MANILA -- Boa Kitchen + Socials is looking to add more color to the Quezon City food scene with a two-pronged concept from chef Julius Necor for Glocal Food Concepts Inc.

Named after the snake in the popular book "The Little Prince" that challenges perceptions, Boa Kithcen serves Australian brunch fare mornings until late afternoon, and transforms into Boa Socials at night, serving dishes with a more Asian-bent.

The restaurant’s aesthetic follows as well, as the ambiance changes from bright and airy during the day, to dim and intimate with neon lights for a "club vibe."

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“The Boa comes out at night” was a common phrase used by the restaurateurs to describe the change, as they demonstrated unveiling a mural of a neon painted boa behind a panel.

One can say that there’s a playfulness to the whole concept, but hand in hand with it is the intent for Boa to be taken seriously, especially in food.

Necor, who counts experiences in BCN and Vask in his kitchen repertoire, flexed his culinary muscles to create a menu with some dishes that, given the concept and his very small kitchen, succeed very well, adding some tasty additions to the vast but still largely unchanged culinary landscape that is Quezon City.

The Salmon and Avocado Toast fits the bill for Australian brunch dishes. It was the sourdough bread that carried this dish, salty and all good things, providing a great vehicle for the competing richness of the salmon and avocado.

The Tinapa Cream Cheese Toast uses the same bread, and provides a Filipino option for mornings, or late snacking.

The Fried Potato Skillet with Fried Egg was one of the best dishes in the morning menu. It’s the simplicity of this dish that made it sing. Like a stripped down Huevos Rancheros, this dish was hearty with crispy potatoes, topped with a tangy tomato sauce then a fried egg, and finished with a drizzle of garlic aioli.

Moving to the mains, rice bowls were an option, with the Sisig Bowl coming highly recommended, as it delivered a generous portion of rice with garlicky and spicy sisig.

One could also do waffles for lunch, because why not? Boa Kitchen served a perfectly crisp waffle with housemade ricotta and heaping portions of blueberry compote.

A foray to the dinner options gave way to more exciting fare, flavor-wise.

Table-favorite, Thai Fried Chicken had crispy skin and juicy meat --hallmarks of a great fried chicken. The “Thai” part of the equation came from the brine, which had fish sauce imparting an addicting umami flavor. The chicken went well with the sweet chili sauce and its accompanying curried mashed potato, although a mound of garlic rice (or some coconut lime rice) would have been more satisfying.

Rice lovers are better served by Necor’s Beef Rendang, which has coconut lime rice to go with the long-stewed beef. Like most rendangs, this stew has been reduced for hours until it’s just about dry, with the meat falling apart with the barest suggestion of a fork. It’s a tamer rendang in terms of spice, leaning towards the Java-style — a bit sweet and only a bit wet. The pickled onions and the coriander were appreciated as flavor counterpoints, providing acidity and freshness respectively.

Perhaps the rendang would be better served with a dab (or three) of the sambal in the Crispy Pork Sambal, which was sweet and spicy, and together with the slaw on the plate satisfyingly balanced the richness of the thick cut of pork.

Pulpo was one of BOA’s fancier dishes served during this tasting. Necor cooked the octopus to perfect tenderness, draping it around a bed of a creamy smoked potato puree, and sprinkling some chorizo-flavored crumble that’s reminiscent to the texture of fried garlic. Some paprika-thyme oil also dotted the plate, all in all giving the diner a spectacular-looking and Spanish-tasting dish, perhaps a nod to the two Spanish restaurants that the chef worked in.

For things to sip, while the bar at Boa also serves cocktails that are quite experimental (and also very Instagrammable) including some drinks that change color (the Purple Potion), guests looking for a chill time should find no fault in drinking the sangria, which comes in two versions, a punchy passion fruit sangria, or a sweeter Peach and Mango version.

“Always Change” is plastered onto the restaurant’s walls and menu. It’s something that Boa Kitchen + Socials lives by, and it does -- as it changes concepts from morning to night.

The menu, which shows a lot of Necor’s experimentation, is still being tweaked as we write, but with dishes like the Thai Chicken and the Pulpo set to be tasty bestsellers, it’s interesting to imagine what the restaurant will evolve into in a month -- or a year from now.