Sama Sama is a Modern Karinderya Paradise You've Never Heard Of
This Makati hole-in-the-wall flips Filipino classics into something that just makes sense.
by JV Ordoñez
Published on Apr 10, 2026
It's not too farfetched to see Makati as the epicenter for quintessential restaurants you would recommend to your international and local friends to get a picture of the local dining scene. There is even more incentive to dig deep into it on the heels of the Michelin Guide landing in the Philippines last year, with a lot of comfort and street food joints bearing Bib Gourmand and Selected distinctions. But I doubt you've heard of this hole-in-the-wall (in this case, hole-in-a-condominium) spot called Sama Sama, which takes Filipino food staples like sinigang and remixes them with stuff like kimchi.
Located at the ground floor of the West of Ayala Condominium on Urban Avenue in Makati City, Sama Sama was a joint we decided to try out on a whim after seeing the striking, retro-inflated lunchbox-style sign poking out into the street. The pitch for the place is simple: "Filipino Classics, Reimagined," which isn't really too outlandish of a tagline, but we took it at its word.
Entering the place evokes a nostalgic feeling with the Saturday morning cartoons-inspired artwork, layered colored text straight out of the '70s, and stylized Jeepney placards. We tried a bunch of their takes on so-called remixes of Filipino food classics that we thought had been done to death at this point. Sama Sama just gets the blend right and makes things perfectly modular to tailor whatever kick you may want to incorporate into your meal.
Sama Sama in Urban Avenue in Makati
To kick things off, our eyes locked on to the soothing Beef Kimchi Sinigang. The broth is much darker and redder than the conventional iteration of the sour Filipino broth, adding a bit of a kick and an extra layer of funk to the braised beef chunks, coiled long beans, and kangkong. The servings here are plenty for a solo eater and, as with most of the mains at Sama Sama, they come in meal deals for a little over P300 with your choice of coffee or juice, and kimchi soup by default to coat your digestive system.
The Korean/Filipino sour broth in question
Let's get this out of the way, but yes: sinigang is already sour, which might make you think the kimchi is redundant, but it's just the type of doubling down on a flavor profile via a fermented flair from our Korean neighbors.
Next are the Patis Glazed Chicken Poppers, and oh, the batter is to die for. Deep amber-orange chicken glazed with the right amount of patis and garlic. Think Korean yangnyeom chicken or Chinese honey garlic, but with patis as the base instead, providing a funkier, umami-forward backbone to an otherwise straightforward chicken popper rice bowl meal.
Patis Glazed Chicken Poppers Rice Bowl
This is definitely in the savory, rich territory that definitely deserves a spot in your belly.
We also took a crack at their Beef Pares Bao Bun that is golden, toasted, and centered on the marriage of a bao bun on the outside and the dark, slow-cooked pares beef and peppered tofu. This ain't anything surprising since tokwa is often paired with pares at carinderias, but is stacked into a tempting Chinese bao sandwich with a subtle nod to the American smash burger structural delivery system as a mode of transport to your gullet.
Their menu is filled top to bottom with choices that are way too tempting not to try, ranging from classic Champorado, Bibingka Pancakes, and even Birria Lumpia. Their graphically well put-together Green Chili Coconut and Banana Hot Sauce also deserve honorable mentions, as they transform the experience of each dish with complex spins on Filipino condiments like banana ketchup and coconut chili, in alluring squeeze bottles.
We've only just scratched the surface with Sama Sama's menu, which is already evolving at a breakneck rate after opening early last year. This quaint, endearing spot is definitely one that deserves to be ungatekept.
What a Sama Sama spread looks like
Sama Sama Green Chili Coconut Hot Sauce
Sama Sama Banana Hot Sauce
Esquire PH's resident music scribe, loafer disciple, and essayist fluent in niche internet subcultures and Philippine politics.