A Tale of Two: Pork Krapow in Poblacion, Makati City (Krapow MNL vs. Samyan)

Good things come in pairs.

This is true in the foodie world. In my experience, there are duopolies for a certain dish or locations where only a couple of dishes dominate the food landscape. So I thought of launching a new series called A Tale of Two, which are made up of articles that compare and/or appreciate a pair of dishes or food establishments. I’m excited about this series because I get to try two of everything. And if there’s a winner between the two in the case of comparisons, my tummy emerges as the ultimate winner! LOL.

The second article is about 2 Pork Pad Krapow in Barangay Poblacion, the thriving food and nightlife district (pre-pandemic) of Makati City. (Check the first one here, which is about 2 fried chicken sandwiches in Bonifacio High Street.)

Criteria

But before we talk about the criteria, let’s talk about what a pad kaprow is. Pad krapow (krapao or gaprao) is literally “stir fried holy basil.” It's any protein (typically minced beef, chicken, or pork) stir-fried with holy basil, topped on rice, and served with fried egg.

Now I haven’t been to Bangkok or anywhere in Thailand so I’m not sure what a local pad krapow tastes like. So I just watched some food vlogs and cooking videos to have an idea. I judged the pork krapow (or pad krapow moo in Thai) with these:

Pork Krapow: It has to start with this, of course! I looked for flavor, especially from the holy basil.
Fried Egg: It should have a nice crisp at the bottom and runny-ness of its yolk
Other Components: I tried to see how the other components add to the overall flavors and textures of the dish.

Take note that I had both dishes as freshest as it can be. I ordered them at separate times, took photos of the dish, and reviewed it.

So let’s start with the first one…

Krapow MNL

Krapow MNL is a Thai restaurant that opened during the pandemic. I first learned about this food spot through their Instagram ads. Aside from the namesake specialty, they also serve Thai dishes that are and aren’t so common in the Philippines. The uncommon ones include Beef Massaman Curry and Sai Oua (Northern Thai Sausage).

Here’s what I think of their pork krapow:

Pork Krapow: The pork mince is “grounder” and less sweeter than Samyan’s. The holy basil is subtler than Samyan’s as well. There are sliced chilis that give a stay-in-the-mouth spiciness and chopped green beans that give some crunch.
Fried Egg: The yolk is runny and the crispiness from the burnt edge is nice (check the photo how crazy the burnt edge is!).
Other Components: The cucumber adds a refreshing crunch and the fish sauce an intense saltiness.

Samyan

Samyan is stall no. 16 at The Grid Food Market of Power Plant Mall in Rockwell. Like Krapow MNL, they also serve not-so-common Thai food, including Khao Soi, a noodle dish with a coconut milk-based broth that’s common in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. The food spot is helmed by one of the top Thai chefs, Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn, who owns Michelin-recommended restaurants Baan (with Bib Gourmand recognition) and Le Du (with 1 Michelin Star).

With a high expectation, here’s what I think of their pork krapow:

Pork Krapow: The holy basil is crisped to a chew. I’m not sure if it should be that way but I find it pleasant. The basil also has a subtle flavor and a slight bitterness. The krapow is also garlicky because of the tine whole cloves and I love it! Overall, it’s rightly sweet, slightly salty, and not too spicy (unless I ate the pieces of red chilies).
Fried Egg: It has a crisp bottom, adding to the overall texture of the dish. While the yolk is not fully cooked, I wish it was yolkier.
Other Components: I’m not sure if the dish should come with cucumbers and fish sauce (I checked product shots and some include cucumbers while some don’t). When the dish was delivered to me, it had none of the components I mentioned.

The Verdict

I go for Krapow MNL!

The pork krapow of both food spots are nice, with each having its own distinctiveness. I will recommend both to my friends. But I just preferred the flavors and textures of Krapow MNL’s. Plus, Krapow MNL had cucumbers and fish sauce, adding another layer of flavors and textures.

Again, I’m not sure how a local krapow should taste. If you know how it should taste or if you can recommend a food spot that serves an authentic one, kindly let me know in the comments section below.

Krawpow MNL

Address: 5648 Don Pedro St., Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City
Operating Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-6PM | Sunday, 10AM-5PM
Contact Details: (0927) 864-1114
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Samyan

Address: The Grid Food Market, 2/F Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Dr., Rockwell Center, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City
Operating Hours: Monday, 9AM-8PM | Tuesday-Saturday, 11AM-8PM | Sunday, 11AM-6PM
Contact Details: (02) 7759-4605
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram

Other articles in the A Tale of Two series: Fried Chicken Sandwiches in Bonifacio High Street (Fowlbread vs. Shake Shack)