Cafe Enye wants you to get in touch with Spanish cuisine again

Hidden in the nook of a corporate building in Bonifacio Global City is a restaurant that aims to bring Spanish cuisine closer to the younger people.

There are two common connotations attached to the cuisine, according to Cafe Enye’s marketing consultant Cyrus Cruz—it’s either too chic and high end or traditional, like what we eat in our grandparents’ house. Through this, the restaurant found this objective: to fill the gray area, bridge the gap, and reach out to the younger market.

In Enye, as it’s casually called, food is priced modestly for an authentic fare. “Since we want to make it accessible, we adjusted the price point accordingly and put out dishes that are easily recognizable,” Cruz says.

Although tucked away in Citi Plaza in Bonifacio Global City, customers still flock this new restaurant, mostly by people working in the building.

To diminish the rigidity of the location, a mural of bed of flowers covers an expanse of the wall.

Yes, the food is familiar, but they make sure that there’s something distinct on your plate. They particularly categorize their food as colonial Spanish cuisine, which means they serve dishes from countries colonized by Spain like the Mediterranean, Central and Southern America, Morocco, and the Philippines during the spice trade.

To get you in the mood for a savory gastronomic adventure, start with Gambas Enye Style, a garlicky dish where plump shrimps swim in oil with chimichurri to give it a South American flair.

In contrast, their Lechon Carbonara is extra lush. The pasta is cooked with an egg yolk then topped with another raw yolk for a cheesy and creamy finish.

Their gambas featuring tender medium-sized shrimp gets its garlicky and herby flavor from the chimichurri in the oil.

The juicy and crispy lechon or chicharrones alongside carbonara are cooked in three ways. First they steam them, sous vide, and then roast to maximize the belly’s succulence.

Their bestselling paella is as creative as it can get. The Moroccan-style Curry Paella is flavorful, drawing heat from the curry-turmeric and cinnamon fusion and enlivened with roasted chicken and homemade yogurt.

The rice is made paella-style but with curry and turmeric, making it spicier. It might be tempting to pour the yogurt all over your plate but don’t—test how it’ll taste first.

Like the popular silog, this brunch plate has a sunny side up fried egg served on top of Enye rice, and with pickled onion, garlic chips, and crispy anchovies on the side.

This is Enye Callos Buns, Chinese-style soft buns (think Tim Ho Wan’s famous pork buns) filled with slow-cooked callos.

Got room for dessert? End the hearty meal with Chouxros, a homemade Pate a Choux pastry that’s unlike other churros—light, airy, and melts in your mouth (even when it gets cold). It comes with chocolate and whipped cream with drizzles of dulce de leche dips. They also have cheesecake you can order plain or with drizzles of dulce de leche or Chocnut glaze.

These Chouxros may look big and too many for a dessert but their fluffy texture makes them the opposite.

This velvety cheesecake is made in-house. If you still have chocolate dip from the churros, you may also pour it on the cake.

The team behind Enye opened this BGC branch, which is their second, in celebration of the food chain’s second anniversary. If you’re nearer Eastwood, you can find the original Enye there with bigger space and food that’s just as good.

Enye roasts its own beans. Pair your cheesecake with their Cafe Mocha.