Kayu

Kayu is a small smokehouse right on MacArthur Highway in Urbiztondo, next door to Gefseis and near the 7-Eleven, and easy to miss if you're driving past. Walk in and the wood smoker is the first thing you see, set in front of the dining room, and the whole place smells of it.

The meats get a simple salt and pepper rub and a long, slow smoke over wood. The smoked beef is the order most people come back for, followed by the baby back ribs, brisket, smoked pork belly and the house kielbasa. There are unsmoked plates too, like peri-peri chicken with mashed potato, steaks and the Kayu burger, and the fries come in big portions made for sharing. Pets are welcome.

Google lists it open 11AM to 9PM Monday to Thursday and until 10PM Friday to Sunday, and most people spend ₱500 to ₱1,000 each. The dining room is small and fills up at dinner, and parking is tight, so walk over if you can. On weeknights the kitchen takes last orders around 8:30PM, so don't leave it too late.