GotSoul MNL turns up the volume on BGC dining

Some places feed you. Some places play the soundtrack of your life. GotSoul MNL insists to do both — deliberately, obsessively.

Now officially ready to welcome music patrons and foodies alike at Forbes Town in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the concept reframes nightlife as immersion. Not loud for the sake of it, but tuned with intention. A Hi-Fi listening bar wrapped in a modern Filipino-Spanish tapas kitchen, where the DJ booth commands the room and vinyl frames the walls like a thesis statement.

For founder Jojo Flores, the idea was years in the making.

“This concept came about through my travels. I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve visited Japan. I’m a DJ who has a different approach, I have a hi-fi background. For me, as a DJ, I’m a messenger for the people who create music, and I want their music to be played on amazing sound systems so that people can truly appreciate their work,” he said.

That philosophy first took shape overseas.

“So we opened up a hi-fi café in Montreal, and we owned a Filipino restaurant there as well. The café opened five years ago. At the height of Covid-19 in Canada, the only places that were allowed to open were cafés, so we were able to survive the pandemic, and we built a good community, a strong following,” he added.

“This evolved into what we’re doing here in Manila. We took it a step further and created a bar concept, and eventually, down the line, we’re going to have a coffee program.”

Flores returned to Manila with partners Jason Soong, chef Chele Gonzalez, Benjo Marquez, Manolet and Dee Dario and JP Enriquez, a collective fluent in music culture and hospitality.

Inside, sound dictates the tempo. Jazz melts into soul; funk slips into house. Selectors build journeys rather than playlists; the system calibrated for warmth and clarity. The goal isn’t volume; it’s fidelity.

In the kitchen, celebrated Michelin-starred chef Chele Gonzalez approaches food the same way a DJ approaches a set — layered, referential, deeply personal.

“This is a personal project where we all get together. We have a common ground, and that is music,” he said. “So, part of what we offer at GotSoul is food, and that is one of my sides, but also my side as a DJ and as a person who’s been in the music industry for 30 years.”

He resists the traditional hierarchy. “The food here is curated. I call myself, instead of the chef, the curator of the food. It’s something that is fun, simple, comforting, modern and with roots in different fields.”

Spanish tapas anchor the menu, but Filipino flavors run through it with intention — Adobo Chicken Croquetas; Humba recast as crisp bites; Cebu lechon folded into paella; kinilaw sharpened for a contemporary table.

“It’s still Spanish, it’s still Filipino, but in a very contemporary way… It’s food that is not pretentious, and it’s food that fits perfectly with what’s happening in GotSoul MNL,” Chef Gonzalez added.

The drinks list leans toward European with local inflections; zero-proof options are treated with equal care. Coffee and whisky programs, led by Benjo Marquez, and a tequila program by JP Enriquez, are planned to roll out in phases. Even the wine program is carefully plotted, with sommeliers Cyril and Pierre Addision pairing soulful tunes to each bottle.

Every detail of the place, from circular tables that encourage conversation; to private booths for intimate listening — is considered for experience. Artful lighting, plush textures and bold accents like the red Kay chairs punctuate the space, echoing the energy of the music.

GotSoul MNL isn’t engineered for spectacle. It’s designed for presence, where music is foreground, food is conversation and community is the through line. Here, every visit is a performance, every meal a set and every night a chance to rediscover how deeply music and flavor can connect.