Jabroni's Now Lets You Have Their Slices for Dine-in at Rockwell

Jabroni’s

P1 Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jabronispizza

Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Sunday to Thursday), 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Friday), 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Saturday)

(SPOT.ph) We’ve said it before about pizza—it’s one of those foods that’s got a wide spectrum of what’s technically permissible, and most of us would enjoy most of its iterations. Even when you’ve had truly great pizza, you can sort of still go back to your chain of choice without feeling like you’re missing out. However, Jabroni’s is as close as we’ve gotten to challenging that idea.

PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

Now testing the mall waters as a pop-up over at Power Plant Mall, there’s a lot to this New York-conceived, Manila-born pizzeria even at first sight. From the framed Jeter jersey to the vintage letterboard-inspired menu, you know exactly where the owners spent a lot of time. If we’re being honest, we’d spend a lot more time at this pop-up if our schedules allowed—even in its current state, there’s something distinctly diner-esque about its energy.

PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

The SPOT.ph Guide to Pizza

Jabroni’s pizza shop in Rockwell

More than checking the vibes—immaculate though they are—you’re here to find out if Jabroni’s pizza is everything they say and more. Emilio Ocampo, managing partner and co-founder of this up-and-coming neighborhood favorite, says, “We felt like this is what Manila was missing.” And, reader, he may be right.

Pizzas are made fresh onsite. PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

A pizza at Jabroni’s actually looks sleeker than your typical New York slice, a quality best demonstrated by one of our favorites, the Vodka Pepperoni (P190/slice, P1,390/whole). You may never return to regular pepperoni pizzas again; in addition to the perfect, crispy-yet-tender crust, you have that incredible balance of lightly acidic tomato, cheese that’s just short of rich, and the encompassing swirl of vodka sauce for a little extra heat and moisture. It’s more than comfort food—it’s “the sun will come out tomorrow” food. With all that said, the vodka sauce does, strictly speaking, put this particular variant out of the running for our Top 10 list.

Vodka Pepperoni. Warning: this might just ruin all other pepperoni pizzas for you. PHOTO BY Hans Fausto/SPOT.ph archives

Another set of toppings that’s already become a staple of regulars is one of the house specials, lovingly called The Amboy (P235/slice, P1,710/whole). One can only guess that it’s named for the lived experiences of the owners, and there’s a throughline in that this tastes like the perfect cheeseburger if it was a pizza. The sausage has just enough fennel to stand out in the white sauce and to differentiate itself from the pancetta, and, yes, there’s more vodka sauce—the stuff is just worth bringing up twice, okay?

The Amboy—think the perfect cheeseburger in a pizza. PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

Balance it out with a piece or two of The Popeye (P220/slice, P1,610/whole), the closest to a salad that you’re going to get here, and rightfully so—we’re here for a good time. We’ve mentioned it in passing before, but it toes a certain line of richness without overstepping, held up just enough by that discourse-worthy crust. We hope we don’t have to tell you that this is not ideal first-date food, but if you don’t mind getting greenery stuck in your teeth as a first impression, we can’t really stop you.

The Popeye, our favorite way to get in our greens. PHOTO BY Hans Fausto/spot.ph archives

Alternatively—that is, if you’re still telling yourself that you should have some vegetables on your pizza—there’s the other house special, The Supreme (P195/slice, P1,390/whole). You’ll find similarly named specimens in almost every other ‘za establishment, and this one feels like the platonic ideal. The brightness of bell pepper meets the sweet zing of onion over a sea of sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, and mozzarella. If The Amboy is a cheeseburger, this is a hearty bowl of stew in pie form.

The Amboy and The Supreme in one pie. PHOTO BY Hans Fausto

There is very little we can say about Jabroni’s without sounding like a bad commercial; to the uninitiated, it would all sound like an exaggerated press release. But we can’t simply relegate this place to “if you know, you know” status, so we will say it plainly: You have to go and grab a box, because seeing is believing. No need to thank us.

Photos by Hans Fausto

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