I only know of Bucky from Toby’s Estate. Clueless me did not even realize that the Bucky’s in Poblacion before (closed already) and The Grid Food Hall (currently) is the same one that supplies Bucky’s in said popular coffee shop. Woe to the person who calls Bucky a brownie and not, well… Bucky! Put my foot in my mouth when talking to the owner Miguel Vargas last Friday. I asked if I can taste their famous brownie. A collective sigh of protest from my foodie friends was heard almost immediately as soon as the ‘offending’ word left my mouth haha. Seriously though their IG handle spells it out quite succinctly @buckysnotabrownie . Now I know. Clever marketing that worked , if I may say so.
What’s in a name ?
Apparently growing up , Miguel had buck teeth and wore head gear for his braces thus the nickname Bucky.
Asked how he got into the food business, he related how he worked for several years for his aunt and first cousin who owns Vargas Kitchen. Yes you’ve heard of them. They of the famous butter cake and brazo de mercedes. His very first foray into the business happened somewhere in Aguirre BF Paranaque a few years before he put up the resto in Poblacion. Both restos are closed now but not before successfully coining the name Bucky’s for those amazing not-brownie-bars .
Yes Bucky’s also serve savory dishes
Last Friday was an eye opener. Not only did I discover how really good the not-brownie bar tasted but got to enjoy their savory dishes as well.
Indeed, Bucky’s is not only about freshly baked sinful treats but savory items as well.
Simple and filling , this Beet Salad was an instant hit to this forever-on-a-diet-foodie-mom-of-4. I never thought I would enjoy beets. But when eaten together with the sour-sweet fermented pink shallots, nutty arugula and their made-from-scratch-cheese, the result is a balance of flavors that is pleasing and delightful
Enter Cauliflower Salad P300, Another enjoyable starter, I shall order this again. I loved how the bitter-nuttiness of the arugula, the radish and fermented shallots and the almost meaty cauliflower paired well. The roasted eggplant with the pomodoro sauce and home-made ricotta rounded up all the flavors quite nicely. Yay healthy and delicious! 
Now for the crunchy yet juicy Boneless Fried Chicken P250. The crispy skin alone is worth its weight in gold. Speaking of gold, that beautiful made-from-scratch silky gravy was scrumptious
Check out their Meal Sets…
Meal A P350 includes crispy boneless fried chicken with twister fries P350.
Twister Fries ala carte P150.
Meal B P400 has boneless fried chicken with Baked Ziti. With its braised all-beef ragu and drool-worthy aroma, Bucky’s Baked Ziti P350 (ala carte) promised and delivered. Loved how the mozzarella lovingly coated the pasta and turned stringy instead of clumping together as it melts.
Meal C P480 crispy boneless fried chicken with twister fries and baked ziti
Loved their Swedish (?) meat balls. Reminded me of Ikea’s . Bucky’s version is a little different from that Swedish-founded-largest-furniture-retailer however.
Something Sweet?
Yes you can come up with your own combinations. Here’s a few of Miguel’s own concoction…
Original Parfait P280
Made of original bucky’s, brown butter polvoron, salted caramel, milk soft serve. It was easily one of my favorites
Smores Parfait P280
It was a perfect balance of salty and sweet as each mouthful gives you the taste of smores cookie, salted caramel and brown butter polvoron with pillows of marshmallows.
Mango Parfait P280
There was also Mango Parfait with mango sauce, fresh mango, brown butter polvoron, coconut milk and chia. Ice cream are home-made and carabao milk based . Perfect for those who are lactose intolerant
Overall, what a delightful afternoon enjoying Bucky’s food and desserts.
Home-made sauce, made from scratch ice cream, freshly baked Bucky (s), beautiful salad , reasonable pricing, excellent location. What’s not to love? Dont forget to check out their Off Menu items (ie Beet Salad, meatballs, etc) on Thursdays. Can not wait to bring to the piggery here for some serious pigging out.
Bucky’s is stall no. 1 at The Grid Food Hall in Power Plant Rockwell