The Split bridges the great divide
There is a great divide in the heart of BGC. But instead of separating people, it brings everyone together. Ironically, it’s called The Split, the Raintree Hospitality Group’s latest offering. What used to be Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte is now a food hall-like renaissance of sorts, housing four of the group’s core brands: Providore Bakery & Café, Saboten Express, Chotto Matte, and Friends & Family Upside Down.
A recipe for profitability
The goal is simple, “create a space that people could treat as their third place,” says Martin Wisniewski, vice president of Raintree Hospitality Group.
“We went through countless name ideas, and when The Split came up, almost everyone pushed back. But it made complete sense,” Wisniewski explains. “The space carries split concepts, split personalities, even split shifts. Bringing four different brands together under one roof became the heart of the idea.”
This shift is also a lesson for entrepreneurs. While Wisniewski and Raintree corporate chef Kalel Chan has positioned the modern and bright space for every appetite where “people can choose freely and enjoy different experiences in one visit,” The Split model is also a recipe for profitability, thanks to shared resources and operational costs in one setting, which, mind you, flourishes in interiors that are inviting for solo diners, couples, and large groups.
Different concepts for different tastes
Alongside this approach is a sense of community befitting its third-place ambitions and a customer-friendly mélange of high-quality products as expected from Chan.
At Providore Bakery & Café, Chan leans on artisanal pastries and specialty coffee with Asian flavors, fearlessly led by a Yardstick-roasted cup of Splatte, a double espresso with tres leches coconut latik. Saboten Express and Chotto Matte, meanwhile, dive headfirst into Filipinos’ penchant for katsu sets and izakaya-style sushi and small bites that, while classic, come in vivid presentations to satisfy a diverse group of customers.
But it’s on the Friends & Family Upside Down side of the menu that Chan defines The Split’s personality. Where the original Friends & Family offers comfort Filipino food, its Upside Down version turns these classics on their head with its fun takes.
You should get the crispy bagnet sprinkled with salt and vinegar powders on the side (scrape the meat with the salty and sour dusting and let it crackle on the tongue) and the Boy Bawang-coated garlic crispy chicken lollipops that go well with either plain or, yes, even garlic rice. There’s a simplicity to the dishes, but they’re driven by tiny tweaks, twists, and twitches that scream Chan’s signatures.
Elsewhere on the menu, Chan brings a succession of regional flair into the mix, which functions as the backbone of Upside Down’s culinary panache. His homemade shrimp okoy dubbed Shokoy is crisp and addictive, especially when it kisses the langka kurat dip; there’s also dinakdakan from Ilocos and a spicy mala sinigang—where the sour tamarind and Sichuan flavor profile simmer in a steamboat—that could very well be The Split’s main marketing machine.
Their specialty beverages, which Chan says is a personal project of Wisniewski himself, capitalize on two key factors: taste and visual appeal. Flavor-seeking consumers with preferences for creamy textures, foams, and whipped toppings (basically snackable drinks) won’t be disappointed. Those whose eyes eat first should set their sights on statement glasses of Pink Panther (muddled dragonfruit, mint, passionfruit, coconut water) and the gulaman-like It’s Giving Violet.
Notwithstanding the social activities, DJ nights, and trivia sessions that punctuate its third-place vision, The Split’s spark hinges on its cuisine craftsmanship, global influence, and local appeal. And Chan and Wisniewski certainly have the chops to deliver all three consistently.
The Split is located in Seven Neo, Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For reservations, call (0917) 882-6655. For updates, follow The Split on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
