Barkada’s old venue on Cochrane Street, FOCO I Photo by Rozelle Carlos
Filipino dining spot Barkada recently closed its beloved venue on Cochrane Street, FOCO last May and has since relocated to a different site in Central. This July, you can get all your barkada set for a Filipino feast at their new home on Elgin Street in Soho, just across from its sister bar, Kinsman. The original location, which opened in early 2023 under the Mid-Levels escalator, quickly became one of the few modern Filipino restaurants in Hong Kong. It was known for casual, communal dining, and a menu that mixes familiar Filipino dishes with twists. Behind it is food blogger Jen Balisi (of Indulgent Eats) and local hospitality group Singular Concepts (proprietor of Ella, Kinsman, Tell Camellia, and more).
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The new location is a 20-seater, street-level space. It leans into Filipino street food culture and the vibe is more intimate, but overall, it’s still the same.
“We were gutted when we had to close our doors, but the outpouring of love from our barkada was incredible. This new space is everything we’ve wanted—intimate, edgy, and all about the food.” says Jen.
Along with signature favorites like Spicy Funky Coconut Noodles and Lumpia, the bew spot will be offering new items, particularly New York-style pizzas with popular Filipino flavors like the Sisig, that first appeared in Jen’s cookbook. The rest of the lineup is expected to follow the same theme: Filipino with a twist.
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Since opening in 2023, Barkada had built a menu around pulutan (a Filipino term for small plates meant for drinking and sharing.) There was also a full Kamayan set served on banana leaves, where groups could eat with their hands in a tradition borrowed from military feasts in the Philippines.
Barkada is now in its soft opening at its new address: G/F, 25 Elgin Street, Soho, Central. Guests can explore the new space and enjoy 15% off their bill until July 13. Additionally, you can BYOB free of charge.
You can follow @barkada.hk on Instagram for updates.
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