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A few months ago, a dumped area where James and I always pass by on our way to and from the office has been developed into something interesting. It took more than two months of construction, and when there were revelations, we realized that they were working on a new restaurant. From the clearing to the construction of a new building office, we had already thought of visiting it once it opens up.
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However, the promise took a few weeks before we could really get to dine in at Kalye 648, the reason? Well, it was because of time restriction, every single chance that we could pass by this place, they were still closed then by the time we get home, they are also about to close so it was only last Saturday night that we had the right opportunity to eat there for dinner.
Kalye 648 History
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Kalye 648 is a house built in the '60s, converted into an antique restaurant which offers chicken, ribs, and desserts as well as liquors. The owners of the old house have migrated over to the United States leaving the house unattended for years, like literally years until their close neighbor offered them a deal. Because of a very long time of it unused, the place had been home to different garbage, it became an almost dumpsite by some neighbors, good thing their concerned neighbor had a brilliant idea.
The arrangement was that they will be renting the entire space, tidy it up, turn it into an eatery and showcase their old stuff which was still sitting inside the old house. The name Kalye 648 was the exact house bill number and now turned into the restaurant's name.
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As per to the caretakers whom we had spoken with after dining at Kalye 648, the house was too old they were too fearful to stay for a night. During the clearing operation as well, they would see to it that they are already out of the house before sundown because they felt like there were random spirits inside but that was probably just a psychological thing.
Kalye 648 Ambiance
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Kalye 648 exhibits a rustic dining encounter, with an antique house, archaic items displayed around the house and even an opportunity to go over to the second floor and take photos of yourself with the typical Filipino living room. I mean that space of which has a wooden shiny floor, a center table with a crocheted center place mat, a wide sliding window made of glass and comfortable wooden chairs plus indoor plants as well. They also provided white slippers so visitors could wear them while inspecting what's inside the second level.
But aside from that, there is also an outdoor lot where the tables were actually made from recycled timbers and kiddy stools, it may look a little bit bad because the chairs are tiny for adults but after hunkering down there for a while, I discerned it is not so bad after all most especially for a drinking sessions because of the view of the old house and the lights from the outside, plus its alfresco type of dining, and you know how that felt.
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While it may be a good spot to stay outside, we opted to get a table and chair from the inside of the house´s ground floor as we were interested with all the old things we could see, in fact from the gates, we already have a few glimpses of those things.
We found a seat at the corner just right next to the covered staircase. The table center number was a coconut shell made spoon, on my left was an old chest box with a Christmas reindeer on top, a bookshelf was also in that area which has some tattered books such as The Cradle Will Fall by Mary Higgins Clark, Strange Angels by Andy Bull, Night Chills by Dean R. Koontz and a lot more, not to forget that there were also romance novels. I bet those were still from the original owners, left behind to dry and be gone with the wind.
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One more thing that we found more interesting, there were a harp and a shelf full of stale stuff like saints portraits, figurines, and typewriters. There was also a sewing machine that looked certainly familiar, it reminded me of my mom´s old rusty one, it brought back memories of when my younger brother and I would be playing underneath the step.
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Then, at the restaurant´s wall were which depicted as the real owner´s family portraits in frames. The discoloration on that image signifies their age, old ones, laminated and well preserved. I am always fascinated by these types of images although they look a little scary at some point.
There's also a huge and old Tambis fruit tree which has been alive since the '80s.
Food and Service
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Kalye 648´s menu is still limited at this point, there were only a few options on the list but on our first dine, we made sure we could try the specialty of the house such as their Kalye Ribs and their Mango Float Shake dessert. Unfortunately, we didn´t try their Kalye Burger, that´s something that we will do in the near future, a good reason to come back.
James got his Kalye Ribs while I ordered their Spicy Chicken Wings. Although there was nothing special about their wings, James confirmed that the ribs were good. I commend them for using reusable plates, utensils and even paper straws, talk about saving the environment plus less waste!
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As for their staff and crew, I have nothing to complain. From the time we enter to the time we went out of the restaurant, they were very accommodating, their food waiting time was just fine and their staffs were bringing with them their wide smiles, one of them even offered that we should check out the second floor upon seeing that we had a camera in hand which I greatly appreciate. I don't know why most of the customers were just staying in the ground when there's a quite good spot upstairs. I also think it is a good place to also eat, its quite romantic but perhaps others might find it scary due to the fact that this was an ancient house.
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Today, their business hours range between 4 pm to 11 pm but sometimes it goes beyond most especially if there are still customers around.
Overall, this is a good place to dine and chill, something that offers a different thing from Tisa's famous Siomai. Their Kalye Ribs is one good reason to visit because they are really good plus the pricing is very affordable at Php 120! Their pricing is very affordable!
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Thank you for reading!
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About the author:
Jean Beltran-Figues is a photography enthusiast.
A traveler who wants to promote her beloved country, the Philippines.
