Roast with asparagus and peppercorn gravy, Salmon that is miso marinated, and Chicken Confit. 

After your most likely satisfying meal, it’s not uncommon to want a sweet treat afterwards. They do have a couple of options, like a Brownie or their Banoffee Pie, to get that little sugar fix. When it comes to drinks, they do have some delicious options such as Mango Iced Tea, Sobra Limeade, Passion Mint Tea, and a list of fruit shakes and sodas to choose from. Since it is a cafe, they also have to talk about their coffee. They have the usuals, Americano, Cappuccino, Café Latte, and Mocha, but they also have other interesting options such as Salted Caramel Latte, Spanish Latte, and Ube Latte. If you are not a coffee lover, they do have a Matcha Latte or Hot Chocolate, which are both great options, especially during the rainy season. 

If you happen to be having dinner at Sobra, or you’ve simply chatted away for a good few hours with your friends that you have reached cocktail hour. Don't fret; you don’t have to leave and go somewhere else. The gathering can still continue since they also do classic cocktails like a Gin Tonic, Whisky Sour, Negroni, White and Red Sangria, and many other options. They also have liquors, wines, and beers if cocktails are not your thing. 

Overall, Sobra Cafe may look simple on the outside, but it’s a southie favorite for a reason. Good food, reasonable prices, a convenient location, and a great menu, featuring both drinks and food. The staff are always friendly and attentive, and you can choose between indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather or your mood. Either way, all my experiences of Sobra Cafe have been positive, and my friends and family will always come back every now and then to chit-chat, chill, and of course, eat with ease and comfort.