Grub/Spirits Restaurant Reviews — 20 November 2012
Jeepney: A LocalBozo.com Restaurant Review

Jeepney
201 First Avenue, near 12th Street, East Village
212-533-4121
Getting There: 6 to Astor Place; L to 1st Avenue
http://www.jeepneynyc.com

The flamboyant décor of Filipino utility vehicles known as jeepneys have become a cultural symbol of the region. The cross between jeep and jitney makes for a makeshift bus of sorts which is a distinction indicative of the Filipino people and their culture. And with that in mind comes a new East Village restaurant called, you guessed it, Jeepney. Described as a Filipino Gastropub, the inventively colorful eatery began serving up its innovative fare at the beginning of October. But while the place is certainly eye catching, the fare being served will take some time to catch up to the ambiance inside.

The bright yellow Jeepney awning beckons out to passersby along First Avenue, where seemingly a preponderance of exciting new restaurants all seem to be popping up. Inside, the bar scene is a vibrant one, with fun and tasty cocktails being slung out to patrons- a step indoors immediately feels like a local haunt in the Philippines, or at least as you’d imagine it, if you can believe that. The lively spot is separated by bar and dining room with a relatively narrow walkway that accentuates the restaurant’s theme- combining equal parts jeeps, scantily clad women, and authentic takes on Filipino cuisine.

We stopped into Jeepney during the restaurant’s soft opening, hoping for a glimpse at what the main menu would soon be offering, and to no one’s surprise, the list of offerings was as eclectic as we had hoped. Working collaboratively with our informed server, we opened with the “Bulalo” ($20), a heaping shared bowl of beef broth filled with hunks of beef short rib, a scolding hot bone marrow, and equal parts corn, cabbage, and potatoes. The hearty, ideal for autumn dish certainly offered up an exciting collection of different flavors, although some members of our party found the beef to be on the tough side, and the scant bone marrow a bit diminutive. But the tastes worked together just fine. Moreover, the “Pampangan Suman” ($10/$18) wrapped a banana leaf around a confluence of different ingredients- tasty king prawn, green mango relish, glutinous rice, among others. The dish was nicely plated and was among our favorites of the entire meal with the sweet taste of mango standing out amongst a multitude of different components.

The Platos portion of the menu on the other hand was where Jeepney seemed to underwhelm. The anticipated “Chori Burger” ($17) combined a beef and sausage (longganisa) patty inside of a Challah bun, doused liberally with a sweet and spicy Jufran and aioli mix. Although the side of house made chips and pickled vegetables were a nice change of pace, the burger tasted more like a sweet meatloaf sandwich than any burger we’d been used to. Similarly, “The Defeated Chicken” ($18) served with a side of braised pigs feet was a basic half roasted chicken served covered in a Loser’s sauce (black beans, cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass). Despite being moist, it wasn’t anything to write home about. The “Bicol Express” ($12/$22) was the highlight of the meal for this writer, despite some contention from the rest of our party. The slow roasted pork shoulder was drowned in a spicy coconut milk littered with pickled chilis alongside a sea of ingredients that included sili, bagoong sauce, and sayote. The dish was on the saltier side, but the tender pork and rich, creamy layer of sauce paired together deliciously, despite the prevalence of fatty deposits on our cut.

The main entrees on the other hand was where Jeepney seemed to underwhelm. The anticipated “Chori Burger” ($17) combined a beef and sausage (longganisa) patty inside of a Challah bun, doused liberally with a sweet and spicy Jufran and aioli mix. Although the side of house made chips and pickled vegetables were a nice change of pace, the burger tasted more like a sweet meatloaf sandwich than any burger we’d been used to. Similarly, “The Defeated Chicken” ($18) served with a side of braised pigs feet was a basic half roasted chicken served covered in a Loser’s sauce (black beans, cinnamon, ginger, lemongrass). Despite being moist, it wasn’t anything to write home about. The “Bicol Express” ($12/$22) was the highlight of the meal for this writer, despite some contention from the rest of our party. The slow roasted pork shoulder was drowned in a spicy coconut milk littered with pickled chilis alongside a sea of ingredients that included sili, bagoong sauce, and sayote. The dish was on the saltier side, but the tender pork and rich, creamy layer of sauce paired together deliciously, despite the prevalence of fatty deposits on our cut.

Newly opened restaurants certainly deserve some time to work out the kinks as they begin to establish themselves in their neighborhood and Jeepney is no exception. While their idea is sound, the execution of serving dishes with such an assortment of different ingredients sometimes lends itself to overkill. But the vibe here is fun, the atmosphere is unique, and the style of cooking is relatively unusual for Manhattanites to explore and enjoy. With just a few tweaks, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Jeepney to become the place that we hoped it’d be when we stopped in for our initial visit.

Rundown of the Meal

Ensaladas & Sopas & Pica Pica

Bulalo ($20)

Pampangan Suman ($10/$18)

Platos

Chori Burger ($17)

The Defeated Chicken ($18)

Bicol Express ($12/$22)*

*Meal Highlight

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