A staple in the BGC scene, ‘Yes, Please!‘ is mainly known for its chill drinks and neon-lit interiors. Being one of the more laid back establishments at the Palace, if your idea of a good night out doesn’t require dancing or loud heavy music – this is the usual spot to go. Which is why they’ve expanded on this by introducing a full food menu. Although their bar chow has never been short of satisfying, especially when paired with their drinks. The people behind ‘Yes, Please!’ have enhanced this experience with their Boozy Dinner dishes.
Chef Mikko Reyes, who has been with the Palace team since 2013, has developed a menu that highlights the two core qualities of ‘Yes, Please!’ – laid back and good flavor – whether it be through drinks or food. The Boozy Dinner concept comes from the idea that you can have a good night out with good drinks without the need to exhaust yourself with all the clubbing. LA Wine & Dine recently tried some of these dishes for a taste preview and here are some highlights.
Starters
To start, a bright salad of mixed greens, cucumber and tomatoes greets us at the table. Small pockets of spicy kani is added for punch and sesame soy vinaigrette to bring it all together. The protein comes in seared tuna coated with sesame seeds, adding just enough chew and extra nuttiness to the starter salad. A good drink to pair this with is a cooling gin fizz to complement the nuttiness of the dressing.
Next come two starters that are good to share with friends. Their pungent and saucy Ginger Garlic Squid is a flavorful dish that gets extra meat with a topping of pork floss. The combined deep pungency of garlic and ginger brightens up the squid which also pairs well with tequila-based drink like a Paloma. In contrast, their smooth and creamy hummus is a deep savory dip that comes with pita bread to carry it. Not one to stay plain with their dishes, ‘Yes, Please!’ goes in with extra flavor with added fried chickpeas, olives, kesong puti, and eggplant relish.
Ginger Garlic Squid 
Yes Please! Hummus
Last for the starters but, to me, the highlight out of all of them is their Foie Katsu Sando. Simple but strong in its flavor, the combination of the caramelized Spam and ham tartare creates a rich savoriness that is absorbed by the brioche bun in every bite.
Mains
As filling as the starters were, the flavorful momentum continues on with their mains. First off, is their nutty and rich Dan Dan Noodles. The main element of this dish is the sauce, a mix of peanut and sesame, it’s a creamy and rich profile added with the earthy heat of bacon chili garlic oil topped with a meaty scoop of minced pork. The noodle dish is served with black vinegar on the side if you want to add a sharp cut to the sauce.
Their Menchi Katsu Curry is where they get playful with the recipe of their dishes. We start with a katsu filled with minced meat and cheddar cheese for a crisp and creamy bite. This is then placed on a bed of rice with a thick curry sauce poured over. For extra meatiness, black mussels are added for a complementing seafood flavor to the rich curry. A good drink pairing with this rich rice dish is an ice-cold Highball.
If you’re looking for a savory bomb for dinner, their Chicken Kiev might be the dish for you. This deep-fried treat is filled with a multitude of flavors from the chicken marinated with miso herb butter. It’s served on comte mashed potatoes and a side of braised kailan. If you find the taste too heavy, you can balance the richness of the butter with a squirt of lemon. A sweet Mint Julep would go well with this dish as the cocktail’s sweetness mellows out the kiev’s buttery flavor.
Desserts
For that sweet ending, we were generously served two desserts to end the boozy meal. The Banana Tres Leches is a soft sweet serving of sponge cake topped with a creamy dollop of banana milk, chantilly cream, and dulce de leche. The creamy fruit taste from the banana complements with the deep sweetness of the dulce de leche. The dark cold serving of the Peanut Butter Chocolate Affogato is a dark blend of mantecado ice cream drizzled with espresso, this dessert is elevated with the choco peanut truffles that add a bite and nutty chew to the espresso’s bitter notes.
Banana Tres Leches 
Peanut Butter Chocolate Affogato
With other menu items that we’ve yet to try from the taste preview such as the Roasted Pork Belly and Beef Shank Bolognese, there’s a certainty that they’ll be as creative and layered in flavor as the ones we’ve tried. The new dishes at ‘Yes, Please!’ are a melody of different flavors and cuisines that echo the eclectic nature of their cocktails. It is common knowledge that a night out in BGC usually entails severe intoxication but with their new Boozy Dinner menu, ‘Yes, Please!’ asks us instead to sit down and relax, enjoy company with friends along with some flavorful drinks and eats.
Yes, Please! is located at 38th St. Uptown, 11th Ave, Taguig, Metro Manila. For reservations, contact (0917) 140-7777.
Photos from Yes, Please!
