Everything Bistro under one roof

ALMOST EVERYTHING that The Bistro Group offers can be found at My South Hall at S Maison in the SM Mall of Asia complex.

Last month, BusinessWorld saw the lineup at My South Hall, which includes The Bistro Group’s beloved restaurant brands such as Fish & Co., Modern Shang, El Pollo Loco, and Sarap Bistro Filipino. If that doesn’t hit your fix, Watami, Italliani’s, Texas Roadhouse, and other Bistro Group restaurants are right outside the food hall. While the food hall was opened right before the pandemic (which shuttered its operations), it reopened in 2021.

The restaurant group, which celebrates its 30th anniversary, also introduces new concepts there like Taiwanese-inspired hotpot Xi Nen Hot Pot and milk tea brand WCKD.

“The roster was curated based on popular food trends, customer demand, and a mix of international and local flavors to offer something for everyone, while maximizing foot traffic and variety,” said Lisa Ronquillo-Along, The Bistro Group’s chief marketing officer.

As for the food hall concept, it’s becoming recently popular in the metro, with restaurant groups opening their own across the city, populating them with smaller kitchens of their brands. “The food hall model is attractive because it offers variety, faster customer turnover, and appeals to diners looking for quick, diverse, and trendy food experiences — all in one space,” she said in an e-mail.

The Bistro Group, best known for its franchises of foreign concepts (its first was TGI Friday’s in 1994), has been trying out its hand with homegrown concepts, such as the aforementioned Sarap and Shangri-La Plaza’s Siklab+. “The Bistro Group is entering the Filipino food space with Sarap and Siklab to tap into the growing demand for local cuisine, diversify beyond foreign franchises, and create original brands they can potentially expand locally and globally,” said Ms. Ronquillo-Along.

Just because the group celebrated its 30th anniversary this year doesn’t mean it is slowing down — it recently brought in upscale Morton’s The Steakhouse and LongHorn Steakhouse. Ms. Ronquillo-Along said, “Our longevity comes from consistently delivering quality, adapting to trends, and strong operational expertise. Foreign chains trust us for our proven track record, local market know-how, and ability to maintain global standards — helping us lead and set benchmarks in the industry.”

My South Hall is found at the ground floor of S Maison Conrad Manila. — JLG