Cafe Enye Brings Colonial Spanish Cuisine to Bonifacio Global City

Comfortingly familiar yet different and inventive, it's Spanish cuisine with a global spin. And it's now here at Bonifacio Global City...

Cafe Enye takes its innovative and concept-driven approach to Spanish cuisine to Bonifacio Global City with its second branch located at Citi Plaza along 34th Street.  The dishes at Cafe Enye take you on a culinary journey retracing the expansion of the Spanish Colonial era from Latin America and the new world and Africa and Asia at the height of the spice trade. It's this unique perspective to global culinary flavors that make Cafe Enye's culinary expression of Spanish cuisine refreshingly different, drawing inspiration from varied global cuisines and styles. Simply, it's Spanish cuisine reflecting where the Spanish traveled and settled, from Northern Morocco to Argentina, Central America and the Philippines. And it's a concept that works, with a second branch at BGC and more planned in the pipeline...

Start with Cafe Enye's refreshing Cafe Joya (P 170), a blended coffee drink with pearls, not something you'd find in a traditional Spanish restaurant. But that's Cafe Enye for you, it isn't your usual Spanish restaurant.

And there's no better way to discover Cafe Enye's unique culinary style than with its sumptuous appetizers...

Begin your culinary journey at Cafe Enye with some tasty bites like the Pollo Croquettas (P 175) with crispy marinated chicken, bechamel and potato croquettes served with salsa verde and homemade pickled red onion. Cafe Enye delicately infuses the chicken to the bechamel and potato, blending seamlessly with each bite. The salsa verde and the pickled red onions add contrasting notes for balanced flavors. 

And there's more. Starting with small bites is part of the Spanish dining experience and Cafe Enye makes it even more special with creative touches for new flavors.

The Pinchitos Pescado (P 250) offers bold and rich notes with caramelized onions, creamy aioli and tender rock fish fillet topped with water spinach on crisp squid-ink baguette. The delicate notes of the fish are kicked up by the aioli and smoky sweetness of the caramelized onions, capped by the crisp onions and the crusty squid-ink baguette for that perfect finish. 

The Gambas Enye Style (P 350) is an inventive spin on the classic Spanish dish with succulent and plump shrimps delicately cooked in garlic-infused olive oil, roasted garlic and topped with crisp garlic chips and chives. The chimichurri-like base adds fresh, nutty and vibrant notes complementing the briny sweetness of the shrimps. Using the freshest shrimps, the shrimps peel off cleanly from the shell followed by a fresh snap with each bite. And that sauce. Ask for some crisp bread to mop up the flavorful sauce.

The Enye Callos Buns (P 135) has been a favorite of mine since my first ever visit to Cafe Enye's pioneering branch in Eastwood (more on my earlier post from last year at Colonial Spanish Cuisine at Cafe Enye). Almost like snow buns, the freshly made soft buns filled with savory slow-cooked callos is one of those culinary mash-ups that really work. Laid on crisp potato strings and garlic chips, it's an elegantly plated starter that captures the concept behind Cafe Enye.

The soft, delicate and mildly crisp buns absorbs the savory richness of the fork-tender beef tripe followed by the bun's subtle sweetness. And it's really no surprise why this is one of Cafe Enye's popular dishes.

After some tasty appetizers, time for some serious eats with the Cafe Enye Specials good for 2-3 persons like the Moroccan-Style Curry Paella (P 385), an inspired take on the classic paella infused with Moroccan flavors with soft and fluffy rice simmered in curry, turmeric and cinnamon topped with chicken and yogurt.

It's definitely not your usual paella, but it delivers the same comforting, hearty and rustic vibe that plays on the palate and warms the belly with its bold and complex blend of spices. The tender chicken and yogurt completes the flavors in this unique paella dish. Cafe Enye also offers more traditional paellas like the Paella Valenciana (P 405) and Paella Negra (P 450) adding more options to your choices.

But Cafe Enye has one more savory surprise. The Cochinillo a la Casa (P 1,400) adds a festive celebratory vibe to your dining experience at Cafe Enye with slow-cooked and roasted prime cut of suckling pig served with pan-seared peaches over roasted root crop vegetables and served with three sauces, namely Red Wine and Honey Glaze, Chimichurri and Homemade Liver Sauce. And you don't even have to call in advance to order this dish. The slab of pure pork love is juicy and tender with a layer of light and crisp crackling delivering an audible crackle with every slice. The richness of the pork is tempered by the tart and sweet notes of the pan-seared peaches, perfect with the nutty chimichurri. The red wine and honey glaze is sweet and sticky adding another set of flavors, while the homemade liver sauce takes you back to familiar territory. Another crisp and juicy slice? Absolutely. Definitely a must-try at Cafe Enye, and one of my personal favorites.   

Cafe Enye also serves a selection of indulgent desserts, just ask the servers for their daily baked treats. That day, we had Cafe Enye's decadent Cheesecake (P 295) topped with your choice of Dulce de Leche or Chocnut Glaze...

...along with their signature Chouxros (P 170), the traditional Pate a Choux pastry served with dulce de leche and tsokolate peanut butter dips. And just like that, you've retraced the journey of the Spanish conquest and spice trade routes with a Colonial Spanish feast at Cafe Enye. Not to be missed are Cafe Enye's sumptuous breakfast selections, from their signature Paella Brunch Plates to tortillas, salads, and sandwiches. Embark on your own flavorful journey with Cafe Enye's inspired take on Spanish cuisine, right here at the financial district of Bonifacio Global City.