Restaurant Review: 1521 Restaurant

I’m quite hard to please when it comes to restaurants that serve Filipino dishes. My parents are really good cooks. I know a bit about the kitchen too. Most of the times when I go to a Filipino restaurant, I can’t help but compare their food with those that I get to eat every single day at home. So when I say that a Filipino restaurant is good, it really is!

I got to discover 1521 Restaurant along with my teammates one payday Friday when we decided to splurge for lunch. Last January, Mica and I brought the team here for our birthday treat. So one Friday night when the traffic at BGC was horrible because of the opening of SM Aura, Boyet and I decided to have dinner first. I was so confident that my husband will like it too.

We were immediately greeted and ushered to our seats by their very friendly waiters. I must say that 1521 staff is consistently warm and very accommodating. When we went there for the first time, the waiter answered all our questions. They really know the food they serve.

Aside from the creative wall designs, 1521 is well-known for the catchy names of their dishes. Our team’s favorite is Talong Mo Kay Tulfo which is simply tortang talong. It’s quite a mouthful so we always end up saying Talong ni Tulfo. =))

Anyway, we decided to have Calamari ng Tamad for starter. Why is this calamari for lazy people? The menu says that this is a “no need to dip extra crunchy squid”. Ang taba ng utak nila! :p


It is very crunchy and the squid is tender. Unfortunately, we ended up taking home most of it, not because it’s not good, but because it was overshadowed by the Sinigang na Lechon Kawali.


Filipinos love Sinigang and Lechon Kawali. The bright people of 1521 decided to merge these two into a single delectable dish. Our first sip of the soup made us totally forget to eat the calamari. It was so addicting! Imagine eating chunks of crispy lechon kawali that have been submerged in sinigang soup. I have tried their bulalo and pochero. Both are really delicious and WERE my favorite dishes. But after trying the Sinigang na Lechon Kawali, I need to give the sole crown to it. If you’re a lover of sinigang, you should not miss this. If you hate sinigang, this dish will change your mind.

Since we were already in a Pinoy feast, we decided to go all the way! We had their Sago’t Gulaman to end our meal.


If you have plans of going to 1521, you also have to try their Dinamitang Keso which is cheese sticks with green chili and Bonggang Bonggang Binagoongan! I told you their dishes have catchy names. In case you’re wondering how the restaurant got its name, ask yourself when Magellan discovered the Philippines. Amazing, eh?! =)


1521 Restaurant 
Forbes Town Center
Forbes Town Rd
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig