Juana’s Budbod & Coffee: Better Than TAPSILOG! Another Great Food Trip Destination Along University Belt in Manila

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (4 of 19)

Juana’s Budbod & Coffee

We simply can’t wait to tell you about our latest food discovery!

A few weeks ago, while Frank and I were strolling along University Belt in Manila, guess what??…….. WE GOT HUNGRY!!! aaarrrgggghhhhh!! @@@@@&!%$@%$%^$!$#*!@

…. and you know what happens when we go hungry right????? @^%$!^@$&#$&^!$@#!@ LOLS

Fortunately, fate led our feet to this very hip and artsy “student tambayan” looking “tapsihan” called JUANA’s BUDBOD & COFFEE along M.V. delos Santos St, corner Legarda (at the back of University of Manila) so we decided to give it a try…..

They mainly serve “tapsilog-like” meals although they ain’t really called tapsilog but rather….. BUDBOD.

What the heck is BUDBOD anyway?

According to their very “bagets” looking owner Kat, Budbod is actually Rizal’s version of the SILOG! Here at Juana’s, they pride themselves as the maker of the best tasting Budbod in the universe! And so because of her passion to let the masses taste and experience Rizal’s Budbod, she decided to open Juana’s right at the heart of Manila.

As opposed to the usual tapa (or any choice of meat), sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (fried egg), Budbod would be more like the “upgraded” or “leveled-up” version of the tapsilog with its seasoned rice, grilled meat (instead of fried) and scrambled eggs plus freshly diced tomatoes for a healthier meal!

Another great thing about Juana’s is that their meals are super affordable (get a very decent meal for as low as P39!), no wonder students often flock this place when they need to fill their tummies during break time.

Anyway, let us show you their best sellers so you’d know what to order by the time you visit….

While Frank and I waited for our dinner to be served, we 1st tried their refreshments….

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (14 of 19)

Creamy Corn Shake and Dark Chocolate Frappe
Frank loved the corn shake a lot! The Frapped was also nice! Creamy and rich! Too bad I was “kinda” on diet mode that day! hihihiihih

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (7 of 19)

In my case, my personal favorite would be their Cucumber Shake!
Ultra refreshing!

After a few minutes, our dinner finally arrived! Their owner Kat also made us try their other best sellers! Thanks Kat! =)

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (11 of 19)

Liempo Budbod

Frank ate the Liempo Budbod: sweet, savory with a bit of tang, I loved this a lot! I remember digging my spoon into Frank’s plate a lot of times =)

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (13 of 19)

WINNER!! I’ll order this on my next visit!

Since I love Adobo, I tried their Adobo Budbod. Imagine a spoonful of slightly toasted tasty Adobo flakes with soft scrambled eggs, plus a hint of fresh tomatoes on rice….. BOOOOOM!!!!

Another best seller would obviously be the Lechon Budbod. Chunks of Lechon over hot plain rice, boiled egg then smothered with lechon sauce! Wicked!! My only comment is that, I hope they offer lechon with less fat to make it more enjoyable.

I saw one of their cooks preparing this and my eyeballs almost popped-out when I saw these humungous burger patties !!!

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (12 of 19)

2 pcs Burger Steak (P65)

…. believe it or not, this only costs P65!!!!! OMG!

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (16 of 19)

1 pc Burger Steak (P49)

We also got to try their Sardine Pasta!

Mild spicy Spanish Style Sardines in light cream sauce with al dente pasta topped with our local favorite cheese then partnered with buttered “monay” (local bread bun). Savoring this felt like having a home cooked meal similar to what my mom would prepare during her sudden pasta cravings. Nice one!! Clap! Clap! Clap!

They also have around 2 or 3 kinds of burgers in their menu…. I tried the ADOBONATOR!! (AH-DOW-BOW-NEY-TERRR) BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAA (evil laugh…)!!!!

Juana's Budbod and Cafe Filipino Food Tapsilog When in Manila Mae Ilagan Frank Ruaya (18 of 19)

giant burger patty with cheese, slices of cucumber and tomato plus adobo flakes!!

I personally appreciated the burger a lot, as I’m not very picky with patties. It may not be made from 100% beef (to make it more affordable), but it still tasted pretty good. For me, their patties would taste like a cross between Burger Machine and Angel’s Burger. So since I’m a big fan of both brands, I enjoyed this one a lot!

me with Juana’s owner and future tycoon Donya Kat!!! lols

Freshly cooked, healthy and affordable Filipino comfort food, nice ambiance and great customer service is what Juana’s Budbod & Coffee is all about!

Definitely one of the most well-loved student “tambayans” of Filipino college students within the University Belt and also one of the best budget friendly places to enjoy Filipino comfort food when in Manila!

photo with the staff!