There used to be just one way to get your hands on Bun Appetit’s delicious lobster rolls—on Saturday mornings at Salcedo Market in Makati, if you wake up early enough.
But at The Pantree, you can sink your teeth into Bun Appetit’s seafood sandwiches from Mondays to Fridays.
The Pantree, a food hall in Makati’s Legazpi Village, is home to different kinds of food—burgers, tapa, shawarma, Thai dishes, Mexican snacks and, now, Bun Appetit’s seafood sandwiches.
“We decided to open at The Pantree after seeing all the inquiries that we’re getting each week. We realized that there’s a substantial demand that we are not able to serve, because not all our potential customers can make the trip to the market,” said Iya Jimenez-Cua, who runs Bun Appetit with her husband Lawrence.
For a time, they had been looking for a permanent location and found the perfect place in The Pantree. “We jumped at the opportunity to be part of The Pantree. We have only started, but we feel we are in the right place with our co-tenants who are also startups,” said Iya.
She recommends that first-timers try Bun Appetit’s lobster rolls, which are served Maine-style with a generous heaping of fresh lobster meat on buttered New England-style buns, with absolutely no fillers. The crab and shrimp rolls are a hit, too.
Bun Appetit also recently introduced seafood grilled cheese sandwiches—lobster, crab and our favorite, shrimp.
“If they’re after an easy and affordable snack, the garlic noodles is a good option,” said Iya. The garlic noodles are a great side dish for the rolls, too, as is the grilled corn.
Bun Appetit’s regular clients who make the trip to Salcedo can expect to enjoy the full menu at The Pantree. But they can still get their dose of lobster at the market on Saturdays.
“We love the Salcedo Market community and we see ourselves staying there for many more years,” Iya said, adding that Bun Appetit has also started catering to private events. “We’re also working on a few additional specials that we’ll offer for limited periods. All seafood-related, of course!”
Soon it will be offering chips from a social enterprise, the couple’s way of giving back. “The chips complement the rolls and we just want to give back. We got a lot of help during the early days of Bun Appetit and we still get a lot of help from friends three years after.”
Bun Appetit is at The Pantree, 119 De la Rosa cor. Castro St., Legazpi Village, Makati; open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Follow @bun_appetit on Instagram. E-mail bun_appetit@yahoo.com.
