That Filipinos care a great deal about food is a well-known fact. Manila’s indie rock kids are no different—you can often find groups of young friends meeting up for a post-gig comedown meal in late night joints.

One go-to place for great late-night chow is Tomato Kick, which turns off its lights when the last patron leaves (typically around 2-3 AM). It is located in the artsy Diliman neighborhood in Quezon City, a stone’s throw away from some of the favorite rock clubs in the city. The place has in the past couple of years become a favorite among Manila’s young gig-goers: musicians, writers, magazine editors, college students, filmmakers, and other similar creative types.

The place is a favorite among many for a couple of reasons: the excellent and yet very cheap food and drinks, and the friendly, at-ease feeling about the place. It all makes for a terrific hangout, whether you decide to start or end at the night at TK.

Well-known musicians are regularly sighted in Tomato Kick during after-dinner hours. And with such creative regulars, the music played at TK is consistently excellent as well, the musicians and bandistas are free to hook up their mp3 players to the house system.

While the people may come at first for the food though, it is the good company had at Tomato Kick that will pull one back. The place has that inscrutable special vibe that makes it a great place for passing the time with friends.

The famous TK tomato soup—half-eaten because it was just too good not to dig into right away.

Tofu Fajitas are a perfect healthy alternative- light in calories but very tasty.

Tomato Kick is located along Maginhawa St. in UP Village, Quezon City.